Bird banding excitement

This past Sunday we stopped at the osprey nest in London twice - on our way to a movie and on our way home from the movie (The Man from U.N.C.L.E - it was great fun).  I took a few shots each time and was very pleased with this photo, particularly when I realized it was not the adult nesting female but another female, wearing a leg band.  UPDATED INFORMATION 2016 - We now realize that this banded female is Lois.  I hadn't noticed it earlier as I had to look way back in my photos before I realized she's been banded all along.  Most of my photos of her have been taken when she's in the next with the chick and her legs were out of view.

As luck should have it, I follow the nf.birds@googlegroups and easily found the name of a person to contact for help with the banding information.  I emailed Rob Bierregaard (check out his website here) and he advised me on how to report the banding via the North American Bird Banding Program under the general direction of the U.S. Geological Survey and the Canadian Wildlife Service.  When I filed the report I was advised that it could take upwards of 4-6 weeks before I'd hear anything.  That was quite an overestimation as I received the certificate via email last night!

How cool is that?!

Note that, while the sighting was at the corner of Clarke and Fanshawe Roads in London, Ontario the GPS coordinates identify the location as ENE of Fanshawe, Ontario.