The socks would help reduce stress after getting caught in the nets. (big sagging things that they'd fly into and get caught in.) but the ornithologist was going after song birds. I think the largest thing we saw trapped was a cardinal. You'd check it fairly regularly just walking a line and stuffing them in socks. Then into a lunch pail. (IIRC the pail had bob ross painting on it. if that gives you an idea of his manner.)

ounce for ounce, the chickadees were the biggest fighters. I'm not sure they even weighed an ounce but those needle-beaks hurt when they decided to do an impression of Woody the Woodpecker on your knuckle