BTO - British Trust for Ornithology - Guest voices

Sharing our gull tracking expertise in a study of Dublin’s ‘noisy neighbours’

WEBSITEEDITOR — Fri, 15 Dec 2023 10:40:29 +0000

PhD student Jon Willans takes us through his fascination with gulls and his fieldwork, which was supported by our scientists. No

Jon Willans PhD student at University College Dublin

Jon has been studying and working with birds for the past 16 years in his native Canada, as well as in Ireland, the USA, Costa Rica, Uzbekistan and the UK.

These are just some of the comments I have heard after people learn that I am a PhD student studying the movement ecology of urban gulls. It turns out that, apparently, not everyone likes gulls or finds them as interesting as I do.

Here in Dublin, like in many coastal cities around Ireland and the UK, there has been a noticeable increase in the number of nesting gulls over the past 30 years. Unfortunately for the gulls, they haven’t been universally welcomed with open arms.

Some human residents feel that the addition of gulls to urban areas should be looked at as a cause for concern and outrage, rather than celebrated as a boost to gull populations — despite drastic declines in gull numbers that have led to some species being listed as of significant conservation concern in Ireland. And human–gull conflict is a growing issue in some cities, where officials are increasingly being pressured into action to control bird numbers by means such as egg oiling, nest removal and even culling.

But, as urban-nesting gulls are a relatively new phenomenon, little is known about how these birds are using these urban environments. Do urban-nesting birds even use the sea? Do they leave the city at all? How does their movement differ from ‘natural’ coastal nesting gulls? Do these coastal-nesting birds generally use the marine habitat for foraging, or do they also spend large amounts of time in the city to find food? The answers to these questions are extremely important when it comes to making any decisions about gull population management.

Urban nesting gulls are a relatively new phenomenon, so little is known about how these birds are using their environment.

An introduction to our research

It was these questions which brought our team, consisting of researchers from University College Dublin (UCD), BirdWatch Ireland, the Irish Midlands Ringing Group and the British Trust for Ornithology, to Ireland at the end of May, to try and shed some light on the movement of locally breeding Herring Gulls.

Specifically, in this study, we wanted to investigate whether there is a difference in the movement ecology — how birds navigate through habitats, and where they go — between birds nesting in urban spaces and on islands around the coast. To determine this, we needed to find both an inland colony and a coastal colony of nesting gulls, and attach GPS units to individual birds. We could then analyse data from birds in the two colony locations to see if or how these birds differ in their use of Dublin’s urban landscape.

Tracking urban gulls ...

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The UCD campus hosts several roof-nesting groups of gulls.

The first stop for the team was the UCD campus in south Dublin — our urban study site — where a small but increasing community of Herring and Lesser Black-backed Gulls can be found nesting on many of the rooftops around the university. While this type of environment is not traditionally associated with ideal habitat for nesting gulls, when you look closer you notice that the campus has everything that the gulls might require.

The tall buildings act as cliffs, where gulls can make their nests with an unobstructed view of their environment, safe from most predators. The many ponds and sports fields on and around the campus provide an ample amount of water and natural feeding opportunities.

A plentiful supply of food is also provided by the thousands of students and staff that make the daily trip onto the campus. On any given day, particularly when the sun is shining, hundreds of people can be found sitting outside eating. Gulls are often fed by these people, but they are also known to snatch food from unsuspecting diners when their hints for a snack are not being met accordingly. The gulls also feast on the mess that is left behind after people have moved on, which sometimes includes pulling rubbish from bins in search of a quick meal. Indeed, some may say this is an urban sanctuary for these birds.

The goal of our team was to catch some of the local birds and attach lightweight GPS units to them, which would give us some information about how these birds are using their environments.

The goal of our team was to catch some of the local birds and attach lightweight GPS units to them, which would give us some information about how these birds are using their urban environments. Over the next two days, working on four different rooftops and spending a considerable amount of time waiting for the unsuspecting birds to walk into the carefully placed, specialist traps, we managed to catch six breeding Herring Gulls.

Once we had taken the birds safely out of the traps, the team went into action. The birds were weighed, and we collected morphometric data like wing, bill and head length. Then we attached uniquely coded rings to their legs and fitted them with their solar-powered GPS units. These units gather and transmit data about the birds’ location and movement speed, which we can use to identify the birds’ behaviours — such as foraging, feeding or resting — as the birds navigate around the landscape.

With six tags deployed and each one actively collecting data, stage one of this mission was complete. We had tagged our urban birds.

... and coastal gulls

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Jon conducting fieldwork on Dalkey Island, the coastal study site.

Stage two involved moving operations to Dalkey Island, some 10 km to the south-east of UCD as the gull flies.

Although the island is only separated from the mainland by approximately 350 m, after getting off the ferry it felt like stepping into another world. From the herd of Old Irish goats that stopped their grazing to observe us as we arrived on their island, to the sound of the breeding gulls and the buzzing Arctic Terns that nest there, it couldn't have been further removed from the university campus.

Dalkey Island is a more traditional place to find breeding gulls: a rocky coastal area with some scrubby turf and thrift, and plenty of nooks and ledges to make a scrape-like nest. The island has large nesting colonies of Herring, Great Black-backed and Lesser Black-backed Gulls, and when we visited, pairs were scattered all across the island’s east side. Segregated zones marked the presence of the different species: while the massive and intimidating Great Black-backs watched from up high on the grassy slopes, the Herring Gulls were lower down and mainly confined to the rocky areas near the shore and the Lesser Black-backs were scattered at the north end of the colony.

We set more traps and over the next two days, seven more Herring Gulls were caught and selected to collect data for us, fitted with GPS units and sent on their way. Now we had our coastal nesting birds as well. Job done! Well, almost ...

What will we learn about Dublin’s ‘noisy neighbours’?

Early data returns from the GPS units show that there may well be differences in the way these groups of birds behave and use the urban landscape.

Over the next two years, all the GPS tags that the team has worked so hard, and suffered so many bitten fingers, to deploy will be transmitting data back to us and revealing just exactly how the gulls spend their time as they move around this country and perhaps even further afield.

The next step in the research involves analysing all this information. Early data returns from the GPS units show that there may well be differences in the way the urban- and coastal-nesting birds behave and use the urban landscape. As expected, both groups of birds spend a great deal of time inland, visiting the downtown core and the suburbs around the city. However, one initial difference appears to be the birds’ use of the sea: coastal nesting birds make frequent feeding trips out to sea, while the urban nesting birds seldom use this resource and appear to be full-time city dwellers.

Map showing tracks of 13 GPS-tagged Herring Gulls from UCD Campus (yellow square) and Dalkey Island (pink square) between 25–30 May 2023.

Is the sea in ‘seagull’ even applicable to all of these birds? As the data they have unknowingly collected are analysed, all will be revealed — and I for one cannot wait.

The tags deployed over this week of fieldwork will continue to record the movements of these gulls until the specially-designed harnesses break apart and relieve the birds of their GPS units.

What secrets will these data reveal? Is the sea in ‘seagull’ even applicable to all of these birds? These secrets will remain with our gulls for the meantime, but soon, as these birds move around on their daily adventures and the data they have unknowingly collected are analysed, all will be revealed — and I for one cannot wait.

Help us monitor gulls this winter

If you are confident identifying the six main species of gull found in the UK in winter — Herring, Lesser Black-backed, Great Black-backed, Black-headed, Common and Mediterranean — you could join our Winter Gull Survey.

Volunteers will only need to make a small number of visits to gull roosts between 2023 and 2025, but their contributions will help us fill in vital gaps in our understanding of these Amber- and Red-listed species.

How to take part in WinGS

PhD student Jon Willans takes us through his fascination with gulls and his fieldwork, which was supported by our scientists.

1 December 2023

“Why would you want to study seagulls?”
“Those birds are pests — they don’t even belong in cities.”
“They are so noisy!”

15 Dec 2023

Ireland

Arctic Skua migration: stories from the field

WEBSITEEDITOR — Fri, 13 Oct 2023 16:18:50 +0000

Where do Arctic Skuas go when they are not in Scotland? Helen and David Aiton take us through their fieldwork seasons for BTO’s Arctic Skua tracking project, which has followed these fascinating birds across both hemispheres and back. No

Helen and David Aiton

Helen and David Aiton have been members of BTO for over 40 years. Over this period, they have contributed to many BTO surveys and currently have a Breeding Bird Survey site on Rousay.

We were drawn to these beautiful birds by their plaintive calls, their stunning range of plumages and – sadly – their rapid population decline. In 1991, there were 122 pairs in our study area along with thousands of Arctic Terns. Now, in 2023, there are only 17 Arctic Skua pairs and a mere handful of breeding Arctic Terns. This trend reflects that of the UK breeding population more broadly, which is restricted to north and west Scotland and has declined by 70% since 2000.

Our fieldwork site is a triangular area of coastal moorland approximately 2 km by 1.5 km and varies from 5–115 m above sea level. We also research Great Skuas in our study area – but that is a story for another time! The aim of our long-term study is to monitor how both skua species are faring in these turbulent times.

This year, 2023, was the 10th season of our Arctic Skua productivity study, which measures the breeding success of the colony. We collect information about the number of eggs, chicks and fledged young every breeding season. Over the past 10 years, our colony has fledged 96 juvenile birds.

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A newly hatched Arctic Skua chick with its ‘egg tooth’, a sharp point on its beak that helps the chick to break the eggshell from the inside when it is ready to hatch. The egg tooth falls off the beak around a day after hatching.

Fieldwork on Rousay

Each year we visit the study area at least eight times, an effort of 16 days minimum. The island can be reached by a 30-minute ferry trip, crossing the beautiful Eynhallow Sound. Our fieldwork is made more comfortable in our old VW Campervan for overnight stays.

We locate nests at the start of each breeding season from vantage points at least 200 metres away: one person remains at the vantage point and directs the other using radios, to as many as five nests at a time. Arctic Skua nests are well hidden, so we have to use sightlines and surrounding vegetation to memorise their positions, so we can monitor them throughout the season.

Arctic Skua nests are well hidden, so we have to use sightlines and surrounding vegetation to memorise their positions.

We also use our two highly-trained German Shorthaired Pointers to increase the efficiency of finding chicks which have become more mobile and might have wandered away from the nest. It’s very important that we only undertake nest and chick finding in dry, warm weather to avoid the risk of causing any harm due to chilling.

The Arctic Skua tracking project

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Helen holding an adult bird ready for release. The geolocator is attached to the uniquely-coded orange ring on the Arctic Skua’s left leg.

Liz Humphreys from BTO Scotland contacted us in 2018, having heard about our well-established study. BTO’s scientists were keen to use geolocators to track the adult Arctic Skuas, to find out where they spent their winters, and to learn more about their migration routes. This information would help inform conservation efforts to protect this species. The work on Rousay would build on the study of Fair Isle breeding Arctic Skuas, which BTO began in 2017, and offer a comparator site. Fair Isle is roughly 30 miles from Orkney.

BTO’s Senior Research Ecologist John Callandine joined us for a week on Rousay, arriving in late May 2018. Luckily for John, we had a week of hot, dry and still weather, almost unknown in Orkney – highly suitable conditions for checking nests and catching adult birds for tagging. He was delighted that we had already located the nesting birds.

Luckily, we had a week of hot, dry and still weather, almost unknown in Orkney – highly suitable conditions for checking nests and catching adult birds for tagging.

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John (left) and David (right) place a walk-in trap over dummy eggs in the nest cup. The real eggs are safely stored in the box John is holding.

For the tagging project, we chose mostly well-established pairs of adult birds. Over the next few days, we watched the birds and waited for them to lay a full clutch of eggs. We then prepared the walk-in traps – safe structures for catching the adult birds – and left them for a couple of days near the nests, to habituate the birds to them.

Eventually, we placed the traps over the nests, to catch the adults as they walked onto the nest to incubate the eggs. To keep the eggs safe from predators while we tagged the adults, we removed them temporarily and replaced them with dummy eggs before putting the walk-in trap over the nest.

John had honed the techniques for catching birds on Fair Isle the year before, so we were a slick team! We caught 10 individual birds, two of which were a pair. As soon as the tagging was finished we replaced the real eggs. The whole process never took more than an hour.

John then left Rousay to go to Fair Isle to catch more birds, and we continued our study for the rest of the summer. It was reassuring that the birds with geolocators continued to behave normally, with most of them rearing chicks successfully that year.

Collecting the geolocator data

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Arctic Skua plumage falls broadly into two ‘phases’: pale phase (as in the bird in the top photograph) and dark phase (as in the bird in the bottom photograph). Plumage which is intermediate between these phases can also occur in some birds.

Using geolocators as a tool to understand migration routes does not provide instant gratification. To collect the data from the geolocators, they have to be retrieved from the birds, which meant we had to catch the tagged birds again to get any information at all! Innocent of the wiles and intelligence of Arctic Skuas we returned to Rousay in late spring 2019, keenly anticipating retrieving the geolocators and continuing our productivity study.

John joined us again in early June to begin the retrieval process and repeat the procedure using the walk-in traps. However, of the 10 birds we caught in 2018, only eight birds had returned, and one of the birds that did return tried to breed, but her nest failed before we had a chance to try to recapture her with the walk-in traps – down to seven birds.

Arctic Skuas share incubation duties, with both the male and the female sitting on eggs. Because individual Arctic Skuas can occur in one of two plumage types – birds are either ‘dark’ or ‘pale’ phase – we could tell the male and female apart if they had different phase plumage, what we called a ‘dark-pale phase pair combination’. But for a dark-dark phase pair combination, where only one of the pair was carrying a geolocator, we had to take extra care to ensure we were catching the right bird.

The first bird we tried to catch, a female pale-phase bird, walked straight into the walk-in trap and onto the dummy eggs – hurrah – Geolocator Number 1. After this, we thought – this was going to be easy! Alas not. That was the only geolocator retrieved during John’s visit, despite trying for the remaining six birds who all refused to go back into a walk-in trap.

Later in June, we tried mist-netting one pair that had a young chick. A mist net is a fine mesh held taut between two vertical poles, which we can use to safely catch birds by encouraging them to fly or walk into it (in this case, by placing a stuffed predator close by to the net in the hope that the adult birds would fly into the net while mobbing it) but the adults very cleverly called the chick away from the net instead. Sigh!

We were fortunate that one pair – which had had a single egg predated by a neighbouring Arctic Skua (quite common in the skua colonies) – re-laid, and had a young chick less than a week old in late July. With both adults close to their nest, we had the opportunity to try recatching them, and this time both threw themselves into the mist net at the same time! Geolocator Number 2 retrieved.

As in 2018, the colony went on to successfully fledge chicks, including that late chick.

A brief hiatus ...

Due to COVID-19 restrictions in 2020, we were not able to return to Rousay until early July, by which time the chicks were too old for us to try to catch the adults with a mist net. Again, though, it was a good year for the Arctic Skuas and they fledged at least 10 chicks.

... before fieldwork resumed

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John (left) and David (right) relaxing on the Rousay pier after fieldwork was complete.

In 2021, three years after putting the geolocators on the birds, John joined us again in glorious weather in early June. There were still four birds with geolocators breeding in the colony. We successfully mist-netted a female using dummy eggs and a stuffed predator, which she duly mobbed and entered the mist net – Geolocator Number 3 retrieved.

John and David worked very hard to retrieve the remaining three geolocators, but the birds refused to engage with the walk-in traps or the mist nets. Later in June, we tried again with the dark-phase male mate of the first pale-phase bird we retrapped in 2019 – and success! – he eventually walked into the trap and settled on the dummy eggs – Geolocator Number 4. We hoped at the very least that the birds we recaught to retrieve the geolocators this year would give us two years’ worth of migration information.

Finally, after approximately 200 hours of effort, we had four geolocators retrieved, along with six geolocators from John’s work on Fair Isle. The BTO team could set about retrieving the data from the geolocators and plotting the migration routes of the 10 Arctic Skuas. It is no exaggeration that we were all thrilled to see the results.

Migration stories revealed

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Circles show the different wintering locations of individual Arctic Skuas, each of which is represented by a different colour. Two circles of the same colour represent the wintering locations of the same bird in consecutive winters. Different birds from the same breeding colony spent our winter months off the coast of north-west Africa, south-west Africa, or the east coast of South America. The triangle shows the location of Rousay, Orkney, where the Arctic Skuas breed.

The data showed that all the Arctic Skuas travelled south via the North Sea and English Channel. Then down past France, Spain and Portugal to the coast of north-west Africa and on to their wintering grounds.

Individual Arctic Skuas wintered in different locations: off the coast of north-west Africa, the coast of south-west Africa or the east coast of South America. The accuracy of the data is roughly to the nearest 200 km so the birds are not actually on land, as can appear in the maps of the location points – they overwinter at sea. The birds that had data over two winters went back to the same area each year. Astonishingly, our pair of birds that both had geolocators went to different continents!

The work we did in Scotland will also be part of a multi-colony study of Arctic Skua wintering and migration movement involving colonies right across their north-east Atlantic breeding range – some of which was presented by BTO Senior Research Ecologist Nina O’Hanlon to the International Seabird Group Conference in Cork in September 2022 and has now been submitted for peer review. You can read more about the project’s findings in Nina’s blog.

It is rewarding to see the work we contributed to being part of a published international study. Even two years after the maps were produced, it is still deeply satisfying to be able to visualise the journeys of the Arctic Skuas when they are not on Rousay.

Since the Arctic Skua research programme was established in 2017, BTO donors have donated more than £225,000 to fund the work. We are enormously grateful for this very generous support from a small number of committed individuals. The research could not have been delivered without this funding. We would also like to thank the Scottish Ornithologists’ Club for annual grants that cover the cost of the productivity study on Rousay.

World Migratory Bird Day 2023

This blog post was created to celebrate World Migratory Bird Day (WMBD) 2023, a global event which increases the level of awareness about the threats that migratory birds are facing.

The theme of WMBD 2023 is Water, which highlights the importance of this resource for migrating birds – including for species like the Arctic Skua, which spends most of its life at sea and migrates thousands of kilometres over the ocean and across both hemispheres every year.

BTO’s Arctic Skua tracking project aims to understand where these birds spend their time when they’re not at their breeding colonies, so we can better inform global efforts to protect this species.

Discover more about Rousay’s Arctic Skuas and their astonishing migration in our other blog for WMBD 2023, written by BTO Senior Research Ecologist Nina O’Hanlon.

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Helen and David Aiton take us through their fieldwork seasons for BTO’s Arctic Skua tracking project.

1 October 2023

Where do Arctic Skuas go when they are not here?

For us, ‘here’ is Rousay, an island which lies off the West Mainland of Orkney. We have been measuring the breeding success of Arctic Skuas since 2014, and working with BTO to help track the adult birds’ migration since 2018.

13 Oct 2023

Scotland

Learning to lead: stories from the Young Leaders Course 2023

WEBSITEEDITOR — Tue, 26 Sep 2023 10:14:40 +0000

BTO Youth speak to attendees of the 2023 Young Leaders Course about their experiences.

BTO Youth Visit the BTO Youth Hub BTO Youth’s vision is of a diverse, vibrant community of young birders supported by BTO, with accessible, youth-led opportunities inspiring young people to engage with nature and science.

Lilia, James and Jasmine spoke to us about their experience of the course, and how it helped them grow as budding conservation leaders.

Lilia (she/her), 18

“I applied for the BTO Young Leaders Course as the qualities of being a leader and having to confidently assert myself were not things I’d previously had a lot of opportunity to practice. I was excited to spend time in the beautiful New Forest but slightly apprehensive about putting myself outside of my comfort zone. However, I am so glad I went as I had such an amazing time with really lovely people and have taken away a lot!

The four-day course was jam-packed with so many really great sessions that it’s hard to choose a favourite: talks given by the lovely Jack Baker (creator of Pangolin: The Conservation Podcast) and the inspirational Dr Anjana Khatwa (Earth Scientist, presenter, advocate and author), practising debating an environmental issue with Richard Benwell (Chief Executive at Wildlife and Countryside Link) acting as an MP, and running our own guided walks while being kept on our toes by seeing how we would react to unexpected scenarios – someone pretending to talk really loudly on a call, run off, or even have a heart attack!

I now feel much more confident within myself, and being surrounded by other enthusiastic young people already studying or working in different interesting areas has made me really hopeful and excited for the future.”

I now feel much more confident within myself, and being surrounded by other enthusiastic young people ... has made me really hopeful and excited for the future.Lilia

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James (he/him), 22

“The BTO Young Leaders Course came at a perfect time for me, as I’m just starting my second year at university, taking on a new role in its Ecological Society, and getting involved with other local projects.

I signed up for the course with the intention of developing my public interaction and communication skills, to become more comfortable leading walks and talks. It’s fair to say I left having gained so much more!

My fellow course members were massively welcoming ... it was an unforgettable few days, and a privilege to meet and learn from so many other people who care about the natural world.James

The range of guest speakers was excellent, and they covered fascinating topics and skills that, up until then, I had no previous experience with. Personal highlights included ending up in a simulated Whitehall testing my environmental negotiation skills, and spotting Crossbills whilst learning how to plan and run a guided walk in the forest!

For someone who, at times, struggles to interact with big groups of people, the staff and my fellow course members were massively welcoming, and coupled with the guest sessions, this really helped me build my self-confidence. It was an unforgettable few days, and a privilege to meet and learn from so many other people who care about the natural world.”

The highlight of the course was planning and leading my own 15-minute activity ... everyone in the group was so supportive and engaged, and even though I was nervous beforehand I really enjoyed delivering the session and would love to do it again.Jasmine

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Jasmine (she/her), 21

“I had an amazing time at the BTO Young Leaders Course this summer – it was so exciting to meet other young leaders in conservation and hear their stories.

We also got to experience workshops run by some fantastic speakers and explore brand-new topics. And of course, getting to spend the course in the New Forest was a treat!

The highlight of the course for me was planning and leading my own 15-minute activity, which all of the participants got to do. Everyone in the group was so supportive and engaged, and even though I was nervous beforehand I really enjoyed delivering the session and would love to do it again.

Overall, the course really helped me push myself to interact with new people, ask and answer questions from the speakers and helped me feel more confident in myself and my abilities.”

Young people are the future of BTO

Donate to the BTO Youth Appeal today

Partners and support

The Young Leaders Course is supported by the following organisations:

Cameron Bespolka Trust

The generous support of the Cameron Bespolka Trust made the course and its contents possible.

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Raptor Aid

Funding from Raptor Aid supported the provision of travel bursaries for young people travelling to the course.

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2 September 2023

At this year’s Young Leaders Course in the beautiful New Forest, 11 dedicated young people and five inspirational lecturers joined forces to share and learn from each other’s experiences in leadership.

26 Sep 2023

BTO Youth

A BTO Bird Camp bonanza

WEBSITEEDITOR — Thu, 24 Aug 2023 11:31:41 +0000

Following a great summer of Bird Camps, our campers, Youth volunteers and BTO staff share their experiences and thanks with the wider public.

Bird Camp staff, volunteers and campers

SOC/BTO Scottish Bird Camp

Buoyed by the success of the first-ever Scottish Bird Camp in 2022, the Scottish Ornithologists’ Club (SOC) and BTO were excited to launch Bird Camp 2023, which took place over the weekend of 26–28 May.

Once again, we based the camp in East Lothian, and campers began to arrive late on Friday afternoon – all tooled up with binoculars, scopes and cameras (so many cameras!) – to get settled into the accommodation.

Perhaps miraculously, we enjoyed superb weather for the whole weekend and all the planned activities could go ahead! It was an action-packed weekend which included moth trapping, arts and crafts, nest monitoring, a boat trip to Bass Rock, building bird boxes, a ringing demonstration and a nature walk at the coast.

Our huge thanks go to the group of amazing young people who joined us for the weekend. They did everything with great enthusiasm and were always keen to learn more. They were great company and we’re sure we’ll be seeing them again in the future!

Thanks also to all our volunteer leaders, and everyone who helped make it such a special weekend.

Steve Willis – Scottish Bird Camp lead for BTO Scotland

Read more about the SOC/BTO Bird Camp 2023 on the SOC Blog.

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The SOC/BTO Bird Camp was made possible by the generous support of our funders:

The family of Ronald Guild - teacher, environmental activist, lifelong lover of nature and of all things East Lothian
The Cameron Bespolka Trust
The British Birds Charitable Trust
Anonymous SOC Lothian Branch members

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Bird Camp Wales

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On 16–18 June, I attended BTO Bird Camp Wales for the second year in a row, in Pembrokeshire. There were a lot of old faces and friends there, but also some new people who came. It was lovely to see everyone again in person because I have only been in contact via WhatsApp since last year. My friends at school don’t have the same interests as me so I love bird camp because it lets me make friends with people who do.

I loved every minute of bird camp but here are my favourite bits:

The places: Some of these are amazing! We went to places like Skomer Island and Stack Rocks. At these places, we saw some of the star species like Puffins, Guillemots, Peregrines and Manx Shearwaters.

The food: There was lovely food back at camp that the volunteers had made for dinner and lunch. My favourite food was the chilli on the first night there.

I loved bird camp with all my heart and hope to go again next year. Thank you to all the staff for making it a blast for me and everyone else.

The staff: The volunteers working with us were beyond wonderful and I learnt so much from them. I hope to work with them in the future again. Faye and Chris (BTO Youth staff) who ran the camp were as wonderful as the volunteers and I hope to meet them again next year.

I would talk about the bad bits of bird camp – but there are none! I loved bird camp with all my heart and hope to go again next year. Thank you to all the staff for making it a blast for me and everyone else.

Henry (12) – Bird Camp Wales camper

Read more about Bird Camp Wales 2023 >

Bird Camp England

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Summarising the Bird Camp experience is as difficult as resisting the temptation to raise your binoculars when you’re there. I had an incredible experience as a camper in 2022, and this was mirrored for me in 2023, when I found myself on the other side of the experience as a youth volunteer. I loved seeing lifelong memories being made and new friendships forming, just as I had experienced the year prior.

We had fifteen enthusiastic and knowledgeable campers who each had their own creative flair. I particularly enjoyed seeing the campers working on exhibition pieces for parents and guardians to see at the end of the weekend. These included paintings of habitats, nature journalling, and even acrostic poems! Our base of operations was the classroom at Flatford Mill in Suffolk where exhibition pieces (and sightings lists!) were worked on between wildlife-watching trips.

One of the many highlights of the weekend was the boat trip from Harwich Harbour. The coastal air added Little Terns, Cormorants, seals and more to the sightings lists, following on from the day before, which included the excitement of seeing Turtle Doves!

Seeing the fantastic young people all having a blast reminded me of the importance of these camps. No matter your birding knowledge or confidence level, for those two nights, Bird Camp is your home.

As well as the boat trip, campers were given insights into how to contribute to BTO science – bird ringing and point count surveys – and taking part in moth trapping and pollinator surveys. And of course, the healthy competition of the bioblitz and relaxation from the mindfulness session brought campers closer together too.

I was hugely grateful for the England Bird Camp after I attended as a camper last year, for the way it opened up the world of birdwatching for me. This year, seeing the fantastic young people all having a blast reminded me of the importance of these camps. No matter your birding knowledge or confidence level, for those two nights, Bird Camp is your home.

Adam (16) – Bird Camp England 2023 Volunteer and Youth Advisory Panel Member

Read more about Bird Camp England 2023 >

Bird Camp Northern Ireland

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Where do I start? How about with the weather? I would say it rained for about 75% of the weekend. But despite this not once did I hear a young person complain. Instead, they put on their coats, grabbed their binoculars and marched out into the rain. This is the second year BTO has run a camp in Northern Ireland, and in both years I have been so inspired by the knowledge, curiosity and enthusiasm the young people have for the natural world and everything it brings.

For me, the highlights of this camp include the bioblitz in Davagh Forest, archery at Gortin Activity Centre and the bird ringing demonstration run by Stephen, Sorrel and Emma. After the disappointment of having no birds at last year’s ringing demonstration, it was amazing to catch 22 birds this year. The team was amazing and kept all the young people interested and getting to release a goldcrest is an experience I will never forget.

Bird Camp also happened to fall on my birthday this year. A 5:30 wake up, a titanic cake decoration, 14 young people singing happy birthday, and spending 3 hours in the rain sums up one of the stranger birthdays I’ve had, but I wouldn’t have had it any other way.

I have been so inspired by the knowledge, curiosity and enthusiasm the young people have for the natural world and everything it brings.

Each year, I’ve taken something different away from Bird Camp. Last year I learned never to treat a bird as if it’s boring. Doesn’t matter how common you think it is, to someone else it could be the most exciting bird they’ve seen all year.

This year, I learnt how to adapt to changing circumstances and be flexible and how to prepare for and run a session of my own. Most of all, I learned that there is no such thing as bad weather, just the wrong clothing. Oh, and I’m also apparently amazing at archery!

Benjamin – Bird Camp Northern Ireland 2023 volunteer, Youth Representative for Northern Ireland and Mental Health & Mindfulness (MMH) project participant

Read more about Bird Camp Northern Ireland 2023 >

BTO Bird Camps in England, Northern Ireland and Wales are made possible thanks to the support of the Cameron Bespolka Trust.

Young people are the future of BTO

With your help, we can reach more young people through events like Bird Camp.

Donate to the BTO Youth Appeal today

2 August 2023

Following a great summer of Bird Camps, our campers, Youth volunteers and BTO staff share their experiences and thanks with the wider public.

BTO Youth Appeal 24 Aug 2023

Connecting birding communities through our Regional Network

WEBSITEEDITOR — Tue, 22 Aug 2023 15:02:09 +0000

In the third and final Regional Network miniseries blog , we spoke to three of our volunteers who have formed strong connections with other birdwatching groups and communities. No Robert Chapman, Murray Orchard and Eve Tigwell BTO Regional Network volunteers

Read our other Regional Network miniseries blog posts:

Robert Chapman: Regional Representative (York)

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I’m the Regional Representative for the ‘Yorkshire York’ region of BTO – that’s effectively the Vale of York, which is mainly lowland, with only a few hills in the northern reaches.

My survey year starts with contacting regular surveyors for the annual surveys to make sure sites are still covered. I then contact potential surveyors who might take on any sites where people have dropped out. Later in the season, I get queries from surveyors who may have come across problems in the field – for instance, new access issues such as vegetation growth, fields full of cows or even landowner difficulties – or need advice on methods.

I try to get a newsletter written towards the end of the year, with the help of BTO staff. It’s a good way of giving a local angle on the work to our members, supporters and surveyors. I’m also on the committee of the local bird club in York, which helps spread the word, and encourage people to become volunteers and hopefully members. I also use Twitter, which is an interactive means of reaching a wider audience.

I must thank all surveyors for taking part. It’s really rewarding to talk to people about the work of BTO, to encourage new people to join in and to help them gain confidence to take something on. It makes me feel like I’m contributing to the understanding of the changes that are going on with our bird populations, and it’s fantastic to see the community of people supporting the work of BTO grow.

It’s really rewarding to talk to people about the work of BTO, to encourage new people to join in and to help them gain confidence to take something on... it’s fantastic to see the community of people supporting the work of BTO grow. Robert Chapman, BTO Regional Representative (York)

Murray Orchard: Heronries Census Local Organiser (Hertfordshire) and counter (Kent)

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Alongside volunteering for several other BTO surveys, I’m also involved in the Heronries Census.

In Hertfordshire, I’m the Local Organiser, coordinating coverage for 12 sites across the county. A loyal bunch of counters survey these sites each year, leaving me to just chase up and approve or validate the data. In Kent, however, the boot is on the other foot and I’m one of those doing the counting!

The site I help to count is RSPB Northward Hill, which hosts one of the largest heronries in the UK. The Grey Herons now nest in oak trees, but originally did so in elm trees, before they succumbed to Dutch elm disease.

The majority of the oak trees are numbered in and around the heronry: 144 of them! The task is to visit each tree and log the number of heron nests. Judging the number of active nests is not always easy, especially with Kent’s largest rookery sharing many of the same trees.

The Heronry Census counts here are often shared with RSPB reserve interns, and provides great insight for them into the breeding habits of the herons and egrets. Last year a university student and her tutor collected and analysed heron pellets for her degree, and the published results made for fascinating reading.

The Heronry Census counts are often shared with RSPB reserve interns, and provides great insight for them into the breeding habitats of herons and egrets, as well as survey methodology.Murray Orchard, Heronries Census Local Organiser (Hertfordshire) and counter (Kent)

Eve Tigwell: Regional Representative (Somerset)

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Being a Regional Representative is great fun! You get to meet and work with fantastically committed people whilst improving everyone’s knowledge of wildlife in general, and of birds in particular. What more could you ask for?

A network made up of fellow volunteers and staff is essential to the BTO’s overall ethos of ‘Birds, Science, People’; a triumvirate that supports so many conservation initiatives. Without all the wonderfully enthusiastic and skilled surveyors who go out and collect data, there would be little evidence of the fall, and occasional rise, in our bird populations; and no evidence to support theories on why these changes are occurring. Without data, the talented and committed BTO staff wouldn’t be able to turn those data into reports about changes and theories. Between these two essential sectors stands the Regional Representative: a conduit for communication, a recruiter of surveyors, a mentor for other volunteers, and a data-checker.

If this all sounds a bit much, it isn’t! As a one-person team, I spend the bulk of my time communicating with existing surveyors and recruiting new ones for any gaps in all the surveys; this is achieved mainly through emails and newsletters, although some individuals appreciate a chat on the phone occasionally.

I’m fortunate that my region has a supportive county bird club (Somerset Ornithological Society), whose committee I have joined, and I am able to advertise surveys on their website. The annual Somerset Gathering (pre-COVID-19) was a great opportunity to meet up with surveyors, and for them to meet each other; the discussion session, with tea and cakes, always required more time than the presentations!

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RSPB Greylake reserve in Somerset.

The annual Somerset Gathering was a great opportunity to meet up with surveyors, and for them to meet each other; the discussion session, with tea and cakes, always required more time than the presentations!Eve Tigwell, BTO Regional Representative (Somerset)

Towards the end of the main survey season, there’s a need to check all those data, not to question surveyors’ ID skills (they’re brilliant!), but to weed out any typing errors that the computer system hasn’t picked up (did you really see a Stone Curlew on the Levels?).

Where’s the fun in all that? It’s in meeting, working with and supporting so many amazing, like-minded people who have a common aim, and being involved in something to do with birds!

Join our Regional Network

Do you love your local herons? Enjoy chatting with your local birding network about how they can help? Are you familiar with the Breeding Bird Survey and know your area well? Or are you mad for ducks and waders and want to help with the Wetland Bird Survey?

If the answer to any of these is “Yes!”, then we’d love to hear from you. There are vacancies in the Regional Network across Wales, Northern Ireland, Scotland and England.

BTO is here to help and we have staff across the four nations, as well as Survey Organisers, all happy to give help and support whenever needed.

Browse vacant volunteer roles near you >

Looking for more inspiration? Read the first post in our Regional Network miniseries, where three of our volunteers explain why they got involved.

2 August 2023

Our Regional Network is made up of a group of our wonderful volunteers who represent BTO in their local areas, coordinating surveys and supporting other volunteers.

In the third and final Regional Network miniseries blog, we spoke to three of our volunteers who have formed strong connections with other birdwatching groups and communities: Robert Chapman and Eve Tigwell, who link BTO to their local bird clubs and societies, and Murray Orchard, who has shared his survey volunteering experience with interns and students.

22 Aug 2023 no

Fledgling volunteers and wise owls

WEBSITEEDITOR — Wed, 16 Aug 2023 09:38:33 +0000

In the second of our Regional Network blog miniseries, we spoke to two volunteers from across the generation divide: Neil, who has been a Regional Representative since 1995, and Naomi, who took on their Regional Representative role in their twenties, just four years ago.

No Neil Bielby and Naomi Davis BTO Regional Network volunteers

Read the first post in our Regional Network miniseries: Why become a Regional Network volunteer?

Neil Bielby: Regional Representative (Central Scotland)

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My route into birdwatching and thus BTO was a little unconventional. Although I have always been interested in the natural world, my life up until the age of 40 had been very much focused on sport and the ‘great outdoors’. All that came to an abrupt halt when I was struck down with what was eventually diagnosed as ME (chronic fatigue syndrome).

So, by necessity, my interest turned to things which didn’t require a lot of physical effort – the main one of which quickly became birds. It was by responding to a request for BTO/RSPB/JNCC Wetland Bird Survey (WeBS) counters in a birding magazine in January 1994 that I became involved with bird recording.

I recced, counted and submitted data for a number of sites from then until the end of March. This ‘keenness’ resulted in being invited to take on the vacant role of Local Organiser in June 1994. I sought out new volunteers for the survey, mostly at local RSPB, Scottish Ornithologists’ Club and Scottish Wildlife Trust talks, eventually recruiting 16 counters who covered 70 sites between them during the subsequent 1994/95 WeBS core season.

The jungle telegraph was obviously working well because, out of the blue in January 1995, I received a letter from BTO asking if I’d like to fill the vacant Regional Representative position in Central Scotland. My appointment was confirmed in April.

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A Central Scotland oakwood in spring.

The BTO/JNCC/RSPB Breeding Bird Survey (BBS) was then in its infancy, with just nine squares and four surveyors in 1994 (the survey’s inaugural year). The topography and habitat of BTO’s Central Scotland region are very varied, ranging from the Forth Estuary at sea level to the summit of Ben More at 1,174 m. Recruiting volunteers for survey squares in each of these environments provides its challenges because of their particular requirements – from the ID skills required for woodland surveys, especially in mature conifer plantations, to the physical fitness needed to survey in the hills. Coverage of the uplands has been greatly helped by the introduction of additional upland squares and the Upland Rovers scheme. BBS coverage has steadily increased since 1994, to a peak of 74 squares counted by 43 surveyors in 2019.

Of course, over the years there have been changes, the most beneficial of which has been the rapid development of IT. No longer is all correspondence done by snail mail; survey forms have been replaced by online submission; and the recruitment of counters and surveyors has been greatly aided by online and email advertising.

As the years have passed, the interaction and involvement with general bird recording in the area have also increased. This was greatly boosted by the opening of the BTO Scotland office at the University of Stirling in 2002, and its close, symbiotic relationship with the Scottish Ornithologists’ Club.

Writing this blog, as this year’s BBS fieldwork has tailed off, is a reminder of the seasonal patterns in the life of a Regional Representative. The next major fieldwork is of course the core WeBS season which runs from September to March, and which many Regional Representatives also organise in their area.

This is necessarily just a brief résumé of both the role and changes in the life of a Regional Representative during the past 30 years. But the fact that I’m still ‘in post’ is not just a reflection of how enjoyable the role is, but also, how rewarding.

The fact that I’m still ‘in post’ is not just a reflection of how enjoyable the role is, but also, how rewarding. Neil Bielby, BTO Regional Representative (Central Scotland)

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The view of Loch Lubnaig shows many of the varied habitats in Central Scotland.

Naomi Davis: Regional Representative (Cardigan/Ceredigion)

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Like many BTO volunteers with a love of birdwatching, I started out my volunteering journey by submitting my sightings to BirdTrack. In 2018, I took over two BBS squares and a heronry, as part of the BTO Heronries Census. A few months later I began as the Heronries Local Organiser, and I thoroughly enjoyed both the surveying and the ‘behind-the-scenes’ organisation. I was keen to get more involved, and within a year I had taken on the role of Regional Representative!

In my county (Cardiganshire/Ceredigion), my role as Regional Representative is quite varied. The area I cover is mostly rural with a small population that’s concentrated in the north and south. In these more populated areas, most surveys are very well covered, but it’s been difficult to drum up interest for surveys in more remote areas. To advertise the breadth of volunteering opportunities available with BTO, I often put on talks and bird walks for local groups, and I try to maintain an active presence on social media.

I’ve found that social media is a great way to interact with people of all ages, and is especially important for my role because my county includes two university towns – the main one being Aberystwyth. Trying to engage students is quite a challenge, as many go home for the holidays and disappear completely once their course finishes. Most students are also entirely absent for the spring and summer months, so BBS and nest recording are difficult to promote. As a result, I’ve had to tailor my engagement to suit the student schedule, and I’ve found that WeBS is perfect for this. Over the past year, the Aberystwyth University Ornithological Society has taken up the monthly count at a coastal site within walking distance of town, and they’ve recorded some brilliant birds including Chough, Mediterranean Gull and Purple Sandpiper.

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Naomi leading a guided bird walk.

When I started as Regional Representative, having just graduated from university, I was one of the youngest people in the Regional Network team. As a result, I was in a great position to understand how important young people are to the conservation effort. Thanks to Kelvin Jones (who has recently retired as Development Officer for BTO Cymru), Aberystwyth University has had its own Student Ambassador for almost a decade, and this has been essential in connecting BTO with the wider student community through amazing experiences like bird ringing demonstrations.

I’m now 30, and edging out of my official ‘youth’ status. But I’m pleased to say that I’m already noticing the impacts of the BTO Youth team’s focused effort to engage young people across the UK. Students are now arriving at university with a knowledge of BTO, and sometimes they have some surveying or ringing experience under their belt already!

I feel so fortunate to be part of the BTO Regional Network team. I’m looking forward to working on the goals of BTO’s new strategy, and giving even more young people access to the skills and knowledge that can be gained from volunteering with BTO.

I feel so fortunate to be part of the BTO Regional Network team. I’m looking forward to working on the goals of BTO’s new strategy, and giving even more young people access to the skills and knowledge that can be gained from volunteering with BTO. Naomi Davis, BTO Regional Representative (Cardigan/Ceredigion)

Join our Regional Network

Do you love your local Herons? Enjoy chatting with your local birding network about how they can help? Are you familiar with the Breeding Bird Survey and know your area well? Or are you mad for ducks and waders and want to help with the Wetland Bird Survey?

If the answer to any of these is “Yes!”, then we’d love to hear from you. There are vacancies in the Regional Network across Wales, Northern Ireland, Scotland and England.

BTO is here to help and we have staff across the four nations, as well as Survey Organisers, all happy to give help and support whenever needed.

Browse vacant volunteer roles near you >

Looking for more inspiration? Read the first post in our Regional Network miniseries, where three of our volunteers explain why they got involved.

1 August 2023

Our wonderful volunteers come from all across the UK, bringing diverse backgrounds, skills and experiences into the BTO melting pot.

16 Aug 2023 no

Why become a BTO Regional Network volunteer?

WEBSITEEDITOR — Mon, 14 Aug 2023 11:33:13 +0000

In the first of our Regional Network blog miniseries, we speak to Nick, David and Stephen about why they started volunteering and the changes they’ve seen since then. Yes Stephen Metcalfe, Nick Hilton and David Kennett BTO Regional Network volunteers Breeding Bird SurveyHeronries CensusWetland Bird Survey

What many people may not realise is that we get a vast amount of support from what we call our Regional Network. This is made up of volunteers who represent BTO at a regional level whilst also acting as the first point of contact for their local volunteer surveyors.

Regional Representatives act on behalf of BTO in a given region. They may take on the organisation of one or more of the surveys, or they may help individual Local Organisers with their work.
Local and Regional Organisers act for one survey in a region, coordinating existing volunteers and finding new ones, and verifying survey data.
Regional and Garden BirdWatch Ambassadors promote BTO in their area, highlighting the work we do and how people can get involved.

In the first of our Regional Network blog miniseries, we speak to Stephen, Nick and David about why they started volunteering and the changes they’ve seen since then.

Stephen Metcalfe: Regional Representative (Lothian)

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Although I have been a keen birder since I was a boy, I didn’t start volunteering for BTO until 2014.

I offered to become the Regional Representative for the area in 2019 when my predecessor wanted to step down. At the time I was looking for a voluntary role where I might contribute to something I believed to be important. The work of BTO, providing the science behind much that is changing in the natural world, made the role very appealing, despite my total lack of any scientific background.

The role itself is primarily promotional and administrative. I administer the BTO/JNCC/RSPB Breeding Bird Survey (BBS) and the Heronries Census locally, and I liaise with the local BTO/RSPB/JNCC Wetland Bird Survey (WeBS) organisers and Garden BirdWatch (GBW) Ambassador. The amount of time this takes up varies over the year, with my busiest period being between March and July. The sheer variety of habitats and species in the various surveys run by BTO and its partners makes volunteering particularly rewarding.

Whatever your knowledge and experience (and I certainly do not regard myself as being an expert ornithologist), there is probably something everyone can do to contribute towards BTO’s science. My role involves matching people’s experience and knowledge to an appropriate survey.

In everything I’ve done so far as Regional Representative, I know I can count on the support and advice that I have had from the BTO Scotland office. Their help has been invaluable, and I am sure that anyone thinking of applying to be a Regional Representative could expect to receive all the help they might need to take on the role.

Whatever your knowledge and experience, there is probably something everyone can do to contribute towards BTO’s science. Stephen Metcalfe, BTO Regional Representative (Lothian)

David Kennett: WeBS Local Organiser (Isle of Man)

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My predecessor was an eminent ornithologist with a huge knowledge of the island and its birds, but had been seeking a successor for some time. I’m only an average birder but after confessing that I had done a BBS square before moving to the island, I was persuaded to volunteer as Regional Representative and Local Organiser for BBS in 2017, and as WeBS Local Organiser in early 2019.

When I started, regular WeBS counts were carried out at just six sites. After I promoted the survey at evening meetings of our local bird club (Manx Ornithological Society), and with much help from our Regional Ambassador (also conveniently our bird club secretary!), there was considerable interest in taking part.

By 2020, with the enthusiasm of several new counters, the number of surveyed sites had increased to 19, including two harbours and many inland waterbodies. By 2021 the number had increased again to 24, and by the end of 2022, 15 counters were covering 34 sites. As WeBS Local Organiser this sort of progress is naturally very rewarding, and it’s always fascinating to see what is being recorded every month all around the island.

Since becoming WeBS Local Organiser I’ve had a huge amount of help and encouragement from the WeBS team at Thetford, especially from Counter Network Organiser Gill Birtles. In a similar way, I always feel it’s so important to acknowledge the effort and commitment that our counters put into their sites. Dealing with queries, setting up new sites and counters and checking data are all part of a Local Organiser’s work, and I like to think that a big “thank you” at the end of each reporting year should be a part of it too.

Point of Ayre National Reserve, one of the key WeBS sites on the Isle of Man. Manx BirdLife

Nick Hilton: Regional Representative (Manchester)

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When I was asked to contribute to this blog I wasn’t sure what the readers’ expectations would be. Being a Regional Representative for BTO isn’t normally a thrill-a-minute, roller coaster ride of events. However, it can be a very satisfying role, and ultimately it gives me as an individual a sense of making a positive difference.

The previous Regional Representative for the Manchester region posted his intentions to hand over the role on our local Manchester Birding Forum in July 2014. As of November 2014, nobody had come forward to offer their services and it was beginning to prick my conscience. Having been a member of BTO since 2000 and involved with both BBS and WeBS for many years, I felt it was important to collect survey data and believed the data made a difference to outcomes in our natural world. I am no scientist, political leader (thankfully!) or person of influence, but what I can do is identify birds, count them and organise others to do the same.

I took on the role in late 2014 after discussing it with Dawn Balmer, and completing a simple application process. Dawn has always been and continues to be totally supportive. She holds the keystone role of Head of Surveys at BTO and, for us Regional Representatives, is usually our first port of call for any queries. I also benefit from the support of the WeBS Local Organiser for Manchester, Tim Wilcox.

Ultimately, I like to think I’m playing a very small, active part in understanding and conserving our natural world. If you can identify birds and count them, you can record this information with BTO. Even better, if you can organise others to do the same, become a BTO Regional Representative!

If you can identify birds and count them, you can record this information with BTO. Even better, if you can organise others to do the same, become a BTO Regional Representative! Nick Hilton, BTO Regional Representative (Manchester)

Join our Regional Network

If the answer to any of these is “Yes!”, then we’d love to hear from you. There are vacancies in the Regional Network across Wales, Northern Ireland, Scotland and England.

BTO is here to help and we have staff across the four nations, as well as Survey Organisers, all happy to give help and support whenever needed.

Browse vacant volunteer roles near you >

1 August 2023

Anyone familiar with the work of BTO will know that volunteers are the backbone of what we do. Thousands of people give generously of their time and skill to help with a huge range of surveys across the UK.

14 Aug 2023

Flight Paths: the story of bird migration science

WEBSITEEDITOR — Fri, 07 Jul 2023 15:00:46 +0000

Science writer Rebecca Heisman tells us how she came to write her first book, Flight Paths, and why it’s vital that we tell the stories of the birds around us.

Rebecca Heisman Science writer Visit Rebecca’s website Rebecca has written for many leading ornithological organisations including the Audubon Society, the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and the American Ornithological Society. Her first book, Flight Paths, was published in 2023 by Swift Press.

During that initial round of COVID-19 lockdowns, people all over the world were searching for a way to keep themselves occupied at home, and began to take fresh notice of the birds in their neighbourhoods. I was one of them – though I was already a casual birder, I found particular solace in the return of migrating birds that spring. They were a reminder of hope and continuity beyond the personal and professional turmoil I was experiencing.

Before COVID-19, I worked full-time as a communications staffer for the American Ornithological Society, the world’s largest professional organisation for bird scientists. A large part of my job was reading scientific studies being published in their journals and promoting them to journalists and the public. I read a lot of papers and talked to a lot of researchers, and I was fascinated by the methods used in many of the studies. I was amazed that you could study bird migration using weather radar, for example, by analysing hydrogen isotopes in feathers, or by recording the calls of birds passing overhead.

By the summer of 2020, I had left that job, overwhelmed by the demands of pandemic childcare and a serious medical diagnosis of my own. But my fascination with how we know what we know about migrating birds stuck with me, and I began to write a book proposal in hopes of exploring the subject further.

Never having written a book before, I found myself figuring out the process as I went. There were definitely some surprises along the way. Yes, I got to join ornithologists in the field as they did their work, tagging along as they snuck up on nesting Long-billed Curlews on the Montana prairie, or attempted to recapture Swainson’s Warblers carrying tracking devices as they returned to the swamps of Louisiana. But I also talked to experts from a range of other disciplines that I didn’t necessarily expect – computer scientists, electrical engineers, geochemists, and at one point even a philosopher.

A researcher removes a tracking device from a Swainson’s Warbler as part of a migration study. Rebecca Heisman

The study of bird migration, it turns out, has drawn from almost every branch of science. The use of weather radar to study ornithology had its origins in the earliest days of military radar usage in World War II. Early attempts to track birds using radio transmitters were made possible by the invention of the transistor and inspired by the launch of Sputnik. Researchers who study nocturnal flight calls rely on artificial intelligence to help identify and categorise the calls in their recordings. Efforts to determine birds’ geographic origins using their DNA, a sort of 23andMe for birds, were spurred by the advances of the Human Genome Project. I found myself joking that what I was really writing was writing a comprehensive history of the technological advancements of the 20th century, as told through the history of bird migration research.

Of course, my challenge was to distil this highly technical information into a book that would be engaging and hopefully even entertaining to read, regardless of whether someone had a background in the sciences. Ultimately, what draws people in are stories, not facts and figures, and the scientists I spoke with were generous in sharing their stories with me.

Ultimately, what draws people in are stories.

I talked to an ornithologist in Mongolia whose interest in birds was sparked by participating in a young naturalists’ club run by the Soviets when he was a child and his country was part of the USSR; a scientist in the USA who recalled struggling to string grants together to fund her research into bird genetics while also dealing with the demands of young motherhood; and a researcher who was astonished when a thrush she’d fitted with a radio transmitter in her home country of Colombia was then detected by a receiver only 200 km from the university campus in Canada where she was studying for her graduate degree. BTO’s own Nigel Clark spoke with me about his experiences tracking critically endangered Spoon-billed Sandpipers via satellite, packing three precious miniature transmitters on a flight to Asia in 2016 to try and uncover the details of their migratory routes and improve biologists’ chances of saving the species.

Stable isotope analysis examines the atoms in feathers to determine the geographic areas inhabited by the bird when the feathers were grown. It has been used in BTO research on several species, including Shelduck. Philip Croft / BTO

Sometimes, though, I had to get pretty creative to find a story in the science. The chapter of Flight Paths that covers stable isotope analysis opens with the sentence “Imagine you’re a deuterium atom,” cheekily inviting the reader along on the atom’s journey from the ocean into a raincloud and from there into a tree, a caterpillar, and finally, the feather of a Prothonotary Warbler.

One of the most satisfying chapters to write was the one that covered ‘citizen’ or ‘community’ science – the ways in which everyday birders who aren’t scientists in their day jobs can make real contributions to our understanding of migration. Birders who record their observations and submit them to databases such as BirdTrack aren’t just keeping busy. They’re adding to a massive dataset that scientists are using to drill down with incredible detail into where on the globe any given species is most likely to turn up on any day of the year.

Today, efforts like these are more crucial than ever before, because migratory birds are in trouble. Populations are in decline around the world. A recent analysis of North America’s birdlife found that there are around three billion fewer birds living on the continent today than there were in 1970. Similarly, BTO has calculated that the number of birds in the UK has decreased by 73 million in the same time period (a startling number when you consider that the UK is approximately 100 times smaller than North America in land mass), and that up to 46% of the regularly occurring bird species are in danger of being lost.

I hope that everyone who reads Flight Paths comes away with a feeling of optimism that it’s still possible to tackle the environmental challenges facing us.

Insights into the migration of species such as the Cuckoo have been revealed by BTO research. Neil Calbrade / BTO

In order to effectively target conservation efforts, we need detailed data on the breeding ranges, wintering ranges, migratory routes, and stopover sites used not just by species but by the individual populations that make up those species (a concept known as ‘migratory connectivity’) – but for many birds, this information is still not available. So migration research, from the very high-tech to the simple submitting of checklists by amateur birders, is continuing with new urgency.

I hope that everyone who reads Flight Paths comes away with a new appreciation of the hard work and creativity that went into uncovering every impressive fact we know about bird migration, and with a feeling of optimism that it’s still possible to tackle the environmental challenges facing us.

During the early days of COVID-19, birds were a source of hope for me, and for millions of others. Now it’s our turn to be a source of hope for them.

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Flight Paths: How the Mystery of Bird Migration Was Solved

“This fascinating book opens with a question: where do the birds go? People have, of course, been asking this question for centuries...the book does not answer this question directly but delves into the question of how we know where birds go.”

Rebecca’s first book, Flight Paths, tells the story of the study of bird migration, from ringing and radio-tagging to cross-continent citizen science projects.

BTO’s Associate Director of Research Rob Robinson lends his expertise to our book review.

Read the review

Science writer Rebecca Heisman tells us how she came to write her first book, and why it’s vital that we tell the stories of the birds around us.

July 2023

The idea that became Flight Paths, my first book, was born in the spring of 2020.

07 Jul 2023 no

Finding food: deciphering the foraging ‘fingerprints’ of Gannets

WEBSITEEDITOR — Wed, 05 Apr 2023 10:03:49 +0000

Chris Pollock explains how studying the unique movements and behaviours of individual Gannets can help us to understand the impact of environmental change on their populations. No

Chris Pollock

Chris Pollock Quantitative Ecologist at the UK Centre for Hydrology and Ecology (CEH) Chris recently joined UK CEH after working for BTO as a Research Ecologist, investigating the impacts of offshore renewable energy on seabirds. He loves ecological modelling and wants to share its role in conservation with the wider world.

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Science

Gannet

The first use of remote satellite tracking for seabirds in 1989 revolutionised our understanding of their behaviour. Since then, there has been an explosion in the number of studies that track the movements and migration of a multitude of species.

There is a lot about seabirds that we still don’t know, however. Seabird ecologists like me are still trying to understand why the species they study occupy certain spaces and behave in certain ways. To this end, we are often tempted to grab as many fancy new tracking devices as our budget can afford and head to the nearest coastline in search of some unsuspecting birds.

These devices provide us with lots of information about the location and movements of the birds, which we can then analyse to see if differences in behaviours – such as time spent resting, foraging and travelling – might be due to differences in sex (male or female birds), age (immature or adult birds) or even the breeding colony location.

These methods have given us great insight into seabird behaviour. But more and more studies are highlighting the importance of understanding the movements and behaviours of individual birds. You could think of this as trying to understand a single bird’s personality.

Introducing the foraging ‘fingerprint’

Individual Gannets leave their breeding colony in the same direction on each foraging trip, search for food in the same area on successive trips, and will even return to that spot from year to year.

One prominent example of this is called ‘individual foraging site fidelity’ (IFSF), which describes a pattern of behaviour well documented in Gannets. Tracking devices have revealed that individual Gannets leave their breeding colony in the same direction on each foraging trip, search for food in the same area on successive trips, and will even return to that spot from year to year.

You can think of the foraging patterns which have been revealed by tracking as a Gannet’s foraging ‘fingerprint’ – a pattern unique to that bird.

Gannets foraging in the Firth of Forth, Scotland. Chris Pollock

Why might a Gannet want to return to the same spot again and again?

Well, Gannets breed in large colonies – the largest in the world is located on Bass Rock, Scotland, and is made up of around 150,000 breeding adults! When foraging from such a big colony, it makes sense to remember an area where you have had a successful foraging trip. There will be a lot of competition for fish from other Gannets, so making your trip as efficient as possible will be beneficial to you and the hungry chick you have to feed back at the colony.

The next question that we must ask ourselves is what processes underpin this foraging fingerprint. For example, Gannets might use memory to recall particularly rich foraging sites, or observe other Gannets to see where they feed successfully, and copy them.

To investigate this question with more tracking devices, we would need to track all the Gannets from a colony at once to understand social interactions. This would be incredibly expensive, not to mention the practical impossibility of attaching 150,000 tags to adult Gannets. And as of yet there are no questionnaire techniques to interrogate Gannets about how they repeatedly find their favourite feeding spots.

This is where simulation models come into play.

Simulation models allow us to investigate the underlying mechanical processes in natural systems. When we create a model, we can construct a scenario and then apply different ‘rules’ for how an organism might interact with others and its environment. Then we can see which rules generate the result closest to that which we see in real life, and are therefore likely to reflect the mechanisms underpinning that reality.

Deciphering the fingerprint

gannet_foraging_gif.gif

This simulation depicts individual Gannet foraging trips, each departing from the Bass Rock colony in the Firth of Forth, Scotland. Outward trips (yellow) include foraging behaviour (red). The birds return to the colony (blue) after foraging.

My quintessential lightbulb moment occurred during my PhD when reading about a tracking study which suggested that Gannets anticipate their prey location. The study stated that “further investigations are necessary to identify the mechanisms involved in seabird resource localisation, such as sensorial abilities, memory effects, public information [another term for social interactions] or a combination of these factors”.

I’d already begun to work with simulation models, and it dawned on me that they would provide the perfect format to do exactly that. By modelling scenarios with different rules for memory use, the impact of social interaction and combinations of these, I could investigate the factors which determined a Gannet’s individual foraging fingerprint – the departure direction and foraging area used in repeated feeding trips.

I could then see which models produce the best ‘fit’ for the fingerprint that has been revealed by tracking, gaining insight into what Gannets think and how they interact with each other.

I began by hypothesising a range of rules which might govern Gannet foraging behaviour. They incorporated the use of memory (e.g. short or long-term), and how Gannets interacted with each other while on foraging trips (e.g. attraction to others foraging, or avoidance of areas with high concentrations of other Gannets).

In total, I constructed 16 different rules or rule combinations based on memory and social interaction, with varying levels of complexity. Then I ran my simulations of Gannet behaviour governed by each of my hypothesised rules or rule combinations, and analysed the results from a few random individuals in each simulation – like sampling from a real-life population. The results were fascinating.

The simulation which produced the most realistic movements of individual Gannets was governed by both memory and social interaction – the most complex rule combination that we created.

The simulation which produced the most realistic movements of individual Gannets was governed by both memory – remembering several different locations to visit – and social interaction – using other Gannets as cues for where food might be located and as indicators of very high competition. This rule combination was the most complex that we created.

I would argue that this is interesting in and of itself, but what are the potential real-world applications for such a study?

Modelling in the real world

What are the impacts of offshore wind farms on our seabirds? Modelling research is helping to uncover the details. Tommy Holden / BTO

With this information about the mechanisms which govern seabird foraging behaviour, we have a more robust baseline for further research. We can create new models founded on this baseline to investigate how changes to the environment might affect our seabirds.

One of the most prominent potential threats to Gannets and other seabirds from UK colonies is the rapid development of offshore wind farms around our coasts. With government plans to more than triple our capacity within the next 10 years, we must do our best to predict the potential impacts of different development plans on the distributions and population sizes of our treasured seabirds – and modelling can help.

‘Collision risk modelling’ is a type of simulation modelling which investigates the risk of seabirds flying into wind turbines. It is often used to inform the Environmental Impact Assessments conducted for potential developments, for example.

More recently developed models are examining how offshore wind farms might disrupt seabird foraging trips. So far, the modelling techniques we have indicate that the cumulative effects of offshore wind farm development are having an impact on our seabirds.

Looking ahead

We now have the potential to simulate these ‘bird brains’ (historically an insult, although I would say one which is rapidly being disproved) as they learn and memorise things and react to competitors in a myriad of ways. Our simulations are representative of reality and of our ever-increasing knowledge of the complexities of these birds. I look forward to applications looking at immediate threats such as wind farms and changing prey distributions to predict how our feathered friends may fare in these challenging times.

This blog is based on the research and findings of Chris's PhD, Modelling breeding season foraging and tracking autumn migrations to fill knowledge gaps in gannet ecology relating to impacts of offshore wind farms (University of Leeds, 2022).

How do Lesser Black-backed Gulls interact with wind farms?

BTO research has uncovered a complex picture of avoidance and attraction in this amber-listed species' behaviour around offshore wind farms.

Donate to the Avian Influenza Appeal

Gannet colonies have been devastated by the recent outbreak of avian influenza. Donate today to support our research on the spread and impact of this disease.

Bird tracking: a masterclass

BTO's expert Phil Atkinson explains the technology behind tracking birds, and how it has been used to reveal the movements and migrations of species from seabirds to Swifts.

April 2023

The comings and goings of seabirds were shrouded in mystery for many years. Where did they go to find food for their chicks? How long were their migrations, and where did they spend the months outside the breeding season?

05 Apr 2023

Finding my place(ment): taking a break from a PhD

WEBSITEEDITOR — Wed, 25 Jan 2023 10:31:36 +0000

PhD student Fionnuala McCully reflects on her placement with the BTO Communications Team, and the benefits she experienced while stepping back from her studies.

Fionnuala McCully BTO Comms Placement Student Fionnuala is an ACCE DTP PhD candidate in the Seabird Ecology Group University of Liverpool (SEGUL). She is a behavioural ecologist, studying the impacts of animal personality on Wandering Albatross and Kittiwake parental care strategies.

While writing this blog post, I have been wracking my brains, trying to decide if it is ever a bad idea to try something new. I don’t think it is: If you love ‘the new thing’, the doors which may open to you could be life-changing, and even if you hate it, well, sometimes being able to definitively classify something as ‘not-for-me’ can be a blessing.

When you are in the middle of a PhD, it can be easy to forget that ‘other things’ (in terms of both career and downtime) exist. The road is long, and because PhD research requires you to be a jack-of-all-trades (writing, coding, presenting, fieldwork – you have to do it all!), you may find yourself forgetting which activities you actually enjoy the most. Taking a break can help you remember.

After nearly three years of working on my project on parental care in seabirds, I needed a change of scenery.

Taking a step back: planning a placement

After nearly three years of working on my project on parental care in seabirds at the University of Liverpool, I needed a change of scenery.

My doctoral training partnership, ACCE, provides their PhD candidates with an opportunity to apply for three months extra funding to do something different: a placement working on something outside the confines of their PhD. This is an invaluable opportunity for early career researchers to get experience in the workplace, gain new skills and discover – or perhaps rule out! – a potential career path.

Fionnuala releasing a Kittiwake during her PhD fieldwork in Svalbard, Arctic Circle.

Fionnuala examining a Puffin while helping the Norwegian polar Institute with their population monitoring schemes in Svalbard, Arctic Circle.

From the very beginning of my time at Liverpool, I wanted to complete one of these placements. By 2022, the major constraints imposed by COVID-19 had been dissolved (so no placement-ing from home, which was not appealing to me), and I had (temporarily) had enough of quantitative data analysis. I wanted to have a go at a form of work which came more naturally to me.

Having previously been a higher education lecturer, I have always had an interest in science communication – but I didn’t want to revisit old ground via teaching. I also didn’t want to stray too far away from birds. I like birds… and I can’t really see a future where my work doesn’t involve them in some capacity.

So where could I go to complete my placement?

BTO was an obvious choice, and I was thrilled when they agreed to host. Specifically, I reached out to their Communications Team. I hoped that this department would be able to get me involved in my target activities, like writing for different audiences and gaining media experience. BTO’s dedication to science would also prevent me from straying too far from the research skills which I have spent the last 12 years developing.

Of course, I would work for my keep: in exchange for all these valuable opportunities, I would complete a project for BTO, evaluating their science communication strategies. Are BTO messages getting through to their target audiences? Between September and December 2022, it was my job to find out.

Fionnuala at the BTO Youth in Nature Summit (front left). Alicia Hayden

Joining the BTO Comms Team in Thetford

So, having departed Liverpool for a residency in Thetford, my placement began.

The Comms Team put me to work writing for BTO’s various publishing media, helping out with events such as BBC Autumnwatch and the BTO Youth in Nature Summit, and contributing to BTO’s social media. I was even given a small spot on BBC Radio Suffolk, during which I geeked out about seabirds.

In addition to her work on her Communications project, Fionnuala was able to take part in activities such as ringing.

Almost immediately, I enjoyed working for BTO. I felt right at home in a world of varying topics, fast deadlines and cooperative projects. These were working conditions I had experienced in previous employment, and which I’d missed during the singularly focussed, long-term and occasionally solitary project which is my PhD.

What is more, the organisation itself is full of the friendliest, most welcoming people you are ever likely to meet. Even before my placement had started, Head of Communications Mike Toms and Science Communications Manager Viola Ross-Smith provided me with heaps of support as I developed my placement proposal. Once I got there, they (as well as employees from every other team you can think of) did all they could to make sure I felt welcomed and valued. Plus, they all know a lot about birds and I love learning new things about birds!

In between the day-to-day jobs of the department, I chipped away at my placement project, interviewing representatives of BTO’s target audiences: wind farm developers, government agency workers, BTO Regional and Youth Representatives, museum curators, landowners, academics… Speaking with such a wide range of people was one of the best parts of my placement. I learned huge amounts about lots of different industries, engaged in some valuable networking, and also got an insight into the range of jobs available out there in the world. All of this might come in handy when I finish my PhD…

Speaking with such a wide range of people was one of the best parts of my placement – I learned huge amounts about lots of different industries.

Fionnuala attended the prestigious Marsh Awards during her placement, writing BTO’s news piece about the event.

Developing an action plan for BTO’s science communications

After I had asked my questions and collated the interviewees’ answers, it was time to translate all those conversations into something tangible that BTO can use to improve their communication strategy. As a behavioural ecologist, I will grudgingly admit that producing outputs with high applied value is not something I get to do very often. It was therefore refreshing for me to produce an action plan based on my findings, which could be put into practice immediately.

It was also a pleasure to reassure my new BTO colleagues that all the wonderful work they do is appreciated by their audience. All my interviewees had many positive things to say about BTO and the work they produce. In particular, it was clear that BTO’s evidence-based approach and the expertise of BTO staff were key selling points. There is work to do, particularly concerning the refinement of messaging and reaching key audience members, but I hope that my action plan leaves BTO in a strong position to move forward.

My placement with BTO helped me see what might lie beyond my studies. Life will continue, and when I finish, I am confident that I will be considered skilled and employable.

Taking my placement experience forwards into my PhD

In what felt like a blink of an eye, my placement was over and it was time to go back to Liverpool. My PhD was waiting for me, and it wasn’t going to finish itself – but I returned refreshed and ready to take on the new challenges it might send my way. On top of this, I could rest easy in the knowledge that I had benefited hugely from ‘trying something new’.

Opportunities at BTO

Visit our Vacancies page to explore opportunities to work, volunteer or study with us.

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I am looking forward to the rest of my PhD, but my placement with BTO helped me see what might lie beyond my studies. Life will continue, and when I finish, I am confident that I will be considered skilled and employable.

If you are a student, and you think you might benefit from a break or a placement, I strongly encourage you to examine your options. If your programme offers a placement scheme, investigate it. If not, make a plan and discuss it with your supervisor and your funding body. Alternatively, reach out to other PhD students who have done something similar – the vast majority of them will be happy to advise.

I also thoroughly recommend BTO as a placement provider! The experience was second to none. When I left BTO, I was leaving with a portfolio of articles, considerable work experience and many, many new friends. Crucially, my placement reaffirmed my belief that trying something new is rarely a bad idea. In fact, it might be exactly what you need to carry you through this life stage and into the next.

Acknowledgements

A big thank you to the ACCE Doctoral training partnership for providing additional funding so that I could undertake this placement. Thanks also go to Dr Samantha Patrick for her support.
I massively appreciate the support of everyone at the BTO and thank them for being so welcoming. In particular, I thank everyone in the Science Communication Team, especially Mike Toms and Viola Ross-Smith, for all their hard work before, during and after my placement.

2 January 2023

PhD student Fionnuala McCully completed a three-month placement with the BTO Comms Team in December last year. She reflects on her time with the organisation and the benefits she experienced while stepping back from her studies.

25 Jan 2023 no