Badgers, Birds and Beetles
Just noticed how long it has been since I last posted, shameful, but also a reflection of how busy things are down here. Part of it is because I'm having to do twice the amount of work for everything, to compensate for the lack of scientific background, but most of it is just the sheer volume of work we're doing.
I'll try and summarise what we've been up to. The most exciting thing was doing some bird ringing. I did this in Ukraine, mist netting and watching as the scientist ringed the birds, but I had forgotten how great the buzz is when you're holding these fragile little animals in your hand (and they're doing their best to peck you). This time we weren't allowed to do the extraction from the net, but we were allowed to ring the birds, so I ringed a female blackbird, and a blue tit, which almost drew blood when it attacked me - they're feisty little things. We also ringed a redwing, a couple of firecrests (smallest British bird), chaffinches (which are absolutely beautiful close up), a blackcap, and a woodpecker. The woodpecker was particularly agrieved and drilled some very impressive holes in the ringers fingers. I'm really tempted to do my bird ringing experience now.
I can't remember whether I mentioned before, but I'm angling for a specific project from amongst our list of possibles. The list includes primate study in South Africa, African Grey Parrots in Cameroon, Cowbirds in Canada, Turtles in the Cayman Islands and Management Methods in New Zealand. Of course the one I want to do involves wading birds in Essex. :-) It's to do with a proposal called 'Managed Realignment'. This is where sea wall defences are breached to allow reclaimed agricultural land to become salt marsh again. The project involves driving round 15-20 sites with a tent and monitoring bird use and sampling marine invertebrates. Perfect!
Spare time has been severely limited the last couple of weeks, as I've been researching Tasmanian birds, Ukrainian badgers and now beetles for a report that has to be in tomorrow (hurrah!). I did get to go to Godrevy National Trust beach and look at some seriously fat seals lying about, including a very portly white pup.
We've had lectures on cooperative breeding among long-tailed tits, sexual selection (ie female mate choice and its determining effect on male morphology), and using stable isotopes of Nitrogen, Carbon and Hydrogen to determine bird diet and migration patterns.
All in all, it's unbelievably hard work, but very very interesting. For the first time since I've been here, I am totally convinced that I am in the right place, doing completely the right course. It's a pretty wonderful feeling!
I'll try and summarise what we've been up to. The most exciting thing was doing some bird ringing. I did this in Ukraine, mist netting and watching as the scientist ringed the birds, but I had forgotten how great the buzz is when you're holding these fragile little animals in your hand (and they're doing their best to peck you). This time we weren't allowed to do the extraction from the net, but we were allowed to ring the birds, so I ringed a female blackbird, and a blue tit, which almost drew blood when it attacked me - they're feisty little things. We also ringed a redwing, a couple of firecrests (smallest British bird), chaffinches (which are absolutely beautiful close up), a blackcap, and a woodpecker. The woodpecker was particularly agrieved and drilled some very impressive holes in the ringers fingers. I'm really tempted to do my bird ringing experience now.
I can't remember whether I mentioned before, but I'm angling for a specific project from amongst our list of possibles. The list includes primate study in South Africa, African Grey Parrots in Cameroon, Cowbirds in Canada, Turtles in the Cayman Islands and Management Methods in New Zealand. Of course the one I want to do involves wading birds in Essex. :-) It's to do with a proposal called 'Managed Realignment'. This is where sea wall defences are breached to allow reclaimed agricultural land to become salt marsh again. The project involves driving round 15-20 sites with a tent and monitoring bird use and sampling marine invertebrates. Perfect!
Spare time has been severely limited the last couple of weeks, as I've been researching Tasmanian birds, Ukrainian badgers and now beetles for a report that has to be in tomorrow (hurrah!). I did get to go to Godrevy National Trust beach and look at some seriously fat seals lying about, including a very portly white pup.
We've had lectures on cooperative breeding among long-tailed tits, sexual selection (ie female mate choice and its determining effect on male morphology), and using stable isotopes of Nitrogen, Carbon and Hydrogen to determine bird diet and migration patterns.
All in all, it's unbelievably hard work, but very very interesting. For the first time since I've been here, I am totally convinced that I am in the right place, doing completely the right course. It's a pretty wonderful feeling!
posted by Simone Webber at 8:32 am
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