Each summer, seabirds bring Hg to the Arctic from hotspots off the Canadian coast.

Honoured to be part of this study from 600+ tracked birds. Shows the power of international collaboration & the vision of Dr Céline ALBERT 🐧❄ 🇫🇷 🇳🇴 🇬🇱 🇩🇰 Jerome Fort and SEATRACK.

#ornithology

Older BTO members may remember Deaconess Newton, a regular attendee at Swanwick annual conferences. I once gave her a lift back to Norfolk and she painted the same picture of her days growing up in Cambridge in (I guess) the 1920s. Wish I had taken notes.

#ShiftingBaselineSyndrome

Previous research has highlighted reduced survival rates for #waders #shorebirds using the Yellow Sea, as discussed here:
wadertales.wordpress.com/2017/05/01/wad…
Is mercury contamination part of the problem? 👇

How does yellow rattle damage its host so much? What determines if it increases or decreases the diversity of the grassland? For 15 videos on the science underpinning conservation see youtube.com/@Bill_Sutherla…

Are Oystercatchers really #gulls (not #waders )?
Evidence:
1⃣ nest on roofs
2⃣ make a lot of noise
3⃣ feed their chicks
4⃣ are very smelly
But they are fascinating: wadertales.wordpress.com/2016/06/13/oys…
More here: wadertales.wordpress.com/2022/08/07/whe…
#ornithology #shorebirds

🥳 UPDATE 🥳
Portuguese government has announced that replacement airport for Lisbon will be at Alcochete - not on/alongside the Tagus Estuary.
Blog updated!
wadertales.wordpress.com/2019/12/23/tag…

Applications are now open for the Young Leaders Course at Cameron’s Cottage in the New Forest for 18-24 year olds. It’s FREE to attend and is taking place from 13-16 August. Discover more and apply ➡️ bit.ly/_YoungLeaders #BTOYouth Cameron Bespolka Trust

PT Gov dropped Montijo plans, following a non renewal of env licence earlier this yr based on our papers. Hope this is not a rare win of evidence based conservation! New location will require a new impact assessment & the plea for a proper study is out. publico.pt/2024/05/16/azu…

🥳 UPDATE 🥳
Portuguese government has announced that replacement airport for Lisbon will be at Alcochete - not on/alongside the Tagus Estuary.
Blog updated!
wadertales.wordpress.com/2019/12/23/tag…

Two-minute tutorials in conservation science!
And check out the names on the UEA CEEC UEA theses behind Bill!

British and Irish wintering #Lapwing show similarly low levels of 'migratory connectivity' to these Italian birds 👇
Blog about Lapwing moult & migration:
wadertales.wordpress.com/2016/07/27/lap…

Congrats ClientEarth SPEA José A. Alves etc. Your exemplary collaborative flyway conservation action has saved Tagus waterbirds shared with 30+ countries & c350 Important Bird Areas covering 16.7 mill ha & 4 World Heritage Sites according to RSPB Science. #ornithology

EMPTY LEDGES. First visit to North Sutor colony revealed the extreme impact bird flu, storms and rising sea temps have had on seabirds. Cormorants down by 36% to only 86 nests, shags by 60% to 60 nests and Guillemots down by a massive 83% on last year.

Proud and privileged to lead an organisation that works, in partnership with others, to deliver facts we can be confident in and that need to be listened to. And what an extraordinary legacy of remarkable #CitizenScience

Harry loves his #Curlew chicks!
Great film to finish the week!
Two blogs about this work:
1⃣ One Curlew's story
wadertales.wordpress.com/2022/07/19/a-n…
2⃣ Can Breckland Curlews nest successfully?
wadertales.wordpress.com/2023/01/04/cur…
#waders #ornithology

“Three pairs of Eurasian Curlews nest here, three out of a paltry 200 pairs left throughout Poland. It is astonishing and devastating to know that on our watch Curlew numbers have dropped to such a critically low level.”
curlewaction.org/reflections-on…

“By analysing measurements of flight speeds of Redshanks when flying in different ecological situations it emerged that they simultaneously adjust airspeed with respect to multiple factors.” - Anders Hedenström

waderstudygroup.org/article/17857/
#waders #shorebirds #ornithology

If you have been analysing tracking data for #waders #shorebirds , here's a potential job opportunity.

Birds or planes?
A 'win' for evidence-based conservation.
On 14 May, the Portuguese government announced that the new airport for Lisbon will be in Alochete - NOT at Montijo in the Tagus SPA.
Updated @WaderTales blog:
wadertales.wordpress.com/2019/12/23/tag…
#waders #shorebirds #ornithology