Up late processing the photos from #BOU2026! The culling sweep is done, bringing us from 1,272 raw photos to a *drumroll pls* working set of 488 😊
Now for the fun, *actually* going through and processing... If all goes well they'll be ready for release on Monday or Tuesday..! #photography
A speaker presenting to an audience in a lecture theatre.
Our final keynote speaker, Petra Sumasgutner, delivers us „From persecution to protection: tracking Galápagos Short-eared Owls through human-driven change“ #BOU2026
A speaker presenting to an audience.
„From wetlands to lawns: White Ibis urbanization in Florida through the lens of community science“ - the penultimate talk of #BOU2026 is brought to us by Doreen Chaussadas
Honey-hunter whistling with his hands toward a greater honeyguide; the honey-hunter is an original photo, and the adult honeyguide was added to the image using AI.
🧵 Not all human–wildlife stories are defined by conflict. In northern Malawi, people follow the greater honeyguide to bee nests; in return, the bird feeds on wax and larvae. My MSc research documented a cooperation rooted in trust, tradition, and mutual benefit. #ornithology #BOU2026
1/6
Excited to present my poster at #BOU2026! 🐦🌍
Looking at drivers of range changes in European waterbirds - from a climate perspective.🌡
@evozoodeb.bsky.social #ornithology #waterbirds #wetlands
These wetlands provide important habitat for #endangered and #protected species 𓅰 𓅬 𓅭 𓅮 𓅯
Development can co-exist and enhance bird habitat and is doing so here. Monitoring will continue to ensure this lasts!
Thank you 💫 Any questions?
#BOU2026 #ornithology #conservationscience
6/6
In the 5yr period, the biggest increases ⬆️ were driven by wetland birds including Magnificent frigatebirds (Barbuda’s national bird), white-cheeked pintail, brown pelican, lesser yellowlegs – all protected in Antigua & Barbuda – and black-necked stilt and ruddy duck 🦆
#BOU2026 #ornithology
5/6
This natural salt pond was devastated by Hurricane Irma in 2017 🌀 Mangrove and wetland habitat has recovered since then aided by restoration efforts.
Common birds are both resident and migratory and have increased almost 7-fold.
Even Least Sandpiper chicks have been recorded!
#BOU2026
4/6
Sand dune habitat has been transformed by created ponds. All wetlands were planted with native mangrove and marsh plants to establish healthy habitats 🌿
The number of birds increased 5 fold over 5 years and are dominated by wetland birds – 81%
#BOU2026 #conservationscience
3/6
50,828 birds of 101 species observed!
5yrs data by 1 local naturalist surveying 2-3x per week📋 A committed effort & scientific analysis
Site 1- historically disturbed sand dunes altered to golf course w/ 19 ponds and a natural wetland
Site 2- natural salt pond next to development
#BOU2026
2/6
🧵- Integration of nature into a Caribbean development has positively impacted birds populations have increased! This #casestudy shows the positive impact of restoring existing #wetland habitat and creating new habitats, and highlights the importance of adaptive monitoring
#BOU2026 #ornithology
1/6
#BOU2026 #ornithology #urbanecology
Ever wondered how urbanisation changes the way bird parents raise their young?
We examine sex-specific parental care and success in House Sparrows across urban and rural habitats in tropical India.
1/6
📄 Read more: onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...
An online speaker presents to an audience.
We‘re joined online by Leslie Fatuma Bayanza for her talk „Hot in the city: can human presence modify the effects of high temperatures on
urban birds?“ #BOU2026
At #BOU2026, Will Cresswell reminds us that young shorebirds can be naive - good news for Sparrowhawks.
His research is mentioned in this blog 'Learning from their elders"
wadertales.wordpress.com/2026/02/05/l...
#ornithology
In a strange stroke of fate, Will was able to demonstrate his expertise when we had two pigeons invade our poster room! #BOU2026 #pigeons
A speaker beside a „BOU“ banner, presenting to the audience.
Our keynote speaker for session 6 is Chevonne Reynolds, with her talk „Who gets to see urban birds? Environmental inequality in African cities“ #BOU2026
#BOU2026 MJE 6/6 In particular, scrub encroachment is degrading moorland habitat that will be lost without the management previously funded by shooting interests.
#BOU2026 MJE 5/6 But shooting interests are being driven out in some areas, reducing management activities that have previously supported wider moorland bird communities.
#BOU2026 MJE 4/6 Longstanding moorland counts indicate that ground nesting birds in general benefit from predator management undertaken to support shooting interests and that populations decline if the cease.
#BOU2026 MJE 3/6 I have seen this first-hand, studying breeding success wader of declining wader species in the Peak District in support of a Natural England project that demonstrated the contribution of medium-sized mammalian predators to nest losses.
#BOU2026 MJE 2/6 With an ecosystem already imbalanced due to man’s disturbance, it is well-documented that the lack of apex predators provides a basis for “mesopredator outbreaks” that further destabilize communities and may cause local prey population extinctions.
#BOU2026 MJE 1/6 I am addressing the conflict theme – shooting and conservation. Observing recent habitat deterioration and population declines in the Peak District, I ask the following question: “Can the common interests of conservation and shooting be harnessed for mutual benefits?”
I am presenting at @bou.org.uk on a research exploring the use of bioacoustics and citizen science to access the impact of invasive alien plants on birds #BOU2026
Today's #BOU2026 day starts with 'Responses to Human Disturbance & Risk'.
See also this Turnstone blog:
wadertales.wordpress.com/2020/02/03/d...
Paper by Whittingham et al:
www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10....
#ornithology
A speaker presenting to an audience in a lecture theatre.
Good morning and welcome to day 3, session 5 ☀️
We‘re joined by Will Creswell for his keynote „Understanding how disturbance affects birds is crucial to their conservation“ #BOU2026 #ornithology
Extremely proud to see @wadertales.bsky.social be awarded the @bou.org.uk Janet Kear medal,for his excellent and tireless work on behalf of our Union and community #BOU2026
Pictures showing the cultural significance of swifts
Photos showing swift towers and swift nest boxes
Photos showing swift bricks
1/2 Presenting at #BOU2026 our paper on the debate on mandating #swiftbricks in the UK as a case of #Multispecies #Justice & #Sustainability #conservationscience #BirdEcon project
Paper published in npj Urban Sustainability: doi.org/10.1038/s429...
Context: martinew.canalblog.com/archives/202...
A speaker stood presenting to an audience.
Our third talk in session 4 is with James Hoggett, „Using social sciences to inform the development of licensing policy for falconry wild take“ #BOU2026
A full lecture theatre being presented to by a speaker.
„Use of anthropogenic landscapes in wild Rock Doves” by Will Smith, our second talk in session 4 😊 #BOU2026
🧵 1/6 I'm at #BOU2026, presenting the results of our pilot study, GPS tracking Outer Hebridean 🏴 Rock Doves. These birds represent the wild form of feral/domestic pigeons. This is published as a natural history 'insight', in @amornith.bsky.social's #Ornithology.
doi.org/10.1093/orni...
