Each year, DICE takes students on an overnight trip to Sandwich Bay Bird Observatory Trust (SBBOT) as part of the ‘Applied Ecology and Conservation’ module, to learn a variety of ecological surveying techniques.
*all handling carried out by licensed professionals
Our trip started by arriving at SBBOT at 11am sharp! We settled into our comfy accommodation and toured the main building before a briefing over a cup of tea. After the health and safety chats were complete, we enjoyed a talk from the wardens about the site, its research and some of the particular species of interest. Much of the grounds are designated as ‘Sites of Special Scientific Interest’ and ‘Special Areas of Conservation’. Sandwich Bay is an important site for migratory birds, so we brushed up on some of our species knowledge too. 
Next, we got layered up and went for a walk around the site. As well as being an incredible site for birds, Sandwich Bay is home to a stunning estate and golf course, so we also discussed the role these areas play in the trust’s research. With the knowledge of the incredible wardens, we toured the beach, dunes, golf course and visited one of the many hides on offer. This walk was an opportunity for the photographers among us to snap some beautiful photos and also an opportunity for us to get acquainted with our binoculars…binocular skills still to be desired for me though! The wardens explained the different types of habitat available for wildlife, with a mix of mowed grassland, grazed grassland and areas left to their own devices.
After warming up, we headed back out to complete some surveys for our assignment. We were doing grassland surveys across three habitat types using quadrats. For each habitat type, we were measuring vegetation cover, height, soil moisture and pH. For optimum efficiency, we formed pairs to divide and conquer. We recorded our data ready for analysis post-field trip.
With the serious stuff done, we headed back for dinner, in preparation for our next surveys. After dinner, we learned how to set two moth traps, learning about the benefits of trap placement and surveying in general. Then, with moth traps set, we headed out on bats walks using detectors, in the hope of identifying some bat sounds. Despite much enthusiasm, we didn’t detect any but that didn’t halt our learning! We still took the opportunity to learn about the methods used to survey bats and the increasing importance of learning about bats for careers such as ecological consulting.
By this point we were all almost ready for bed but not before a thrilling quiz devised by Dr Jake Bicknell. Absolute highlight!
The next day, we were up at the crack of dawn to learn the art of bird ringing (all completed under license). SBBOT has a team of expert ringers who were ready to show us the ropes and showed off their impressive bird sound ID skills. We then learned how to set up mist nets – it is a fine art! After a tour of the Heligoland trap (google it- they’re clever!), we went back to check whether any birds had flown into the net. The ringing team demonstrated safe bird handling and brought them into the ringing shed. We were talked through the processing and ringing of each bird, with insight into the value this work provides to the British Trust for Ornithology. This process was completed by licensed ringers and does not harm the birds in any way. The ring gives the bird a unique number which allows researchers to track their patterns of movement if recaught.
With minds sufficiently blown, we had a quick pit stop for breakfast before cracking on with processing the moths caught in last night’s traps. With ID guides in hand, we worked on our identification skills. I’ve still not quite got the hang of it but some of the groups became masters of ID very quickly, under the expert advice of the SBBOT team.
Before we knew it, it was time to leave, ready for the next group to arrive. This trip was great insight into the array of skills that go into practical, applied ecology and gave us all a chance to find our niche in surveying skills. The follow up assignment also walked us through the process of collecting data, analysing it, and drawing conclusions about the impact of management techniques on habitat characteristics. Thanks for a great field trip, Dr Jake Bicknell, and team!