From arriving a day early to witnessing the mesmerizing process of bird ringing, Stage 3 Wildlife and Conservation student Natacha Smith’s experience at the observatory offers a glimpse into the unique intersection of conservation, science, and wonder found within the wingspan of migratory birds.
“Me and my classmates arrived at the Sandwich Bay Bird Observatory (SBBO) without a hitch on the 19th of March. However, I was quickly informed that my group was actually scheduled to arrive the day after… luckily, Dr. Jake Bicknell was sympathetic to my blunder, and kindly let me stay! I like to think I showed my eagerness by accidentally arriving a day early. On arrival, we were introduced to, one of two wardens at the SBBO, and our 2-day field course officially started with an in-depth talk on the SBBO, its history, and ecology.
We learned that the SBBO is a focal point in the migratory path of over 300 bird species. The site witnesses many rare and unique species either flying past to more northern or southern destinations, or stopping by to rest during their intensive migratory voyages. We were introduced to the site’s unique ecology through a guided tour of the lands owned, leased and cared for by the SBBO. We explored grasslands, which hold 95% of the UK’s Lizard Orchid population, and where we would later collect soil and plant species data for our independent research project.
We also visited The Royal St George’s golf course situated upon an SSSI coastal dune ecosystem, where we admired Lesser Bloody Nose beetles and tufts of Sea kale whilst avoiding the aim of enthusiastic golfers. Below it, a stone beach littered with mermaid purses and cuttlefish bones hosted us for lunch. We ended our tour at the Restharrow Scrape, where we watched the wading teals and shovelers, and saw a Kestral take off its dinner.
In the evening, guided by the SBBO’s wonderful placement student Charlotte, we set out moth traps and conducted a bat walking survey using Echo Meter devices on our phones. Although there was a learning curve, by the end of the night, whilst we feasted on pizza and candy won during a wildlife quiz, we were all chatting not only about the 5 species of bat we had identified but also about the short-eared owl that had jumped over our star-struck group during our survey.
Early the next morning, we arose to experience the highlight of our course, a chance to observe and assist in the ringing of birds alongside ringing experts such as Ian Hunter, who himself spent years working with the British Antarctic Survey ringing albatross. Although we did not get any albatrosses ourselves, we did get to witness the ringing of a mallard, as well as the capture and release of a beautiful long-tailed tit. It was truly inspiring as a wildlife conservation student, to watch these new entries be added to the SBBOs historical data books, which have provided so much important data to the scientific community. Our field course came to an end that morning after an interesting yet challenging moth identification session, although I don’t plan to stay away long, as I will hopefully be returning shortly to volunteer in the SBBO’s bird-ring surveys!”
Natcha is studying BSc Wildlife and Conservation (now named BSc Ecology and Conservation).
Thank you Jake Bicknell for the great photos!