Front cover of the thesis, entitled 'Eyes in the sky'. Photo of a magnificent bird cliff in the Faroes
Big congrats to Johan Castenschiold for successfully defending his PhD thesis yesterday at Aarhus University!
It was a pleasure to supervise with @sjurdur.bsky.social . Also thanks to @masden.bsky.social and Jonas Hentati-Sundberg for excellent questions!
A rainbow forms over Gough Island
First confirmed cases of High Pathogenicity Avian Influenza Virus (HPAIV) on Gough Island represent one of the most geographically isolated detections of HPAIV to date. But how did it get there?
Read on for a summary
Full paper: doi.org/10.1080/2222...
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#seabirds
🚨JOB ALERT🚨
We are looking for an emerging scientist with an interest in #seabirds and #conservation for a 🌟new scholarship position🌟
⏱️Deadline: 13/03/2026
🐧Fixed term 12 months, 35 hrs/pw
📌Cambridge/ Hybird
Come join our fantastic team!
Full #job details ➡️ tinyurl.com/BLIemergings...
⏳ Deadline approaching!
This is a final reminder that our Training Grants closes on the 28th of February.
If you are from a BAME background, and would like to gain seabird volunteering/ ringing experience we can provide support up to £250.
For more info: www.seabirdgroup.org.uk/grants
How do we protect wildlife from HPAI? Here, King Penguins vaxxed w self-amplifying mRNA 2344b H5 vaccine. Chicks followed for 250 days - good immune responses, no adverse effects. Good to see trials like this, protect species of conservation concern.
👉 www.nature.com/articles/s41...
A colour photograph of a tree surrounded by cornfields.
📢#JobOpportunity #WeAreSeeking a Land Management Biodiversity Adviser
We're looking for someone with knowledge of conservation and environmental issues and policy
Based in Peterborough or Aberdeen but with hybrid working
Closing date: 1 March 2026 bit.ly/3Ob2H3H
Photo of expert mycologist Geoffrey Kibby presenting in front of screen, on which there is a photo of fungi on a woodland floor.
BMS has over 40 affiliated local fungus groups across the UK, typically run by expert mycologist volunteers who record & monitor fungi, support conservation efforts, & help those new to fungi learn more 🍄 Find a UK fungus group near you: www.britmycolsoc.org.uk/recording-ne...
Bird with colourful bill flying low over water.
EARLY VIEW in IBIS
A half century of monitoring reveals contrasting survival responses of Icelandic seabirds to climate and fisheries pressures | onlinelibrary.wiley....
Sarah E. Gutowsky et al | #ornithology 🪶
Photo of Cameron Diekonigin, tutor for the BMS Beginners' Workshop.
At our Beginners' Workshop in June - find out more about fungi, meet other fungus enthusiasts & take part in interactive learning to improve your ID skills.🍄 Watch a talk by workshop tutor, Cameron Diekonigin: youtu.be/fIBfQaf0J2w
👉 Book your place: www.britmycolsoc.org.uk/beginners-wo...
Logo for the BMS Awards 2026. Wreath of gold leaves on a silver background.
🌟Call for Nominations – BMS Awards 2026🌟 Seeking nominations that reflect the full breadth and diversity of the mycological community—researchers, educators, field mycologists, volunteers & more.🍄Help us raise awareness of outstanding work! Deadline: 31 May 2026. www.britmycolsoc.org.uk/awards.html
How much temperate rainforest could there be in the UK and Ireland, and where? Despite campaigns calling for restoration in both countries, these questions have been difficult to answer. In our new paper we assess the evidence base 🌏🧪🌐🌳🌲 1/9
⏰ DEADLINE THIS FRIDAY...
...for the 2026 BOU Summer Placement Scheme
Financially supporting undergraduate students to carry out summer #ornithology research placements
Guidelines & application form: bou.org.uk/funding/s...
Drones and artificial intelligence - in SEAPOP we have started to #monitor #seabird #populations with drones. Pictures are analyzed using artificial intelligence. Here's the #method to get from drone pictures to numbers of birds per species: seapop.no/en/2026/01/d...
Recipients of the Massee Arts Grant 2023. Left image: Anna Dumitriu surrounded by materials in a creative studio. Right image: Jenny Ashby at a potters wheel.
Funding for new arts projects focused on fungi - up to a maximum of £5,000. Open to artists from all disciplines and all geographic locations, to help encourage all sectors of society to engage with & learn about the world of fungi! Find out more: www.britmycolsoc.org.uk/massee-arts-...
A calm lake with mirror waters sits in the foreground. Trees and shrubs are framed in the background. A soft beam of sunlight pierces through the canopy of a tree covering the water
🌿UK publishes first post-EU assessment for habitats and species.
Latest reports cover nationally important habitats and species in each of England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland & our UK offshore marine area
Find out more👉https://bit.ly/4sRWnOl
#TogetherForNature
This year, the taxonomists on the Fungarium Sequencing Project had a goal to review 10,000 specimens. They hit their target an impressive three months ahead of schedule, so to celebrate their hard work, here are some of the stories they’ve uncovered!
marsh tit, www.garthpeacock.co.uk
Very pleased to share #OpenAccess paper, which we think is important to understand woodland bird declines and impact of forestry on native ancient woodland in Britain.
nsojournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/... #ornithology @ukceh.bsky.social @rspb.bsky.social @mizpas.bsky.social
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✨New paper!✨
An individual‐based model to quantify the non‐breeding season impact of wind farms on #seabirds
doi.org/10.1002/2688...
@ninanatureresearch.bsky.social
@seatrackscience.bsky.social
@signecd.bsky.social
@masden.bsky.social
📣 The deadline for this @britmycolsoc.org.uk special issue on fungal conservation has been extended to 15th March 2026.
Spread the word and don’t hesitate to contact @cfemycolab.bsky.social or me if you have any questions.
We’re looking forward to receiving your submissions! 🍄
Photo of Clare Stanley, Imperial College London, looking at plant material under a microscope.
BMS Research Grants now open! Two levels of grant available to support the development of new lines of fungal biology research. Maximum award £10,000. Apply by 31 March. Find out about the work of previous recipients, and how to apply, here:
www.britmycolsoc.org.uk/research-gra...
New paper! Here we present the history, geographical distribution, and structure of organizations in #mycology across #Europe, as well as their activities—including journals, magazines, meetings, educational initiatives, and #citizenscience projects. doi.org/10.1007/s105... #FunDive
The suite of BMS grants: eight coloured squares, with text summarising each grant inside each square.
BMS Grants are now open for applications! Funds are available to support a range of activities in #mycology including #research, training, meetings, conference participation, #fieldwork, #education, #arts & #outreach.👉 Find out more: www.britmycolsoc.org.uk/grants.html
#grants #funding
Image of a frozen lake with reeds to the front and snow covered trees in the background
Countryside users are asked to take care not to disturb birds in severe weather👉 bit.ly/3Z15qPc
The British Association for Shooting and Conservation calls for voluntary restraint. Some areas in Scotland have been identified as being particularly affected
Our detection dog Reid has been helping check for rats in cargo going to Bass Rock for lighthouse restoration for @nlb-uk.bsky.social. These checks are important to help protect the large Northern Gannet colony on the island from invasive predators. #NatureRestorationFund @naturescot.bsky.social
Producing breeding population estimates to monitor Little Egret trends
The RBBP continues to monitor breeding abundance, with the latest figure being 1,614–1,696 pairs in 2023 (Eaton et al. 2025).
Read more: britishbirds.co.uk/journal/arti...
🥇Subscriber Content
📸David Tipling, Thomas Willoughby
Still some vacant sites in Scotland! If you can help with the International Swan Census on 17th-18th January please click on the link below to find a vacant site near you. #BirdingScotland
Warning announcement! The University of Tartu HPC cluster will undergo scheduled maintenance and will not be available from January 12 to 18, 2026. As a result, the UNITE and PlutoF analysis modules will also be unavailable during this period.
Home student looking for a PhD & interested in AI, quantitative ecology & bridging the species to ecosystem divide? This ZSL project, entitled "AI-enabled construction of an ecosystem management framework that supports UK seabirds conservation", may be for you! See lnkd.in/edhp3_zy (deadline:12/1)
📢 DEADLINE APPROACHING
For BOU Member Conference Attendance Grants
Now funding member attendance at any #ornithology conference 🪶
Low-carbon travel encouraged
⏰ Deadline: 5 January 2026
bou.org.uk/funding/m...
Thrilled to announce that the special issue on fungal #conservation that @cfemycolab.bsky.social and I are co-editing for the @britmycolsoc.org.uk c.org.uk journal Fungal Ecology is open for submissions!
www.sciencedirect.com/special-issu...
