Alice Risely
@alice-risely.bsky.social
Ecologist with broad interests studying gulls, pathogens, and microbiomes. Love and teach R. Dangerously close to becoming microbiologist. Gulls Eating Stuff citizen science project. https://alicerisely.weebly.com/
Should we? Really?
November 9, 2025 at 8:26 PM
Should we? Really?
Never realised that jays have gorgeous mauve eyes! Definitely one of Europe’s most handsome avian residents. This one ringed and released, hopefully to spend the next years planting a new generation of oak acorns.
October 19, 2025 at 1:05 PM
Never realised that jays have gorgeous mauve eyes! Definitely one of Europe’s most handsome avian residents. This one ringed and released, hopefully to spend the next years planting a new generation of oak acorns.
Lovely morning with the ringing group at a local nature reserve. Good reminder of how to age redwings, and a jay in the net was a nice surprise. Always amazes me how important small but well managed local reserves are for biodiversity.
October 19, 2025 at 7:06 AM
Lovely morning with the ringing group at a local nature reserve. Good reminder of how to age redwings, and a jay in the net was a nice surprise. Always amazes me how important small but well managed local reserves are for biodiversity.
V happy that the majority of my MSc students (in BioMed) now choose the 'I enjoy data science' option after my two data analysis lectures (the 'before' barplot was mostly 'OK'). New generation of statisticians coming attcha ;).
Possibly Mentimetered them to death on p-values though!
Possibly Mentimetered them to death on p-values though!
October 3, 2025 at 3:47 PM
V happy that the majority of my MSc students (in BioMed) now choose the 'I enjoy data science' option after my two data analysis lectures (the 'before' barplot was mostly 'OK'). New generation of statisticians coming attcha ;).
Possibly Mentimetered them to death on p-values though!
Possibly Mentimetered them to death on p-values though!
Btw the 'gull death' game was inspired by this Sky News article. I voted for a gull dropping a rock on someones head, but fellow gull ringer was sure it would be from a slashed thigh artery whilst stealing chips on the beach. Any other plausible scenarios? (infectious disease is boring)
September 22, 2025 at 3:24 PM
Btw the 'gull death' game was inspired by this Sky News article. I voted for a gull dropping a rock on someones head, but fellow gull ringer was sure it would be from a slashed thigh artery whilst stealing chips on the beach. Any other plausible scenarios? (infectious disease is boring)
It’s been a long time since I picked up a paintbrush (I suffered painting burnout) but this weekend I took inspiration - as artists have done for generations! - from my trip to @skokholmisland.bsky.social last June. A little 10x10cm mini acrylic on linen. Skokholm puffin at sunset.
September 22, 2025 at 7:34 AM
It’s been a long time since I picked up a paintbrush (I suffered painting burnout) but this weekend I took inspiration - as artists have done for generations! - from my trip to @skokholmisland.bsky.social last June. A little 10x10cm mini acrylic on linen. Skokholm puffin at sunset.
Er, does the guardian think chimps have paws…? 🤔
September 20, 2025 at 9:17 PM
Er, does the guardian think chimps have paws…? 🤔
Nice day out in the Peak District for our induction week hike with the new Wildlife Conservation MSc cohort. They did well scrambling up this steep hill!
September 12, 2025 at 6:44 PM
Nice day out in the Peak District for our induction week hike with the new Wildlife Conservation MSc cohort. They did well scrambling up this steep hill!
Saw a colour ringed BH gull in Formby dunes car park @kanebrides.bsky.social. Is that one of yours? It was 289K.
September 11, 2025 at 2:05 PM
Saw a colour ringed BH gull in Formby dunes car park @kanebrides.bsky.social. Is that one of yours? It was 289K.
Received some skulls in the post (fox, maybe?). The weird thing is that the package wasn’t addressed to me, had no return address, and I was not expecting to receive any skulls. Opened the package as was not sure what else to do! Anyone in Manchester expecting any mammal skulls?! #mystery #wildlife
September 2, 2025 at 6:19 AM
And this is one copy on amazon @sarahdalgulls.bsky.social !
September 1, 2025 at 8:07 AM
And this is one copy on amazon @sarahdalgulls.bsky.social !
I took exactly the same photo! Clearly potential for some bin tourism if councils funded nice bin art everywhere 🤣.
September 1, 2025 at 6:48 AM
I took exactly the same photo! Clearly potential for some bin tourism if councils funded nice bin art everywhere 🤣.
It’s been an amazing two weeks teaching on the Conservation MSc course at AP Leventis ornithological research institute in Nigeria (APLORI). These students are the future of African biodiversity conservation and research. Glad to be a small part of it! @salforduni.bsky.social
August 29, 2025 at 9:14 PM
It’s been an amazing two weeks teaching on the Conservation MSc course at AP Leventis ornithological research institute in Nigeria (APLORI). These students are the future of African biodiversity conservation and research. Glad to be a small part of it! @salforduni.bsky.social
I last saw Arin in 2014 when he was a field assistant at APLORI helping us monitor whinchats in Nigeria (on his bike 🤣). Caught up with him today - 11 years later. He’s starting a zoology degree in Sep because he’s inspired to do a PhD in ornithology and help protect his home. All because of APLORI!
August 23, 2025 at 9:09 PM
I last saw Arin in 2014 when he was a field assistant at APLORI helping us monitor whinchats in Nigeria (on his bike 🤣). Caught up with him today - 11 years later. He’s starting a zoology degree in Sep because he’s inspired to do a PhD in ornithology and help protect his home. All because of APLORI!
Nigeria looking pretty stunning in the rainy season. Seems like it’s been a good year for rain here in the Sahel - the migratory birds will be happy when they arrive!
August 23, 2025 at 10:07 AM
Nigeria looking pretty stunning in the rainy season. Seems like it’s been a good year for rain here in the Sahel - the migratory birds will be happy when they arrive!
Day 2 of teaching at APLORI ornithology institute in Nigeria and having an absolute blast. Lots of interesting conversations about conservation education and ecology in Nigeria. If you study migratory birds (or just birds!?) and want a good west African field site then go to APLORI! #ornithology
August 19, 2025 at 5:49 PM
Day 2 of teaching at APLORI ornithology institute in Nigeria and having an absolute blast. Lots of interesting conversations about conservation education and ecology in Nigeria. If you study migratory birds (or just birds!?) and want a good west African field site then go to APLORI! #ornithology
I’ve made it to APLORI in Nigeria after a very long door-to-door journey. Looking forward to teaching the MSc students here about research and ornithology for the next two weeks!
August 17, 2025 at 6:02 PM
I’ve made it to APLORI in Nigeria after a very long door-to-door journey. Looking forward to teaching the MSc students here about research and ornithology for the next two weeks!
August 11, 2025 at 11:22 AM
Exciting things happening in the garden!
August 8, 2025 at 4:27 PM
Exciting things happening in the garden!
Well that cat food is good protein for chicks! This chick was happily gobbling down cat food regurgitate from mum a few weeks ago in Skokholm :)
August 5, 2025 at 2:34 AM
Well that cat food is good protein for chicks! This chick was happily gobbling down cat food regurgitate from mum a few weeks ago in Skokholm :)
Absolutely loving learning about the Ancient Puebloan culture in the American SW. This is a cliff dwelling from around 1200 AD in Mesa Verde, Colorado. These villages only lasted a couple of hundred years before they mysteriously abandoned these areas for further south and east.
July 26, 2025 at 4:35 AM
Absolutely loving learning about the Ancient Puebloan culture in the American SW. This is a cliff dwelling from around 1200 AD in Mesa Verde, Colorado. These villages only lasted a couple of hundred years before they mysteriously abandoned these areas for further south and east.
First snake of our four corners US road trip - a gorgeous bull snake!
July 18, 2025 at 1:49 AM
First snake of our four corners US road trip - a gorgeous bull snake!
A few photos of gulls from Skokholm. I find them so photogenic.
July 12, 2025 at 10:14 PM
A few photos of gulls from Skokholm. I find them so photogenic.
Absolutely stunning evening on Walney last night for our second gull ringing visit. Vix Franks did an amazing job helping me collect samples - lots of starfish, shrimp, crabs, voles, & earthworms in the regurgitate - clearly exploiting coastal resources! @salforduni.bsky.social
July 10, 2025 at 11:15 AM
Absolutely stunning evening on Walney last night for our second gull ringing visit. Vix Franks did an amazing job helping me collect samples - lots of starfish, shrimp, crabs, voles, & earthworms in the regurgitate - clearly exploiting coastal resources! @salforduni.bsky.social
It’s where licensed bird ringers put a big coloured ring with a unique identifier on the leg of the bird (see photo). Then if a member of the public see one they can take a photo and we can track where that bird went after we ringed it. Science!
July 5, 2025 at 10:39 AM
It’s where licensed bird ringers put a big coloured ring with a unique identifier on the leg of the bird (see photo). Then if a member of the public see one they can take a photo and we can track where that bird went after we ringed it. Science!