Katharine Bowgen
@modelbirder.bsky.social
Senior research ecologist at BTO/BTO Cymru after PhD studying environmental change on waders through IBMs. Bird ringer, classical musician & outdoorsy person! All views my own 🪶
Reposted by Katharine Bowgen
Longevity record!
Last night, @washwader.bsky.social recaught this Black-tailed Godwit, first caught and ringed 29 years ago.
The metal ring was wearing thin (and was replaced) but the bird is still going strong.
Blog about longevity of waders:
wadertales.wordpress.com/2018/01/16/w...
#ornithology
Last night, @washwader.bsky.social recaught this Black-tailed Godwit, first caught and ringed 29 years ago.
The metal ring was wearing thin (and was replaced) but the bird is still going strong.
Blog about longevity of waders:
wadertales.wordpress.com/2018/01/16/w...
#ornithology
November 9, 2025 at 1:42 PM
Longevity record!
Last night, @washwader.bsky.social recaught this Black-tailed Godwit, first caught and ringed 29 years ago.
The metal ring was wearing thin (and was replaced) but the bird is still going strong.
Blog about longevity of waders:
wadertales.wordpress.com/2018/01/16/w...
#ornithology
Last night, @washwader.bsky.social recaught this Black-tailed Godwit, first caught and ringed 29 years ago.
The metal ring was wearing thin (and was replaced) but the bird is still going strong.
Blog about longevity of waders:
wadertales.wordpress.com/2018/01/16/w...
#ornithology
Reposted by Katharine Bowgen
Least Auklets weigh 85 g (a puffin is about 350-450 g, and a guillemot is 700-900 g for comparison). They take the same ring size as a European blackbird and are totes adorbs
October 14, 2025 at 1:18 PM
Reposted by Katharine Bowgen
What an honour to open the 50th @waderstudy.bsky.social conference with a plenary on Spoonbill migration culture on the beautiful stage of DOT in Groningen. The Spoonbill-inspired concerto 'Solanum' by Tjibbe Stelwagen and Caspar Kootstra made for a perfect tandem wt the arts. #ornithology
September 27, 2025 at 8:22 AM
What an honour to open the 50th @waderstudy.bsky.social conference with a plenary on Spoonbill migration culture on the beautiful stage of DOT in Groningen. The Spoonbill-inspired concerto 'Solanum' by Tjibbe Stelwagen and Caspar Kootstra made for a perfect tandem wt the arts. #ornithology
Reposted by Katharine Bowgen
Thank you to all of today's speakers for a really interesting array of talks! So much great research, and more on the way tomorrow! #IWSG2025 #waders #shorebirds #ornithology
September 27, 2025 at 3:25 PM
Thank you to all of today's speakers for a really interesting array of talks! So much great research, and more on the way tomorrow! #IWSG2025 #waders #shorebirds #ornithology
Reposted by Katharine Bowgen
Sound on 🔊 Over the last few months our team released 56 headstarted Curlew in Norfolk! 🙌 The birds are already visiting the coastlines and moving around nicely.
August 31, 2025 at 4:53 PM
Sound on 🔊 Over the last few months our team released 56 headstarted Curlew in Norfolk! 🙌 The birds are already visiting the coastlines and moving around nicely.
Reposted by Katharine Bowgen
📣 Nominations for this year's round of @bou.org.uk awards are currently OPEN!
Your chance to recognise those key people in #ornithology 👏
Find out more and make your nominations here: bou.org.uk/about-the-bo...
📆 Deadline 15th Sept 2025
1/5
Your chance to recognise those key people in #ornithology 👏
Find out more and make your nominations here: bou.org.uk/about-the-bo...
📆 Deadline 15th Sept 2025
1/5
Medals and awards - British Ornithologists' Union
Each year, the BOU presents awards to recognise individuals who have made an outstanding contribution within ornithology. Each award celebrates a specific contribution and nominations are warmly encou...
bou.org.uk
August 20, 2025 at 5:16 PM
📣 Nominations for this year's round of @bou.org.uk awards are currently OPEN!
Your chance to recognise those key people in #ornithology 👏
Find out more and make your nominations here: bou.org.uk/about-the-bo...
📆 Deadline 15th Sept 2025
1/5
Your chance to recognise those key people in #ornithology 👏
Find out more and make your nominations here: bou.org.uk/about-the-bo...
📆 Deadline 15th Sept 2025
1/5
Reposted by Katharine Bowgen
Looking to help breeding waders?
Here's a tool-kit:
wadertales.wordpress.com/2018/08/20/t...
Blog summarising presentation at @bou.org.uk workshop at IOC Vancouver by @jengill.bsky.social 🎂5️⃣
#ConservationScience🌍
Here's a tool-kit:
wadertales.wordpress.com/2018/08/20/t...
Blog summarising presentation at @bou.org.uk workshop at IOC Vancouver by @jengill.bsky.social 🎂5️⃣
#ConservationScience🌍
Tool-kit for wader conservation
Decades of drainage and agricultural intensification have caused huge declines in numbers of breeding waders in the lowland wet-grasslands of Western Europe. Although we were already well aware of …
wadertales.wordpress.com
August 20, 2025 at 5:54 AM
Looking to help breeding waders?
Here's a tool-kit:
wadertales.wordpress.com/2018/08/20/t...
Blog summarising presentation at @bou.org.uk workshop at IOC Vancouver by @jengill.bsky.social 🎂5️⃣
#ConservationScience🌍
Here's a tool-kit:
wadertales.wordpress.com/2018/08/20/t...
Blog summarising presentation at @bou.org.uk workshop at IOC Vancouver by @jengill.bsky.social 🎂5️⃣
#ConservationScience🌍
Reposted by Katharine Bowgen
Happy Birthday to @washwader.bsky.social
66 today! 🎂
Still at the forefront of shorebird research.
There's a blog about the first 6O years:
wadertales.wordpress.com/2019/08/15/s...
Here's the Black-tailed Godwit section of the blog 👇
66 today! 🎂
Still at the forefront of shorebird research.
There's a blog about the first 6O years:
wadertales.wordpress.com/2019/08/15/s...
Here's the Black-tailed Godwit section of the blog 👇
August 18, 2025 at 7:59 AM
Happy Birthday to @washwader.bsky.social
66 today! 🎂
Still at the forefront of shorebird research.
There's a blog about the first 6O years:
wadertales.wordpress.com/2019/08/15/s...
Here's the Black-tailed Godwit section of the blog 👇
66 today! 🎂
Still at the forefront of shorebird research.
There's a blog about the first 6O years:
wadertales.wordpress.com/2019/08/15/s...
Here's the Black-tailed Godwit section of the blog 👇
Reposted by Katharine Bowgen
Shorebird chicks are hatching here in Greenland!
This year, egg predation has been intense, especially on Turnstone clutches, so every successful hatch feels extra special. This Turnstone male brooded its four chicks right next to my phone. A bit too close maybe...
This year, egg predation has been intense, especially on Turnstone clutches, so every successful hatch feels extra special. This Turnstone male brooded its four chicks right next to my phone. A bit too close maybe...
July 4, 2025 at 11:46 PM
Shorebird chicks are hatching here in Greenland!
This year, egg predation has been intense, especially on Turnstone clutches, so every successful hatch feels extra special. This Turnstone male brooded its four chicks right next to my phone. A bit too close maybe...
This year, egg predation has been intense, especially on Turnstone clutches, so every successful hatch feels extra special. This Turnstone male brooded its four chicks right next to my phone. A bit too close maybe...
Reposted by Katharine Bowgen
It’s #SwiftAwarenessWeek!
These amazingly adapted #birds eat, sleep & mate on the wing! 🐦⬛🌀
📝Add them to your GBW list if they’re nesting in your home or feeding low over your garden
🐞 Gardening for wildlife helps boost their insect prey!
#CitSci #UKBirding
These amazingly adapted #birds eat, sleep & mate on the wing! 🐦⬛🌀
📝Add them to your GBW list if they’re nesting in your home or feeding low over your garden
🐞 Gardening for wildlife helps boost their insect prey!
#CitSci #UKBirding
June 28, 2025 at 2:56 PM
It’s #SwiftAwarenessWeek!
These amazingly adapted #birds eat, sleep & mate on the wing! 🐦⬛🌀
📝Add them to your GBW list if they’re nesting in your home or feeding low over your garden
🐞 Gardening for wildlife helps boost their insect prey!
#CitSci #UKBirding
These amazingly adapted #birds eat, sleep & mate on the wing! 🐦⬛🌀
📝Add them to your GBW list if they’re nesting in your home or feeding low over your garden
🐞 Gardening for wildlife helps boost their insect prey!
#CitSci #UKBirding
Reposted by Katharine Bowgen
In NE Greenland today, I watched a male Sanderling give his all to impress a female-- song and calls, slowmotion dive and nest scraping.
She was not impressed and calmly kept foraging.
#shorebirds never cease to amaze.
She was not impressed and calmly kept foraging.
#shorebirds never cease to amaze.
June 17, 2025 at 11:16 PM
In NE Greenland today, I watched a male Sanderling give his all to impress a female-- song and calls, slowmotion dive and nest scraping.
She was not impressed and calmly kept foraging.
#shorebirds never cease to amaze.
She was not impressed and calmly kept foraging.
#shorebirds never cease to amaze.
Reposted by Katharine Bowgen
At least 1298 Curlew chicks were released after headstaring (hatching and rearing in captivity) between 2014 and 2023.
What have we learnt?
New paper in @waderstudy.bsky.social journal:
www.waderstudygroup.org/article/18880/
#openaccess
1/4 in short thread ...
#ConservationScience🌎
What have we learnt?
New paper in @waderstudy.bsky.social journal:
www.waderstudygroup.org/article/18880/
#openaccess
1/4 in short thread ...
#ConservationScience🌎
May 25, 2025 at 5:47 AM
At least 1298 Curlew chicks were released after headstaring (hatching and rearing in captivity) between 2014 and 2023.
What have we learnt?
New paper in @waderstudy.bsky.social journal:
www.waderstudygroup.org/article/18880/
#openaccess
1/4 in short thread ...
#ConservationScience🌎
What have we learnt?
New paper in @waderstudy.bsky.social journal:
www.waderstudygroup.org/article/18880/
#openaccess
1/4 in short thread ...
#ConservationScience🌎
Reposted by Katharine Bowgen
New paper in @waderstudy.bsky.social led by @btobirds.bsky.social reviewing headstarting across Europe as a tool for #Curlew #conservation
Read the blog post:
www.curlewrecoveryproject.co.uk/european-hea...
Read the open access paper: www.waderstudygroup.org/article/18880/
#waders #shorebirds
Read the blog post:
www.curlewrecoveryproject.co.uk/european-hea...
Read the open access paper: www.waderstudygroup.org/article/18880/
#waders #shorebirds
East of England project contributes to review of European curlew headstarting projects - Curlew Recovery Project
Curlews breed across Europe in grassland, heathland and bog habitats, but are among the most threatened of European breeding bird species. As a result, they are the focus of a suite of conservation in...
www.curlewrecoveryproject.co.uk
May 27, 2025 at 11:56 AM
New paper in @waderstudy.bsky.social led by @btobirds.bsky.social reviewing headstarting across Europe as a tool for #Curlew #conservation
Read the blog post:
www.curlewrecoveryproject.co.uk/european-hea...
Read the open access paper: www.waderstudygroup.org/article/18880/
#waders #shorebirds
Read the blog post:
www.curlewrecoveryproject.co.uk/european-hea...
Read the open access paper: www.waderstudygroup.org/article/18880/
#waders #shorebirds
Reposted by Katharine Bowgen
Our next conference #IWSG2025 in Groningen, Netherlands 🇳🇱 isn't just talks and workshops! There are some great excursions to choose from too. More details here ⬇️
www.waderstudygroup.org/conferences/...
www.waderstudygroup.org/conferences/...
May 25, 2025 at 8:32 AM
Our next conference #IWSG2025 in Groningen, Netherlands 🇳🇱 isn't just talks and workshops! There are some great excursions to choose from too. More details here ⬇️
www.waderstudygroup.org/conferences/...
www.waderstudygroup.org/conferences/...
Reposted by Katharine Bowgen
⚠️ We need your help to survey priority sites for Dartford Warbler, Woodlark and Nightjar as part of our Heathland Birds Survey. 🐦 Find a vacant survey site near you ➡️ www.bto.org/heathlan... #Ornithology #UKBirding #BirdingWales
📷 Dartford Warbler by Philip Croft/BTO
📷 Dartford Warbler by Philip Croft/BTO
May 5, 2025 at 5:00 PM
⚠️ We need your help to survey priority sites for Dartford Warbler, Woodlark and Nightjar as part of our Heathland Birds Survey. 🐦 Find a vacant survey site near you ➡️ www.bto.org/heathlan... #Ornithology #UKBirding #BirdingWales
📷 Dartford Warbler by Philip Croft/BTO
📷 Dartford Warbler by Philip Croft/BTO
Reposted by Katharine Bowgen
Is well know species differ in the prey they eat, but do individuals also specialise? Here I discuss how oystercatchers differ in diet, whether stab or hammer to enter prey, whether attack upper or lower surface and whather attack left or right side. youtu.be/XDMX-nwSXvY?...
Individual specialisation of oystercatchers
YouTube video by Bill Sutherland's Conservation Concepts
youtu.be
April 24, 2025 at 5:56 AM
Is well know species differ in the prey they eat, but do individuals also specialise? Here I discuss how oystercatchers differ in diet, whether stab or hammer to enter prey, whether attack upper or lower surface and whather attack left or right side. youtu.be/XDMX-nwSXvY?...
Reposted by Katharine Bowgen
Establishing how long waders live for is a key factor in understanding their population dynamics. WWRG has been researching waders on the Wash for over 60 years: new longevity records for the species demonstrate the value of long term sustained studies wwrg.org.uk/record-break...
April 25, 2025 at 7:41 PM
Establishing how long waders live for is a key factor in understanding their population dynamics. WWRG has been researching waders on the Wash for over 60 years: new longevity records for the species demonstrate the value of long term sustained studies wwrg.org.uk/record-break...
Reposted by Katharine Bowgen
Yesterday's news that a @washwader.bsky.social Oystercatcher had broken the @btobirds.bsky.social longevity record for a wader (now 43 years from ringing to latest capture) begs the question:
"How long do other waders live for?"
Answers here:
wadertales.wordpress.com/2018/01/16/w...
#ornithology
"How long do other waders live for?"
Answers here:
wadertales.wordpress.com/2018/01/16/w...
#ornithology
April 25, 2025 at 5:55 AM
Yesterday's news that a @washwader.bsky.social Oystercatcher had broken the @btobirds.bsky.social longevity record for a wader (now 43 years from ringing to latest capture) begs the question:
"How long do other waders live for?"
Answers here:
wadertales.wordpress.com/2018/01/16/w...
#ornithology
"How long do other waders live for?"
Answers here:
wadertales.wordpress.com/2018/01/16/w...
#ornithology
Reposted by Katharine Bowgen
April 18, 2025 at 10:04 PM
Reposted by Katharine Bowgen
1/ Have you seen these Curlew? Please report any Curlew you see with yellow leg flags ➡️ bit.ly/ReportACurlew Here’s why these birds are so special. ⬇️ #WorldCurlewDay #Ornithology 🌍
April 21, 2025 at 7:00 AM
1/ Have you seen these Curlew? Please report any Curlew you see with yellow leg flags ➡️ bit.ly/ReportACurlew Here’s why these birds are so special. ⬇️ #WorldCurlewDay #Ornithology 🌍
Reposted by Katharine Bowgen
April 21, 2025 at 7:02 AM
Reposted by Katharine Bowgen
🧵1/8 Welcome to #BOU2025 Frontiers in ornithology, our annual conference.
Over the next 3 days, we’ll be in-person in Nottingham, and here on Bluesky
Follow the #BOU2025 for conference threads and to join in!
#ornithology 🪶🧪
Over the next 3 days, we’ll be in-person in Nottingham, and here on Bluesky
Follow the #BOU2025 for conference threads and to join in!
#ornithology 🪶🧪
April 1, 2025 at 7:20 PM
🧵1/8 Welcome to #BOU2025 Frontiers in ornithology, our annual conference.
Over the next 3 days, we’ll be in-person in Nottingham, and here on Bluesky
Follow the #BOU2025 for conference threads and to join in!
#ornithology 🪶🧪
Over the next 3 days, we’ll be in-person in Nottingham, and here on Bluesky
Follow the #BOU2025 for conference threads and to join in!
#ornithology 🪶🧪
The IWSG conference will be in the Netherlands this year and for anyone who hasn't noticed there are still a few days left to apply for the grants to help support members from low-income countries! Details can be found on the @waderstudy.bsky.social website -> www.waderstudygroup.org/news/
March 26, 2025 at 2:59 PM
The IWSG conference will be in the Netherlands this year and for anyone who hasn't noticed there are still a few days left to apply for the grants to help support members from low-income countries! Details can be found on the @waderstudy.bsky.social website -> www.waderstudygroup.org/news/