Ben Sheldon
@sheldonbirds.bsky.social
Ornithologist and Evolutionary Ecologist at the University of Oxford - natural history, science, cycling
Couldn’t resist this - suitably hefty feeling for a long & transformative life in science
November 17, 2025 at 4:51 PM
Couldn’t resist this - suitably hefty feeling for a long & transformative life in science
View from my office window in the new @biology.ox.ac.uk building. I didn’t *ask* to be put somewhere with a Rook colony right outside the window but it worked out pretty well 🤓
November 5, 2025 at 12:54 PM
View from my office window in the new @biology.ox.ac.uk building. I didn’t *ask* to be put somewhere with a Rook colony right outside the window but it worked out pretty well 🤓
Dawn visit to Otmoor this morning rewarded with the elusive Water Pipit that's been around here the last few days in front of screen 1. Never close, light poor, and always looking nervous but a tricky species to see locally these days.
November 3, 2025 at 10:42 AM
Dawn visit to Otmoor this morning rewarded with the elusive Water Pipit that's been around here the last few days in front of screen 1. Never close, light poor, and always looking nervous but a tricky species to see locally these days.
A very close singing Coal Tit yesterday morning - fascinating to see these almost perfectly regular repeated motifs in the song with very rapid changes over huge frequency range. Must require some very precise neuromuscular control of bird's vocal system
macaulaylibrary.org/asset/644354...
macaulaylibrary.org/asset/644354...
October 30, 2025 at 10:17 AM
A very close singing Coal Tit yesterday morning - fascinating to see these almost perfectly regular repeated motifs in the song with very rapid changes over huge frequency range. Must require some very precise neuromuscular control of bird's vocal system
macaulaylibrary.org/asset/644354...
macaulaylibrary.org/asset/644354...
The Life & Mind Building aglow at the end of the day. It’s thrilling to see this so busy from top to bottom with everyone from undergraduates to senior professors
October 27, 2025 at 5:24 PM
The Life & Mind Building aglow at the end of the day. It’s thrilling to see this so busy from top to bottom with everyone from undergraduates to senior professors
The run of recent excellent county birding in Oxfordshire continues with a pair of Twite at Farmoor late afternoon today - first for about 20 years! Almost all the birds have been found by the same observer who’s on a remarkable run…
October 23, 2025 at 4:20 PM
The run of recent excellent county birding in Oxfordshire continues with a pair of Twite at Farmoor late afternoon today - first for about 20 years! Almost all the birds have been found by the same observer who’s on a remarkable run…
Two full days teaching this week introducing ~120 1st yr undergraduate biologists to Wytham Woods, long-term population studies & @biology.ox.ac.uk. Always great teaching outside. The eagle-eyed might spot Chris Perrins in the front row (undergrad days >70 years ago!) - not much I can teach him…
October 22, 2025 at 8:44 PM
Two full days teaching this week introducing ~120 1st yr undergraduate biologists to Wytham Woods, long-term population studies & @biology.ox.ac.uk. Always great teaching outside. The eagle-eyed might spot Chris Perrins in the front row (undergrad days >70 years ago!) - not much I can teach him…
Light going rapidly, but made it to Standlake this evening to see the juvenile Pectoral Sandpiper that had been found earlier, continuing a very lucky streak for me in the county this autumn: species #190 in Oxfordshire this year.
October 22, 2025 at 6:14 PM
Light going rapidly, but made it to Standlake this evening to see the juvenile Pectoral Sandpiper that had been found earlier, continuing a very lucky streak for me in the county this autumn: species #190 in Oxfordshire this year.
Interested in a PhD in ornithology? Funding available for projects at the interface of ecology, behaviour & evolution from Oct '26 working on long-term population studies of tits at Wytham, based in @biology.ox.ac.uk in the new Life & Mind Building in Oxford
www.findaphd.com/phds/project...
www.findaphd.com/phds/project...
October 20, 2025 at 7:44 PM
Interested in a PhD in ornithology? Funding available for projects at the interface of ecology, behaviour & evolution from Oct '26 working on long-term population studies of tits at Wytham, based in @biology.ox.ac.uk in the new Life & Mind Building in Oxford
www.findaphd.com/phds/project...
www.findaphd.com/phds/project...
Bit of a surprise this afternoon when checked email to see @plewin.bsky.social had heard probable Yellow-browed calling in Oxford University Parks. Had no binoculars and hardly any time but heard several times calling from exact same spot around 5.15 - really is expected inland these days…
October 16, 2025 at 7:08 PM
Bit of a surprise this afternoon when checked email to see @plewin.bsky.social had heard probable Yellow-browed calling in Oxford University Parks. Had no binoculars and hardly any time but heard several times calling from exact same spot around 5.15 - really is expected inland these days…
Climate change effects on synchrony between trophic levels is a pressing research question. But how does the substantial spatial variation in phenology of trees drive local adaptation in insects in classic tri-trophic systems? New work from @rona-learmonth.bsky.social @andreaestandia.bsky.social ⬇️
October 16, 2025 at 10:03 AM
Climate change effects on synchrony between trophic levels is a pressing research question. But how does the substantial spatial variation in phenology of trees drive local adaptation in insects in classic tri-trophic systems? New work from @rona-learmonth.bsky.social @andreaestandia.bsky.social ⬇️
It’s been brilliant to see undergraduates using the building this first full week
October 15, 2025 at 4:56 PM
It’s been brilliant to see undergraduates using the building this first full week
They show that this is plausibly explained by observations of rare (or otherwise appealing) species leading to a greater probability of initiating a list
October 13, 2025 at 10:56 PM
They show that this is plausibly explained by observations of rare (or otherwise appealing) species leading to a greater probability of initiating a list
Large citizen science datasets are powerful tools for biodiversity science, but they may have biases. Nice new paper from @louisbackstrom.bsky.social et al. showing that for eBird and Birdtrack lists there is a tendency for rare species to be over-represented
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10....
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10....
October 13, 2025 at 10:54 PM
Large citizen science datasets are powerful tools for biodiversity science, but they may have biases. Nice new paper from @louisbackstrom.bsky.social et al. showing that for eBird and Birdtrack lists there is a tendency for rare species to be over-represented
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10....
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10....
A Little Curlew on Öland in Sweden on Saturday - would cause a stir over here I suspect
October 13, 2025 at 7:38 PM
A Little Curlew on Öland in Sweden on Saturday - would cause a stir over here I suspect
Pushing the limits of record shots, but good to see this Black-necked Grebe that had appeared at Farmoor this morning still there at sunset today - one of those only just annual species I thought I'd missed locally this year. Interesting to see it sticking close to the gull roost - natal memories?
October 6, 2025 at 8:59 PM
Pushing the limits of record shots, but good to see this Black-necked Grebe that had appeared at Farmoor this morning still there at sunset today - one of those only just annual species I thought I'd missed locally this year. Interesting to see it sticking close to the gull roost - natal memories?
Relieved that the Bluethroat at Otmoor - effectively the first in the county since the others were unobservable - has hung on since first being found on 30 Sept. Always distant but feeding actively along the reed edge of the scrapes
October 5, 2025 at 8:14 PM
Relieved that the Bluethroat at Otmoor - effectively the first in the county since the others were unobservable - has hung on since first being found on 30 Sept. Always distant but feeding actively along the reed edge of the scrapes
Last three pages of @peralstrom.bsky.social article about birding and ornithological discovery in China in the 1980s - excellent stuff! (includes first Western Sandpiper found very far inland 🤯)
October 5, 2025 at 11:44 AM
Last three pages of @peralstrom.bsky.social article about birding and ornithological discovery in China in the 1980s - excellent stuff! (includes first Western Sandpiper found very far inland 🤯)
Had the pleasure of seeing Great Grey Owls with @peralstrom.bsky.social this summer (pic: @tmbirding.bsky.social) - and heard some superb tales of birding & ornithological discovery in China in the 1980s. He's written this splendid article about this - screenshots as I don't have link. Pp 1-3 here
October 5, 2025 at 11:40 AM
Had the pleasure of seeing Great Grey Owls with @peralstrom.bsky.social this summer (pic: @tmbirding.bsky.social) - and heard some superb tales of birding & ornithological discovery in China in the 1980s. He's written this splendid article about this - screenshots as I don't have link. Pp 1-3 here
Leaving Shetland after 8 super days birding Fair Isle & Shetland with @tombedford.bsky.social. A superb mix of rarities, scarcities, common migrants, seabirds & spectacular scenery based at the brilliant @fairislebirdobs.bsky.social - thanks to all. eBird trip report ⬇️
ebird.org/tripreport/4...
ebird.org/tripreport/4...
October 4, 2025 at 7:06 PM
Leaving Shetland after 8 super days birding Fair Isle & Shetland with @tombedford.bsky.social. A superb mix of rarities, scarcities, common migrants, seabirds & spectacular scenery based at the brilliant @fairislebirdobs.bsky.social - thanks to all. eBird trip report ⬇️
ebird.org/tripreport/4...
ebird.org/tripreport/4...
A bit of relief to get flight off Fair Isle this morning ahead of impending arrival of Storm Amy, otherwise we'd have been stranded till Monday! A great first visit, capped off by @tombedford.bsky.social and I finding an Olive-backed Pipit (first seen yesterday evening, not confirmed till today)
October 3, 2025 at 5:24 PM
A bit of relief to get flight off Fair Isle this morning ahead of impending arrival of Storm Amy, otherwise we'd have been stranded till Monday! A great first visit, capped off by @tombedford.bsky.social and I finding an Olive-backed Pipit (first seen yesterday evening, not confirmed till today)
Handy stop near Tingwall Airport on way off Fair Isle - after a bit of a wait the superb first winter male Siberian Thrush showed quite nicely
October 3, 2025 at 3:35 PM
Handy stop near Tingwall Airport on way off Fair Isle - after a bit of a wait the superb first winter male Siberian Thrush showed quite nicely
Fair Isle Day 8: an unexpected extra day with flights off cancelled. Much better views of presumably one of yesterday’s Richard’s Pipits, a handful of Pink-footed Geese and nice views of the lingering Hawfinch munching rosehips at Barkle as well as several Yellow-browed Warblers
October 2, 2025 at 7:06 PM
Fair Isle Day 8: an unexpected extra day with flights off cancelled. Much better views of presumably one of yesterday’s Richard’s Pipits, a handful of Pink-footed Geese and nice views of the lingering Hawfinch munching rosehips at Barkle as well as several Yellow-browed Warblers
Fair isle Day 7: After a morning when seawatching was the only option, and weather caused some flight uncertainty, things cleared up from mid afternoon and delivered some new Yellow-browed Warblers and 2 Richard’s Pipits including this bird in the Skadan crops
October 1, 2025 at 7:02 PM
Fair isle Day 7: After a morning when seawatching was the only option, and weather caused some flight uncertainty, things cleared up from mid afternoon and delivered some new Yellow-browed Warblers and 2 Richard’s Pipits including this bird in the Skadan crops
Rough weather with near gale southerlies and rain in Fair Isle this morning. Seawatching the order of the day with a couple of Sooty Shearwaters the highlight.
October 1, 2025 at 11:42 AM
Rough weather with near gale southerlies and rain in Fair Isle this morning. Seawatching the order of the day with a couple of Sooty Shearwaters the highlight.