5/5 In addition, a huge effort is made to protect the #critically #endangered southern #dunlin. With expertise of Vroni Rohr-Bender and others, 26 chicks got an advantage be growing up in our aviary, before they got released back in the meadows, hopefully successfully #boosting the #population.

4/5 Most time of the field season was spent searching for nests and to ringing the #chick and #adult ruffs. We found 65 nests in total which is an excellent result. Adult birds also got a radio or #GPStag to investigate #habitat use and behaviour. Aren't the chicks cute?

3/5 Independent males have striking colours and are #aggressive. #Satellite males are mostly white coloured and have more #sneaky behavior. Female-looking faeders are extremely rare.

Here an independent male is pecking a satellite to show its dominance.

More:
simonvandepitte.com/i-am-sexy-an...

2/5: Fieldseason started in early May when the #ruffs arrived in the coastal meadows of the #BothnianBay. Male ruffs are known for their fascinating #lekking #behavior! A true spectacle! The existence of the different male morphs is unique.

1/5 - What.an.increadible.fieldseason! Together with @koivulakari.bsky.social , @jelenasubotic.bsky.social , @chorlnev.bsky.social , @vmpakanen.bsky.social, Kristzi Kupan, Vroni Rohr-Bender and others we managed to find plenty of ruff nests (65!) and headstarted a bunch of Southern Dunlins (26!).

Meet the #Tuit-Tuit or #Reunion #Cuckooshrike, a #critically #endangered bird, the #rarest bird I saw so far. . I was happy to observe one bird during my stay last year. The bird was #colour-ringed. Read more in my blog about this bird and #endemism

visit: simonvandepitte.com/blog

One last image from the #ruffs before heading to some pictures from a more tropical location...

From left to right: A #satellite male, three #independent males and one female...

In case you are #wandering what is going on, read the story about these #waders on
simonvandepitte.com/i-am-sexy-an...

Who says #nature #documentaries need classical music?
In July I also worked on a project related to the #behavioural #ecology of #ruffs. Their #courtship #behaviour is memorizing. My new blog on my website tries to tries to convey this feeling.

More: simonvandepitte.com/i-am-sexy-an...