Colin M. Beale | Lightnews

Colin Beale @cmbeale.bsky.social · 4h

This is a fascinating question, one I ask my students by asking what the difference is between ecology & natural history. My answer may upset many, but for me the key is one uses a scientific method, the other doesn't. That's not to say one is more valuable, but they do differ in culture & practice.

Colin Beale @cmbeale.bsky.social · 4h

I guess I'm an "other" because I would go for the "make a positive difference" answer. My goals aren't just to inform, and are definitely positive (though positive for whom is a variable question), but otherwise I would have gone for management & policy.

Rafael Marcondes @rafamarcondes.bsky.social · 5h

Reviewer didn't understand and/or didn't like my use of the term "natural history". I came up with a simple definition to add to the revised manuscript, but before I post I'm curious as to how all y'all 21st century natural historians would define it. Drop your take in the replies!

Phil Martin @philmartin.bsky.social · 8h

What do you think the primary goal of applied ecological/conservation research is?

1️⃣ <a href="https://poll.blue/p/PuXpIV/1" class="hover:underline text-blue-600 dark:text-sky-400 no-card-link" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-link="bsky">Diagnose threats and impacts
2️⃣ <a href="https://poll.blue/p/PuXpIV/2" class="hover:underline text-blue-600 dark:text-sky-400 no-card-link" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-link="bsky">Understand ecological processes
3️⃣ <a href="https://poll.blue/p/PuXpIV/3" class="hover:underline text-blue-600 dark:text-sky-400 no-card-link" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-link="bsky">Inform management or policy
4️⃣ <a href="https://poll.blue/p/PuXpIV/4" class="hover:underline text-blue-600 dark:text-sky-400 no-card-link" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-link="bsky">Something else (comment below)

📊 Show results

Colin Beale @cmbeale.bsky.social · 2d

This paper has been on the way for just about a decade: the 1st draft was written 8 years ago - some great pesistence by the fab T. Michael Anderson! Lots of fun to have been working on it wth the likes of @funkyant.bsky.social y.social, @sallyarchibald.bsky.social & @carlastaver.bsky.social etc!

y.social

Colin Beale @cmbeale.bsky.social · 2d

We used data on soil, climate, topography, fire, 🐘 & treecover to identify 5 clusters of ecologicaly similar savannahs. We found that the way the major ecological processes operate in these five can be quite different: e.g. only in hot moist savannahs did we detect a direct impact of fire on trees.

Figure showing the results of a bunch of fancy structural equation models linking processes imporant across savannahs. On the left is a global model where basically everything affects everything else, on the right it is split into 5 different areas and each is simpler.

Colin Beale @cmbeale.bsky.social · 2d

New paper out documenting research in protected areas across the African Savannah. We identify the widespread hot, wet savannah sites as understudied with 38% of all parks having no papers associated with them & 5 parks accounting for ~50% of all papers 🧪 1/3
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...

A map of Africa showing each savanna protected area as one of five possible savanna clusters grouped according to climate, soil, and landscape parameters and the various environmental groups they call into. There are lots of sites that fall into "Cluster 1" of hot, mosit savannahs, but litte research in these areas.

Colin Beale @cmbeale.bsky.social · 15d

Hope you read this aloud to your fellow passengers.

Colin Beale @cmbeale.bsky.social · 20d

So, next up is this fabulous project with me and @funkyant.bsky.social on nomadic birds in East Africa. Fieldwork and fancy spatial statistics are on offer here, and who doesn't want birds like this fabulous, nonadic Temminck's Courser?! www.findaphd.com/phds/project...

An attentive parent Temminck's Courser is feeding a cute chick. These are top quality birds. Give me MORE!!!!

Colin Beale @cmbeale.bsky.social · 26d

This afternoons light reading included NERC science's "Forward look". www.ukri.org/publications... I'm loving the brazen audacity with which they claim as their achievements the Paris climate accord, etc. It makes my own occasional hyperbole look positively unambitious! 🧪

Document that says

Achievements:

140 countries have adopted net zero targets

39% capital value of global businesses with emission reduction targets aligned to the UN Paris Agreement

Colin Beale @cmbeale.bsky.social · 26d

Over the next few weeks I'll be sharing some fun PhD opportunities. Today, if you're into hydrology, forests and wading 🪶 in Scotland this one might be for you! 🧪 www.findaphd.com/phds/project...

Rather famous scottish landscape with the west highlands railway looping through mountains. A forest plantation is evident. A few small people on the left are doing their best not to be recognised.

Glen O'Hara @gsoh31.bsky.social · Oct 24

So I've been reading the Post-16 Education and Skills White Paper. There's some good things in there. But when it comes to universities there's very little to cheer. The situation is very tough and will get worse. The last chance to preserve what we've got has passed. Let me explain why. (1/?)

Colin Beale @cmbeale.bsky.social · Oct 24

This was an unexpected start to the morning!

Duncan Bye @duncbye.bsky.social · Oct 24

A Glossy Ibis at Heslington East this morning at the west end wader scrape. Nice to have time for a quick bike twitch before work. Great find by @cmbeale.bsky.social ringing group
@nybirdnews.bsky.social @yorkbirding.bsky.social

Duncan Bye @duncbye.bsky.social · Oct 24

A Glossy Ibis at Heslington East this morning at the west end wader scrape. Nice to have time for a quick bike twitch before work. Great find by @cmbeale.bsky.social ringing group
@nybirdnews.bsky.social @yorkbirding.bsky.social

Colin Beale @cmbeale.bsky.social · Oct 20

This was a great paper to work with @tiff-ki.bsky.social and great to see it out now!

Richard Fox @richardfoxbc.bsky.social · Oct 20

Really nice paper from @tiff-ki.bsky.social & co. shows no overall decline in butterfly species richness in Sulawesi over 166 yrs, but changing communities with endemics & forest specialists declining. Short-term trends unreliable measures of long term. royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/... 🌏

Richard Fox @richardfoxbc.bsky.social · Oct 20

Really nice paper from @tiff-ki.bsky.social & co. shows no overall decline in butterfly species richness in Sulawesi over 166 yrs, but changing communities with endemics & forest specialists declining. Short-term trends unreliable measures of long term. royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/... 🌏

Colin Beale @cmbeale.bsky.social · Oct 17

A great choice of someone who has done so much to inspire a new generation of ornithologists!

BTO | British Trust for Ornithology @btobirds.bsky.social · Oct 16

The Marsh Award for Ornithology goes to Dr. Rob Thomas! @robthomasbirds.bsky.social has made a huge contribution to ornithology through academic research, teaching & mentorship that’s inspired generations of students. He’s also published a monograph on the Storm-petrels. @marshawards.bsky.social

Colin Beale @cmbeale.bsky.social · Oct 17

Fantastic news, Rob, many congratulations!

BTO | British Trust for Ornithology @btobirds.bsky.social · Oct 16

The Marsh Award for Ornithology goes to Dr. Rob Thomas! @robthomasbirds.bsky.social has made a huge contribution to ornithology through academic research, teaching & mentorship that’s inspired generations of students. He’s also published a monograph on the Storm-petrels. @marshawards.bsky.social

Jonathan Pomroy @jonathanpomroy.bsky.social · Oct 14

They’re back! Redwings.

A blog at

jonathanpomroy.wordpress.com

Spurn Bird Observatory @spurnbirdobs.bsky.social · Sep 28

We are looking for a short-term residential volunteer to join the team from the 2nd to 19th October (+/-2 days). Tasks include morning bird monitoring (Point Counts / Visible Migration watches) and afternoon maintenance tasks (habitat/estate work)⬇️

Colin Beale @cmbeale.bsky.social · Sep 18

Congrats to all those involved in the proposal writing!

Élie Pédarros @eliepedarros.bsky.social · Sep 12

Excited to share the preprint of our first @cascade-hei.bsky.social paper on “Potential for academic institutions to support international biodiversity commitments” 🌿 🌍.

Potential for academic institutions to support international biodiversity commitments

doi.org

Colin Beale @cmbeale.bsky.social · Sep 4

I fear this bird visitor has had an unfortunate incident. She was sitting on our trellace looking dazed with a thread on her face & ruffled primaries this morning. Very cute, but wishing her well. Scarce locally, Goldcrests have already been turning up at the coast, so who knows where she's from?

Will Wilson @2wsphotography.bsky.social · Sep 3

Red-fronted Tinkerbird perched in the sun.

📍Mbuyuni Farm Retreat, Morogoro, Tanzania.

#Birds #NaturePhotography #Tanzania 🪶

Strikingly marked miniature barbet. Adults have a red patch above the bill, but immatures lack this. Found in woodland and savanna, ranging from arid to moderately moist. Most common call is a monotonously repeated “took” call that is sometimes given hundreds of times consecutively. Also gives a higher 2- or 3-part call and a fast trill.

Colin Beale @cmbeale.bsky.social · Sep 2

This has been my experience too! With my bionic ears these days I can often hear things before the bright young students I hang out with sometimes!

Jared Wilson @wilsonjaredm.bsky.social · Sep 1

I wrote this short note on birding with hearing aids and thought I’d post the link here in case of interest/relevance to some birders out there
#birding #birdingScotland #birdingUK

chatterstanes.wordpress.com/2025/09/01/b...

Birding with Hearing Aids

A startling proportion of the UK population suffers from hearing loss, with the Royal National Institute for the Deaf (RNID) indicating that one in five adults are deaf, have hearing loss or suffer…

chatterstanes.wordpress.com

Colin Beale @cmbeale.bsky.social · Sep 2

Yes! I'm in the club too & well remember the first outing I took. I'd note that not all hearing aids are equal: I've had support from work to pay for somewhat more expensive ones to hear the birds I need to for research, & a proper outdoor setting & bluetooth ability to up amplification is good.

Jared Wilson @wilsonjaredm.bsky.social · Sep 1

I wrote this short note on birding with hearing aids and thought I’d post the link here in case of interest/relevance to some birders out there
#birding #birdingScotland #birdingUK

chatterstanes.wordpress.com/2025/09/01/b...

Birding with Hearing Aids

A startling proportion of the UK population suffers from hearing loss, with the Royal National Institute for the Deaf (RNID) indicating that one in five adults are deaf, have hearing loss or suffer…

chatterstanes.wordpress.com

Colin Beale @cmbeale.bsky.social · Aug 22

Some different #birdringing today, as I'm at @spurnbirdobs.bsky.social on the east coast. It's still early autumn here, but a fantastic variety of #birds ringed this morning, with 8 warbler species including a fantastic wood warbler, and fun birds like this Pied Flycatcher and a young Sparrowhawk.

Pief flycatcher held for ringing - a very cure grey and white bird with striking white wing bars and huge black eyes. She's a young female, staring straight at the photographer.

Very angry looking young male sparrowhawk, staring intently at me with a vivid yellow eye as if he wants to tear me to shreds. He'f white with brown bars below, long yellow legs with point claws and brown above. He does, actually, want to eat me.

A beautiful wood warbler held for ringing - it is green on top with yellow edges to the ver long wing and tail, has a lovely yellow throat and eye ring and is beautifuly clean white below.

Colin Beale @cmbeale.bsky.social · Aug 21

Thanks to all who have helped out with the season, and here's hoping there are birds aplenty for all! Roll on the autumn... All birds captured under license from @btobirds.bsky.social - find out more about ringing here: www.bto.org/get-involved... 5/5

A juvenile lesser whitethroat looking confused about the world, and very scruffy. It's grey and brownish, and rather cute.

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