Alexander Lees
@alexanderlees.bsky.social
Birds, science, politics. Reader Man Met Uni, Associate Cornell Lab of #Ornithology, Chair BOURC, Trustee @bou.org.uk SC @ras-network.bsky.social. Usually found in the #PeakDistrict or #Amazonia, he/him. Views own.
Reposted by Alexander Lees
Friendly reminder:
NO ONE needs AI slop and more AI data centres
EVERYBODY needs clean water, affordable energy, and a habitable planet
NO ONE needs AI slop and more AI data centres
EVERYBODY needs clean water, affordable energy, and a habitable planet
February 8, 2026 at 10:50 AM
Friendly reminder:
NO ONE needs AI slop and more AI data centres
EVERYBODY needs clean water, affordable energy, and a habitable planet
NO ONE needs AI slop and more AI data centres
EVERYBODY needs clean water, affordable energy, and a habitable planet
Reposted by Alexander Lees
I am seeking a postdoc to join my group at UCLA -- ideally the candidate would have some experience in either population genetics or microbes/microbiome (computational background needed). We have a range of projects and are happy to tailer to your interests. Please dm/email me if interested.
February 12, 2026 at 7:18 PM
I am seeking a postdoc to join my group at UCLA -- ideally the candidate would have some experience in either population genetics or microbes/microbiome (computational background needed). We have a range of projects and are happy to tailer to your interests. Please dm/email me if interested.
Reposted by Alexander Lees
"I have a hunch more Brits would say they prefer people, immigrants or not, who pay their taxes, rather than billionaires who bugger off to Monaco and don’t," says Emily Maitlis.
Jim Ratcliffe, she adds, is "out of his depth" with his 'colonisation' claims
www.thenewsagents.co.uk/article/why-...
Jim Ratcliffe, she adds, is "out of his depth" with his 'colonisation' claims
www.thenewsagents.co.uk/article/why-...
Why does a billionaire living in Monaco think the UK has been ‘colonised’ by migrants? | The News Agents
Jim Ratcliffe, believed to be the seventh-richest Brit in the world, has faced backlash for claims the UK has been “colonised” by migrants. Has this language been normalised in Britain?
www.thenewsagents.co.uk
February 12, 2026 at 5:30 PM
"I have a hunch more Brits would say they prefer people, immigrants or not, who pay their taxes, rather than billionaires who bugger off to Monaco and don’t," says Emily Maitlis.
Jim Ratcliffe, she adds, is "out of his depth" with his 'colonisation' claims
www.thenewsagents.co.uk/article/why-...
Jim Ratcliffe, she adds, is "out of his depth" with his 'colonisation' claims
www.thenewsagents.co.uk/article/why-...
Reposted by Alexander Lees
Happy birthday to one of my favourite haters, Charles Darwin
February 12, 2026 at 4:31 PM
Happy birthday to one of my favourite haters, Charles Darwin
Reposted by Alexander Lees
With more than 150 illustrations, including unique maps, charts and colour photographs, The Marsh Tit and The Willow Tit brings together a wealth of information surrounding these fascinating species.
Buy here: https://bit.ly/450KqLW
#birdguides #books #birdbooks #birding #birdwatch
Buy here: https://bit.ly/450KqLW
#birdguides #books #birdbooks #birding #birdwatch
February 11, 2026 at 10:01 PM
With more than 150 illustrations, including unique maps, charts and colour photographs, The Marsh Tit and The Willow Tit brings together a wealth of information surrounding these fascinating species.
Buy here: https://bit.ly/450KqLW
#birdguides #books #birdbooks #birding #birdwatch
Buy here: https://bit.ly/450KqLW
#birdguides #books #birdbooks #birding #birdwatch
Reposted by Alexander Lees
A lovely article about our research on Gannets featuring interviews with #seabirders @heyjooode.bsky.social and @sue-lewis.bsky.social
#ornithology
#ornithology
New by me! I spoke to Northern Gannet researchers in the UK about what it was like to see HPAI rip through seabird colonies there and how things have gone since. 🪶🌎🧪 www.biographic.com/after-the-ou...
After the Outbreak - bioGraphic
A northern gannet colony devastated by avian influenza is slowly recovering—and so are the researchers who witnessed the virus’s wrath.
www.biographic.com
February 12, 2026 at 5:17 PM
A lovely article about our research on Gannets featuring interviews with #seabirders @heyjooode.bsky.social and @sue-lewis.bsky.social
#ornithology
#ornithology
Reposted by Alexander Lees
When there are limpet shells in your thatch, you know something's not quite right with the weather.
Today's @theguardian.com country diary by @tomallanwriter.bsky.social considers storm damage in a beleaguered Devon village.
#countrydiary #naturewriting
Today's @theguardian.com country diary by @tomallanwriter.bsky.social considers storm damage in a beleaguered Devon village.
#countrydiary #naturewriting
Country diary: How much bad weather can one village take? | Tom Allan
Torcross, Devon: 2026 has been defined by storms here. My job of repairing a thatched roof is simple compared with the wider recovery
www.theguardian.com
February 12, 2026 at 8:09 AM
When there are limpet shells in your thatch, you know something's not quite right with the weather.
Today's @theguardian.com country diary by @tomallanwriter.bsky.social considers storm damage in a beleaguered Devon village.
#countrydiary #naturewriting
Today's @theguardian.com country diary by @tomallanwriter.bsky.social considers storm damage in a beleaguered Devon village.
#countrydiary #naturewriting
Reposted by Alexander Lees
🚨3 Lectureships in Biology 🚨
Come join us in Bristol @bristolbiosci.bsky.social!
We are looking for new collegues working across a broad spectum of topics in biology, including ecology & environmental change. Get in touch if you have Qs!
Apply here by 8 March: www.bristol.ac.uk/jobs/find/de...
Come join us in Bristol @bristolbiosci.bsky.social!
We are looking for new collegues working across a broad spectum of topics in biology, including ecology & environmental change. Get in touch if you have Qs!
Apply here by 8 March: www.bristol.ac.uk/jobs/find/de...
February 12, 2026 at 9:10 AM
🚨3 Lectureships in Biology 🚨
Come join us in Bristol @bristolbiosci.bsky.social!
We are looking for new collegues working across a broad spectum of topics in biology, including ecology & environmental change. Get in touch if you have Qs!
Apply here by 8 March: www.bristol.ac.uk/jobs/find/de...
Come join us in Bristol @bristolbiosci.bsky.social!
We are looking for new collegues working across a broad spectum of topics in biology, including ecology & environmental change. Get in touch if you have Qs!
Apply here by 8 March: www.bristol.ac.uk/jobs/find/de...
Reposted by Alexander Lees
Fancy a meeting in a castle to decide the future of 450 million Europeans? This is what 27 EU leaders are doing today, without you even knowing it 🤷
Find out more in our video & join 170,000+ people who signed the petition to defend nature laws, sign here 👇 handsoffnature.eu#take-action
Find out more in our video & join 170,000+ people who signed the petition to defend nature laws, sign here 👇 handsoffnature.eu#take-action
February 12, 2026 at 8:30 AM
Fancy a meeting in a castle to decide the future of 450 million Europeans? This is what 27 EU leaders are doing today, without you even knowing it 🤷
Find out more in our video & join 170,000+ people who signed the petition to defend nature laws, sign here 👇 handsoffnature.eu#take-action
Find out more in our video & join 170,000+ people who signed the petition to defend nature laws, sign here 👇 handsoffnature.eu#take-action
Reposted by Alexander Lees
Reposted by Alexander Lees
Important reflections on the state of the world, and how to proceed in the age of #AidCuts
#AtrocityPrevention #Peace
www.nature.com/articles/d41...
#AtrocityPrevention #Peace
www.nature.com/articles/d41...
How to rescue the aid industry: focus on conflict prevention, not just relief
In an era of escalating conflict, a development-only approach to aid will yield fleeting results.
www.nature.com
February 12, 2026 at 7:43 AM
Important reflections on the state of the world, and how to proceed in the age of #AidCuts
#AtrocityPrevention #Peace
www.nature.com/articles/d41...
#AtrocityPrevention #Peace
www.nature.com/articles/d41...
Reposted by Alexander Lees
The points to remember
1) this is not the new normal. This is the beginning of an escalation of these events over the coming decades.
2) Australians were warned, in 1988. They were very well-informed. The political classes massaged the issue to protect coal (domestic and exports).
FAFOcene.
1) this is not the new normal. This is the beginning of an escalation of these events over the coming decades.
2) Australians were warned, in 1988. They were very well-informed. The political classes massaged the issue to protect coal (domestic and exports).
FAFOcene.
HISTORIC HEAT IN AUSTRALIA
Climatic history is set to be rewritten with an absolutely deadly week:
Today 48.5C in South Australia,47.2 New South Wales,
45.3 Queensland,45.0 Victoria
‼️We might expect 7 CONSECUTIVE DAYS >46C in New South Wales and we can't rule out 50C.
A HELL
Climatic history is set to be rewritten with an absolutely deadly week:
Today 48.5C in South Australia,47.2 New South Wales,
45.3 Queensland,45.0 Victoria
‼️We might expect 7 CONSECUTIVE DAYS >46C in New South Wales and we can't rule out 50C.
A HELL
January 25, 2026 at 11:05 AM
The points to remember
1) this is not the new normal. This is the beginning of an escalation of these events over the coming decades.
2) Australians were warned, in 1988. They were very well-informed. The political classes massaged the issue to protect coal (domestic and exports).
FAFOcene.
1) this is not the new normal. This is the beginning of an escalation of these events over the coming decades.
2) Australians were warned, in 1988. They were very well-informed. The political classes massaged the issue to protect coal (domestic and exports).
FAFOcene.
Reposted by Alexander Lees
“Do we want a technology that normalizes and amplifies deception? That transforms privacy into a commodity? A society where a techno-oligarch can interfere, as one of them did yesterday, in the…phones of millions of citizens to tell them lies? The answer must be a clear no, and we will not give in.”
For Spain’s Sánchez, the fight against tech billionaires is personal
The prime minister has endured years of abuse on the social media platforms he now seeks to regulate.
www.politico.eu
February 12, 2026 at 5:13 AM
“Do we want a technology that normalizes and amplifies deception? That transforms privacy into a commodity? A society where a techno-oligarch can interfere, as one of them did yesterday, in the…phones of millions of citizens to tell them lies? The answer must be a clear no, and we will not give in.”
Reposted by Alexander Lees
Precipitación acumulada en #Grazalema desde el 1 de septiembre (inicio del año hidrometeorológico):
¡¡3.320 l/m²!! 🤯
¡Tremendo! ¡Histórico, sin duda, incluso en Grazalema!
¡¡3.320 l/m²!! 🤯
¡Tremendo! ¡Histórico, sin duda, incluso en Grazalema!
February 10, 2026 at 6:15 PM
Precipitación acumulada en #Grazalema desde el 1 de septiembre (inicio del año hidrometeorológico):
¡¡3.320 l/m²!! 🤯
¡Tremendo! ¡Histórico, sin duda, incluso en Grazalema!
¡¡3.320 l/m²!! 🤯
¡Tremendo! ¡Histórico, sin duda, incluso en Grazalema!
Reposted by Alexander Lees
Techbros seem to love Tolkien, so here's an analogy to help you understand what genAI is.
GenAI is The One Ring. You think your use is justified, b/c you don't have evil in your heart.
But it came from evil, it is intended for evil purpose, & anything you do with it will be twisted to that end.
GenAI is The One Ring. You think your use is justified, b/c you don't have evil in your heart.
But it came from evil, it is intended for evil purpose, & anything you do with it will be twisted to that end.
December 17, 2025 at 8:43 PM
Techbros seem to love Tolkien, so here's an analogy to help you understand what genAI is.
GenAI is The One Ring. You think your use is justified, b/c you don't have evil in your heart.
But it came from evil, it is intended for evil purpose, & anything you do with it will be twisted to that end.
GenAI is The One Ring. You think your use is justified, b/c you don't have evil in your heart.
But it came from evil, it is intended for evil purpose, & anything you do with it will be twisted to that end.
Also see Mauna Loa Observatory.
Gallup will no longer measure presidential approval after 88 years thehill.com/homenews/med...
February 11, 2026 at 9:42 PM
Also see Mauna Loa Observatory.
Reposted by Alexander Lees
An interesting goose paired to a Tundra Bean. The all pale peachy-pink bill, white halter and small dark spots on the upper belly perhaps point to it being a Tundra Bean X Russian Whitefront hybrid rather than an aberrant Tundra Bean. With Ash McElwee and Graham Fellows
February 11, 2026 at 8:16 PM
An interesting goose paired to a Tundra Bean. The all pale peachy-pink bill, white halter and small dark spots on the upper belly perhaps point to it being a Tundra Bean X Russian Whitefront hybrid rather than an aberrant Tundra Bean. With Ash McElwee and Graham Fellows
Reposted by Alexander Lees
Three decades on from the last documented sighting, Slender-billed Curlew was declared extinct a year ago. Arnoud van den Berg reflects on his experiences with this iconic bird at its final known winter refuge:
Slender-billed Curlew: shorebird lost forever
Three decades on from the last documented sighting, Slender-billed Curlew was declared extinct a year ago. Arnoud van den Berg reflects on his experiences with this iconic bird at its final known winter refuge.
bit.ly
February 11, 2026 at 12:46 PM
Three decades on from the last documented sighting, Slender-billed Curlew was declared extinct a year ago. Arnoud van den Berg reflects on his experiences with this iconic bird at its final known winter refuge:
Seemingly limited justification for reinforcement for the 'Critically low' (actually Green Listed) Long-eared Owl population: 'decreasing winter roost counts' (= Continental migrants short-stopping?) & UK breeding population apparently stable & limited by food & Tawny Owls #UKBirding #Ornithology
February 11, 2026 at 8:27 PM
Seemingly limited justification for reinforcement for the 'Critically low' (actually Green Listed) Long-eared Owl population: 'decreasing winter roost counts' (= Continental migrants short-stopping?) & UK breeding population apparently stable & limited by food & Tawny Owls #UKBirding #Ornithology
Reposted by Alexander Lees
The RSPB is looking for surveyors to census the UK’s largest Storm Petrel colony on Mousa, Shetland.
We need 2-4 volunteers who are comfortable working and camping in a remote location with limited facilities, to help complete playback surveys during mid-July 2026. 🪺🏝️🏕️
We need 2-4 volunteers who are comfortable working and camping in a remote location with limited facilities, to help complete playback surveys during mid-July 2026. 🪺🏝️🏕️
February 10, 2026 at 12:08 PM
The RSPB is looking for surveyors to census the UK’s largest Storm Petrel colony on Mousa, Shetland.
We need 2-4 volunteers who are comfortable working and camping in a remote location with limited facilities, to help complete playback surveys during mid-July 2026. 🪺🏝️🏕️
We need 2-4 volunteers who are comfortable working and camping in a remote location with limited facilities, to help complete playback surveys during mid-July 2026. 🪺🏝️🏕️
This is my go-to paper to point out that significant long-distance trade in wildlife is an ancient phenomenon- here macaws were traded from AD 700 from Meso into North America. Advocates of reintroductions of charismatic species based on sparse remains often conveniently overlook the role of trade.
February 11, 2026 at 6:53 AM
This is my go-to paper to point out that significant long-distance trade in wildlife is an ancient phenomenon- here macaws were traded from AD 700 from Meso into North America. Advocates of reintroductions of charismatic species based on sparse remains often conveniently overlook the role of trade.
Reposted by Alexander Lees
Corporate IT email filters are wild.
Obviously spammy predatory journal asking for another article: gets through.
Known external colleague asking about a paper published in Springer journal and including link: RED ALERT
Obviously spammy predatory journal asking for another article: gets through.
Known external colleague asking about a paper published in Springer journal and including link: RED ALERT
February 10, 2026 at 6:04 PM
Corporate IT email filters are wild.
Obviously spammy predatory journal asking for another article: gets through.
Known external colleague asking about a paper published in Springer journal and including link: RED ALERT
Obviously spammy predatory journal asking for another article: gets through.
Known external colleague asking about a paper published in Springer journal and including link: RED ALERT
Reposted by Alexander Lees
US-supplied internationally prohibited thermal & thermobaric munitions burning at 3,500C have left no trace of nearly 3,000 Palestinians, @aljazeera.com reveals. “We found nothing of Saad. Not even a body to bury. That was the hardest part,” says one mother. www.aljazeera.com/features/202...
Israel used weapons in Gaza that made thousands of Palestinians evaporate
US-made thermal weapons burning at 3,500C caused 2,842 people to "evaporate" in Gaza, Al Jazeera investigation finds.
www.aljazeera.com
February 10, 2026 at 4:11 PM
US-supplied internationally prohibited thermal & thermobaric munitions burning at 3,500C have left no trace of nearly 3,000 Palestinians, @aljazeera.com reveals. “We found nothing of Saad. Not even a body to bury. That was the hardest part,” says one mother. www.aljazeera.com/features/202...
Reposted by Alexander Lees
![Comic. [2x2 chart. Top left quadrant: seem like dinosaurs x are dinosaurs. Silhouettes of dinosaurs stegosaurus, triceratops, tyrannosaurus, velociraptor, and long-neck dinosaur. Top right quadrant: seem like dinosaurs x are not dinosaurs. Silhouettes of mosasaur, quetzalcoatlus, dimetrodon, plesiosaur, and pteranodon. Bottom left quadrant: don’t seem like dinosaurs x are dinosaurs. Silhouettes of penguin, egret, ostrich, pigeon, falcon. Bottom right: don’t seem like dinosaurs x are not dinosaurs. Silhouettes of squirrel, stapler, plant, person, and bicycle.]](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:cz73r7iyiqn26upot4jtjdhk/bafkreihcxd5wcrrf5nxz3g4riglsrccbucmdns6kxrtmtj6gjgwqibp3fi@jpeg)
February 9, 2026 at 9:10 PM
Reposted by Alexander Lees
NEW: Ring has introduced "Search Party", a horrifyingly dystopian feature nominally designed to turn all of the Ring cameras in a neighborhood into a dragnet that uses AI to look for, in their commercial, a cute lost dog.
With Ring, US consumers are actually building a surveillance dragnet.
With Ring, US consumers are actually building a surveillance dragnet.
With Ring, American Consumers Built a Surveillance Dragnet
Ring's 'Search Party' is dystopian surveillance accelerationism.
www.404media.co
February 10, 2026 at 3:18 PM
NEW: Ring has introduced "Search Party", a horrifyingly dystopian feature nominally designed to turn all of the Ring cameras in a neighborhood into a dragnet that uses AI to look for, in their commercial, a cute lost dog.
With Ring, US consumers are actually building a surveillance dragnet.
With Ring, US consumers are actually building a surveillance dragnet.