Dr Samantha Franks
@samanthafranks.bsky.social
92 followers 38 following 4 posts
Senior Research Ecologist @BTObirds.bsky.social. Scientist, nature lover, birder, cyclist, photographer, mum. Loves #waders. Views my own.
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Reposted by Dr Samantha Franks
btobirds.bsky.social
2/ This news comes as a BTO led review in @waderstudy.bsky.social shows headstarting can increase survival at egg and chick stages, critical for Curlew recovery. Post-release monitoring is needed to fully understand recruitment back into breeding populations.➡️ bit.ly/CurlewReview
Image of a young Curlew alongside the wording: New Study. A review of Curlew headstarting projects in Europe. https://bit.ly/CurlewReview. #BTOScience is on an orange box top left of the image. Top right is the BTO logo.
Reposted by Dr Samantha Franks
btobirds.bsky.social
1/ Exciting news! Previously released headstarted Curlew have turned up at breeding sites, mainly in East Anglia, this year with 10 birds confirmed breeding and another dozen showing breeding-type behaviour. #Ornithology 🌍 🌐 Read the blog ➡️ www.curlewrecoveryproject.co.uk/breeding-rec...
Image of a Curlew being held. The bird has a tag fitted and a yellow leg flag on its leg with the letters NH showing. Image credit: Curlew by Katharine Bowgen/BTO.
Reposted by Dr Samantha Franks
btobirds.bsky.social
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 🌍
Image of young Curlew being held in the hand. The bird has a yellow leg flag with the letters JP on and an orange ring on its legs. Image credit reads: Curlew by Katharine Bowgen/BTO. Image of Curlew being held in the hand. The bird has a yellow leg flag with the letters NH on, an orange ring on its legs and a GPS tag. Image credit reads: Curlew by Katharine Bowgen/BTO.
Reposted by Dr Samantha Franks
btobirds.bsky.social
1/ The first of this year’s Curlew nests have been spotted by our team in the Yorkshire Dales! It won’t be long until the eggs hatch into adorable chicks like this one. Discover more about our work monitoring and tracking Curlew. ⬇️ #WorldCurlewDay #Ornithology
Young Curlew chick being held in the hand. Image credit reads: Curlew chick by Paul Noyes/BTO. Curlew nest in grassland with four eggs. Image credit reads: Curlew nest by Paul Noyes/BTO.
Reposted by Dr Samantha Franks
adrianramsay.bsky.social
Absolutely shocking decision from the Government to axe the Sustainable Farming Incentive.

We need to be increasing funding for nature friendly farming, not cutting schemes. This is a dereliction of duty towards farmers and the natural world.
@nfudc.bsky.social
www.express.co.uk/news/politic...
Subsidies paused without warning in Labour's latest 'shattering blow' to farmers
Post-Brexit subsidies paid to farmers to boost food production and the environment have been paused without warning.
www.express.co.uk
Reposted by Dr Samantha Franks
adrianramsay.bsky.social
The Waveney and Little Ouse Recovery project is a trailblazer and should be used as a model for natural flood management nationwide. I have written to the Minister for Food Security and Rural Affairs urging his department to maintain its support for the project. @suffolkwildlife.bsky.social
Reposted by Dr Samantha Franks
Reposted by Dr Samantha Franks
curlewaction.bsky.social
Our eighth talk is 'Headstarting Curlews in Norfolk (England)' by Chrissie Kelley from Pensthorpe & @modelbirder.bsky.social from @btobirds.bsky.social

The project is working in Norfolk to take eggs from airbases that were scheduled for destruction & rearing them for release as headstarted curlews
Headstarting Curlews in Norfolk (England)
YouTube video by Biological Recording Company
www.youtube.com
Reposted by Dr Samantha Franks
btobirds.bsky.social
1/ This week, BTO’s @samanthafranks.bsky.social is at the @curlewaction.bsky.social European Curlew headstarting workshop. We’ll be sharing a review of #Curlew headstarting projects in Europe. So what is headstarting? ⬇️ #Ornithology
Young headstarted Curlew
Reposted by Dr Samantha Franks
curlewaction.bsky.social
Our fifth talk is 'A review of curlew headstarting projects in Europe' by Dr @samanthafranks.bsky.social from @btobirds.bsky.social

The team used questionnaire & data request responses to review the reasons for, the methods used, & outcomes of 11 headstarting projects from 5 European countries.
A Review of Curlew Headstarting Projects in Europe
YouTube video by Biological Recording Company
www.youtube.com
samanthafranks.bsky.social
Any other #birding #ornithology parents on here? One year of maternity leave later, looking forward to making sure our kids love #birds. But especially #waders #shorebirds!
samanthafranks.bsky.social
It's back to work after a year of maternity leave. Has the social media world ever changed! Guess I better try this whole @bsky.app thing. Bye bye Twitter/X.