During these quieter, winter months, I have been making the most from working at home and taking advantage of computer-based activities, such as communications and project developing. There has also been time to reflect on my experiences and successes with GWCT Cymru so far, and my goals moving forward.
Big Farmland Bird Count (BFBC)
This year’s BFBC was my first, and I can’t say it will be my last! The BFBC was a friendly reminder to get out the house, even in the variable weather conditions.
Across farms, I used the Perdix Pro Fieldbook app to easily record bird numbers for each species I saw and heard. I also used Cornell’s Merlin app to confirm bird ID from sound.
It was great to see the array of bird diversity across farms, especially in just a 30-minute session.
During the count, I visited Zoe’s farm in Caerfallen, Ruthin. It was evident after a tour around her farm and the count, the presence of old trees amongst the tall hedgerows was helping to support many bird species, such as treecreeper.
I also took part in the social media campaign by creating advertisement posts and I have been offering my help to anyone interested.
New blog posts on their way!
With less time in the field, I was able to spend more time focusing on updating both the Welsh and general GWCT websites with new blogs.
At the beginning of January, I posted a fungi blog to both websites, showcasing the successes for fungi in both policy and during 2024’s fruiting season. I hoped to bring awareness to the importance of fungi surveying and how they can help ecosystems, including agro-ecosystems.
I am also still working on other blog posts that include current struggles of predation management, as well as positive impacts of urban green spaces in Wales. So, stay tuned!
Project Work
After working on ‘Thriving Allotments’ last year, I started developing other project ideas, such as working with Yellowhammers. In January, this involved researching the areas of interest through biology journals and articles. Luckily, there is a variety of farmland bird studies to read about within the wider GWCT team! Next in February, I have worked with my team to develop these ideas to progress towards making successful funding applications.
Lunch-time webinars
Working from home has been a great opportunity to take advantage of the various free webinars available online. They have been an effective and quick way to learn about a variety of biological topics from experts in the field. These webinars also inspire new ideas and different ways of working. The most recent webinar series I engaged with was from the Biological Recording Company, with more sessions still to follow.
Reviewing my progress on placement so far
I am currently halfway through my placement with GWCT, so the last two months have been a good opportunity to reflect on my experiences so far and the skills I have developed. This has also involved updating my university on progress and my goals moving forwards.