Our achievements
together in Scotland
Chris Wernham
Head of BTO Scotland
(with notes)
Sound support from the
start …
Thanks for getting us off to a great start!
To the Scottish Ornithologists’ Club for a warm welcome and continuing
superb support
To Jeremy Greenwood, (then
BTO Director), BTO Management
Team and BTO Council for strong
and continuing support
To Alan Lauder (first Head of
BTO Scotland) - for setting us on a
sound path, and for twisting my arm
to take over…
To the Esmée Fairburn
Foundation for essential start-up
funding
To Professor David Bryant,
then Head of the School of Biological
Sciences at Stirling University – for
establishing us at a great location –
and Kirsty Park for all her support at
Stirling
Management of our uplands
and moorlands
Research into moorland management
Particular thanks to Phil Rayson & Andre Thiel
(Scottish Coal) for their supportive working
relationship
Thanks to all BTO/JNCC/RSPB Breeding Bird Survey
volunteers and BBS Regional Organisers for
providing strong reference data sets
Thanks to Scottish Natural Heritage and Forestry
Commission Scotland for funding and support for
moorland fringe management research
Thanks to all the landowners and managers who
welcome us onto their estates and facilitate our
research
Scrub, woodland & forestry
management
Research into scrub, woodland & forestry
management
Particular thanks to Mike Smith and others at Forest
Research for productive collaborations and funding
Thanks to Forestry Commission Scotland & Highland
Birchwoods for additional funding
Particular thanks to the J & JR Wilson Trust for recent
funding for independent reviewing of findings
Species-focused research
Intensive research on
autecology and movements
Thanks to those individuals and Ringing
Groups that have given so much of their
time and part-funded projects:
Thanks to those who have
funded these intensive
projects:
Scottish Natural Heritage
AEB Trust
Dulverton Trust
Robertson Trust
J & JR Wilson Trust
SOC
Biotrack
Neil Morrison
Derek Robertson
Rob Campbell
Tom Dougall
Mike McDowell
Tay Ringing Group
Lothian Ringing Group
Raptor research
Thanks for making the Scottish Raptor
Monitoring Scheme a success ...
To all members of the Scottish Raptor Study
Groups who submit most of the records
Particular thanks to representatives of the partner
organisations of the SRMS:
Des Thompson, Andrew Stevenson & Simon
Foster (SNH)
Patrick Stirling-Aird, Alan Heavisides, Wendy
Mattingley & David Jardine (SRSGs)
Gordon Riddle (SOC)
Mark Holling (RBBP)
David Stroud (JNCC)
Staffan Roos & Jerry Wilson (RSPB Scotland)
Kenny Kortland & Gordon Patterson (FCS)
Helen Riley (SRMG Secretariat)
and to Brian
Etheridge, ever
enthusiastic
Raptor Monitoring
Officer!
Getting more volunteers involved in
long-term monitoring in Scotland
Thanks for so many successful activities
to involve more volunteers
To all BTO volunteers, Regional Reps, BBS
Organisers, WeBS Local Organisers, Bird
Atlas Organisers, GBW Ambassador, SOC
Local Bird Recorders & SOC branches – all
have supported us in so many ways!
To a huge number of partners who have
spread the word or collaborated on training
events – Atholl Estates, BASC Scotland,
Dunecht Estates, Glasgow City Council,
GWCT, John Muir Trust, LLTNP,
Mountaineering Council of Scotland, Munro
Society, NTS, RSPB Scotland, Scottish Land
& Estates, SCA, SGA, SNH, SWT
To all Bird Atlas sponsors and
supporters in Scotland
To SNH & particularly Andy
Douse, for funding and huge
support
To the Gillman Trusts, the
AEB Trust, the Robertson
Trust, the Scottish
Mountaineering Trust & the
Scottish Government for
additional funding
Looking to the future …
Introducing some
BTO staff members
& future research
aspirations
Understanding the seasonal movements
and provenance of Short-eared Owls
John Calladine – Senior Research Ecologist (BTO Scotland)
• How do we build on the research already carried out to
increase our understanding of ecological needs and improve
interpretation of monitoring information?
• Need to better understand seasonal movements, fine-scale
habitat requirements, population mixing and the influences
of prey and predators on breeding success and behaviour
• Knowledge is currently inadequate to allow
effective conservation management
How are recent environmental changes
affecting Scotland’s birds?
Rob Fuller – Science Director (Ecological Change)
• Bird Atlas 2007-11 – unique in scope
and scale
• How have birds responded to climate
change during the last 20 years?
• The value of predicting and testing
future changes
Benefits of scrub and woodland
management for Scotland’s birds
James Bray – Fieldwork & Training Coordinator (BTO Scotland)
• How does bird species composition and abundance vary
in scrub and woodland of different age, composition,
structure and geographical area?
• How can we make best use of existing studies and
volunteer enthusiasm and skills to improve the evidence
base?
• The value of integrating studies to improve
advice on the impacts of future land-use
changes
Ph D studentships – the ecology of
breeding Dunlin in Scotland
Andy Dobson – Research Ecologist (BTO Scotland)
• A fascinating species that may be in decline across Scotland
• An opportunity to use a combination of traditional fieldcraft and modern technologies to better understand the
species and provide excellent student training
• A way of BTO scientists passing on their skills to the next
generation and students learning about the BTO
• Just one example of a range of
possible PhDs
Engaging young people with long-term
monitoring of birds
Ieuan Evans – Head of Membership & Volunteering
• How can we complement the work of other
biodiversity organisations that inspire and
engage young people?
• How can we introduce them to long-term
recording of birds and get them engaged with
our monitoring schemes?
• We can develop young people as ‘recording
ambassadors’ whilst providing them with
essential life skills and fun
Surveys of inland-breeding seabirds and
the next national seabird census
Liz Humphreys – Research Ecologist (BTO Scotland)
• How can we best support JNCC and the other
partners to provide a 4th comprehensive
census?
• The value of Bird Atlas 2007-11 data for inlandand urban-breeding species in particular
• Using BTO’s expertise and volunteer networks
to best effect to enhance the coverage of
previous censuses
Help us by sharing your ideas . . .
1.
Why do you find this research area attractive?
2.
Why is it important for the birds and people of
Scotland?
3.
Who might be interested in funding such work and
what are the major selling points?
If you have any suggestions for
strengthening the ideas or for other
priority areas of work, please write
them on ‘post-its’ and stick these onto
the poster boards
Thanks to all the photographers!