One of our #HogsAbroad student bloggers had this update from her summer studying ecology with Scotland’s Rural College:
Today was absolutely fantastic. We were told we would be bird ringing and didn’t really have any idea of what to expect. In an effort to monitor population numbers of several endangered and threatened species in Scotland, SRUC has built a very talented team of bird ringers. By banding the birds, it is easier to calculate population numbers and migratory patterns in species that Scotland is taking extra measures to conserve. We took a hike down to the mesh netting (harmless) in place to catch the birds and returned with more than enough birds to practice with. The professionals carefully weighed the birds, measured the wingspan, and identified the sex. After the calculations were taken, we were allowed to place the bands on the bird’s legs. The bands are very small metal pieces that are painlessly applied with a steady hand and pliers.
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| Our adorable Payton with an equally adorable bird |
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| How they weigh the birds. Yeah, there's a bird in there. |
Tomorrow we are scheduled to take an overnight trip to Loch Lomond!
We were also promised a barbecue at the cabins but we are all pretty
skeptical as to what Ian (a Brit) means by “barbecue”. Stay tuned for
more updates! Guid Nicht!
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Read more from Madison at https://scotchandkilts.wordpress.com/
To find out more about Adelante's Ecology summer program, visit http://www.adelanteabroad.com/program/discover-ecology-summer-program-in-scotland/.
Read more from Madison at https://scotchandkilts.wordpress.com/
To find out more about Adelante's Ecology summer program, visit http://www.adelanteabroad.com/program/discover-ecology-summer-program-in-scotland/.
