David López-Idiáquez @davididiaquez.bsky.social · 01/09/2026Overall, the May 2026 heatwave notably worsened seasonal declines in fledgling number and nestling mass, with likely longer-term effects via survival. As such extreme events increase in frequency, these findings may offer an early benchmark for their impacts. 120
David López-Idiáquez @davididiaquez.bsky.social · 01/09/2026It exacerbated the well-known seasonal decrease in breeding success that these species experience. In regular years late broods fledge c. 2.6 fewer fledglings than early broods, this difference was almost double in 2026 (c. 4.5 fewer fledglings) and similarly with nestling mass. 120
David López-Idiáquez @davididiaquez.bsky.social · 01/09/2026Wytham Woods, near Oxford, was not immune to this heat spell and mean temperature during the late May heatwave was up to 10.5 ºC higher than the historical average. 120
David López-Idiáquez @davididiaquez.bsky.social · 01/09/2026During late May and early June the UK like most of Europe experienced an unprecedented spell of heat that broke all the previous high temperatures recorded at that time of the year, an meteorological event that had measurable effects on the human population (see: zenodo.org/records/2126...) 110
David López-Idiáquez @davididiaquez.bsky.social · 12/08/2026Enjoyed it more than expected!! It’s been pretty cool and special! 1251
David López-Idiáquez @davididiaquez.bsky.social · 31/05/2026This week has been one of the warmest on record in Oxford. This heatwave has also been recorded by the thermologgers we have in @wythamwoods.bsky.social. The period between 23rd and 28th May has been ~8°C (+2.6 SDs) warmer in 2026 than the same period between 2023 and 2025. 1258
David López-Idiáquez @davididiaquez.bsky.social · 09/05/2026Something different to brighten my day 0160
David López-Idiáquez @davididiaquez.bsky.social · 25/04/2026This study was only possible thanks to the work of devoted groups of fieldworkers from the @egioxford.bsky.social that have spent their springs chasing tits in @wythamwoods.bsky.social since 1947, when the monitoring of this population started. 060
David López-Idiáquez @davididiaquez.bsky.social · 25/04/2026Our results show a strong link between the temperature experienced by great tits during breeding and mismatch with the phenology of their prey. The temperature that maximised the synchrony with the winter moths tightly aligned with that maximising breeding success. 140
David López-Idiáquez @davididiaquez.bsky.social · 25/04/2026These results are, thus, consistent with natural selection having acted to enable the temperature tracking. 140
David López-Idiáquez @davididiaquez.bsky.social · 25/04/2026We used more than 12,000 breeding attempts collected over almost six decades to show that plasticity in reproductive timing has enabled long-term thermal homeostasis. Interestingly, the temperature tracked by the birds closely aligned with that maximising reproductive success in our population. 160
David López-Idiáquez @davididiaquez.bsky.social · 14/03/2026Not that easy being a toad @wythamwoods.bsky.social 050
David López-Idiáquez @davididiaquez.bsky.social · 03/03/2026I had the chance to handle some a few years ago and they are awesome 010
David López-Idiáquez @davididiaquez.bsky.social · 15/02/2026A more developed analysis of the temporal trends in adults revealed a two level process, akin to Simpson's paradox. While the population level trend is negative, the temporal trends within each tit cohort are positive (likely reflecting an age dependent increase in mass). 2202
David López-Idiáquez @davididiaquez.bsky.social · 15/02/2026The lack of strong associations between adult mass and the environment leave a question open: what does explain the decrease we see in adults? 150
David López-Idiáquez @davididiaquez.bsky.social · 15/02/2026Adult mass was weakly sensitive to the environmental variation. Nestling mass, however, was negatively associated to competition (by great and blue tits), and given that both the number of great and blue tits has increased in Wytham, we think that this explains the trends in reported in nestlings. 130
David López-Idiáquez @davididiaquez.bsky.social · 15/02/2026Quantitative genetic analyses using a pedigree spanning 36 generations revealed that despite an heritability of 37% there was no change in body mass at the genetic level. Therefore, suggesting that the change can be attributed to phenotypic plasticity. 170
David López-Idiáquez @davididiaquez.bsky.social · 15/02/2026We have published a new pre-print showing a decline in great tit adult and nestling mass of around 1 gram in 47 y. [rate of approx. -0.040 Hadanes] With @ellafcole.bsky.social, @devisatarkar.bsky.social, Sam. Crofts, @mcmahok.bsky.social & @sheldonbirds.bsky.social www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6... 16331
David López-Idiáquez @davididiaquez.bsky.social · 29/01/2026Mmm, good question. I think that mine is the view of Port Meadow from the top of Botley Hill (point between Singing way and Marley) at sunrise. When is foggy the view is stunning. I also like a lot the view of the city from the top of South Park. 120
David López-Idiáquez @davididiaquez.bsky.social · 28/01/2026Port Meadow (from Wolvercote) at its best this morning. 2100
David López-Idiáquez @davididiaquez.bsky.social · 29/12/2025Recycling this little map I made with my rounds in the Woods this Spring 010
David López-Idiáquez @davididiaquez.bsky.social · 29/12/2025I guess that one could infer the phenology of Wytham great tits by my activity in Strava :-) 170
David López-Idiáquez @davididiaquez.bsky.social · 24/12/2025Not a good year for badgers, I guess. 000
David López-Idiáquez @davididiaquez.bsky.social · 20/12/2025The end product after playing to be a dentist this morning 🦡🦡🦡 220
David López-Idiáquez @davididiaquez.bsky.social · 23/10/2025They knew how to put a good title in the old days... 240
David López-Idiáquez @davididiaquez.bsky.social · 21/10/2025Amazing autumn day at the woods helping with some teaching. I missed the ring ouzel that surprised some (well just one) of us, but the colour of the trees was amazing! 080
David López-Idiáquez @davididiaquez.bsky.social · 09/10/2025I also found some pictures of not that common nest box dwellers 120
David López-Idiáquez @davididiaquez.bsky.social · 09/10/2025I needed to go through some pictures from the fieldwork I did in Corsica, and in addition to the amazing landscapes 121
David López-Idiáquez @davididiaquez.bsky.social · 06/10/2025Morning ringing in the woods which are turning into autumn colours! 080
David López-Idiáquez @davididiaquez.bsky.social · 01/10/2025Nice morning ringing at Wytham woods 0100
David López-Idiáquez @davididiaquez.bsky.social · 27/09/2025I found this mallard today. It seems like some kind of hybrid—if it is, is it possible to identify the species? Or is it just a chromatic aberration? 110
David López-Idiáquez @davididiaquez.bsky.social · 20/09/2025Nice morning at @rspbotmoor.bsky.social 190
David López-Idiáquez @davididiaquez.bsky.social · 12/09/2025What a nice end for a really nice conference. Lovely time in Olomouc meeting old friends and making new. Really amazing conference @hnbirds2025.bsky.social 060
David López-Idiáquez @davididiaquez.bsky.social · 29/08/2025Alguien me podría ayudar a identificar este pequeño animal multicolor que me he encontrado en el sur de España? 130
David López-Idiáquez @davididiaquez.bsky.social · 25/06/2025Not as close as the one I had in Montpellier, which was literally in the garden 010
David López-Idiáquez @davididiaquez.bsky.social · 25/06/2025Really weak, but it seems that I have a new neighbour:-) 120
David López-Idiáquez @davididiaquez.bsky.social · 26/05/2025The highlight of the season was discovering a marsh tit breeding in a natural cavity. 150
David López-Idiáquez @davididiaquez.bsky.social · 26/05/2025I did this by cycling into the woods, almost 546km with 4500m of elevation gain, not bad for Oxfordshire. This included climbing the infamous Tilbury Lane Climb. 330