Ros Kennerley @drroskennerley.bsky.social · 25/09/2026It's not often that you can say you've come Back To The Future... After a brilliant workshop and field expedition to the rainforest of Ethiopia, I've gone from welcoming in 2019 there to arriving back in the UK 7 years later! 111
Ros Kennerley @drroskennerley.bsky.social · 24/08/2026A great write up by @aukwardlucia.bsky.social about her studies on Pelicans in Britain. 131
Ros Kennerley @drroskennerley.bsky.social · 04/08/2026Big funding news for global species conservation. Well done to everyone at @rewildorg.bsky.social for making this happen. 011
Reposted by Ros KennerleyPaul Dolman @pauldolman.bsky.social · 29/07/2026Naturally colonised Night Heron, Little Egret, Great Egret and Crane alongside resident Grey Heron are not enough, apparently, and cultural connections mean we should introduce another generalist predator into the last fragile refuges for Amphibians & reptiles. www.theguardian.com/environment/...theguardian.com‘They’re part of folklore’: storks return to Derbyshire after 600-year absenceConservationists are thrilled at the arrival of three juvenile birds at Willington Wetlands, hoping more will follow 124519
Ros Kennerley @drroskennerley.bsky.social · 01/07/2026Did sturgeon ever breed in Britain? Evaluating historical evidence and conservation implications royalsocietypublishing.org/rsos/article...royalsocietypublishing.orgDid sturgeon ever breed in Britain? Evaluating historical evidence and conservation implicationsAbstract. Historical archives can provide unique perspectives on past biodiversity and have the potential to reconstruct life-history cycles for lost popul 010
Ros Kennerley @drroskennerley.bsky.social · 03/06/2026As it's a species the SMSG represents, I suppose I'm obliged to vote Hedgehog 🗳️ 🦔https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cvgzrpe6mzjo Puzzled as to why a wildlife expert panel would include non-native brown hares on the list...bbc.co.ukPuffin and bumblebee among 18 creatures shortlisted to feature on banknotesThe Bank of England is asking the public which animals should appear on future banknotes. 000
Ros Kennerley @drroskennerley.bsky.social · 22/05/2026Including this one with two chicks in East Dartmoor NNR! 030
Reposted by Ros KennerleyBTO | British Trust for Ornithology @btobirds.bsky.social · 18/05/2026It’s May, so no more seed and peanuts in bird feeders. BTO Senior Research Ecologist Dr Kate Plummer, part of the Technical Steering Group that carried out the evidence review on which the new guidance is based, sets out the reasoning behind the changes in this BTO blog ➡️ www.bto.org/our-work/new... 06144
Ros Kennerley @drroskennerley.bsky.social · 13/05/2026As of yesterday, we recorded the first pied flycatcher chicks at Yarner Woods. Things are about to get even busier! @piedflynet.bsky.social 040
Ros Kennerley @drroskennerley.bsky.social · 12/05/2026I'd prefer not to see changes in legislation that would make it easier to introduce non-native species like European Bison! www.itv.com/news/meridia...itv.com 000
Reposted by Ros KennerleyRichard K Broughton @richardkbroughton.bsky.social · 06/05/2026Species go up and down annually, but a two-thirds (66%) decline of a resident bird in a single year is sign of accelerating terminal decline - that's not a slump that the single-brooded, low-density, low dispersal Willow Tit is going to bounce back from. Bad years get worse, better years are rare. 12611
Ros Kennerley @drroskennerley.bsky.social · 14/04/2026The oak leaves are emerging at Yarner, so the frass monitoring has begun! All the traps out and we might have found a Lesser Spotted Woodpecker nest 🤞 @piedflynet.bsky.social 030
Reposted by Ros KennerleyThe Guardian @theguardian.com · 11/04/2026Cuba’s doctors were a lifeline for the world. Now the Caribbean is shamefully complicit in the US drive to expel them | Kenneth Mohammedtheguardian.comCuba’s doctors were a lifeline for the world. Now the Caribbean is shamefully complicit in the US drive to expel them | Kenneth MohammedFor decades, Cuban doctors have served the Caribbean’s most marginalised. Now, as Cuba faces its own crisis, the region looks away, waiting on Trump’s approval 715466
Ros Kennerley @drroskennerley.bsky.social · 07/04/2026The debate on European bison in Iberia continues, with an excellent message here from Nores et al. on the need for a strong evidence base for driving conservation decisions... doi.org/10.1111/csp2... Many points are relevant for UK #rewilding discussions too!doi.orgThe conservation management of European bison requires strong evidence and careful risk assessment: A response to “Comment: Nores et al. (2024) fail in their attempt to demonstrate the inappropriateness of an eventual introduction of the European bison to Spain as a rewilding initiative”Click on the article title to read more. 031
Ros Kennerley @drroskennerley.bsky.social · 02/04/2026A perfect sunny day to set up audio recorders at Yarner Woods with @ajhdoyle.bsky.social & @piedflynet.bsky.social. The recorders will act as a remote nest box monitoring tool to estimate breeding behaviour, phenology & success of the Pied Flycatchers. Find out more: www.durham.ac.uk/staff/andrew... 0103
Reposted by Ros KennerleyPiedFly.Net @piedflynet.bsky.social · 30/03/2026First Pied flycatcher at East Dartmoor today continuing the trend for earlier arrival. Another present at Dunsford Woods today. Also have the earliest ever first tit egg recorded (data starts in 1955) by two days - a Coal tit egg laid yesterday. Discovered with @drroskennerley.bsky.social 0315
Ros Kennerley @drroskennerley.bsky.social · 29/03/2026A morning well-spent: checking and repairing nest boxes in Yarner Wood with @piedflynet.bsky.social. No signs of any Pied Flycatchers yet though... 050
Reposted by Ros KennerleyRhett Ayers Butler @rhettayersbutler.bsky.social · 27/03/2026The emotional price of conservation work news.mongabay.com/2026/03/the-...news.mongabay.comA profession built on hope, strained by lossEarlier this month, Jeremy Hance’s “‘An epidemic of suffering’: Why are conservationists breaking down?” and the follow-up commentary “Emotional and psychological stresses beleaguer conservation profe... 0126
Ros Kennerley @drroskennerley.bsky.social · 26/03/2026I'm happy to see 𝗧𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗼 𝗦𝗵𝗼𝗿𝗲 was awarded full funding. Well done to Dr. Gwen Maggs and the @the-wildlifetrusts.bsky.social team! Looking forward to seeing the changes and benefits this makes to this wonderful part of Cornwall. www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...bbc.co.uk'Ambitious' nature project aims to link Cornish habitatsCornwall Wildlife Trust says work will include bringing more beavers to Helman Tor nature reserve. 000
Ros Kennerley @drroskennerley.bsky.social · 23/03/2026Just had a moment when I realised it's been nearly 20 years to the day🫣 that I began an amazing spring/summer on Rathlin Island as a research assistant examining the effects of introduced mammalian (ferret) and native avian predators on ground-nesting birds. www.theguardian.com/environment/...theguardian.comPredatory feral ferrets removed from an island for the first time everRathlin Island in Northern Ireland is ferret-free after £4.5m five-year partnership led by RSPB NI 121
Ros Kennerley @drroskennerley.bsky.social · 17/03/2026I wish journalists would stop using the word 'reintroduce' in articles talking about European Bison and the UK. www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...bbc.co.ukHopes for breeding Kent bison herd in new UK locationThe animals, from the Blean Bison Project near Canterbury, have been relocated to Cumbria. 010
Ros Kennerley @drroskennerley.bsky.social · 12/03/2026New paper out! 𝐈𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐞𝐧𝐯𝐢𝐫𝐨𝐧𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐥 𝐚𝐫𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐬 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐨 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧: u𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐡𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐥 𝐝𝐚𝐭𝐚 𝐭𝐨 𝐞𝐯𝐚𝐥𝐮𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐬𝐮𝐢𝐭𝐚𝐛𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐫𝐞𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐫𝐨𝐝𝐮𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 royalsocietypublishing.org/rspb/article... 1126
Ros Kennerley @drroskennerley.bsky.social · 02/03/2026A successful annual meeting at the weekend for @piedflynet.bsky.social, with around 60 keen attendees there to hear about last season's results, @cateden91.bsky.social's research on spotted flycatchers, the Two Moors Pine Marten project, and to generally feel geed-up about the season ahead! 051
Reposted by Ros KennerleyGlobal Environment Facility (GEF) @thegef.bsky.social · 08/01/2026🌍 The late Gustavo Fonseca’s legacy lives on through the Fonseca Leadership Program. The GEF & @wcs.org invite applications for the Young Leaders in Africa Fellowship, which supports top African conservationists for Master’s/Ph.D. studies. To learn more: wcs.org/about-us/gra... 064
Ros Kennerley @drroskennerley.bsky.social · 08/01/2026🇯🇺🇸🇹 5️⃣ 🇩🇦🇾🇸 🇱🇪🇫🇹 🇹🇴 🇦🇵🇵🇱🇾 ! 🧪🌿Reconstructing the trophic ecology of Caribbean mammals: new baselines to understand island evolution, extinction & conservation🐀🌴 blogs.reading.ac.uk/crocus-dla/c...blogs.reading.ac.ukCR2026_39 – Crocus DLA 011
Reposted by Ros KennerleyPalustris @palustris.bsky.social · 02/01/2026This is the height of ecological illiteracy and shows how wannabe zookeepers have taken over UK nature conservation. Evidence for native status of these species is incredibly tenuous; releasing them into one of our most ancient & irreplaceable ecosystems would be crazy. www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...bbc.co.ukThree frogs to be reintroduced to West Acre 'pingos'The money will be spent on breeding thousands of frogs and managing their release in 2026. 1337
Ros Kennerley @drroskennerley.bsky.social · 18/11/2025🚨Caribbean mammal PhD opportunity🚨 🧪🌿Reconstructing the trophic ecology of Caribbean mammals: new baselines to understand island evolution, extinction & conservation🐀🌴 @uor-research.bsky.social, @zslofficial.bsky.social, @nhm.org, and with me at Durrell! blogs.reading.ac.uk/crocus-dla/c...blogs.reading.ac.ukCR2026_39 – Crocus DLA 024
Reposted by Ros KennerleySmall Mammal Specialist Group @iucn-small-mammals.bsky.social · 10/10/2025And then there were none: Australia’s only shrew declared extinct theconversation.com/and-then-the... A great article by SMSG member Prof. John Woinarski.theconversation.comAnd then there were none: Australia’s only shrew declared extinctAustralia’s only known shrew has been declared extinct. Its loss emphasises the need for national protection of Australia’s rare and unique wildlife. 002
Ros Kennerley @drroskennerley.bsky.social · 02/10/2025Fieldwork for this was back in 2018, so it's great to finally have it published. Huge thanks to the fantastic ecologists at Department of Environment and Coastal Resources in Turks & Caicos, colleagues at @nhm-london.bsky.social, and of course Sam at @zslscience.bsky.social doi.org/10.1002/2688...doi.orgGenetic evidence for invasive rat‐caused vegetation damage has implications for endemic Caribbean mammal managementConservation translocations of the Bahamian hutia, a threatened Caribbean rodent, have prompted concerns about vegetation damage. Extensive vegetation damage reported on John Higgs Cay (Turks and Cai... 001
Reposted by Ros KennerleyPiedFly.Net @piedflynet.bsky.social · 01/10/2025Closing date tomorrow, an exciting PhD linking insects with demography of aerial foraging birds such as House martin based @uniexecec.bsky.social in Cornwall. 001
Reposted by Ros KennerleyRichard K Broughton @richardkbroughton.bsky.social · 17/09/2025Very firm statement on releases of captive-bred Turtle Doves, from Operation Turtle Dove inc @rspb.bsky.social & @naturalengland.bsky.social: *Doesn't meet IUCN guidelines *Risk of disease/genetic pollution *Irresponsible aims operationturtledove.org/captive-rele... 1/2 #ornithology #ukbirdingoperationturtledove.orgOperation Turtle Dove’s view on the release of captive-bred Turtle Doves as a conservation measure - Operation Turtle DoveOperation Turtle Dove is a science-led conservation partnership working to reverse the decline of Turtle Doves in the UK by restoring habitat and addressing key threats. Learn why captive-bred release... 45525
Ros Kennerley @drroskennerley.bsky.social · 22/07/2025Well done Nik and all the team in Mauritius! www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...bbc.co.ukDurrell return threatened gecko species to MauritiusDurrell Conservation says it cared for and bred 30 lesser night geckos at Jersey Zoo for five years. 000
Ros Kennerley @drroskennerley.bsky.social · 16/07/2025After a 10 year (!) hiatus, I'm happy to be bird ringing again. Thanks to @piedflynet.bsky.social for taking me on as a trainee!!! A juvenile barn owl was not a bad starter bird.... 010
Reposted by Ros KennerleyWilliam (Bill) Sutherland @billsutherland.bsky.social · 15/07/202525th Student Conference in Conservation Science, Cambridge, 31 March – 2 April 2026. Looking for postgraduate students and early-career conservation scientists, in a broad range of fields, to apply to present talks or posters on their work. www.sccs-cam.orgsccs-cam.orgStudent Conference on Conservation Science - WelcomeSCCS helps young conservation scientists gain experience, learn new ideas and make contacts that will be valuable for their future careers. 059
Reposted by Ros KennerleyBritish Ornithologists’ Union (BOU) @bou.org.uk · 07/07/2025🔈 APPLICATIONS OPEN... ...for BOU Small Research Grants & Career Development Bursaries Application deadline: 31 Oct 2025 Full details via links ⬇️ Grants: bou.org.uk/funding/s... Bursaries: bou.org.uk/funding/c... #ornithology 🪶 01822
Ros Kennerley @drroskennerley.bsky.social · 30/06/2025A new postdoctoral research position for @zslscience.bsky.social's Hainan gibbon conservation programme is being advertised! Job description here: careers.zsl.org/vacancies/47...careers.zsl.orgPostdoctoral Research Assistant - Hainan Gibbon Project in London Zoo | ZSLView details and apply for this Postdoctoral Research Assistant - Hainan Gibbon Project vacancy in London Zoo. ZSL is seeking a Postdoctoral Research Assistant (PDRA) to work on a long-term proj... 001
Ros Kennerley @drroskennerley.bsky.social · 21/04/2025Seems like a happy coincidence that I read this bsky.app/profile/mong... article, on the day I'm starting a 3-week trip to explore the amazing flora and fauna of Alejandro de Humboldt National Park in eastern Cuba. news.mongabay.com/short-articl...news.mongabay.comEcologists are spending less time in the field. That could be a problem.Founder’s Briefs: An occasional series where Mongabay founder Rhett Ayers Butler shares analysis, perspectives and story summaries. There was a time when an ecologist’s education was not complete with... 010
Reposted by Ros KennerleyOrder Rodentia @orodentia.bsky.social · 11/04/2025#RodentOfTheDay Desert Mouse (Pseudomys desertor) "This small stout mouse has short limbs. Its fur is brown above with long black guard hairs that give it a grizzled appearance. It is grey-brown underneath and has a distinctive pale ring around its eye." Ph/Inf: www.sharkbay.org/publications... 1179
Reposted by Ros KennerleySmall Mammal Specialist Group @iucn-small-mammals.bsky.social · 04/04/2025April 4th is World Rat Day! We're sharing a few facts about some of the world's wonderful yet at-risk rats, including: 🐀Malagasy Giant Jumping Rat 🐀Elvira Rat 🐀Tokudaia spiny rats 🐀Sulawesi's rats Read more here: small-mammals.org/2025/04/04/w... 063
Ros Kennerley @drroskennerley.bsky.social · 18/03/20252 positions available at Durrell! Science and Research Coordinator at Durrell (Jersey) | deadline 9th April www.durrell.org/get-involved... Conservation Training Manager | deadline 13th April www.durrell.org/get-involved...durrell.orgScience and Research Coordinator at Durrell | DurrellScience and research at Durrell is fundamental to our mission in ensuring that our actions and decisions are always based on evidence. 010
Ros Kennerley @drroskennerley.bsky.social · 17/03/2025Professor Carl Jones on Desert Island Discs! I was lucky enough to contribute to the Pink Pigeon and Echo Parakeet programmes in Mauritius and learnt a huge amount there. These days I get to work with Carl at Durrell and always appreciate his conservation insights. www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m...bbc.co.ukBBC Radio 4 - Desert Island Discs, Professor Carl Jones, conservation biologistProfessor Carl Jones, biologist, shares the soundtrack of his life with Lauren Laverne. 131
Reposted by Ros KennerleyPiedFly.Net @piedflynet.bsky.social · 14/03/2025PhD opportunity with me (RSPB) at Sheffield Hallam combining ecology (building-nesting birds esp. Swift) + building design & planning (Net Zero goals & retrofit). We need a strong student interested in both! Is that you? url.uk.m.mimecastprotect.com/s/cNyjCR636C... Please repost. 26455
Ros Kennerley @drroskennerley.bsky.social · 14/03/2025There's not long left for this small mammal specific funding round! 000
Reposted by Ros KennerleySmall Mammal Specialist Group @iucn-small-mammals.bsky.social · 18/02/2025Last month we were thrilled to contribute to the development of a trans-national action plan for the Iberian Desman. Many thanks to the organisers IUCN Med, MITECO, and the IUCN CPSG. small-mammals.org/2025/02/18/t... 021
Ros Kennerley @drroskennerley.bsky.social · 13/02/2025@abigazzard.bsky.social, Dr Alexis Mychajliw, and I have just had our species chapter published: 𝗛𝗶𝘀𝗽𝗮𝗻𝗶𝗼𝗹𝗮𝗻 𝗦𝗼𝗹𝗲𝗻𝗼𝗱𝗼𝗻 𝙎𝙤𝙡𝙚𝙣𝙤𝙙𝙤𝙣 𝙥𝙖𝙧𝙖𝙙𝙤𝙭𝙪𝙨 𝗕𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗱𝘁, 𝟭𝟴𝟯𝟯 It features in Guevara, L., León-Tapia, M.Á. (eds). Handbook of the Mammals of Middle and South America. Springer, Cham. doi.org/10.1007/978-...doi.orgHispaniolan Solenodon Solenodon paradoxus Brandt, 1833This comprehensive species-specific chapter covers all aspects of species’ biology, including taxonomy, distribution, genetics, morphology, life history, ecology, behavior, parasitology, human t... 012
Ros Kennerley @drroskennerley.bsky.social · 07/02/2025A fabulously sunny (but v. cold!) day yesterday exploring the Somerset Levels with Prof. Sam Turvey and @aukwardlucia.bsky.social. Despite the short winter day, we managed to fit in a lot of pelican and freshwater ecosystem talk and visited some important historical sites.... 221
Ros Kennerley @drroskennerley.bsky.social · 07/02/2025It was an honour to be part of this trans-national strategy development for the weird & wonderful Iberian Desman. Despite the serious threats & huge challenges to conserve it, I feel hopeful because of the collective experience and enthusiasm of all the people involved. iucn.org/story/202502...iucn.orgIUCN promotes a transboundary conservation plan for the Iberian desmanMalaga, 28 January 2025 (IUCN) - More than 50 experts from Andorra, Spain, France and Portugal met in Madrid for three days to develop a transnational conservation plan and define more urgent measures... 031
Reposted by Ros KennerleyRaisinmeister @raisinmeister.bsky.social · 05/02/2025Fantastic #ConservationJob available in #Madagascar. Please share with anyone you think might be interested www.durrell.org/get-involved...durrell.orgCountry Director - Madagascar | DurrellThe post holder will be the lead Durrell representative in Madagascar, responsible and accountable for the management and strategic delivery of Durrell’s Madagascar Programme, 021
Reposted by Ros KennerleyOrder Rodentia @orodentia.bsky.social · 29/01/2025#RodentOfTheDay Northern Hopping Mouse (Notomys aquilo) "This species used to occur in the north of the Australian mainland, but the last record was in Arnhem Land in 1973. They are now currently only found on Groote Eylandt in the Northern Territory." Ph/Inf: shorturl.at/kS74Q 26710