A PhD means learning all sorts of new skills. Like how to build a large, temporary, cost-effective aviary. Gearing up for our next bush stone-curlew release. But first, some more behaviour experiments.

It’s called ✨science✨ Knee-deep in experiments over here, in preparation for another bush stone-curlew release.

Random box of crap, or a fun box of experiments for the final bush stone-curlew release of my PhD? Honestly, it’s a bit of both. But I’m hoping these objects will help build on some exciting results from earlier experiments on how to maximise the success of stone-curlew translocations.

Thought I was looking at just two of my reintroduced bush stone-curlews. Next minute.

‘Tis the season for a wrap up, I suppose. It’s been a year. Sending y’all a bunch of positive vibes for the next 12 months.

Please enjoy this wonderfully round spotted pardalote.

There are five bush stone-curlews here. Laying low, looking like logs, much how I would like to hide and avoid the rest of the year.

Here’s a young yellow-faced honeyeater for your Wednesday morning.

Bush stone-curlews, but with a Mean Girls flair.

Our April cohort of birds have officially graduated the close monitoring phase! Having completed 6-months of living their best wild lives means that I’ll now be mostly hands off (except for following their movements via their GPS backpacks like the creep that I am) Thrive, birdies, thrive!

While adoption in geese (& waterfowl in general) is well known, never have I seen such an age difference! If you look closely, you’ll see two very young cape barren goslings amongst four much older ones. I’ve been watching this family all week and they certainly appear to be in harmony.

All geared up and ready to go. The past two weeks have been busy getting more bush stone-curlews ready for release on Milawul, Phillip Island.

Here’s a superb fairy-wren living up to his name and looking superb. My days are currently being spent between appointments, tests, and slow walks in nature. I’m not mad about it.

Within an hour of getting off the nest, these cape barren goslings were already getting some important goose lessons. Once (still?) considered one of the rarest geese in the world, Milawul, with its fox-free status, is now a population stronghold for the species.

Had the pleasure chatting with one of my favourite humans today, but this time on the stage! I love Dr Ann beyond measure. Especially when she reveals, in great detail, how alpacas copulate.

Alison and her family have been such wonderful champions of the reintroduction program. On some nights, up to five birds visit their property and run laps around their home - and they love it! (And no, the birds don’t keep them awake - they’ve never heard a peep!) www.abc.net.au/news/2025-07...

Officially completed the first year of my PhD 🎉 it sure has been a whirlwind with two translocations done and more data than you can poke a stick at. Today is also 4 weeks until I undergo surgery for thyroid cancer 🫠 You win some, you lose some. Here’s a cake I gifted my GP today.

Hi friends! Tomorrow I’ll be chatting at #ICCB2025 about our bush stone-curlew pilot release on Milawul, Phillip Island. Hope to see you there!

Welcome back, flame robins! Each year I struggle with the colder weather, and I like to look for the things that spark joy- like the whales that migrate past my local beach, the cape barren geese breeding, and the flame robins that come down from the high country.

The @coexistconservlab.bsky.social is bringing the bush stone-curlew back to the wild in SE Australia. “If successful, the reintroduction will demonstrate how we can work together to recover species from extinction and return them to their natural ecological roles across south-eastern Australia.”

Another 24 bush stone-curlews have now been released on Milawul, Phillip Island, in an effort to establish a population here. With over thirty birds on the island, it’s likely the largest bush stone-curlew population in the state.

Huge news! Our pilot reintroduction of bush stone-curlews on Phillip Island has been a success, with a 75% survival rate over 7-months post-release. This week, we’re moving onto the next phase and attempting to establish a population.

One does not spend 40+ hours sewing GPS backpack harnesses for birds without making a silly video about it.

There are seven bush stone-curlews in this photo. Their decline in southern Australia is due to ⬇️ roosting habitat and ⬆️ in predation by invasive predators. This photo shows just how important daytime roosts are to avoid predation - overstory to hide under & woody debris to camouflage amongst.

✔️ 3x GPS harnesses created (it took the entire work day). 15 to go.

A busy but successful week preparing for our next bush stone-curlew release. This time I’m trialling a few different treatment groups with the aim of increasing translocation success 🤞🤞

Here’s a southern brush-tailed rock-wallaby up in a tree.

There’s definitely no bush stone-curlew in this image.

Come and follow my wonderful lab ⬇️

Art, bush stone-curlew style.

Happy Saturday. Here’s a lovely little sacred kingfisher.

What happens to snakes when they get relocated? Some very ingesting research from ANU PhD candidate, Hannah Gerke, showing translocated snakes lose significant weight and body condition. Here’s an ABC article that summarises the work. www.abc.net.au/news/2025-02...

All those spots in the sky? They’re short-tailed shearwaters returning to feed their chicks. The adults fly all the way to Antarctic waters to forage, before returning to feed their chicks - a trip that can take two week! Which, for these transequatorial migrators, is probably no big deal for them

Definitely nothing to see here.

There are only about 50 brush-tailed rock-wallabies left in Victoria. Within the fenced haven at Mt Rothwell, however, there are hundreds. Here’s a lovely male in the evening light.

It’s been a busy few days, undertaking bush stone-curlew surveys. Please appreciate this perfection in a bird.

A very big thank you to Kirsty from the Weekend Birder podcast for having another chat with me, this time about the marvellous bush stone-curlew. www.weekendbirder.com/episodes/98-...

Two clutches and six chicks later, I fear this willie wagtail nest has finally reached its limit.

Two Millowl bush stone-curlews. These birds are part of our pilot release, reintroducing these birds back to Millowl/Phillip Island. They are wearing GPS backpacks with nifty solar panels to keep the devices charged - these GPS could stay on the birds for years if required!

Today’s productivity - one x bush stone-curlew harness. Five down, 19 to go.

A swamp wallaby from Christmas Day. They might also be known as stinker wallabies but don’t let that colour your opinion of them.

A lovely female superb fairywren. So small. So promiscuous.

This stunning fellow.

Seems like a good day to spam the feed with some lovely critters I’ve seen this week. First up, the efficient office willie wagtails are rearing their second clutch of chicks. I feel like it was just the other day that the first clutch was fledging!

Scientists! We are trying to get 1000 of us into the volunteer database by Jan 1. You'll be volunteering to speak with classrooms over video chat about your work, and answer their questions! You can volunteer for up to 5 sessions per semester. Sign up here! www.skypeascientist.com/sign-up.html

Canberra (bush stone-) curlews! It’s thanks to Sho’s amazing work that we can now build on and reintroduce bush stone-curlews beyond fenced havens and into more urban environments. www.abc.net.au/news/2024-12...

Jan 1 marks a new year & 6-months into my PhD. I’m still in the honeymoon period but gosh, I’m loving the work I’m doing. What a privilege to invest in my learning & growth. While it’s not all sunshine & roses (solo parent + PhD-ing = v. hard), I’m so glad I shifted gears and took the plunge.

🎉 Happy 3-month release-versary to the Millowl bush stone-curlews! 🎉 We’re still running the pilot study in this translocation, so it’s important to keep close tabs on the bird. We just conducted their 3-month health checks and the birds are looking fabulous!

Log or bush stone-curlew? Masters of disguise, these birds drop and act like logs when they feel threatened. And let me tell you, there’s nothing more humbling than spending the better part of an hour looking for a bird that you KNOW is right there but you can’t see them (looking at you black T4)

Kids, they grow up so fast! Here’s last week’s willy wagtail chicks now barely fitting into their nest.