Bee-eaters and Marie Curie! And even wallcreepers! Who knew Central Banks could be so interesting?https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/aug/02/european-central-bank-notes-new-design

Callas, Beethoven, bee-eaters or storks: competition seeks to redesign euro notes

The EU is using a currency redesign as an opportunity to be less neutral and try some finely balanced identity-building

theguardian.com

We are approaching venue capacity to register for the ASAB & PSGB Winter Meeting - sign up soon to secure your spot! When capacity is reached we'll be operating a waiting list. More details about the meeting and registration at: asabpsgbwinter.github.io//2026/

A new primate species, Colobus congoensis, discovered in the rainforest of Congo 🇨🇩🐒 A very rare discovery! 🧪 #science #primatology #BioAnth #primates www.sciencealert.com/an-entirely-...

Entirely New Monkey Species Discovered in The Congo Rainforest, And It Doesn't Look Impressed

When biologists discover a new species in the 21st century, it's usually because they've run new DNA analysis, peered more closely down the microscope, or collected specimens from far beyond the human...

sciencealert.com

It's official: #Behaviour2027 is happening in Vienna next summer!

Behaviour 2027@behaviour2027.bsky.social · 4w ago

We are excited to announce that #Behaviour2027 (XXXIX International Ethological Congress) will be taking place in Vienna, Austria! We are looking forward to having you all join us next year from August 23-27. Please follow and share!

Registration and abstract submission are now open for the ASAB & PSGB Winter Meeting. Deadline is the 15th of August, but registration will close when the venue capacity is reached, so don't hesitate to sign up! asabpsgbwinter.github.io/2026/registr...

Nice sanderling video

Luca@lucagalletti.bsky.social · 3w ago

Great blue heron and friends, Anna Maria Island, FL IG: j.lulu_photography

It's the 200th anniversary of what many (especially those of us in the Lakes!) consider the first rock #climb - an ascent of #Pillar Rock (classic photo by Abraham bros) #FRCC

A new group dedicated to evolutionary ecology! This is an opportunity to have a permanent community space for the field, as well as ensure regular conferences like #ExE2026. But it needs your help 👇

BES Evolutionary Ecology Group@bes-evolecol.bsky.social · last mo.

We’re now looking for evolutionary ecologists to join our committee to build #ExE2026 into the start of something great, not just a one-off. Details here: www.britishecologicalsociety.org/content/evol...

As someone brought up in awe of Swiss glaciers, it's alarming to see that all the winter's snow is expected to have melted away before the end of June www.theguardian.com/environment/...

Snow and ice on Swiss glaciers melting at alarming rate amid heatwave, expert says

Accumulation on Switzerland’s glaciers from last winter expected to all be gone by Monday amid ‘enormous’ melt rates across Alps

theguardian.com

And here's where I went for a solstice swim instead

It's the first year for about 15 years that I've not been able to lead a walk up Simonside for the solstice, so here's one I took in happier times

My department has funding for 2-year MByRes studentships (full tuition fees and research allowance) on ecosystem resilience, broadly defined. Apply to do a project with me modelling social-ecological networks. #culturalevolution #socialnetworks ecologyconservation.exeter.ac.uk/masteer-coho...

Awful www.theguardian.com/world/2026/j...

Israeli attack kills famed turtle sanctuary ecologist in Lebanon

Mona Khalil led decades-long effort to protect nesting site for turtles near her home in south of the country

theguardian.com

I have read and enjoyed The Paradox of the Organism by @arvidagren.bsky.social and Manus Patten. I had a lot of thoughts about it, and about selfish genes. Here they are, in a long blog post. homunculusmusic.wordpress.com/2026/05/30/i...

Is the organism a paradox?

I’m reading The Paradox of the Organism, a set of collected essays on this notion edited by Arvid Ågren and Manus M. Patten. It’s tremendously enlightening. It is also pretty consistent with the st…

homunculusmusic.wordpress.com

Congratulations to Yukino Watanabe, winner of the #HBES2026 Poster Award! 📌

As heard on Classic FM. Remarkable work. How did that get past a grant committee? ;-)

Science Magazine@science.org · 2mo ago

Researchers have identified superparamagnetic macrophages in the livers of rock pigeons to be crucial for magnetic sensing. The finding uncovers an unexpected role for immune cells in sensory perception and may fundamentally change our understanding of animal navigation. https://scim.ag/4nTQ3nq

And yet the RSPB who published this report are still 'neutral' on bird shooting!..

Well said!

James Winters@replicatedtypo.bsky.social · 3mo ago

Back in the office after a fantastic CES-HBES conference. Big thanks to the organisers @matcharbonneau.bsky.social @anthrosarah.bsky.social @edseabright.bsky.social @zhgarfield.com & support team. Came away feeling motivated to get writing and researching! #CES2026 #HBES2026 @ces2026.bsky.social

📢Out now in #ProcB our NEW paper on how #reward inequity can promote production of #publicgoods and #free-riding 👏Congratulations @beckypadget.bsky.social as lead author 👥With #AndyHigginson @royalsocietypublishing.org @bristolbiosci.bsky.social @crab-exeter.bsky.social doi.org/10.1098/rspb...

Reward inequity can promote both public goods production and free riding

Abstract. When animals in groups cooperate, individuals sometimes produce a ‘public’ good that benefits many or all group members and receive a private rew

doi.org

Pheasants aren’t wild birds freely roaming the British countryside. They’re non-native animals, mass bred in factory farms, then released in huge numbers onto country estates just so they can be shot out of the sky for entertainment. It’s an industry built on suffering.

Wondering if I'm the only one to have just finished my poster for @ces2026.bsky.social and now actually read the instructions which say landscape not portrait. Back to the drawing board!

We have an *extremely* important announcement to make. From Wednesday, we will be launching our puffin live cam, coming to you from the Farne Islands. So you can watch puffins all day long. In celebration, please enjoy this clip of puffins being really busy for 39 seconds straight.

I can't believe they got this interview with the walrus

I'm sure there are more Dutch accents here in Glencoe than there were in Amsterdam recently

A fine day for a bike loop around Glenfinnan and Ardgour. (Bit of a different bike from the sit-up city bike i hired in leiden a week or so ago)

A bit of sun and snow in Glencoe

Home for the weekend

I am excited to be speaking at Pint of Science in Newcastle on May 20th! I will be giving a public talk on my recent work, looking at how changes in human culture over time have contributed to the loneliness epidemic. Details below. I'd love to see you there! pintofscience.co.uk/event/losing...

Losing Connection: Shrinking Social Networks and Closing Pubs

From shrinking social networks to the rapid decline of UK pubs, these talks uncover how our communities are changing — and why it matters.

pintofscience.co.uk

I don't recommend being punched - really struggling to hear properly 6 months on...