My research project is entitled “Effects of supplementary feeding on the reproductive behaviour of parental woodland birds”. I aim to investigate the effects of supplementation throughout spring and summer on various factors including incubation performance, brood sex ratio, the occurrence of extra-pair paternity and brood-provisioning rates. The fieldwork for this study will be conducted at Chaddesley Woods National Nature Reserve. My PhD started in 2006 and is funded by the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC). The British Trust for Ornithology (BTO) is the CASE partner where my work is overseen by Drs Dan Chamberlain and Dave Leech. Supplementary food and associated resources are provided by CJ Wildlife and the Worcestershire Wildlife Trust and the Birmingham University Ringing Group provide much logistical support, My supervisor at Birmingham is Dr Jim Reynolds and my co-supervisor is Prof. Graham Martin. Dr Charles Deeming of the University of Lincoln and of Hatchery Consulting and Research is also an academic advisor on the project.   

My key area of research interest involves the behavioural ecology of birds. I am fascinated by the different life histories and behaviours involved with different mating systems as well as other behaviours that may be elicited such as foraging and territoriality. In addition, I am passionate about researching into behaviour that has been or has the potential to be modified by anthropogenic factors.

I graduated from Cardiff University in June 2005 with a BSc. (Hons) in Zoology which included a professional training year at Llysdinam Field Centre in mid-Wales. After leaving Cardiff I spent 10 weeks at North Ronaldsay Bird Observatory where I partook in the monitoring of the autumn bird migration. This included daily bird censuses and daily bird ringing providing data for continuous scientific research. From the end of April until July 2006 I volunteered for two months with the Laskeek Bay Conservation Society in the Queen Charlotte Islands, British Columbia, Canada. I assisted with their ongoing ringing programme of Ancient Murrellet chicks providing data to aid the investigation into the population dynamics of this species. In addition to this study I also partook in marine mammal surveys, seabird counts and a study looking at the use of trees by woodpeckers.