I am an outdoorsman, podcaster and speaker. I talk and write about the natural environment, biodiversity, conservation, hunting and fishing, rewilding and more. I am particularly interested in wildlife and human-wildlife interactions. I enjoy reading scientific papers on those subjects as much as being outdoors weathering the elements and getting first-hand experiences.
Woodcock Research and Hunting with James O'Neill
The woodcock is one of the most interesting birds. It is a wader that adapted to the woodland habitat. It has a range of unique characteristics like 360-degree vision, a flexible bill and white tail feathers that reflect up to 30% more light than the feathers of any other bird. It is also a valued game bird, meaning it is a sought-after quarry for bird hunters. So much so that an entire breed of gun dogs, cocker spaniels, was created for hunting woodcock. Their name ‘cocker’ is thought to have come from the bird’s name.
To talk about this fascinating bird I could invite only one person. Our guest today is none other than James O’Neill who some people refer to as Mr Woodcock. James is a PhD student at University College Cork who focuses his research on this species of woodland bird. James not only rings these birds but also conducts surveys and examines all kinds of parameters of woodcock biology and ecology.
As you would expect, one hour is not nearly enough to cover all aspects of James’ research and to even scratch the surface of his deep knowledge of this species. So we agreed that we’ll get together again soon to record part two of our conversation. If you received this email as a forward, make sure to subscribe to my newsletter to not miss it. Finally, I want to give a shoutout to NARGC who was a driving force and huge supporter of this project. Once again a hunting organisation is playing a key role in research and conservation.
147: Woodcock Research and Hunting with James O'Neill
The time has finally come to talk about woodcock. Our guest is none other than James O'Neill who is running an Irish Woodcock Project. Listen to learn all things woodcock! Also, shoutout to NARGC, a driving force and big supporter behind this project.
Come Along to This Outdoor Event to Stretch Your Thinking
This event is for anyone wanting to explore the big issues, by stretching your thinking in a safe, and supportive setting. Well known personalities, Stuart and William, who aren’t experts, but have opinions they aren't afraid of expressing publicly in a relatable and unscripted way, will facilitate the discussions. Join them on a journey of meandering conversations, full of fun anecdotes, and a bit of silliness, making the big issues palatable.
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Tommy's Outdoors: Conservation and Science
I am an outdoorsman, podcaster and speaker. I talk and write about the natural environment, biodiversity, conservation, hunting and fishing, rewilding and more. I am particularly interested in wildlife and human-wildlife interactions. I enjoy reading scientific papers on those subjects as much as being outdoors weathering the elements and getting first-hand experiences.
Conservation and Science This issue of the newsletter is slightly late. Life throws things of varied priorities at us and even though publishing this newsletter is pretty high on my priorities list, some things rank even higher. Right, enough of the excuses - let's get on with this week's topic. Many environmental NGOs are facing an uphill battle in the current political climate, and I'm definitely not one to have a go at e-NGOs, many of which are doing an excellent job. However, that doesn't...
Conservation and Science This week's episode has been a long time coming, over a year in the making. Some of you have been patiently waiting for this topic to be covered, and I've been equally eager to get it out there. The episode was initially available as early access content for my Buy Me a Coffee members, who get perks like early episode releases, discount codes for events, and behind-the-scenes updates about upcoming content. If you're interested in supporting the podcast and accessing...
Conservation and Science This week, I have two episodes for you. One is the usual release of my podcast and the other is a podcast where I sat in the guest's seat. In episode 202, I was delighted to welcome back Patrick Galbraith to talk about his second book, 'Uncommon Ground: Rethinking Our Relationship with the Countryside'. You might already have heard about it as it received glowing reviews in the press. Of course, writing about a topic as emotive as land access - sometimes referred to...