I started my PhD at the University of Hull in September 2018. My work currently focusses on nocturnal and diurnal aspects of over-wintering wader behaviour, particularly foraging behaviour and site-selection. Prior to this I completed a masters by research into site-selection and parental care behaviour in blue tits at Lancaster University and a masters in science at the University of Birmingham, where my dissertation focused on landscape scale effects on reproductive success and productivity of urban blue tits. Before starting my PhD I also spent several years developing my practical conservation skills while volunteering part-time with the warden team at RSPB Leighton Moss.
My research interests centre on interactions between wild birds and the physical environment, particularly when this relates to anthropogenic pressures, such as artificial light, noise pollution, and other effects of urbanisation and development. I am also interested in how these factors influence the distribution and abundance of wild birds at a range of spatial scales.
I am a trainee bird ringer, avid reader, and of course birdwatcher, normally to be found somewhere on or around the Humber Estuary.
To contact me:
Email: W.Payne-2018@hull.ac.uk
Twitter: @Wes_E_Payne