Biodiversity Walk Kicks Off the Year with Birdspotting Success

Our first Biodiversity Walk of the year set off on a high note, with a focus on birdlife across campus. Following the same route as last November’s walk—which was unfortunately cut short by heavy rain—this time the weather was on our side.

Participants recorded an impressive 18 bird species, including a rare highlight: a hybrid greylag and Canada goose. Around Tocil Lake, our resident grey herons also made a memorable appearance, with three of these striking birds spotted during the walk.

There were clear signs that spring is underway. Geese and ducks were particularly active, with plenty of noise and display behaviour suggesting the breeding season has begun. Keep an eye out in the coming weeks—you may soon spot goslings and ducklings around campus.

We would like to extend our thanks to Laura Craddock and Ares Osborn for expertly leading the walk and sharing their knowledge.

Biodiversity on campus
We deliver progress against our Sustainability Strategy goal to 'realise ecology and biodiversity net gain' through collaborative partnerships to identify and monitor biodiversity on campus, and implement habitat creation and enhancement projects. We also provide opportunities to enable students and staff to engage with our work and are starting to assess our impact on biodiversity off campus.