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Richard K Broughton

@richardkbroughton.bsky.social

4.5K followers 1.5K following 2.4K posts

Research Ecologist working on birds, mammals, forests, farms, hedgerows, woodland natural colonisation. Marsh Tit, Willow Tit & Wood Warbler research. Editor-in-Chief of the journal Bird Study: https://www.tandfonline.com/journals/tbis20 Views are mine.

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Richard K Broughton @richardkbroughton.bsky.social · Jan 27

My Poyser book, The Marsh Tit and the Willow Tit, is now published. 9 chapters, 320pp, 150+ figures, photos & tables on the ecology, behaviour, calls, id., habitats & conservation of these two species from Britain to Japan. More info: www.bloomsbury.com/uk/marsh-tit... #ornithology #ukbirding #birds

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Richard K Broughton @richardkbroughton.bsky.social · 8h

Frog you I won't do what you tell me.

Damien Marie AtHope Ⓐ 🚩🏴🌍 @damienmarieathope.bsky.social · 20h

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Reposted by Richard K Broughton

PiedFly.Net @piedflynet.bsky.social · 4d

JOB ALERT: We have an exciting Senior Research Assistant post available for a project tracking predators and prey simultaneously starting early 2026. We need someone with experience tagging adult raptors or wader chicks. This you? app.vacancy-filler.co.uk/salescrm/Car...

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Richard K Broughton @richardkbroughton.bsky.social · 1d

Ah, right - just offering itself to the the next passing Sparrowhawk, then! 😄

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JNCC @jncc.bsky.social · 1d

‪Keynote speech from @UK_CEH Prof David Roy discussing 50 years of butterfly data‬

‪David’s talk included a video from Ernie Pollard of the Monks Wood Experimental Station who helped design and pilot the methodology in 1976!‬

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Richard K Broughton @richardkbroughton.bsky.social · 1d

That doesn't look well - the mourning might be real soon?

Richard K Broughton @richardkbroughton.bsky.social · 1d

Did you sign it, and then add a nought onto the marked price inside the cover?!

Richard K Broughton @richardkbroughton.bsky.social · 1d

And even if it did, a problem for which a silent tool already existed!

Richard K Broughton @richardkbroughton.bsky.social · 1d

The bane of modern suburban/village living, and the disturbance of choice for gardening contractors, who seem to be paid by the decibel and duration. What's wrong with rakes?!

Tim Frasier @tfrasierdna.bsky.social · 1d

Leaf blowers are one of the most effective tools I've seen for turning your problem into someone else's problem.

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Richard K Broughton @richardkbroughton.bsky.social · 1d

'Trolley with a squeaky wheel' is the way to remember the Dunnock's song.

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Richard K Broughton @richardkbroughton.bsky.social · 1d

I've handled loads of Coal Tits in eastern England and plenty have yellowish tint on the cheeks in autumn. That one doesn't look unusual to me. I wouldn't give it a second thought in Cambs.

Richard K Broughton @richardkbroughton.bsky.social · 1d

Editor here. Agree with most of that, except don't be afraid to say no, if it doesn't improve the paper. Many reviewers comment on preferred phrasing, or style, which isn't essential/relevant. Authors don't have to agree to things they don't agree with, or are a matter of choice.

Richard K Broughton @richardkbroughton.bsky.social · 2d

Is there any more evidence (photos?) of Willow Tits there? Willow Tits are thought to be long gone from East Anglia, so if they really are there it would be quite something - they'd be the only ones in eastern England.

Reposted by Richard K Broughton

UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology (UKCEH) @ukceh.bsky.social · 2d

Coming soon on Counting the Earth...

🔥 We discuss the changing nature of wildfires with UKCEH fire scientist Dr Doug Kelley. And we're at Holt Heath in Dorset, scene of a devastating wildfire in August, to talk to Dorset & Wiltshire Fire Service.

🎧🧪 Subscribe on your favourite #podcast provider!

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Richard K Broughton @richardkbroughton.bsky.social · 2d

I'm not disagreeing, just saying that "fair" would need to accommodate affordable family life for millions of UK residents. Penalising flying would hit that group disproportionately & unfairly. UK has already put up hard Brexit borders to permanent reunification, making travel essential somehow.

Richard K Broughton @richardkbroughton.bsky.social · 2d

You imagine that 3.2m Ryanair flights to Pol/Rom are occupied mostly by affluent Poles/Romanians earning above average UK wage? That's really not the impression you'd get at Stansted. And you imagine only a minority of 3-4 million people will visit parents/family more than once/year?

Richard K Broughton @richardkbroughton.bsky.social · 2d

No idea, but 2-3 trips/yr wouldn't be surprising in my experience. Flights always packed with families.
There's really no alternative to UK flights to eastern Europe due to job commitments, ££, long connections at either end. Simply no time/£ for road/rail, so it'd be major barrier to family life.

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Richard K Broughton @richardkbroughton.bsky.social · 2d

Rough guess: 3-4 million EU citizens in UK, plus UK-born descendants/children, plus UK partners, and most will have some family in another country: parents, siblings, children or partners. Most first gen arrivals prob have below-average income. Ryanair has 2.3m seats to Poland/year, Romania 1.9m.

Richard K Broughton @richardkbroughton.bsky.social · 3d

Car/rail not realistic option for most people working in UK and visiting family in Europe on regular trips, with limited annual leave, time, funds. Rail from SE England to east Poland costs about £400 and takes 1-2 days. Ryanair costs £50 and takes 2.5 hrs, giving weekend with parents/kids.

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Richard K Broughton @richardkbroughton.bsky.social · 3d

You'll need to plant 50 acorns to offset that dirty dip ;)

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Prof Christina Pagel @chrischirp.bsky.social · 3d

🧵🚨

The UK’s independent scientific bodies are highly vulnerable to politicisation - over the past 5 months I've been working with @martinmckee.bsky.social to map out their vulnerabilities and it's not good news.

Today our report is published!
www.ucl.ac.uk/policy-lab/n...

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UK’s arm’s length public bodies are highly vulnerable to politicisation

Seven in ten Britons say it is important for top scientific institutions to be independent in exclusive new polling.

www.ucl.ac.uk

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Richard K Broughton @richardkbroughton.bsky.social · 3d

You sound needled ;)

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Richard K Broughton @richardkbroughton.bsky.social · 3d

I don't know the answer, but frequent flier levy is always framed as targeting privileged business/holiday travelers, when budget flights are a vital lifeline for (often underprivileged) international families/workers, who number in the millions. Only practical option for maintaining family life.

Richard K Broughton @richardkbroughton.bsky.social · 3d

Look at Ryanair, Wizz or EasyJet destinations to provincial Central Europe, and they're not holiday/business destinations. I do regular budget flights there, and they're packed with families/children going to see relatives. There's 3 million EU citizens in UK, mostly from that region, with families.

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UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology (UKCEH) @ukceh.bsky.social · 3d

We highly recommend this upcoming talk at @linneansociety.bsky.social for compelling, evidence-based perspectives on the decline of woodland birds from Dr Richard Broughton 🌳⬇️

The Linnean Society of London @linneansociety.bsky.social · 9d

Why are Britain’s woods falling silent?

Marsh & Willow Tits have declined by up to 96%.

Join @richardkbroughton.bsky.social at 6pm, Oct 23 at the Society to uncover what’s driving these losses - and what they reveal about our vanishing forests.

Book now: buff.ly/IuNlpoH

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Richard K Broughton @richardkbroughton.bsky.social · 3d

Never mentioned: it'd need parallel relaxed migration, otherwise puts huge barriers between families. Many frequent fliers are people visiting family: kids, grandparents, partners. Millions in UK have families across borders & low incomes. A levy hammers them, more than business/holidaymakers.

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