In August, I had the privilege of travelling to Bangor, UK, to attend the 15th European Ornithologists’ Congress thanks to the British Ornithologists’ Union (BOU) conference attendance grant and I remain truly grateful for their support. This was my second EOU congress attendance after Riga 2011 and the most memorable so far.
Figure 1. Soladoye admiring the Bangor University’s main building and the surrounding landscape.
Arriving in Bangor, I was immediately struck by the warmth of the welcome and the stunning landscape surrounding the university. Although I arrived on the last day of the Migratory Landbird Study Group (MLSG) pre-congress workshop, the ongoing speed talk sessions were very stimulating and gave insight into some of the migration-focused presentations to expect in the course of the conference. In my speed talk, I highlighted the unique opportunities that Nigeria, and sub-Saharan Africa more broadly, provides for expanding our understanding of bird migration. I also underscored the growing capacity for ornithological research within the region, which can be leveraged to deepen knowledge and foster collaborations in avian migration studies. The positive feedback I received was both encouraging and motivating, and it opened up several stimulating conversations with researchers who were keen to explore these opportunities further. The pre-congress workshop was both a time of reunion with old friends and an opportunity to interact with many whose names I have only seen on their publications.
The congress itself was a rich gathering of ornithologists from across Europe and beyond, all united by a shared passion for birds and their conservation. The plenary lectures were an excellent selection of speakers and topics; providing insights that resonated across the different fields of ornithology. In addition, I found the poster pitch sessions very interesting as each presenter tried to persuade the audience to visit their poster stands by making a short but stimulating overview of their research. During the oral sessions, I had some hard choices to make particularly when exciting talks were taking place in parallel symposium sessions. On the whole, the rich variety of talks that held in the five lecture rooms left me greatly inspired. In my oral presentation, Intra-African Bird Migration: Understanding the Spatio-Temporal Patterns, I shared findings on the African Cuckoo (Cuculus gularis), highlighting its nocturnal migration, flexible initial strategy, directed return migration, strong route fidelity, and timing of movements in relation to seasonal conditions, while noting that the Black Coucal (Centropus grillii) undertake shorter migrations. The session was well attended and generated interesting discussions afterwards.
The excursion to South Stack Nature Reserve afforded me the opportunity to enjoy the spectacular beauty of landscape and see several species of the seabirds that the reserve supports including the Red-billed Chough (Pyrrhocorax pyrrhocorax) that kept flying to and from the cliffs.
Beyond the formal sessions, the city of Bangor offered its own splendor; from the scenic landscape and coastal setting to its quiet streets. It is indeed a friendly location to introspection and networking with peers.
As I reflect on this experience, I am deeply thankful to the BOU for making it possible. Their support allowed me not only to present my work and ideas to an international audience but also to return home with renewed energy, fresh perspectives, and potential collaborations. I am excited to bring these insights back to the University of Lagos, Nigeria and to continue contributing to global ornithological research and capacity building within sub-Saharan Africa. Indeed, Bangor will stay with me for a long time.
Figure 2. A cross section of participants at the Symposium which featured Soladoye’s presentation.
Image credit
All photographs were taken by Soladoye Iwajomo.
