Senior Research Associate
University of East Anglia
Norwich, UK

Follow Catriona on Twitter @CatMorrison18

Most likely to be found…
…Running to a cake shop.

Involved with the BOU as:
Ordinary member

BOU member since: 2009

Why are you a member of the BOU?
Being in the BOU gives me access to many great resources. I was an ECR member for many years, which gave me extremely cheap rates to BOU and EOU conferences and a reduced rate membership. It also gives me the opportunity to interact with other ornithologists and researchers outside my University.

What would you say to anyone who is considering joining (or leaving!) the BOU?
If you are considering joining, I would say do it and get involved!

If you’ve attended a BOU conference, what did you get out of it?
The first BOU conference I attended was in the first year of my PhD, it was a great opportunity to start putting faces to the names I’d been hearing about since entering the world of ornithology. Since then the annual BOU conferences have become not just a great place to hear about interesting new research but also to meet up with old friends and make new ones. I really value the opportunity this gives me to feel like part of a community.

What is your most memorable bird-y experience?
I think one of my most memorable bird-y experiences was the first time I extracted a bird from a mist net. It was a Long-tailed Tit and I was on an introduction to ringing training course. I remember thinking it was such a privilege to be able to see the birds up close and also the great feeling of achievement and relief when I managed to get it free of the net. Since then I have gone on to have many other wonderful experiences ringing but this one does stand out.