Mediterranean Ecology Research Observatory for Practical Skills
Field studies organisation located in the south of France
Created by Dr Sophie Mowles and Dr Fabrizio Manco
https://merops.eu/
@sophiemowles.bsky.social
Merops Field Centre
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Weโve had a great first day with staff and students from the @uniofnottingham.bsky.social. After touring the local habitats, students were taught plant and invertebrate survey techniques in the meadows. Highlights included seeing different crab #spider species eating their prey.
#arachnid #fieldwork
Merops Field Centre
Day 2 with our guests from the @uniofnottingham.bsky.social. After kicking off with an introduction to #moth trapping (and ID!), theyโve been out sampling the meadow habitat. Highlights were a longhorn beetle (๐๐บ๐ญ๐ฐ๐ต๐ณ๐ฆ๐ค๐ฉ๐ถ๐ด ๐ด๐ต๐ฆ๐ฃ๐ฃ๐ช๐ฏ๐จ๐ช) and a Light Crimson Underwing moth (๐๐ข๐ต๐ฐ๐ค๐ข๐ญ๐ข ๐ฑ๐ณ๐ฐ๐ฎ๐ช๐ด๐ด๐ข). #insect
2/2 Lots of echolocation, plus social calls. Then to top it off, we had a very nice sighting of a Wild Boar passing underneath the bridge we were on โ watched through the #thermal camera. A great evening for #wildlife! @uniofnottingham.bsky.social @wildlifeacoustics.com #bats #chiroptera
As part of their field trip with us, we took students and staff from the @uniofnottingham.bsky.social to the Camargue, where we explored the freshwater and brackish habitats. We saw lots of Greater Flamingos, as well as Glossy Ibis, European Bee-eaters, and nesting White Storks #ornithology #birding
After a very dry May, weโve finally had some rain, and up on the Causse Mรฉjean the butterflies are taking full advantage of the puddles to drink and gain crucial mineral salts. Weโve never seen so many Black-veined Whites (๐๐ฑ๐ฐ๐ณ๐ช๐ข ๐ค๐ณ๐ข๐ต๐ข๐ฆ๐จ๐ช).
#Lepidoptera #Entomology #butterfly #insect
We often get surprises on our camera traps, especially at the Wild Boar wallow. During their field course with us, MSc students from @aru-biology.bsky.social and Lincoln managed to witness this Green Woodpeckerโs cleaning routine. Needless to say, he got a bit carried away. @g-iossa.bsky.social
1/2 We spent an excellent evening bat detecting with students from the @uniofnottingham.bsky.social. With our EMT2 Pro units from @wildlifeacoustics.com, we detected seven species: Soprano, Common and Kuhlโs Pipistrelles, Saviโs Pipistrelle, Serotine, Lesser Noctule and plenty of Daubentonโs bats...
Students from the @uniofnottingham.bsky.social have been busy surveying the #plants and invertebrates in our local pine and chestnut woodlands. Theyโve use GPS units to locate random survey plots, measured canopy cover, and collected #invertebrates with nets and pitfall traps. #ecology #fieldwork
Early June, and we have some real botanical highlights here in France. The parasitic Pinesap is blooming in the pine forests, Star Clover in the garrigue, Feather Grass is opening on the steppes of the Causses, and in the Beech forests, the Ladyโs Slipper #Orchid is flowering. #botany #phytology
