Course day 3: Ecology of Animal Migration - Locomotion

The third day of the graduate student course on Ecology of Animal Migration covered the topic Locomotion. Three lectures were given by first Prof. Colin Pennycuick at Bristol University, and then Anders Hedenström and Florian Muijres from Lund. Colin Pennycuick in a brilliant lecture covered the topic on how to calculate flight ranges in birds and various other parameters important for bird flight using GPS tracks from three species of geese and some examples from long-distance migrating waders. Thereafter, Anders gave an insightful review of the wind tunnel work in Lund and Florian ended the morning with an elegant exersise in understanding Reynolds numbers by comparing different animal taxa. The Lund wind tunnel was demonstrated, including a flying bird, and thereafter the course participants dived into measuring the correct parameters of bird wings and bodies to be inserted in the CP "Flight 1.21 -program".

Flight 1.21 by Colin Pennycuick can be downloaded at this link: http://www.bio.bris.ac.uk/people/staff.cfm?key=95

Tomorrow there will be an excursion to Falsterbo Bird Observatory with research presentations by Nils Kjellén and Karin Persson. Back in Lund Karin Rengefors will give a lecture on dispersal in small organisms and therafter there will be a Poster Session/Pub in the Entrance Hall.

An exciting day!// Susanne

Graduate student course on Ecology of Animal Migration starting 29 September

Tuesday 29 September 42 PhD students arrive to Lund for a 12-day course on Ecology of Animal Migration organized by CAnMove.

The course is given for the fifth time, and never before has there been so many students (42) participating and from so many countries (23!). (Unfortunately, we did have to close the course for more participants.) New Zeeland is the location furthest away, this year, but we do also have participants from China for the first time, and from Nigeria, Hungary, Russia and Slovakia. I am happy to Welcome You All as well as the invited lecturers, who will also arrive to Lund for different parts of the course. The course program is available at the CAnMove web site, and we also have produced an abstract booklet, which can be downloaded. I am very happy we have been able to convince so many excellent lecturers to come to the course (several who has decided to return year after year – thank you very much for again coming to Lund!), and I am very much looking forward also to hear all the presentations by the participants.

I am sure this will be a spectacular event, and I hereby invite anyone interested to listen to the talks during the course to attend lectures and oral presentations by the participants. I also would like to stress the fact that we do have a high number of students attending different courses during this time of the year in the Ecology Building. It is going to be somewhat crowded in the entrance, at the café and in lecture halls. I hope it will all work out fine, but we all need to be understanding and helpful.

To lecturers, participants and to interested audience – Very Welcome to the 5th Migration Course in Lund, now organized by CAnMove starting 29 September!

Susanne