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Photographs courtesy of Alexandera Pollard

The Field Spectroscopy Facility supplied a GER 1500 spectoradiometer and a Iso-Tech digital light meter used by Dr Rob Thomas and Alexandera Pollard, a PhD student, investigating early moring robin's song!

Dr Rob Thomas and Alexandera Pollard have been investigating the effects of street lighting on bird behaviour in a PhD research project on bird vision and behaviour using a GER 1500 spectroradiometer on loan from the FSF. Last winter, the team compared how the European Robin's (Erithacus rubecula) behaviour differs in street lit areas, and in unlit areas with striking results: Robins in street lit areas begin their daily activity far earlier than those in unlit areas (Pollard & Thomas in press). However, the birds were not active throughout the night, regardless of almost constant light intensity in the street lit areas. To find out why the birds choose to begin their activity when they did, this year they have been using field spectroscopy to investigate the change in radiance from true night until dawn, in both street lit and unlit areas. This work may show some 'light' on the conundrum. These measurement of the colour changes throughout the morning twilight also allowed the team to accurately portray 'dawn' in an aviary setting, where they will further investigating how street lights affect bird's behaviours.