This Side of the Pond

The scientists of my alma mater solved a bird-based mystery last week, but the solution was not nearly as bizarre as it first seemed. The head-scratcher involved an oystercatcher that seemed to be the best-traveled creature in the UK, making its way through an impressive swathe of the islands’ most popular attractions.

Animal tracking is no novel phenomenon here in Wyoming – our Game and Fish department uses this method constantly to keep an eye on the wildlife of our state. Researchers from the College of Life and Environment at the University of Exeter – the college that includes my old stomping ground, the psychology department – have been using trackers for much the same reason.

In this particular instance, PhD student Steph Trapp, under the guidance of Professor Stu Bearhop, has been (literally) supergluing trackers to oystercatchers within what’s known as the Dublin Bay Biosphere, a reserve that was designated such by UNESCO because of its rare and important habitats and wildlife species. It’s located, as you can probably guess, in Dublin, on the east coast of Ireland.

The trackers are little plastic boxes with tiny solar panels on top. They’re pretty futuristic, which I’m sure has fueled a conspiracy theory or two about our feathered friends’ intentions.

The aim of the study is to follow the movements of these long-beaked waders, because they are on the decline in Scotland for reasons that have yet to be determined and are classed as a vulnerable species in Europe. By finding out where the birds are spending their time, said Professor Bearhop, they can figure out how best to conserve them and which habitats we should concentrate on preserving.

The mystery of which I speak centers on one specific oystercatcher. He does not appear to have been given an identity within the experiment, so I think I shall call him Steve.

Our friend Steve made a journey of more than 500 miles from Dublin all the way to the Orkney Islands, which are located to the north of Scotland. Once there, he appears to have grown bored of exercise, for which I do not blame him.

He arrived on April 7, and he was still there at the end of May, presumably sunbathing and enjoying the local tourist attractions. The 12th century cathedral is a must-see, as is the Stone Age tomb and Skara Brae, the best-preserved Neolithic village in northern Europe.

The Orkney Islands are often described as the “Egypt of the north” due to the sheer number of historical sites in a tiny area. It would take a while to see everything, so the scientists probably weren’t surprised by the length of Steve’s stay.

But they were definitely surprised by what he did next. First, he wandered to a campsite, then he visited a pizza restaurant, and then he went south to Edinburgh airport. From there, after visiting a number of additional local attractions, he traveled south to London, where he appears to have taken up residence in Ealing.

That’s a pretty comprehensive vacation itinerary, even when you’ve got your own wings. Fortunately, these are scientists we’re talking about, so it didn’t take long for them to work out what must have happened.

You’ve probably guessed already yourself: the tag had fallen off. It wasn’t Steve visiting the sights across Scotland – he could be anywhere by now. Farewell Steve, our brief liaison was fun.

This wasn’t even much of a surprise, as it turns out. The tags are designed to fall off eventually, so this wasn’t a case of faulty superglue (yes, I really do mean literal glue).

The scientists didn’t want to write the tag off as lost, even though its data wasn’t going to lead to any bird preservation breakthroughs. Each of them is worth around $1200, and science in general is chronically underfunded, so they launched a mission to get it back to be redeployed.

But this is Britain we’re talking about, and the scientists felt it wouldn’t have been polite to start knocking on doors in Ealing to accuse people of thieving their equipment. They needed an indirect approach, so they enlisted the help of the BBC.

Our national broadcasting house published an article detailing the story and covered it on the radio, which led to a local lady contacting the researchers and offering to help out. The scientists sent her a stack of leaflets explaining what the tag was and where it had been located.

The leaflet included contact information and a plea for the person now in ownership of the tracker to come forward. It even included a reward offer.

One of those leaflets found its way to Mike German, who realized it was sitting in his living room. He’d come across it on a ramble along the beach and, curious to find out what it was, stuffed it in his pocket to look at later.

He was startled to find out he’d been all over the news and social media, and bemused to find out that a team of researchers down in Cornwall had been aware of all his movements throughout his vacation.

But he took it all in stride, to the relief of the scientists, and said he was sending it back by special delivery. Otherwise, he said, how would they be able to track its route home?