Week 1 was a wild ride. A new country, a new culture, and a completely new daily schedule. Waking up at 2AM, spending 8 hours outside, and returning at a time some people start their workday, is intense. On top of this, I am learning completely new skills. Setting up intricate, easy-to-tangle nets whilst balancing on an old wooden plank above a marsh was just the beginning. Next came holding the birds, tiny creatures with a fragility I could only comprehend once I held one and felt the pounding of its heartbeat in my hand. Finally, I learnt how to ring. Pliers larger than the passerines I hold grip around their fragile legs, closing a small metal ring that seals the identity of each bird into a serial code engraved upon the metal. Only a week has passed, yet I have learnt so much, and I know this is only the tip of the iceberg.
Maintaining my energy and drive was difficult this week. I often struggled to justify why I chose this. Initially, the reality of working so closely with wild live animals weighed heavily on my mind. On day 3, a bridge collapsed whilst I was standing on it, and I narrowly missed being plunged waist-deep into ice cold water. I was holding 4 birds at the time, and was shaken by the thought that if I fell, it would be certain death for them. This fear has haunted me in every interaction I have since had with a bird. The hesitation in my every move hinders my ability to professionally handle the birds and I require assurance from the trained ringers who supervise me. However, I am still a beginner, and my feelings of fear and nervousness stem from caring for the wellbeing of the birds. I continually remind myself that I am on my own timeline, and I do not need to rush into skills I feel unready for. The bridge collapsed, but I took a step back and stayed dry. If I chose to leap forwards from that bridge, I do not know if I would have fallen in.
Ultimately, this experience will only push me to grow. I will keep waking up at 2AM to see the sun rise each day, and I will stay curious, soaking up every drop of information I am given. Even today, a new opportunity presented itself: my supervisor offered to give me access to some data on moulting (birds lose their feathers in specific patterns depending on age/species) that has been collected for the past two decades. I mentioned the parallels I noticed between feather moulting and developmental biology, and we discussed the possibility of a mini research project looking at moulting patterns.