We think he's Cracked it!

When you work on Skomer, there is a high chance that you'll either be called Sarah, or a Professor named Tim.
One of "our" Professor Tims (Dr Tim Birkhead) has been studying our guillemots for over 40 years (for more on the continuing work being carried out, click here to read 2018's field worker, Hannah's blog!) has just announced his latest breakthrough.

If you saw the BBC programme this spring, Attenborough's Wonder of Eggs, you will be familiar with the problem of just why a guillemot's egg is so pointy. In the programme a theory was discussed of it being the distribution of dirt, but now there's a new idea in town.

 The work is the combined efforts of Tim, Jamie Thompson, Bob Montgomerie and John Biggins.


Tim spoke on BBC Radio 4 today at 1630 about it, and it will be repeated this evening at 2100, or click here to listen to it from the website.

If you'd like to read the whole article, it has been published in Auk, Ornithological Advances, which is Open Access so click here to download it!  (But Be Warned! It's American and "common murre" is the American name for our Common guillemots!)


Diddorol Iawn!
SKP