
Meetings take place at 7.30 p.m. in the Goodman Building, Botanic Gardens, Hackney Rd, usually on the second Wednesday of the month, except for December and January. Outings are usually held on the Sunday following the meeting, starting at 9.30 a.m. Please note that this year, due to a mess up with the bookings, some meetings will not be on the second Wednesday. Please watch this space for precise information.
The next meeting will be on November 15 and our speaker will be Lauren Common. Her title is "The Avian Vampire Fly and Darwin's Finches: Coevolution on the Galapagos Islands".
Dr Lauren Common is a parasitologist and ornithologist fascinated by invasive species, reproductive behaviour and personality in birds and insects. Lauren recently completed her PhD at Flinders University supervised by Prof Sonia Kleindorfer and colleagues. Her thesis explored the changing host-parasite dynamics between Darwin's finches and the invasive blood-sucking Avian Vampire Fly (Philornis downsi). Her current research at the University of Vienna explores the Avian Vampire Fly across the archipelago, and its consequences for the conservation of the avifauna of the Galapagos.
Masks are no longer compulsory at meetings, but do wear one if you feel happier doing so.