Buttonquails in the Royal Crescent: Visiting Bath, UK

by Oscar G. Miranda

Last week (22-29 Sept 2024), I had the privilege of visiting the Milner Centre for Evolution at the University of Bath, a place that holds special significance for our lab. This is where many of Tamás's groundbreaking ideas on sex role evolution and biodiversity conservation first took shape, and being there felt like stepping into a rich history of evolutionary thinking.

I was warmly welcomed by everyone at the Milner Centre and had excellent conversations with members of our group, Nar and Mingwan. Mingwan and I exchanged insights on plover conservation, delving into the parallels and contrasts between a conservationist's role and a scientific career. With Nar, I had an incredibly useful discussion about statistical analysis, particularly around time-dependent models. Nar’s fresh approach to these analyses gave me a new perspective, and I’m eager to incorporate these insights into my current work. So, a big thank you to both Nar and Mingwan for their time and valuable discussions!

Buttonquail Presentation slide showing the chicks, hatched eggs, the tagged individual and the weird "Frankenstein" buttonquails - with the male-looking head and the female looking chest.

One highlight of my visit was the short talk I gave about the strange observations our Madagascar team made this year regarding the Madagascar Buttonquail. The feedback was both encouraging and insightful. I’m especially grateful to Phillip Ingham, Nicholas Priest, and Emma Stone, who made me feel right at home during my visit. Their warm hospitality and intellectual generosity truly made this experience memorable.

Video call with former and current Tamás Székely studnets. From left to right: Oscar G. Miranda, Naerhulan Halimubieke. , Benajmín Padilla Morales, Martín Alejandro Serrano Meneses

I also had a great discussion with Martín Alejandro Serrano Meneses, a former PhD student of Tamás and my former BSc supervisor. It was an honor to stay in the same room and walk through the same halls where Martín once conducted his PhD research under Tamás’s guidance two decades ago. The connection felt personal and profound, and it reminded me of the enduring impact this place has had on many of us.

A special thank you as well to Prof Helen Haste for hosting me and so many other of Tamás's students over the years, from Peter Long to Cristina Carmona, Naerhulan Halimubieke, and now, even if just for a short visit, me.

To my colleagues at the Székely Lab, I highly encourage you to visit the Milner Centre. Not only is it a hub of cutting-edge research, but it’s also a place where our ideas can evolve and flourish. It would be wonderful to develop future projects in collaboration with the Department of Life Sciences at Bath, and I believe more of us can benefit from these rich opportunities for exchange.

As a final note for future students, I strongly recommend a trip to Slimbridge to learn about Sir Peter Scott and see the Nene (Branta sandvicensis) in real life. It’s a fantastic experience that drives you to push towards bird conservation.

Lastly, I want to express my heartfelt gratitude to Tamás Székely for sponsoring this trip. I’m truly grateful!