The main advantage of being a field ecologist is the field. You have to go outside to collect your data. The main disadvantage, however, is that this fieldwork takes at most 10 percent of your time, while the other 90 you are still looking at the screen of your computer. Trying to read everything that exists, trying to proof something that you have seen or trying to write something that convinces other people from what you have seen.

If lack of free air is driving you insane, it helps to bring nature closer to the office. I am lucky to have a window overlooking a forest, for it helps me feeling a little bit connected with the nature I study.  It is however just a small patch of forest, so to make things a little bit more exciting (I aim at my own personal National Geographic documentary), I put out some bird food. Today I got my first visitor, which of course made me really excited.

I even saw this little beauty from a distance longing for the food, so I hope I can get him a little bit closer the next days.