Following 22 years developing and leading BTO science relevant to Scotland, John retired as a member of staff in October 2022. John continues to research topics related to land management and studies of single and groups of species.

• Extensive direct experience in applied conservation research and survey projects;
• Reviewing and interpretation of research and survey results and literature to inform conservation and policy;
• Practical land management issues and how they influence nature conservation interests.

John was responsible for BTO science in Scotland and for upland and forest related research. He also led two BTO focal research areas: Identifying realistic conservation strategies for breeding waders; Helping to plan forest expansion.

Recent and current studies include: 

1. Long-term monitoring associated with moorland management;
2. The bird communities in new native-type woodlands;
3. Bird-habitat relationships and the influence of restructuring the interface between conifer plantations and moorland and other aspects of plantation management;
4. The development of survey methods for the monitoring of Short-eared Owls and for birds of alpine habitats in Scotland;
5. Bird communities in short-rotation forestry energy crops;
6. Population changes in breeding waders on machair;
7. Reviews of the populations of predatory birds and the ecology of urban gulls in Scotland;
8. Studies on the winter ecology of some seed-eating birds; and
9. Studies on upland habitat selection by breeding Whinchats.

Other Information

An active bird ringer Honorary Lecturer in the School of Biological & Environmental Sciences, University of Stirling (since 2005)

• BSc (Hons) Ecology, University of Lancaster, 1979-1982
• MSc (by research) ‘Colony attendance, nest site selection and breeding performance in the Herring and Lesser Black-backed Gull: implications for conservation management’, 1993-95
• Honorary Lecturer in the School of Biological & Environmental Sciences, University of Stirling (since 2005)