She studied zoology at the University College London before joining the Edward Grey Institute, where she researched under David Lack.
The university had been re-located to Bangor during the war, and being on the doorstep of Snowdonia National Park appealed, though the final year of her study was completed back in London.
Upon completion of her undergraduate study, she immediately joined the Edward Grey Institute as Peter Hartley's field assistant.
[1] An understanding of great tit behaviour was thought to be of potential importance in controlling caterpillar populations that were reducing timber production.
However she went on to have a long academic career and conducted further post-doctoral studies on tits, obtaining a second five-year grant from the Agricultural Research Council.