Pet owners should keep a closer eye on their furry friends as temperatures plummet, the RSPCA has said.
Keeping outdoor living areas dry, dressing dogs in comfortable coats and placing a saucepan of hot water on icy fish ponds are among the recommendations issued by the charity amid a bitterly cold February.
The Met Office recorded the lowest temperature the UK has seen in 25 years overnight on Wednesday, when the mercury dropped to minus 23C in Braemar, Aberdeenshire.
As yellow weather warnings for snow and ice remain in place for parts of Scotland and northern England until Saturday, the RSPCA’s pet welfare specialist Dr Sam Gaines said dogs in particular should not be sleeping in temperatures lower than 10C.
One of my favorite parts of fishing is to observe beautiful seabirds flying, especially during spring when the sea is calm. I love all seabird species. well except for one, the Great cormorant.
While fishing, we rarely bycatch seabirds. For example, this year, so far only one bird was caught in our nets. But eventually, if we find one, we untangle it and release it back to the sea. Unfortunately, if they are dead, we hand them over to the ornithologists.
For me, it s important to help protect seabirds from bycatch, that’s why we work hand in hand with ornithologists that help us set up practices to avoid this issue as much as we can. But practically speaking, I don’t think it’s possible to find the perfect solution to avoid birds from getting caught in our nets. Nonetheless, we are open to try anything specialists like BirdLife have to offer to find a way to protect both seabirds and our job.
Tots are taking part in the Big Schools Birdwatch and contributing to the world’s largest wildlife survey. The event which runs through January and February is run by the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds. The Old Station Nursery in Faringdon has already taken part in some of the activities including making their own bird feeders to encourage wild birds to visit, so they could watch them using their handmade binoculars. And they took part in yoga sessions, positioning themselves into bird poses in order to learn the names of different types. Nicky Griffin, deputy nursery manager said: “The Big Schools Birdwatch provided a fantastic opportunity to teach the children about the wild birds that visit our garden. The children were able to learn about them in more detail, learning about about what they eat, listening to their song and learning their names.”
Monday 8 February 2021
The Queen with the then-head of MI5, Baron Parker of Minsmere, who has now been appointed as Lord Chamberlain
Aaron Chown / PA Images
Discretion is an essential quality for any senior member of the Royal Household – and it’s one that the Queen’s new Lord Chamberlain is sure to have in spades, given his former role at the helm of MI5.
The
Times reports that Baron Parker of Minsmere, a recent Director General of the renowned intelligence agency, is set to take over as the senior officer of the Royal Household in April. It will mark the first time in history that a member of the Security Service has been appointed to the non-executive, part time role, which has formerly been held by the likes of bankers, soldiers, politicians and members of the landed gentry (the outgoing Lord Chamberlain, Earl Peel, is a Yorkshire landowner).
One Simple Change Cut Accidental Albatross and Seabird Deaths by 98%: âAbsolutely amazingâ
Feb 8, 2021
An international task force of conservationists have proved that a remarkably simple method of deterring seabirds can save tens of thousands from accidental death.
A recent study published about the Namibian fishery industry determined there was a 98% reduction in albatross and other seabird deaths after laws were passed requiring that fishermen attach colored streamers to the back of their boats, which deterred the birds from pilfering longline fishing nets.
Emily Eng illustration showing how rainbow streamers work for BirdLife International
The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) and BirdLife International’s Albatross Task Force (ATF) came together to help prevent endangered species like albatross from going extinct due to bycatch, a fishing term that describes animals caught but not targeted.