The White Doves of Redvers Road

Forget leucism and albinism. A rather preposterous idea on my part as it turns out. Today, two White Doves appeared on my bird table, the ID confirmed as one of the two was a Fan-tailed White Dove. It does however beg the question - where are they from? White Doves are domesticated, often kept as 'pets'. These two are availing themselves of the ample amount of food available in my garden, much to the disgust of many other local garden birds!

Something of a mystery....

Albino or Leucistic Woodpigeon

A pure white bird landed on my bird table this morning. Pigeon type. At first I thought it was a feral pigeon but it appeared too large, slimmer in appearance with a longer neck. Could this be a leucistic or albino Woodpigeon I wondered. This identification seemed more probable when a regular plumaged Woodpigeon landed on the adjacent fence and I was able to compare the two birds in close proximity to each other.

Everything pointed to Woodpigeon as the correct ID apart from the pure white colour.  Albinism is another genetic condition that can turn a bird's plumage pale but there are distinct differences between albino and leucistic birds. Leucism affects only the bird's feathers and typically only those with melanin pigment - usually dark feathers. A leucistic bird with different colours may show some colours brightly, especially red, orange or yellow, while feathers that should be brown or black are instead pale or white. Some leucistic birds however can lose all the pigment in their feathers and may appear pure white. It's a complex puzzle.

So, leucistic or albino? I really don't know...

   

Celtique Energy want to frack in the South Downs

Will they ever stop? The South Downs National Park - a designated area of outstanding natural beauty - is now the target of frackers.

In December, Celtique Energie applied to drill for gas and oil in Wisborough Green, West Sussex. Now they’re at it again, with a second application to drill in Fernhurst, which is within the South Downs National Park. This is a precursor to a fracking programme which could spread across this treasured landscape for the next 15-20 years.

Drilling for hard-to-reach fossil fuels in the South Downs National Park is madness for the climate, local environment and Sussex communities. It also undermines the growth of the UK’s clean energy industries, which are vital in our fight against climate change.

The iconic white cliffs of the South Downs set it apart from any other national park in Britain. The South Downs National Park Authority are responsible for its care, and on their website promise to act in the “interests of the people who live and work within it.” Let’s ensure they do that, by saying no to fracking.

Read more and launch your objection here:

http://www.greenpeace.org.uk/blog/climate/don%E2%80%99t-let-them-drill-south-downs-20140113?&utm_medium=email&utm_source=gpeace&utm_content=2+-+Click+to+tell+the+South+Downs+National+P&utm_campaign=fracking&source=fracking 

The Secret Life of Bletchley Park

This book has been in my 'unread' collection for a while but watching 'The Bletchley Circle' on ITV has stimulated a desire to bring this book to the front of the queue. Written by Sinclair McKay it tells the factual story of the WWII code-breaking centre and the men and women who worked there. Bletchley Park's cracking of the Enigma code was one of the greatest achievements of the war. This book reveals the stories, for the first time, of the ordinary men and women who made it happen. The Mail on Sunday said: "An eloquent tribute to a quite remarkable group of men and women, whose like we will not see again".

I will post my own review when I have finished reading....

Entry Island by Peter May

Entry Island by Peter May
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I wondered how Peter May could possibly follow his magnificent Lewis trilogy. I might have known that this master of suspense would not disappoint. 'Entry Island' is a complex story that fills 535 pages, a broad canvas of compelling narrative that stretches from the Highland Clearances of the mid 19th century to present day Canada, Quebec and the Magdalen Islands in the Gulf of St Lawrence. Detective Sime Mackenzie is summoned to join an eight-officer investigation team to investigate what appears to be little more than a formality; a crime of passion on Entry Island. Haunted by his past, his insomnia dominates his life as he struggles to come to terms with what haunts him. The tale switches with great finesse from his ancestral past and his present struggle to recognise his destiny. I cannot say more for the sake of spoiling a novel of supreme accomplishment that encompasses a desire to find out who we really are. A stunning mystery. Highly recommended.

View all my reviews

Don't Cull, say Trusts

While the first badger culls have been carried out in Somerset and Gloucestershire, The Wildlife Trusts continue to vaccinate badgers on their nature reserves and, with farmers, on surrounding land.

The cull, claimed to be the best way to reduce TB in cattle (bTB), is opposed by wildlife organisations, scientists and the public. More than 300,000 people supported a government e-petition against culling. Although sympathetic with farmers, The Wildlife Trusts are firmly against the cull and will not allow culling on their land.

Two years ago Gloucestershire Wildlife Trust began to vaccinate badgers in high bTB risk areas to demonstrate its practicality. There are now 13 Trusts either vaccinating badgers or raising funds to do so. Some are vaccinating in the zone between high and low risk areas - the 'firewall' approach.

They will continue to press for greater emphasis on badger vaccination. But the long-term goal is the development of a cattle vaccine alongside other measures to reduce bTB such as improved farm biosecurity, restrictions on livestock movements and breeding genetic resistance in cattle.

For the latest news and to donate to vaccination projects visit
wildlifetrusts.org/badgers-and-bovineTB  

Barn Owls dying from Rat Poison

The barn owl used to be a common sight in the United Kingdom, but now the birds have become increasingly endangered. One of the biggest causes of barn owl deaths is rat poison - and the government isn’t doing everything it could to help them.

To get rid of rats throughout the United Kingdom, farmers and civil servants frequently use rodenticide. But the rats aren't the only animals who suffer: animals that eat rats, including barn owls, are also poisoned. In 2010, 91% of the dead barn owls in a contaminated area had been exposed to rat poison, and that number just keeps growing.

Kestrels, red kites and other birds of prey have also died in huge numbers from ingesting rat poison.

These poisons should be used as a last resort, not first choice, and they should only be used by licensed, trained pest control officers. DEFRA, the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs should introduce proper regulation on rodent poisons - before it’s too late to save barn owls.

Although not yet fully quantified, poisoning may well be the number one threat to the species.