nottinghampost

Today up to 150 tonnes of grain are spread beside Lake Hornborga during spring, helping the birds to refuel as they journey to breeding grounds in the far north. Their journey starts in Spain but many fly in from Rügen, northern Germany, another staging post, 430km away or a one-day flight. The greatest numbers tend to be seen in late March/early April, and when I visited last year a new record was set as the daily tally peaked at 27,300 cranes. By May they have departed on the final leg of their journeys but the lake is still a great place to see other waterfowl and raptors, such as marsh harrier, osprey, golden and white-tailed eagle. … [Read more...] about The dancing cranes of West Sweden – a bucket list wildlife spectacle

Outsiders, puzzled by the contenders’ misleadingly similar pitches, should remember what a peculiar electorate they are addressing. Belonging to a party is a niche hobby: the tiny electorate of white male shire Brexiteers who chose Boris Johnson were the oddest. But YouGov revealed Labour members’ eccentricities. Asked for their most admired leaders, Corbyn topped the poll at 71%, with Tony Blair, their three times victor, trailing at 37%. When Rebecca Long-Bailey awarded Corbyn 10 out of 10 for leadership, she knew her voters. … [Read more...] about The only way to a Labour victory may be a pact with the Lib Dems

Thames Water agreed to look at your case again and tells us: “We’ve agreed to backdate charges for the eight years they lived at the property. We understand the frustration this has caused and are sorry for the time it took to reach the right decision.” … [Read more...] about Counting the cost of sharing neighbour’s Thames Water meter

For some, the close confinement and constant sound of pressurisation will be a recipe for a panic attack. For me, it is heaven. I am what you might call a claustrophile. I have always loved climbing into cupboards and corners, making dens and closing a door on the world. I fantasise about Japanese capsule hotels. Now, I lie and watch a zip close above me. There is a hissing noise. I adjust my oxygen mask and observe star-headed thumb screws being turned to calibrate the pressure. The gauge crawls upwards, my ears are getting stuffy. I swallow as it hits 4psi, equivalent to a depth of nine feet under water. Gazing at ambient blue through a hatch to the outside world, I imagine I’m much deeper, packed into a nuclear missile on the undercarriage of a submarine. I am in my happy place. … [Read more...] about Hyperbaric chamber therapy: I’m under a lot of pressure – and I love it!

A spokesperson for the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs blamed the EU for the failures in marine conservation. “Currently the Common Fisheries Policy restricts our ability to implement tougher protections but leaving the EU and taking back control of our waters as an independent coastal state gives us the opportunity to introduce stronger measures,” she says. … [Read more...] about How a no-take zone revived a Scottish fishery devastated by dredgers