Published 17 November 2013 Share close Share page Copy link About sharing previous slide next slide A specially adapted bird hide designed to help bats has been opened at a Nottinghamshire wildlife park. The structure at Attenborough Nature Reserve has insulated hibernation boxes to help the mammals during winter. It is hoped the hide will boost the rare Nathusius' pipistrelle species which was found in Nottinghamshire for the first time in September. Manager Tim Sexton said the hide's "innovative" design will give threatened bat species a helping hand. Mr Sexton said: "It has been a long held dream to have a new hide at the delta [area of the reserve]. "The innovative design of the hide will not only benefit human visitors to the reserve but will also give our threatened bat species a helping hand. "I believe this hide is the first of its kind … [Read more...] about Attenborough Nature Reserve bird hide to boost bats
Rspb complete birds of britain and europe
Brexiteers REJOICE! Gina Miller GIVES UP on Britain rejoining EU as ‘a non-starter’
EU and UK need to ‘work together’ says Gina Miller SUBSCRIBE Invalid email We use your sign-up to provide content in ways you've consented to and to improve our understanding of you. This may include adverts from us and 3rd parties based on our understanding. You can unsubscribe at any time. More info However, the 57-year-old UK businesswoman has also said Britain must be closely aligned with the bloc - while urging fellow campaigners to channel their energies into “more immediate concerns”. Mrs Miller incurred the wrath of Brexiteers across the nation after launching legal challenges against the Government on two separate occasions. Related articles Ukraine fightback: Four reasons Putin is struggling in horror war Putin fury as NATO plots to take control of vital waterway Six years ago, the High Court ruled the Government must legislate to invoke Article 50, which is the mechanism by which a member state … [Read more...] about Brexiteers REJOICE! Gina Miller GIVES UP on Britain rejoining EU as ‘a non-starter’
Attenborough Nature Reserve’s sand martin hide completed
Published 22 March 2014 Share close Share page Copy link About sharing Work to complete a hide and nesting bank for sand martins has been completed at Attenborough Nature Reserve in Nottinghamshire. It is believed to be the first of its kind, incorporating an artificial nesting bank made of clay pipes and breeze blocks and a hide. Cameras inside the 150 nesting tunnels will transmit images into the hide. Tim Sexton from the nature reserve said sand martins had already started to arrive from sub-Saharan Africa. "They are the first of the summer migrants to return - it really signals the start of summer and the end of winter," said Mr Sexton. "We've designed the bank to maximise breeding efficiency, if you like. "It will be fantastic for the public to watch the sand martins as they fly over the ponds, collecting insects for their young, then back into the nesting tunnels." … [Read more...] about Attenborough Nature Reserve’s sand martin hide completed
Europe in talks to replace Russian rockets with Elon Musk’s SpaceX
The European Space Agency (ESA) is in talks with Elon Musk’s SpaceX to take on launches for Brussels after the West was blocked from using Russia’s Soyuz rockets. The US rival to France’s Arianespace is in technical discussions with the bloc’s space authority to provide capacity for upcoming missions. The EU had been planning to use French-built Ariane 6 rockets for future space flights, but these have been repeatedly delayed, prompting talks with rivals to provide a stopgap. Josef Aschbacher, ESA director general, told Reuters that SpaceX, India and Japan were in the frame to provide launch services. He said: “One is SpaceX, that is clear, another one is possibly Japan. Japan is waiting for the inaugural flight of its next generation rocket. Another option could be India.” Work for the space agency would add another key client for SpaceX, which was founded by Tesla billionaire, Mr Musk . The rocket company has repeatedly secured launch contracts from the US Department of … [Read more...] about Europe in talks to replace Russian rockets with Elon Musk’s SpaceX
Millionaire, 70, jailed after refusing to tear down ‘Britain’s best man cave’
A millionaire accountant has been jailed for ignoring a court order to tear down ‘Britain’s best man cave’ after a marathon battle with the council. Grandfather-of-five Graham Wildin, 70, is waking up behind bars this weekend after an eight-year fight over his home sport and leisure complex, which includes a bowling alley, mini-casino, squash court and cinema. He was told he was being locked up for six weeks after judge Jarman QC ruled Wildin’s attitude showed he had been determined not to comply with repeated orders from the Forest of Dean District Council throughout the planning case over the hulking construction at the accountant’s home in Cinderford, Gloucestershire. Deputy council leader Paul Hiett said: ‘The enforcement case against Mr Wildin has been a long and complex road. ‘In what should have been a completely avoidable situation, Mr Wildin has continually ignored planning law and policies that are there to protect local communities. ‘The law is the law … [Read more...] about Millionaire, 70, jailed after refusing to tear down ‘Britain’s best man cave’
Community ‘relieved’ after millionaire jailed for refusing to tear down ‘Britain’s best man cave’
Neighbours of a millionaire who illegally built ‘Britain’s best man cave’ have told of their relief he’s been jailed. Residents in Cinderford, Gloucestershire, added that they hoped it was ‘the beginning of the end’ of the row over accountant Graham Wildin’s massive home leisure complex. The grandfather-of-five, 70, was jailed on Friday after an eight-year fight over his huge extension, which includes a bowling alley, mini-casino, squash court and cinema. He was told he was being locked up for six weeks after judge Jarman QC ruled Wildin’s attitude showed he had been determined not to comply with repeated orders from the Forest of Dean District Council throughout the planning case. ‘He gets up everybody’s back, and to him it’s payback time for all the people on this road. ‘We don’t see him very often. It’s just a shame because he used to be part of the community and would join us in street parties and stuff, but now he’s just annoyed everyone on the road and … [Read more...] about Community ‘relieved’ after millionaire jailed for refusing to tear down ‘Britain’s best man cave’
Tool theft: Britain’s £46 million crime that’s crippling tradespeople
Tradespeople across the UK are losing out on thousands of pounds, as sophisticated thieves are targeting tradespeople to loot expensive tools. Since the easing of lockdown in April 2021, more than £46 million worth of tools have been stolen from vans, with more than a third of the theft reports coming from London alone. As per the data from Direct Line , this is equivalent to an astonishing £245,893 worth of tools being stolen every day, with only 1% of stolen tools being recovered. Apart from London, a number of big cities feature in the 10 worst hit areas – including Surrey, Northumbria, Hertfordshire, and West Yorkshire – but more surprisingly, Kent and Dorset also make the list of top UK regions for tool theft from vehicles. Region Number of cases of theft since April 2021 London 12,769 West Yorkshire 400 Northumbria 233 Kent 217 Surrey 164 Hertfordshire 140 Dorset 135 Lancashire … [Read more...] about Tool theft: Britain’s £46 million crime that’s crippling tradespeople
Cats to be freed from special lockdown in German town
By Jenny Hill Published 8 hours ago Share close Share page Copy link About sharing Cat owners in one German town will be allowed to let their pets out for the first time in three months when the authorities lift a special lockdown. People in Walldorf, in the south-west, were ordered in May to keep their cats indoors to protect an endangered bird. Cats were only allowed to venture outside if they were kept on a leash no more than two metres (6ft) in length. But the animals will again be allowed to roam free from 00:01 local time on Monday. If a cat escaped while the lockdown was in force, owners were told to call a special hotline, then find and detain the offending feline. Any breach would result in a fine. An owner whose animal injured or killed one of the protected birds had to pay up to €50,000 (£42,000). Authorities had been attempting to protect the local … [Read more...] about Cats to be freed from special lockdown in German town
Skellig Michael: ‘I like the solitude and peace of the island’
By Colm Kelpie Published 1 day ago Share close Share page Copy link About sharing For the last 34 years, Pat O'Shea has looked after a rocky island that once housed a monastic settlement, was attacked by Vikings, and is beloved by Star Wars fans. Each Monday between April and October, he steps out of his house, looks across the rugged expanse of County Kerry and to the Atlantic Ocean beyond. He eyes the often choppy, frigid waters with an inquisitive eye, trying to judge whether the swells might hamper his weekly commute to work. At 07:00, he rings the owner of the transport boat moored alongside the village of Portmagee, to determine whether he and his small team will make it across for work on Sceilg Mhichíl, the largest of the two Skellig islands, and one of Ireland's national monuments. Pat and his colleagues at the Office of Public Works (OPW), a state agency, are the … [Read more...] about Skellig Michael: ‘I like the solitude and peace of the island’
‘I realised Sylvia knew about Assia’s pregnancy – it might have offered a further explanation of her suicide’
In 1963, the poet Sylvia Plath , distraught at the break-up of her marriage to Ted Hughes, committed suicide. Six years later, Hughes faced more tragedy when his mistress Assia Wevill - who had lured him away from Plath - killed herself and their four-year-old daughter Shura. Elizabeth Sigmund, a close friend of Sylvia Plath, prompted by the Guardian's account of Wevill's death (Saturday Review, 10/4/99) recalls the aftermath of Plath's suicide and the terrible events surrounding the death of Assia and Shura. In March 1963, I went with my young daughter, Meg, to visit Sylvia Plath's small children in the flat in Fitzroy Road, Primrose Hill, where their mother had killed herself weeks earlier. I had been told that Ted Hughes's aunt, Hilda, was looking after the children, four-year-old Frieda and one-year-old Nicholas. Before gassing herself, Sylvia had left food and drink for her children and made sure they were safe in their bedroom. When Meg and I arrived we found that … [Read more...] about ‘I realised Sylvia knew about Assia’s pregnancy – it might have offered a further explanation of her suicide’