message query for rx wildlife

Happy April Fool's

Just seen a brilliant feature on BBC Breakfast on a newly discovered type of penguin, that can fly. Can't find it on their website, but they had video on the TV and they've apparenly roped in David Attenborough, I hope they put the footage online later.

I hope that was this year's best april fool, and not yesterday's pay rise.

I've still not written up the weekend have I? The usual round of pubs and restaurants really, I might break it up into bits and scatter it about. Going out this week too, on a school night, this never happens. Got a "work outing" to Kalala on Thursday.

UPDATE: It's on youtube, but fronted by my friend Terry Jones.

According to the popbitch board someone at the beeb emailed this to everyone at the beeb:

This email is going to everyone
Dear All,
Thought you might be interested in this. Do forward to your friends.
All the best,
Txx Dxxxx & Axxxxx Hxxxxxxxx"

Kind of un-virals what I think was originally a good video. I guess someone in charge of it was worried about the amount of money spent on it per eyeball it actually got on the morning or april fools day or something.

Alright, Mr Gordon Brown is listening to me...

Another petition, regarding a tax on plastic bags. With the news that M&S are stopping giving them away, things are rollling in a greener direction. With this, and the recent sunday newspaper story that Brucie probably WILL be getting his knighthood soon, I'm feeling like some sort of government advisor right now. Next stop; abolition of stamp duty in Canterbury, a reduction in ale duty, and a prohibitive tax on dairy products.

Thank you for signing the e-petition about the usage of plastic bags.

As you may have seen from recent media reports, this is a subject that the Prime Minister feels strongly about. As he said last year, our eventual aim should be to eliminate single-use carrier bags altogether. Plastic bags are the most easily reducible form of waste, cutting them out of our lives is one of the most straightforward ways we can all do something directly to improve our environment, reduce pollution and stop their harm to wildlife.

We want people to refuse disposable bags in shops, but if they do accept them, to reuse and eventually recycle them. If we all adopted this approach as a nation we could cut sharply the 13 billion plastic bags, or ten a week for the typical household, which are used and wasted every year.

But we can go further than this. As the Prime Minister has said, if Government compulsion is needed to make the change, we will take the necessary steps. The Government does not take such steps lightly but the damage that single-use plastic bags inflict on the environment is such that strong action must be taken. We have not decided on what precise scheme would work best - we will look at the experiences of other countries around the world in deciding how to approach the problem.The important thing is to come up with a scheme that will be of most benefit, most quickly. Ideally at the same time to secure funds for organisations that help protect our environment.

The actions of millions of British people will send a message right across the world that - as with light bulbs, and standby settings - we can address the danger to our planet. Through the Climate Change Bill, our Act on CO2 campaign, and a new impetus for renewable energy, we are leading the way.

Do these look poisonous or what?

I saw tonnes of them today.

In other wildlife news, seeing lots and lots and lots of rabbits near work at the moment, because I'm walking by their field around dusk, when they are quite bold. Also I saw a massive massive rat in Folkestone, when Clare and I took a walk down to the abandoned amusement park on Saturday. Very Scooby-Doo, was good to see it up close in its final decaying stages.

So should I eat these mushrooms or what?

Leave Dave the dolphin alone!

The Folkestone Dolphin is in The Sun today:

JET skiers and kayakers will be prosecuted if they harass a dolphin that has taken up residence in the English Channel.

The dolphin who has been nicknamed "Dave" has made the sea off Folkestone, Kent, his home over the past few months.

He can regularly be seen swimming along the reef between Seabrook and Folkestone harbour.

The warning from Kent Police comes after reports that people in kayaks were harassing Dave today.

Police say jet skiers and people in motor boats were getting close to him on recent occasions.

A Kent Police spokesman said: �Kent Police is asking the public to help protect Dave by reporting any behaviour by jet skiers and kayakers that may harm him.

"The Marine Unit may also be patrolling that area of coast and will take action against anyone who is annoying Dave."

Dolphins are protected under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 which makes it an offence to recklessly or intentionally harass them.

PC Andy Small, Kent Police rural and environmental crime coordinator, said: �Dolphins are well loved creatures and very friendly towards humans. However, they are wild animals and should be treated with respect.

"Boats, jet skis and kayaks should keep a distance of about 100m from the dolphin and people must not approach, grab, touch or try to swim with him."

BBC has the same story...

Don't forget The Sandgate Dolphin ebay store, seems they only have A4 prints right now, I'm sure the t-shirts will be back... In the meantime, check out other dolphin fun on ebay, like a bronze dolphin fountain water feature, a Christmas holiday at Dolphin View, or this yacht from dolphin cruises, a snip at only 110k...

Cheers for the link

Yeah those pics are just out the back window, but not at the time when the brown magpies were there. Just out the back window generally, a view I will miss. There's a Victorian cemetery out there, no longer used, and it's a bit of a wildlife haven. I think I took those pics with a view to stitching them together into a panorama, but didn't get around to it yet.

Magpie

Saw a little tiding of magpies outside the flat this morning (oh yeah that's another thing I will miss, the wildlife out the back window that I never quite manage to catch on film), but they were brown. Not seen this before, thought maybe they were babies, but am still looking for pictures online of what a baby magpie should look like. They were regular black and white magpie colouring mostly but were reddish brown around their heads and chests. Tried to get some pics, but didn't get the camera in time. Also completely failed to snap the gap where that Please drive by carefully in our village bridge was in Dalston, it's all gone now.

Installing Thunderbird today, so I can get my work email and my gmail in the same place hopefully... got the receiving bit working, but not the sending. Reading A short history of nearly everything now, as part of my read all the books everyone else has already read plan. Just finished Vernon God Little and didn't really think much of it.

Oh yes, a tiding is the collective name for magpies... You live, and also you learn.