SIBERIAN ACCENTOR!” spotted in Britain

The White Rose County was about to enjoy a red letter day. I pressed the delete button.

Seconds before, I had been penning a paean to Shetland, where the birdwatching is as dramatic as the plots of the eponymous BBC police series. 

In TV’s Shetland, detective Jimmy Perez deals with cases more intricate than the patterns on the islands’ knitwear. Its birdwatchers often have to unravel identification puzzles that would stretch even the formidable DI. Rarities come here from all over the world every autumn. Warblers and chats, thrushes and buntings arrive, hide and provide tantalising glimpses to locals and visitors.

Then the bird popped up. It was an OMG moment. We were both shaking

Hugh Harrop, Shetland Wildlife

This month an unprecedented, super-inflated anticyclone over Scandinavia has not only been blocking westerlies and their Atlantic fronts but also allowed an airflow with a strong, eastern bias. 

And the wave of birds with a Siberian provenance sent Shetland birders into a state of ecstasy.-read more

Star the Duck becomes star of a new children's book about his adventures

NORTH Devon's favourite duck will soon be immortalised in print with the release of a new book about his adventures.

Star the Duck, and his owner Barrie Hayman, are a common sight on the streets of North Devon where Star charms locals and visitors into donating money to good causes.

Now Star is getting some star treatment thanks to a new children's book being released this month at a special event in Clovelly.

Read more at http://www.northdevonjournal.co.uk/star-the-duck-becomes-star-of-a-new-children-s-book-about-his-adventures/story-29784354-detail/story.html#O6ypLP2sAOcvHaHX.99

Kumbuka

After attempting to make a dramatic bid for freedom, Kumbuka the gorilla looked perfectly relaxed - despite being branded a 'psycho' by one of his keepers.

Zookeepers yesterday boarded up the glass partition which cracked as the 'agitated' gorilla escaped from its den - through a door which may have been left open.

on Saturday he was said to be more docile sat in a corner of the enclosure barely moving. 

It comes as renowned conservationist Ian Redmond revealed he warned London Zoo about the poor design of the enclosure long before Kumbuka mounted his escape.

Ian Redmond, an expert in mountain gorillas, said that he had told staff a number of times that the Gorilla Kingdom, which cost £5m, was too exposed to visitors. 

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3839142/The-ape-escape-psycho-gorilla-Kumbuka-bid-freedom-smashing-window-cracked-London-Zoo-enclosure-crowds-warned-taunting-him.html#ixzz4NGtPVXku
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Can Plants Grow with Mars Soil?

In “The Martian,” Mark Watney uses the Martian soil to grow potatoes in the controlled environment of the “Hab.” In reality, the soil on Mars actually doeshave the nutrients plants would need to survive on Mars! There may not be the right amount of nutrients depending on where astronauts land on the Red Planet, so fertilizers may need to be added to the soil. The perchlorates in the soil would be leached out and separated from the water.

NASA is developing a simulant, a replication of Mars soil, to better understand how it can be used for plant growth and other purposes.

Here is what astronauts are doing with plants on the International Space Station today.

Gary Jordan

NASA Johnson Space Center read more

oh dear ,behind you.

in this photograph you can see a couple of unsuspecting photographers in Richmond park ,south west London, you can clearly see the large red stag is right behind them .

odd pizza delivery .

if you live in a riverfront home in kent  you can expect a new pizza delivery service.the pizzas will be dispatched  by service delivers wearing wet suits covered  in buoyancy aid  in a canoe.

romi hitches strange lift.

this photograph shows romi the leopard seeming to be hitching a lift by standing on  top of a crocodile by nara river,Kenya.