Not Just the Little Pigs?

News that the first UK straw bale houses have gone on sale near Bristol (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-31156579). These have the advantage of providing excellent insulation and the waste material used to build them removes carbon dioxide from the air. It has been estimated that enough waste (not required for animal bedding) straw is produced in the country each year to build 500,000 homes. What is not mentioned is that the traditional alternatives (brick and cement) produce carbon dioxide making climate change more likely!

Smear Campaign

At least they admit that the main ingredient is the grease from the sheep fleece (lanolin)! Personally, I don't like the idea.

Birder's Bonus 150

A couple of Mute swans (Cygnus olor) flew over the Loughor estuary at Bynea.

Seeing the Changes 930

It must be getting on for Spring as the Spring crocus (Crocus albiflorus) is in flower in Loughor.

Birder's Bonus 149

Lots of Kestrel (Falco tinnunculus) activity over Machinys Golf Course.

You've Lost That Loving Feeling?

I appreciate that there is a) a need to capture the interest of diverse audiences and b) a natural tendency to use short-hand language when popularising science but I am a bit nervous about the anthropomorphism evident in the BBC series 'Animals in Love' (http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b05237m1). The stories are nice enough and complex mammals/birds clearly have 'emotions' but it is very unclear whether attributing human sentiments on the basis of appearance is a scientifically helpful activity. Animals do form social bonds (for mating, parental care and even security and status) but it seems to me a quantum leap to call it 'love' (not really a term that is much used by animal behaviourists anyhow). Maybe I'm not just an old romantic?

Pining for Marten?

George Monbiot has joined the enthusiasts for culling the alien Grey squirrel in the UK by encouraging the return of the Pine marten (Martes martes) throughout the land (http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2015/jan/30/how-to-eradicate-grey-squirrels-without-firing-a-shot-pine-martens). The described Irish experience certainly sounds more effective than the other expensive methods of culling (by shooting, trapping and poisoning etc). It would also be nice to (occasionally) see more of the Pine marten. Having said that, there is no certainty that once this little predator had munched its way through the greys (who are linked to the decimation of the native Red squirrel and cause real damage to pine forests), they would not start to eat species of mammals and birds we would like to conserve. This is a standard problem of advocated biocontrol methods (they need to be measured over the long term).