It is almost 200 years since great bustards – the world’s heaviest flying bird – were hunted to extinction in the UK.
Now a programme to reintroduce them says the wild population will soon be large enough to sustain itself, with four nests spotted on Salisbury Plain in Wiltshire.
Birdworld in Farnham, Surrey, has incubated eggs from Madrid Zoo since 2013 before releasing the birds.
Great bustards, which resemble ostriches, were once common but became extinct in the UK nearly 200 years ago because of people hunting them for food. The last one was killed in 1832.
It's almost inconceivable that we'll vote to leave the EU. Really. Grexit won't change that. "Renegotiation" is a red herring too. In the last parliament DC went to Brussels and came back with nothing. This is the overwhelmingly likely scenario in this parliament too. The EU is like one of those proverbial giant ships that takes for ever to change course. Almost nothing that DC wants (or claims to want) can be achieved in the few months available before the referendum. And there's no incentive for the EU to bother to go to all the trouble of "renegotiating" anyway. Without any "renegotiation" we will vote to stay in. So what's the point? Does the mythical "renegotiation" serve any purpose other than to sway Eurosceptic politicos who make up about 0.1% of voters? Virtually every normal person knows which way they're going to vote and this Tory politicking is eyewash.
Nonsense, the EU has been very adept at placating individual nations when they need to, they just need to have their toes held to the fireplace before action gets taken. See the Edinburgh Agreement for the Danes and plenty of other examples.
The EU referendum creates the heat and fire necessary for Cameron to get an agreement. Without it (and without a mandate he's gotten for it) there would be no need for a new deal, now there is. The EU is like a teenager only ever completing their homework the night its due, for the EU the can is kicked only when it needs to be and Cameron has created that need.
Plus Cameron and his team are quite clever and know which battles to pick, they're seeking to get reforms that there is a desire for across the continent.
The most terrifying outcome for Europhiles is that Greece leaves the euro and 12 months later, things are actually not so bad. And there are quite good reasons for believing things could turn out like that.
Rubbish. I am a europhile and would be delighted with such an outcome. A successful outcome for both Greece and the Eurozone and prosperity for both is an ideal outcome. The more successful the EU is then the better for the UK and our place in it.
Indeed if the signs of a strong recovery in the Spanish economy start to spread to other parts of the Eurozone while our own economy starts to stall again then the in/out debate would change in tone again.
It is almost 200 years since great bustards – the world’s heaviest flying bird – were hunted to extinction in the UK.
Now a programme to reintroduce them says the wild population will soon be large enough to sustain itself, with four nests spotted on Salisbury Plain in Wiltshire.
Birdworld in Farnham, Surrey, has incubated eggs from Madrid Zoo since 2013 before releasing the birds.
The programme of reintroducing the Great Bustard on Salisbury plain has to the best of my knowledge been up and running for the past 10 years, with varying degrees of success.. – Foxes keep eating them.
The EU meeting on immigration today seems likely not to reach agreement, with Italy threatening to disobey other EU rules if it does not get its way.
However, as long as naval ships keep rescuing immigrants and bringing them to EU, then it is highly likely that the immigration will continue or even increase. The one thing not on the agenda appears to be how to discourage this tide of immigration and how to deal with the people smugglers.
As some immigrants come from sub-Saharan West Africa, then they will be economic and not political immigrants.
The distinction between the two (refugees and economic migrants) is becoming increasingly ridiculous. And how we're dealing with people even more ridiculous and ineffective.
Eventually, we're going to have to tear up the various Conventions, decide on how many people we want to let into Europe and where from and turn back everyone else.
As Matthew Parris pointed out 11 years ago, when he asked what would Europe do if the entire population of Kurdistan upped sticks, and headed to Europe.
Who can blame anybody for wanting to leave a third world cesspit? As you say, it makes no difference from an ethical point of view if someone is leaving due to religious persecution, the threat of rape by their uncle, or because the crops have failed. But, Europe cannot take everybody who wants to leave.
There are plenty of people who think it can, and it should.
Many hold key positions of influence within the EU.
The most terrifying outcome for Europhiles is that Greece leaves the euro and 12 months later, things are actually not so bad. And there are quite good reasons for believing things could turn out like that.
Rubbish. I am a europhile and would be delighted with such an outcome. A successful outcome for both Greece and the Eurozone and prosperity for both is an ideal outcome. The more successful the EU is then the better for the UK and our place in it.
Indeed if the signs of a strong recovery in the Spanish economy start to spread to other parts of the Eurozone while our own economy starts to stall again then the in/out debate would change in tone again.
It's good to see someone with a positive view of the outcome, in a thread that is (perhaps understandably) filled with doom and gloom wrt Greece.
Comments
Are they tasty?
Edited extra bit: ah, I'm misremembering. It was 'Second Order' he led.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w7AvdDMDIn8
Not all the Gods are real?
/pedant
You're confusing him with Garak, who was an ex Obsidian Order chap.
The EU referendum creates the heat and fire necessary for Cameron to get an agreement. Without it (and without a mandate he's gotten for it) there would be no need for a new deal, now there is. The EU is like a teenager only ever completing their homework the night its due, for the EU the can is kicked only when it needs to be and Cameron has created that need.
Plus Cameron and his team are quite clever and know which battles to pick, they're seeking to get reforms that there is a desire for across the continent.
And I the craze of oology (bird-egg collecting) would not have helped.
If they're that big, they must take quite a while to cook. Defrosting them before Christmas lunch would be a bit of a chore.
Indeed if the signs of a strong recovery in the Spanish economy start to spread to other parts of the Eurozone while our own economy starts to stall again then the in/out debate would change in tone again.
Many hold key positions of influence within the EU.
NEW THREAD
The most bizzare thing in that article is George Galloway proposing a Battle of Britain weekend to recreate the spirit of the Blitz.