Country diary 1950: Grass snakes do a lot of good
Two young cuckoos were sitting on the telegraph wires, possibly preparing to leave the country. One might easily have taken them for hawks with their speckled plumage. I believe many young cuckoos are shot in mistake for hawks.
I have been taking honey. The hives are jammed up with it. I am never quite clear about the way bee scouts direct a queen to a residence chosen by them for a swarm. I suppose they close round her and all go along together. Perhaps, the method of dancing on the combs is used, which is done when a find of honey has been made and information of its whereabouts is conveyed, by the finder to the other bees.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Sun
9 minutes ago
- The Sun
Parents being pressured into upgrading to faster broadband by kids as young as FIVE, survey reveals
ONE in 10 parents have changed their broadband provider - due to demands of their children. A study, of 2,000 parents with children still at home, found 48 per cent feel pressured by their offspring to make decisions around the house. 1 Kids, aged between five and eight, were found to be most demanding when it comes to the internet, and spend on average two hours a day using it - from streaming to gaming. And almost a third of parents (31 per cent) said their children use it for more than four hours-a-day - adding up to around two continuous months of usage a year. The same amount (31 per cent) admitted to threatening to turn off Wi-Fi as punishment, which led to arguments in 53 per cent of cases. After recent Ofcom reports of YouTube becoming the first place younger viewers go after they switch on their TV sets, the need for powerful home streaming is more important than ever. Stephen Warburton, MD of Zen Internet's consumer division, which commissioned the survey, said: 'With summer holidays upon us, the demand for fast, reliable internet at home is only going to rise. 'With so many connected devices - from games consoles to smart TVs - competing for bandwidth, it's crucial to have a connection that can handle it all. 'Otherwise buffering could be a permanent feature when you are streaming, gaming, and taking video calls. 'The news this week of YouTube being more popular than ever among younger viewers highlights this need for a robust connection.' The study also found 32 per cent of parents believe their children are 'addicted' to the services that come from the internet. With children being off school, 54 per cent of parents expect their internet usage to go up over the summer holidays. Almost two thirds of children use the internet most for gaming (61 per cent), followed by watching YouTube or streaming platforms (60 per cent) and TV or films (57 per cent) reflecting the findings in Ofcom's report. To combat over-use, more than half (55 per cent) of parents have implemented limits on how long their children can use the internet for. Of those parents surveyed that also work from home, a third (33 per cent) admitted their child is a distraction when they're off school during the work day. Highlighting the difficulties with broadband - 24 per cent of home workers admitted slow internet speed was their greatest challenge, according to the figures. And to overcome it 34 per cent have taken to sitting by the router to get the best possible connection - and 35 per cent have told others to disconnect so they got priority access. The spokesperson for Zen Internet added: 'When you are working from home a slow broadband connection can be a roadblock for productivity. 'By doing a simple internet speed test you can develop a great understanding of whether you are getting what you should be. 'A download speed of around 100Mbps is recommended to seamlessly game and take video calls concurrently, although if there is considerable usage you may consider going for a higher speeds.'
The Independent
38 minutes ago
- The Independent
United Airlines flight forced to turn back to Heathrow as ‘fumes' fill part of plane after take-off
A United Airlines flight bound for San Francisco made a dramatic turnaround back to Heathrow after 'fumes' filled up the plane's food preparation area. Flight UA949 took off from London Heathrow at 12.45pm on Wednesday 30 July for an 11-hour flight to the Californian city. The Boeing 777 managed only 27 minutes in the air before unexpectedly returning to its departure base. The plane reached as far as Milton Keynes, then ditched its flight path and looped back to London, flight tracking data shows. United Airlines told The Independent: 'United flight 949 from London Heathrow to San Francisco returned to London shortly after take-off to address fumes in the aircraft's galley.' The galley is the area in which cabin crew prepare food and store trolleys, and is where the toilets are typically found. 'The flight landed safely, passengers deplaned normally at the gate, and we're working to get our customers to their destinations as soon as possible.' After landing, three fire engines met the plane on the taxiway. There were 272 passengers onboard at the time, along with 13 crew members. Heathrow airport confirmed that the plane landed safely and did not have a wider impact on flight operations that day. After the diversion back to the airport, the flight was ultimately cancelled. The aircraft is still at London Heathrow and is expected to take off at 8.50pm on Thursday 31 July, FlightRadar shows. Heathrow, along with all other UK airports, were disrupted yesterday due to an unrelated air traffic control issue. The incident comes just days after another United Airlines flight was forced to immediately divert back to Washington Dulles Airport after a mechanical issue. The Munich-bound flight took off at 5.40pm local time on Friday, 25 July, yet circled back to the airport moments later. The airline confirmed that the flight returned to the ground shortly after take-off to 'address a mechanical issue'. All 219 passengers and 11 crew members deplaned as normal at the gate after the aircraft landed safely. 'The flight was subsequently cancelled, and we arranged alternate travel arrangements to take customers to their destination as soon as possible,' a spokesperson for the airline added.
BBC News
39 minutes ago
- BBC News
Competitors take on the greasy pole challenge in Blakeney
Each year a group of competitors take on the greasy pole challenge which has been a tradition in a coastal village for more than 100 years. Contenders try to walk, run or slide along a 30ft (9.1m) telegraph pole over the water in Blakeney, Norfolk, with the aim of reaching the end before falling in. The event, which took place on Wednesday, is part of the Blakeney Sailing Regatta. Hundreds of spectators came to watch people attempt the tradition this year. Follow Norfolk news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.
