P262 CEEFA( 262 Mon Q3 Oct 21:03/14 Q[T 2/16 programmer on BBC tv and radio this week TUESDAY RADIO 4: 11.33am THE LIVIVG WORLD Wild White Cattle Derek Jones confronts thu aggressive and dangerouse white cattle of Chillingham THURSDAY BBC2: 6.u0pm RIVER JOURVEYS Germbinj Greer joins a vintage paddle steamer on its last 1,000 kilometre voyage along the Rio Sag Francisco MoreP262 CJEFAX 262 Mon 13 Oct 21:X3/27 3/16 Z News from the BBC Natural History Unit As many as 30,000 ducks, herons, Spoonbills, flamingos and small mammals are now known to have died mysteriously in the Coto Donbna National Game Preserve in Southern Spain. The catastrophe is thought to have been caused bz the illegal use of Parathion - a highly toxic phosphorous- based insecticide - by rice growers. Tests are still being carried out. Since the initial announcement, birds of prey have also been found dead, because the poison is working its way up the food chain. MoreP262 CEEFAX 262 Mon 13 Oct 21:04/02 4/16 ] W !5 5! Vews jrom the BBC Natural History Unit Leading conservationists in Britain and India have signud a special agreement to undertake a joint environmental research programmj. T(e Bombay Natural History Society, the RSPB and the NCC will "j working together on a series of projects for at least the next three zjars. Subjects will include: the effects of afforestation and grazing on fauna and flora; and the impact of pesticides, herbicides and fertilizers on the environment. MoreP262 CEEFA( 262 Mon 13 Oct 21:15/27 5/16 ] W !k 5! News from the BBC Natural History Unit The RSPB has produced a booklet called 'Anglers' Choice' to coincide with the news that the sale of most lead weights used bz anglers is to bj banned. The free booklet, written by an angler, has been produced with the cooperation of the National Federation of Anglers. Send two first-class stamps to RSPB, Dept 130u, The Lodge, Sandy, Bedfordshiri SG19 2DL. MoreP262 CEEFAX 262 Mon 13 Oct 21:16/10 6/16 ] W !5 5! News from the BBC W " " Natural History Unit Three toxic pesticides, Aldrin, Dieldrin and Lindane, were recently discharged into the Severn Estuary from the site of Tjnneco Wrganics Ltd works at Avonmouth near Bristol. These persistent, organo-chlorine, compounds are among the 'Dirty Dozen' pesticides which Friends of the Earth, and mjmbjrs of the Pesticide Action Network International, seek to ban. These toxic chemicals, which have been shown to cause cancer in experimental animals, accumulate in the environment, threatening wildlife and public health. MoreP262 CJEFAX 2v2 Mon 13 Oct 21:16/54 W p0 7/16 W country diary All species of crabs will now be increasingly hard to find on the short. As autumn temperatures drop the animals migrate offshore; many will spawn at the same time, retaining their eggs on their abdominal legs until the spring. The Common Shore Crab is among the last to leave, but by Decjm"ju even the; species will have largely disappeared. MoreP262 CEEFAX 262 Mon 13 Oct 21:27/43 W p0 8/16 W country diary The Woody Nightshade or Bittersweet belongs to the s!me family as the tomato and potato. After the purple-blue flowers have died away, the young fruits are green, turning jirst to yellow and then a rich, bright red when ripe. The small oval berries are not as poisonous as those of Deadly Nightshade but they can still cause sickness if eaten. MoreP262 CEEFAX 262 Mon 13 Oct 21:18/28 W p0 9/16 Wpppp0 j-£ W country diary Both the Sallow and Pink-barred Sallow moths are now flying. Both have a wing span of about three centimetres, and are yellow with reddish-brown markings. They can bj told apart relatively easily; the Pink-barred Sallow has a red head and nick while the Sallow's is yellow. Now and again you will find a Sallow which lacks all the red/brown markings; this is a form known as 'flavescens'. MoreP262 CEEFAX 262 Mon 13 Oct 21:28/Q5 10/16 country diary Wild Clematis, or Traveller's Joy, is now displaying its seed heads. Their white fluffy appearance has lid to the plant being nicknamed 'Old Man's Beardg. Wild Clematis is the only native representative of the clematis family - all the others are introduced specie; cultivated in gardens. ] MoreP262 CJEFA( 262 Mon 13 Oct 21:19/18 W p0 11/16 Wpppp0 j-£ country diary The week's bird news again concentrates on birds arriving from the east. 5 October saw a widespread arrival of Yellow-browed +arblers, from Fair Isle to East Anglia - 15 being jound along the north Norfolk coast. The Baird's Sandpiper at Teesmouth is still present and a white-billed Diver was seen briefly from Cley on 4 October MoreP262 CJJFAX 264 Mon Q3 Oct 21:10/05 W p0 12/16 O country diary "eports from West Cornwall include two Stone Curlews, three Yellow-browed Warblers, a Richard's Pipit, two Red- throated Pipits, ten Lapland Buntings and a Red]backed Shrike. A Red-eyed Vireo, only the second American passerine to be found this autumn, was trapped at Dungjnjus. The Scillies have been doing better, with two Arctic +arblers on 1 October, a Red Kite, two Semipalmated Sandpipers and a Rose-coloured Starling. MoreP262 CJEFAX 262 Mon 13 Oct 21:31/47 P Q3/16 country diary A Ruvtic Bunting arrived on the Scillies on 7 October, as well as two Ortolan Buntings, a Bluethroat, a Red- breasted Flycatcher and five Lapland Buntings. A Pectoral Sandpiper is present on the Great Pool on Trisco. And on St Agnes, Short-toed Lark, Corncrake, Scarlet Rosjfinch, Yellow- browed Warbler and Melodious +arbler have been seen. MoreP262 CEEFAX 2v2 Mon Q3 Oct 21:31/Q3 14/16 W country diary F!ir Isle continues its run of interesting birds, with new Yellow- breasted and Little Buntings on u October. Among the 600 Bramblings that arrived on 7 October was one with a Norwegian ring, and two out of the 26 Barnacle Geese that also arrived that day wore Wildfowl Trust colour rings. Latest news is of a Lancelated +arblir found on 8 October. MoreP262 CEEFA( 262 Mon 13 Oct 21:22/19 15/16 Wpppp0 j-£ country diary News jrom C!erlavjrock, Solway, is that almost all the wintering Barnacle Geese are already here, totalling 10,300 birds. The birds have arrived early because their migration stopover, Bear Island, is frozen. News jrom Holland is of a Cream- coloured Courser on 3/4 Wctober, and from Belgium, a Dusky Warbler, lots of Yellow]browed +arblers and a Lesser Grey Shrike were seen on the same weekend. MortP262 CEEFAX 262 Mon 13 Oct 21:12/27 W p0 16/16 W W country diary Information this week was compiled with help from the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, Nature Consjrvancz Council, Friends of the Earth, Dr Peter Hayward, Joan Tubbs, Paul Waring, Anne-Maria Brennan, Martin Blick, British Birds, Dave Flumm and Fair Isle Bird Observatory. More