Scientists are planning an operation to save seabirds on the Pitcairn Islands. Henderson petrels are one of four rare birds that are found only on the island. They are under threat because their chicks are being eaten alive by rats with which the island has become infested. Nearly 50 million pellets of rat poison will be dropped on the islands in an effort to save the birds. Other species that are threatened include the Henderson reed-warbler, the Henderson crake, the Henderson fruit-dove and the Henderson lorikeet. The operation will cost around £1.7 million and the whole island will need to be covered with around 98 tonnes of cereal pellets. For it to be successful is would be essential that no single pregnant rat remains alive.

According to this article Dyson have recently released an attachment that can be used to vacuum your pet. The £40 tool is designed to remove loose hair from your pet quickly before it gets stuck on carpets and furnishings. Unfortunately I don’t think I could use it on my cats, they are terrified of the vacuum cleaner and bolt for the door as soon as I take it out of the cupboard.

Scientists have found that Drongos in the Kalahari have developed a way of stealing food from meerkats. The birds follow the animals around until the meerkats have found some food and then fake alarm calls. This causes the meerkats to run for their burrows abandoning the food and leaving it for the birds. The birds do not use their own alarm calls but those of other species changing them frequently. This persuades the meerkat that there is a dangerous predator in the area.

According to this article a new speed camera has been developed that can catch drivers for a number of other offences. Not only can they tell whether a driver is going too fast. They will also be able to tell whether a driver is wearing a seatbelt, measure the distance between cars to tell whether someone is tailgating, look for out of date tax discs, note numbers plates and check whether a driver has insurance. The new cameras have been funded by the European commission and developed by a consortium of European universities and research institutes. They are currently being tested in Finland and so far have been given a cautious welcome by UK motoring organisations. As most traffic offences and accidents are caused by drivers with no tax or insurance I wonder whether this might go some way to taking some of these cars of the road. After all these things are legal requirements if you don’t have them, you shouldn’t be driving in the first place.

I have always been fascinated by these brightly coloured birds so was pleased to read this article. It suggests that kingfisher numbers are on the rise. In fact the number of kingfishers seen by members of the public has risen 217% between March and September. It seems the rise is because of the increase in water quality which means kingfishers are more able to hunt for their food. It is now estimated that there are between 4,800 and 8,000 breeding pairs across the UK so it might be worth looking out for one next time you are near a stream.

According to this article Marks and Spencer are currently in talks with the government about signing up for their Green Deal policy. Under the policy home owners are offered an energy efficiency survey to find out where they can make improvements. Measures such as double glazing and solar panels are then paid for by the company offering the Green Deal. The customer will then pay back the cost through their regular fuel bill. It is thought other retailers such as Tesco, B&Q and British Gas are also interested in signing up for the scheme which could create as many as 100,000 new jobs and also slash Britain’s greenhouse gas emissions.

According to this article a Barack Obama sex doll is on sale in China. The doll features a blue suit and red tie and has his face screen printed onto the head. It was recently exhibited at the 8th Sex Culture Festival in the city of Guangzhou. It is not yet clear how popular the doll have proven to be.

According to this article this jumpsuit is currently the latest “must have”. Called the OnePiece some call it the adult babygro. It is a full bodied fleece that zips up from the crotch area to the forehead and comes in a variety of colours. Prices start at £80 for a plain design. It certainly looks nice and warm, I can see how it might be good for really cold winter nights.  

According to this article a New Zealand wine will become the first to display the carbon emissions per glass. Mobius Marlborough sauvignon blanc will show the full environmental impact of each individual glass serving on its label. The information will of course be different depending on where it is sold. Bottles sold in New Zealand are expected to carry a figure of 140g of CO2 whereas bottles shipped to Australia will display something in the region of 190g. Wines shipped to the UK will have a much higher figure. It will certainly be interesting to see the information but I wonder how much it will affect which wines people choose. I would happily buy English wine but it is impossible to find in the supermarket.

That’s according to this article which suggests taking regular exercise can help to ward off the common cold by boosting the immune system. Whilst it is hard often hard to find the motivation to exercise in the winter it seems it may be the best thing to help ward off winter bugs. The research which was published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine found that the severity of common cold symptoms fell by 41% in those people that were the fittest. People who were physically active on five or more days a week suffered symptoms for only half the time compared to those who did little exercise. It looks like its time to get the exercise bike out then.

This is the world’s largest wine glass which has recently been unveiled in Lebanon. It measures 94.48 inches high and 65 inches in diameter and beats the previous world record which was set in 1998. It holds an amazing 100 bottles of wine.

According to this article an XXXXL suit is now being sold on the high street. The suit fits chest size and a 60 inch waist and is the largest off the peg suit currently available in the UK. It is so large that it is big enough to fit two adults comfortably.