8 New Stour & Avon, December 17, 2021
Your letters
email: newsdesk@stourandavon.net
Guidelines for safer feeding of our birds At this time of year many will have already put food onto their bird tables and filled up their peanut holders and drinkers in preparation of the added pleasure of watching migratory birds. Many of the experienced bird feeding fans will not need advice on how important hygiene is on preventing diseases spreading, which actually do more harm than good because simple guidelines were not adhered to. So the British Trust for Ornithology has set out some guidelines to help the less experienced or complete novice at feeding wild birds. Providing a variety of goodquality fresh food will attract an even greater variety of birds, avoid over-filling feeders to ensure they are emptied every few days prior to refilling with fresh food. Old bird food will spread all manner of ailments. Avoid placing feeders under garden features where birds perch or roost; this will prevent contamination from droppings. Provide clean drinking water on a daily basis and be mindful of predators when
placing a bird table. We owe a lot to charities like the RSPB and BTO for many cruel practices being consigned to the history books. A nursery rhyme called Sing A Song Of Sixpence was named after one such practice. In the 16th century French cuisine for the nobility and upper class involved the catching of Blackbirds including other species of songbirds. They were placed into a precooked pastry bottom alive and covered with a pastry crust. The creation was carried to the table, the crust was opened and to the delight of the assembled guests the birds flew out calling in distress as they attempted to make their escape. I realise my conservation efforts may appear to be futile given the number of birds in Britain. But it’s when I am joined by millions of others who are also doing their bit, that we collectively become very relevant in protecting wildlife. Mike Fry Upton
Cartoon by Lyndon Wall justsocaricatures.co.uk
MP’s ‘round up’ offensive
Am I alone in finding Christopher Chope MP’s ‘round-up’ against ‘illegal immigrants’ offensive (‘It’s time to stop current surge of immigrants, Letters, December 3, 2021)? Maybe it’s because I am the son of a Czech refugee who escaped from the Nazis in implement them accordingly. 1939 and thankfully found Over to you Dorset Council! decent people in the United However, because the town Kingdom prepared to offer council has already initiated him sanctuary. and resourced a Community For the rest of his life he Speed Watch project for lauded the UK as a model of areas around the town, social democracy with respect including the road leading to for human rights; he was the First School, they did not totally committed to its values. feel it appropriate to support I daren’t think if he were still the installation of a speed alive what he would make of indicator device. Chope’s simplistic description We wait to see what happens. of a ‘surge of immigrants’. DS Biddle In many parts of the world (such as Syria, Afghanistan, Wimborne
Council responds to concerns As reported in your previous edition, Wimborne Town Council were asked to support three road safety measures concerning the new Wimborne First School, that is traffic calming measures, the extension of double yellow lines and the installation of speed indicator devices. I am pleased and relieved to say that the first two of these were supported and Dorset Council will be requested to
OFF THE WALL...
Iraq and southern Sudan), civil wars have made life unendurable for many. In other parts of the world, severe climate change is rendering traditional agricultural life impossible, forcing people off the land into overcrowded cities with poor resources. These are the reasons people risk life and limb to get here, hoping as my father did before them that the UK is a decent country who care about people as individuals rather than dismissing them with language more akin to describing a plague or pandemic. Frankly, it makes me ashamed of what has happened to this country. Tony Horitz Wimborne
Your email comments are very welcome, however we cannot publish them anonymously and we reserve the right to edit them as deemed necessary
