Counts of Meek

Sparrows and starlings

The national Big Garden Birdwatch survey took place on 26 and 27 January this year and is aimed at providing a snapshot of the UK's bird population. Nearly 400,000 people counted more than six million birds in gardens or parks. However, the overall number of birds counted in the survey - held in January - has dropped by 20% since 2004. Milder winters mean food is not as scarce and birds do not have to search in gardens, while some species are in long-term decline, the RSPB says.



BBC News on-line, 27 Mar.

Fish may respond to sound - Call them Pavlov's fish: Scientists are testing a plan to train fish to catch themselves by swimming into a net when they hear a tone that signals feeding time. If it works, the system could eventually allow black sea bass to be released into the open ocean, where they would grow to market size, then swim into an underwater cage to be harvested when they hear the signal.

What's next, teaching them to coat themselves in batter and hop inside a fryer?

Yahoo Website, 27 Mar.