In response to Bo

Another excellent column from Bo Beolens in June’s magazine. I did want to comment on his question about the moral difference between ‘exploiting plants and exploiting animals’. If he is genuinely concerned about the difference, I would suggest that he consider that not only does a vegan diet exploit fewer animals but it also requires far fewer plants.

Approximately 36% of the world’s crops (mainly soy, corn and wheat) go to feed farmed animals, not people, and the Feed Conversion Rate is very inefficient: it takes 25 kilograms of feed to produce just one kilo of beef. The ratios for other animals are lower but still it takes 15 kilograms of feed for a kilo of lamb, six for a kilo of pork and three for a kilo of chicken.

We can produce seven times more usable protein per acre by growing plants for humans instead of animals, and it takes 100 calories of plant matter to produce about 10 calories’ worth of chicken or just three calories of beef. That’s part of what makes a vegan diet better for the environment: it simply requires far less in the way of resources. Look up the water ratios and not just the ones for feed next – I guarantee you’ll be surprised!

Thank you, Bo, for another great column!

Becci (Northern Ireland)

Head turner

Here’s a photo of a surprise visitor to my garden in Retford, Notts. It seems that this Blackbird suffers from leucism and certainly makes for a striking look. I am sure it turns many heads of people who see it.

Jon Knight, Notts

islands. Here, numbers have steadily increased on Skokholm from 2,667 individuals in 1995 to a record 8,500 in 2018, and again, this spring. On Skomer, the increase has been even more dramatic, rising from 8,500 in the early 1990s to 13,000 by 2010, 22,500 by 2016 and 34,000 this spring. Easily reached and with a wealth of other seabirds not forgetting spectacular land birds, neither island should ever be overlooked.

David Saunders & Stephen Sutcliffe, Pembrokeshire

Why left out?

This is a picture of my local Dipper. I have noticed that it appears to blink, with what seems like a white shutter briefly blocking out the eyes. I have never seen this on a bird before and wondered what is happening?

Gail (by email)

Q

In short, Gail, Dippers have white eyelids. It is a feature shared with other species of dipper, such as the American Dipper, which also have otherwise dark feathering on the head, but the feathering on the eyelid is white. Some people get confused by this, and think they are seeing the translucent membrane (called the nictitating membrane), which is an ‘extra’ eyelid which birds have to protect and moisten their eyes, yet allow them to still see a bit. The white eyelid of the Dipper is a ‘proper’ feathered, top-to-bottom shutting eyelid, and no one knows exactly why it is so strikingly coloured, but perhaps it has a signalling function at some stage in the bird’s lifestyle, to communicate with other Dippers.

A

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