Roland

Thought it was a 3,000 mile journey... but 2,500 would still be good. The most facinating aspect is that the same stop overs are used every time.

A north-bound monarch, shot here in a field in Oklahoma. (Billy Hefton/Associated Press)Monarch butterflies have a 24-hour clock in their antennae that helps them navigate their 4,000-kilometre migration route, scientists say. Researchers at the University of Massachusetts Medical School found that the clock, which is used in conjunction with a previously known "sun compass" to navigate, is in the insects' antennae, not in the brain. "We've known that the insect antenna is a remarkable organ, responsible for sensing not only olfactory cues but wind direction and even sound vibration, but its role in precise orientation over the course of butterfly migration is an intriguing new discovery," said Steven Reppert, senior author of the study, in a statement. Monarch butterflies make an epic 4,000-kilometre journey from their wintering grounds in a particular Mexican forest to summers around the Great Lakes. (No one butterfly makes the complete round trip. It takes four or five generations of butterflies to complete.) The butterflies have a compass in their brains that track the position of the sun, but because the sun moves across the sky through the day, scientists knew that a molecular clock was needed to compensate and keep the butterflies flying in the right direction. It was assumed that the clock would also reside in the brain. The researchers removed the antennae from a group of butterflies and compared their flight patterns to a group of control butterflies in an outdoor flight simulator. The butterflies with intact antennae all flew toward the southwest. The butterflies without antennae flew in random directions. The researchers also found that previously known molecular clocks in the butterflies' brains that regulate sleep cycles continued to function normally after the antennae were removed, showing that the clocks located in the antennae worked independently from those found in the brain. Without their antennae, the butterflies lost their ability to navigate using the position of the sun in the sky, because they could no longer compensate for the time of day, the researchers wrote in their study published in this week's edition of Science. To obtain further evidence that light-sensing biological clocks were located in the antennae, the researchers painted the antennae of one group of butterflies using black enamel paint and another group with transparent paint. The butterflies with black painted antennae were just as lost as those without antennae, while those with the clear paint flew normally. The observation that butterflies became lost in their flight after their antennae are removed is actually 50 years old, before it was known that butterflies navigate using the sun and spend the winter in specific areas in Mexico.

Well had a word with a regular stockist that is good. After 12 days or so most everything is dropping in price. Current Price are: Maples £ 11 coming down a lot. Tic Beans £7 A great bean Grout (holely) £5 but both are coming down. Wheat £4 Barley (Malting) £5 50 real McCoy though – have a another lot coming in for £3 : 50.

£15 30 tic beans, and £12 90 Maple Peas. (Canadian) Would pay me to take a van out and buy up for the winter I reckon. With fuel it would still work out cheaper.

My mate has them as 'Droppers'. Swears by them. Nature will find harmony after a little while. But feel best to let sleep dogs lie and lying dogs sleep at the moment. No good will become of jumping the gun, or letting your imagination run rife. A soft word oft turns away hostilities, and there isn't any at the moment, and most likely won't be. He's not daf. He knows the crack and what is what. Sure 'Pigeons' will be a means of bonding.

Sorry, after much thought I'm afraid I can't see me way clear Blaz regards y/b's. As, as most know, I'm a mite short of birds from one thing or another. Should just about have a race team for next season. But I will gladly donate £20. Let us know where to send, and when you want it, plus p.m me whom to make it out to.

A good 'Inn' needs no bush as they say. (A bush was then a means of advertising). You Know, we have quite a few couriers now... many of them, even after such a relevantly short while, have ebstablished them selves, so must be doing a fair job. Doubt not for a minute tha they have had a few blips and mishaps. That happens, certain things just can not be legistrated or planned against regardless how well they are detailed. However, those that have remained surely have a decent proven record. Personally if and when I ever need one, I doubt very much now as too whom I chose. Having said that, it will get harder each while now for a new courier to set up and get established. But of course many more will I have no doubt.

Bet your club mate would barr it from racing lol

I can only echo that. Not enough of hois ilk and that's for sure.

Good luck, as the song says 'Let the wind blow southernly ....' or any directions as long as it clear the bloom etc. Take care and wear the mask etc. Many have PL and are now able to carry on enjoying their sport, just hope uyou can too.

Will be fine. Just asked nicely if your free to knock his door any time day or night to retrieve any of your birds :-/ ;D ;D ;D ;D They will only - mostly - interested in yours when in the air and and they want to encourage them into thier loft. They don't wandr far. Supposre you could knit yours some woolly shorts :-/ ;D ;D

Yes I'd agree 90% of the time that they are a pain in the butt and posts are irrelevant and to no avail for any sense or purpose. However they are the odd times - and I'm not knocking Gladdo in the slightest - Indeed I've never look at the post / topic in question, but may do now of course. Back to the 105, these are the posts that many wish to see to put a worthwhile slant to. Many are the folks on hee been diddled, misled and or / conned. Some cheated, and others losing money and what not. Others still not recieving birds, or at least the birds they thought they had aquired. Most of these wished that they had been forewarned and that's for sure. In other words the 'Not so Good' element. The ones needing to be named and shamed, as indeed are those thanked and wished well are. Sorry if this distracts from Gladdo's post and the point he wished to put across. But, sadly, there aften 2, sometime 3 even, sides to view. the two involved and then sometimes the one squeezed in the middle the truth. Forewarned is forearmed and oh so too often some have declined to state a truth, and left it to someone else.... which never transpired.... Then who is the loser? :-/ The innocent lamb :o

Good luck Jimmy .... I can supply Rhino Hide at a sensible realistic price... :-/ Um come to think on that! If I wait a short spell you will pay way over the tops for it lol :P

Could say past a joke eh! lol :P ;D ;D ;D

I give up... :-/ Where has it gone .... maybe outside of me and Duncan's jokes the rest aren't up to parr lol ;D ;D

Just recovering from giving the missis her board.... still in a state of shock Pete. Say inflation up bu 1% means a 30% increase she wants :o.... Can't argue with the lady can one lol. ;D ;D ;D Would like to say, like ALL bird the vast majority aren't worth a light in real terms, Loella must also have the same ratio. Hence with such a vast amount bred, the reality may be that theirs are overall a lot better than most ... However the sheer volume of numbers sold means those %tage wise better, it may well seem otherwise. Further, whether Micheal is the same, or as good as the ole fella himself rmains to be seen. The is certainly one class act to follow for sure. No I don't have any Louella birds. Have had two, one lost of the top, the other very consistant. Remember even the Belgiums bought in big time from this stud as it was cheaper than buying in their own country. A nice touch was, I believe when a Bird off an Alf Baker bird won a national. This is just a swallow in a summer perhap I know about. I mean how many others would admit as such? :-/

Don't think any body - even Japanese and Tiawain - have ever boght better. Certainly not 'Whole shebangd and families.... may the odd one. And deffinately not the same 'Strain / Familie let alone the big winners and their immediate relatives. To argue otherwise would in my oppinion be futile. The names and purchases speak for themselves IN Volumes. Know too many successful lofts and winner that have starterd and / or bought in to strengthen their birds 'Pool' to know that very many good flyers - if not great flyers have done so. Even International and National winner bought off their stock. Now as for the other slants made against them, well all I can say is I've bought in ythree time from 'Named' flyers and had C$$P down the shoot big time! So go figure :-/

Subject: Warning for all Parents / Grandparents... This was passed onto me. No I'm not the Grandparent mentioned. But better to pass on and let others decide for themself as to the validity of this. Yesterday, my youngest granddaughter, Halle, who is just 4 years old, was rushed to the ER by her father for being severely lethargic and incoherent in her classroom. He was called to her school by the school secretary who said that she was 'VERY VERY SICK'! He told me that when he arrived at her classroom, Halle was barely sitting in the chair. She couldn't hold her own head up and when he looked into her eyes, she couldn't focus them. He immediately scooped her up and rushed her to the closest ER, and then called me. When he got there, they ran blood test after blood test and did x-rays, every test imaginable. Her white blood cell count was normal, nothing was out of the ordinary. When I arrived at the ER, the doctor there told us that he had done everything that he could do so he was transferring her to Saint Francis Hospital for further tests. Right as we were leaving in the ambulance, her teacher arrived at the ER and told us that after questioning Halle 's classmates, She had found out that our little girl had licked liquid hand sanitizer off of her hands !!! Hand sanitizer, of all things. But it makes sense. These days they have all kinds of different scents and flavors and when you have a curious child, they are going to put all kinds of things into their mouths. When we arrived at the Saint Francis' Hospital ER, we told the ER Doctor there to check her blood alcohol level, and yes we did get weird looks, but they did it. The results showed her blood alcohol level was 85% -- six hours after we first took her.. There's no telling what it would have been if we would have requested it at the first ER. Since then, her school and a few surrounding schools have taken the liquid hand sanitizers out of all the lower grade classes, but what's to stop middle and high schoolers from ingesting this stuff? After doing research on the Internet, we found out that it only takes about 3 squirts of the stuff ingested to be fatal to a toddler. For her blood alcohol level to be so high, it would be like someone her size drinking120 proof liquor. So PLEASE PLEASE don't disregard this because we don't ever want another family to go through what ours has gone through. Please send this to everyone you know that have children, grandchildren, nieces, nephews or cousins. It doesn't matter what age. This could affect anyone of them . This can also be verified on truth or fiction... http://www.truthorfiction.com/rumors/h/hand-sanitizer.htm This story was verified at: http://www.snopes.com/medical/toxins/sanitizer.asp This is not a Joke! This is a Warning for all parents / grandparents PLEASE OPEN !!! Warning for all parents/grandparents, a friend sent this to me and I thought it was important enough to send on...we all know someone with children -- Also confirmed on About.com: Urban legends. G.

It is good to see you on here again Ted!

May well be their Meals on Wings are beginning to run a mite short elsewhere.

Well I have seen many, and could hazard a guess.... But be best to Leave to tammy and his better half I'm certain.

;D ;D ;D I meant Love Glass of course. A greenhouse lol would be great. - Infact a fellow from Peterborough used as such, a double glazed loft with good results. Hawks hate flying into toughened glass.

A good and very honest post Owen. One where I've no doubt most of us agree with your sentiments entirely. Yes in an ideal world this would be great as it would mostly happen, But sadly it's not an Ideal world.. Now I would say - and I have been glad to if any help or such best I could on many occassions to help. However the one of the biggest problem as I see it is Pride. Not many can be up front and say it they can't afford it. then when they do, it is regarded as bleat hard luck stories. And viewe as 'Just another uncaring excuse via a fancier that doesn't care or is even bothered. I beieve that there is a far far larger picture here. 'Afford to keep ... but can't afford to lose' does have a very pertinent role I fear. Now if we say enforce, bann them, make them pay up etc. and another third pack up, that would mean in real terms another 50% added to our overall costa at least.... Which would only enhance the dire straits we face now in regards strays even further in my oppinion. That is why I personally believe - never been told or had it infered - the reason why a Blind eye is being turned. So now the two things happening now are 'Feed and waterthem, then send them up the road'. Then the adage 'No good to me, no good to them' best lost for good. They then say 'no one wants them back any way' etc. Niether is good if one wants their bird back. Mind fed and water and re released from a different lib often means they clear and home, so that is by far the best alternative of the two. So a Fellow id to me say like he was to PJ. Then I'm not best pleased, So up the road it would have to go. Better than a bin.

Kev, I believe that the embassament of not being able to afford may often attribute to an off handish, and unagreeable stance. Seems that being skint, or not able to afford has become a stigma, moreso these days that say from the 50's onwards