EnviroSpin Watch

Parrot update.....

Breaking news: the UK parrot reported dead in Friday's blog (below) has been confirmed this evening as having a strain of the H5N1 flu virus close to that known from ducks in China: 'UK parrot "had deadly bird flu"' (BBC Online News UK, October 23):

"A parrot that died from bird flu in UK quarantine did have the H5N1 strain that has killed at least 60 people in Asia, the government has confirmed..."

The current theory is that the parrot, which was imported from Surinam, South America, caught the virus while being held at a quarantine facility in Essex along with with birds imported from Taiwan. All the birds which came into contact with the parrot have now been culled.

It is looking increasingly likely that the import and export of all exotic bird species into and out of Europe may be halted as a precautionary measure.

So this weekend, it was very much a case of "Eat oysters, drink beer and be merry, for tommorrow we cough and wheeze!" The new season of our native European oyster, Ostrea edulis, makes up for a lot. "Down the hatch!"

"'O Oysters,' said the Carpenter,
'You've had a pleasant run!
Shall we be trotting home again?'
But answer came there none--
And this was scarcely odd, because
They'd eaten every one."

(From: Lewis Carroll, 'The Walrus and the Carpenter', 1872)

[Upper Right: Stott the Sybarite, as photographed by 'She Who Must Be Obeyed']

Philip, I might soon have to rename 'EnviroSpin', 'The Daily Squawk'. "Get off yer perch, Stotty!" "Now! Where did I put that coffee?"