Twilight sparkle
If your sunsets look more spectacular than usual these days, you can thank volcanoes. Powerful eruptions in Russia and Papua New Guinea have sent gases and dust into the stratosphere. This scatters blue light, giving the sky a deep purple glow at twilight.
The colours are best seen after sunset on clear nights.
What’s wrong with whales?
Growing numbers of dolphins, whales and porpoises are washing up on British shores, with more than 1,000 stranded in 2017 alone.
But there is a silver lining: research has also shown that a wide range of species is swimming off the British coasts, including one — the dwarf sperm whale — that had never been seen before.
Crayfish on the move
Relocations hardly come more luxurious than this: 350 white-clawed crayfish have been hand-collected from a stretch of the River Witham by Environment Agency officers and moved to a secret haven in a Lincolnshire lake.
This is the second time that crayfish are moved in Lincolnshire, after a first, successful relocation in 2017. The initiative is part of a wider scheme to halt the decline of the crustaceans, which are under threat from the invasive signal crayfish.
Full story (Rutland & Stamford Mercury)
Top pint
Want to know where the best pub in the country is? Head to Lancashire. The Inn at Whitewell has nabbed the prestigious accolade at the latest Good Pub Guide awards.
Another Lancastrian pub, The Assheton Arms, was named Dining Pub of the Year and two more made it into the top ten for Own Brew and Town Pub respectively.
Why petting your dog is good for you
New research by international academics, shared by Tombola, has revealed that stroking a dog (but also a cat, a rabbit and even a turtle) for just 15 minutes a day can lower your blood pressure by 10%.
According to the study, the motion releases hormones, such as serotonin, that improve your wellbeing and can help reduce anxiety.
Full story (Gloucestershire Live)
On this day...
Mary Stuart was crowned Queen of Scotland in Stirling. By the time of her coronation, at the ripe old age of nine months, the baby queen had already being reigning for almost the entirety of her short life — she had succeeded her father, James V, when she was just six days old.
In practice, however, Mary ruled over Scotland for only six years: from August 1561 — when she returned from France, where she had spent much of her childhood and married the Dauphin, later King Francis II —to July 1567, when she was forced to abdicate in favour of her son, James VI of Scotland, who later became James I of England.
Loch Ness’s slippery surprise
Nessie’s mystery may have been solved and it’s nowhere near as exciting as you’d hope.
Scientists from New Zealand’s University of Otago think ‘it’s plausible’ that the Scottish monster may be nothing more than an overgrown eel.
And finally...how to bag the rarest 50p coins
Coin collectors are scouring the country in search of a special 50p coin featuring Peter Rabbit. Never previously released, the 2019 commemorative coin has now been put into circulation by collectors' website The Great British Coin Hunt (TGBCH). The catch is that TGBCH are only distributing 400 coins at different locations across Britain, making it extremely hard for people to come across one.
The fun is obviously in the hunt, but if you can't be bothered to look for the precious 50p, you can buy one from The Royal Mint for £10. Full story (Devon Live)
Country Life Today: Why England's heather is under threat
In today's news round-up we find out why heather is being lost across much of England, discover whether Big Cats
-
The brilliant tractor tribute to the NHS from a group of Warwickshire farmersPeople around Britain have been paying tribute to the efforts of our NHS workers at the time of the coronavirus pandemic — but few have been as creative and clever as this one.
-
London's iconic red bus at risk and 6,000 year old chewing gum gives clues into our DNA historyCuts to industry subsidies and an increase in fares has left bus use at its lowest point ever, while DNA extracted from ancient 'chewing gum' allows scientists to decipher the genetic code of a Stone Age woman.
-
90-million-year-old 'swimming dinosaur' skeleton found by dogs out walking in Somerset, and the nonchalant moths who don't bother fleeing enemiesA superbly intact dinosaur skeleton — described as being 'museum quality' — has been discovered on a beach in Somerset.
-
Battle to ban 4x4s from the idyllic Lake District spot bequeathed by Beatrix Potter, eagle fights octopus and the 'snail's pace' climate talksThis morning we look at Little Langdale's fight for peace, reflect on the climate change talks in Madrid and discover the soundtrack for Brexit.
-
Country Life Today: How Greta Thunberg shifted the dial on climate change — and the backlash shows just how muchThis morning we ponder whether Greta Thunberg is the Joan of Arc for the environmental movement, look at a key election — one from 19 years ago — and ponder the marvel of 'dad tidying'.
-
Country Life Today: Great news for those who love our great country pubs — the years of decline are overThere is a great sign of health in the pub industry, we look back at Edward VIII's abdication message and fret about Greenland's melting ice.
-
Country Life Today: Spain accused of being 'a deplorable choice' for UN climate conferenceA no-holds-barred assault on the Spanish fishing industry, Banksy raising awareness of the homeless and the woes of the Christmas jumper are in today's news round-up.
-
Country Life Today: 'This is perhaps the ultimate wake-up call from the uncontrolled experiment humanity is unleashing on the world’s oceans'In today's round up, we examine why oxygen loss is putting oceans at risk, discover that action to cut air pollution brings almost immediate benefits to human health and find out which bird's arrival marks the start of winter in Gloucestershire.
