A rare case of avian influenza infecting a human living in England was reported this week. Bird-to-human transmission is rare and human-to-human rarer still, but with UK outbreaks now double last year’s and predictions of Europe’s worst bird flu epidemic ever - coupled with the high mutation rate of influenza and cases of H5N1 detected in foxes, seals and other mammals - a human bird flu pandemic feels closer than ever.

NEWS: Gamekeepers and people who like to gun down animals have been told that certain species such as carrion crows and jackdaws can now be shot as the government updates its definition of ‘livestock’ to include game birds.

BLOG: In case you missed it, the RSPB - one of Britain’s foremost animal protection charities - advised its members to lure badgers to electric fences using sweet treats. The reaction from other groups was rightly damning, but once again it demonstrates the insidious nature of speciesism amongst our most hallowed animal-loving organisations.

PICTURE STORY: Alejandro Prieto’s winning entry into this year’s Bird Photographer of the Year competition - a roadrunner seemingly blocked by the wall built by the Trump administration on the Mexico-US border - is a poignant reminder of the effect we humans have on those with whom we share this planet.

Hanging feeders and bird tables are mainstays of the idyllic British garden, topped up by well-intentioned ‘bird lovers’. Who can blame us for believing that we’re helping our feathered wildlife by leaving some seeds and nuts out, particularly in the winter when food is scarce? According to a study out this month, we could be doing more harm than good, writes Andrew Gough.