Digesting ten unpalatable myths about food

I’ve put together a menu of my favourite food myths #DeceivedWisdom and separated the fact and fiction based on the debunking of nutrition myths in a recent well-referenced feature on examine.com. Myth 10 is my own bonus myth debunked.

Myth 1: Carbs are bad for you

Fact: As long as you do not overindulge, there is nothing inherently harmful about carbohydrates.

Myth 2: Fat is bad for you

Fact: If you eat too much and don’t get enough exercise, and so stay in a caloric surplus, a low-fat diet won’t help you lose weight. You need some omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids. Saturated fat won’t give you a heart attack, but too much trans fat might.

Myth 3: Protein is bad for your bones and kidneys

Fact: Protein, even in large amounts, isn’t harmful to your bones or kidneys (unless you suffer from a pre-existing condition).

Myth 4: Red meat is bad for you

Fact: The risk of getting cancer from eating red meat has been vastly exaggerated. Healthy lifestyle choices, such as maintaining a healthy weight, exercising, not smoking, and drinking alcohol only in moderation is far more important to overall risk.

Myth 5: Salt is bad for you

Fact: Salt reduction is important for people with salt-sensitive hypertension, and excess salt intake is associated with harm. But drastically lowering salt intake has not shown uniform benefit in clinical trials. See Myth 4 for general comment on health risk reduction.

Myth 6: Fresh is better than frozen

Fact: There are only tiny nutrient differences between truly fresh fruit and veg compared with frozen produce. Choose to suit your taste, budget, and lifestyle, any fruit and veg is better than no fruit and veg. Some supermarkets cold store “fresh” fruit and veg for months, so in that case frozen might even be fresher.

Myth 7: You should do a ‘detox’ regularly

Fact: The concept of a detox is pseudoscience. Nothing dietary you ingest will accelerate significantly the body’s natural processes (in the liver and kidneys) of waste products. Moreover, some supplements add to the burden on the liver and can even interfere with medication, leading to more tox than detox.

Myth 8: Breakfast is the most important meal of the day

Fact: You don’t need to eat breakfast to be healthy or lose weight.

Myth 9: You won’t lose weight if you eat before bedtime

Fact: Eating late won’t make you gain fat, unless it drives you to eat more. Also, tasty, high-calorie snacks are very attractive after a long day.

Myth 10: There is a magic formula to make you healthy, wealthy, and wise

Fact: There isn’t. Eat sensibly, don’t overindulge in any one food, get plenty of exercise, preferably in the fresh air where you can hear birdsong away from traffic. Don’t smoke. Don’t drink to excess. Avoid worrying about your health and nutrition.

Oak Beauty (Biston strataria)

I missed out on the Merveille du Jour moths late last year, had a few November moths, and a Winter moth, but no December moths. I was beginning to think that our garden environment was too far away from oak trees for some of the species that are attracted to oaks.

But, then having started “lighting up” again a few days ago been graced with the presence of numerous Common Quaker the larvae (caterpillars) of which prefer deciduous trees, including oak and willows. Then I had a couple of Pale Brindled Beauty (Phigalia pilosaria), which also favour oak. And, best of the bunch in terms of patterning and antennae, an Oak Beauty (Biston strataria). The Dotted Border is also a fan of a range of deciduous trees.

Oak Beauty
Oak Beauty
Oak Beauty
Oak Beauty showing its patterning and antennae
Dotted Border
Dotted Border almost camouflaged on a business card from a local pub

Short-eared Owls at Burwell Fen

A 7- or 8-mile hike from NT Wicken Fen car park out through Burwell Fen to The Anchor in Burwell and back via the electric sub-station. Timing was perfect, just ahead of sunset by the time we got to the western side of Burwell Fen, there were about 20 others with cameras waiting for the local Short-eared Owls (Asio flammeus) to emerge for their late-afternoon prandials. Reckon we saw three of possibly six that live around this Fen.

Short-eared owl Burwell Fen

Like I say, there were quite a few people on the Fen watching out for owls and hoping for a great photo.

Short-eared owl photographer

Short-eared owl photographers

Oh, and here’s that 7.65 mile route to the pub and back via the owls…

Walking route Wicken to Burwell

Then, there were these snappers who seemed to be snapping me rather than the shortie heading across their bow.

Oh, and one last shot just the sun was sinking and one of the shorties headed off over the Fen.

 

Sex antenna

TL:DR – The males of many species of moth have feathery antennae to detect the sex attractant pheromones released by the females to allow the males to locate a potential mate, often from several miles away.


That feathery protuberance on this moth (Pale Brindled Beauty, Phigalia pilosaria) is one of a pair of antennae. What you cannot see clearly in my photo is that it’s fractal with each tiny hair on the main stem having its own array of tiny hairs and so on down to the molecular level.

Feathery antennae like this are found only on male moths and are basically its sex radar. They can catch a few molecules of female moth sex attractant pheromone on the breeze sometimes coming from miles away and guiding the male to where the female might be found. The female of this particular species has no wings and so the male must go to her to mate.

What use are moths?

Steve on one of the mothing Facebook groups told us he gave a talk about moths and was asked if we had any use for them. Other than making silk from silk worms (the larvae, or caterpillars, of the domestic silkmoth, Bombyx morihe) was at a loss to suggest any purpose to moths other than their role in the wider concept of life on earth and diversity and all that. He posed the question on the group and was offered quite a few reasons to be cheerful when it comes to moths.

Hebrew Character moth

Shaun suggested that people have an odd relationship with moths as they are used as symbols and in myths in a variety of cultures, as food – some people eat the larvae and they’re an important protein source packed with essential minerals, they can be used as invasive plant controls and for the study of genetics etc. As decoration in jewellery, clothing, tattooing etc. Paul pointed out the traditional food of Aboriginal Australia, the witchetty grub, which is the larva of several moths, most notably the Cossid Moth Endoxyla leucomochla. There are a food source in Europe too and a form of tea that is brewed with moth and other insect faeces in China.

Martin’s take was that we make use of moths for interest, study, research, and in hobbies. They “brighten our lives,” he says. They also act as a gateway into other activities and interests, such as flowers, trees, walking, travel, and friendship.

Common Quaker moth

Antony pointed out that pollination is probably the main use.

Matthew, somewhat tongue-in-cheek asked what do we use blue tits for? Or shrews? It’s not all about utility!

Roly asserted that moths have an important position in nature’s foodchain. Many birds wouldn’t exist without caterpillars for their chicks. He also added ever so slightly flippantly, I think, that his wife reckons she finds moths very handy for making her clothes look moth-eaten, proof that she needs continually to shop, though I’ve never seen a clothes moth in our closets, Roly emphasises.

Pale Brindled Beauty moth

Stewart had a research example of moth usage: Spodoptera frugiperda and Trichoplusia ni cell lines are used in the recombinant baculovirus expression system to produce proteins. The baculovirus most studied for this is Autographa californica multicapsid nucleopolyhedrovirus.

A pair of Snipe at RSPB Fen Drayton

I haven’t yet been to see the Snipe (Gallinago gallinago) living on the edge of our village pond, but a visit to RSPB Fen Drayton today allowed us good views of a pair roosting and then feeding on the little islands right in front of the Coucher Hide there.

Snipe, Gallinago gallinago

This species is incredibly well camouflaged in its normal environment. I spotted the first of two, Mrs Sciencebase the second. A fellow birder couldn’t quite home in on the places we’d seen them until the birds began to move to feed with their classic sewing machine bill action. Not to be confused with the Jack Snipe, which has shorter legs, a shorter bill, is a little smaller, and has more detailed and stronger markings but lacks the central yellow stripe on the crown of its head.

Here’s a shot from the hide of the more distant of the two Snipe we saw. This image is as it came out of the camera, uncropped, with no sharpening or processing, other than to resize for the web to reduce file load. Spot the Snipe!

RSPB Fen Drayton Snipe uncropped

The bird gives its name to the term sniper in reference to how British soldiers in the 18th Century used to hunt the species in India.

Welcome to the first moths of the year

Okay…first moth I’ve seen this year was a Common Plume (Emmelina monodactyla), which I think may well have been hibernating in our car and flew out when we arrived home on 15th February landing on a Ribes bush to be phone-photographed seconds later.

Common Plume moth

Second moth was in the trap (accidentally, as the timer had lit it up briefly evening of 19th). This moth, a Common Quaker (Orthosia cerasi), usually flies from March onwards. First time I’ve seen one. Added to the lepidoptera list and gallery.

Common Quaker moth

Apparently, to some moth-ers the arrival of brown moths, such as the Common Quaker, are an indicator of Spring being on its way.

Other moth species on the wing in February March that might turn up if you’re trapping over the next few days: Pale Brindled Beauty, Early Moth, March Moth, Dotted Border, The Chestnut, Hebrew Character, Spring Usher, The Satellite, Dark Chestnut, Early Grey, Clouded Drab, The Herald, Oak Beauty, Winter Moth (which I spotted twice in December 2018 outside the trap), Red Chestnut, Angle Shades (which appeared regularly from when I started in July 2018), Small Quaker, Yellow Horned, The Engrailed, Silver Y (another regular visitor last year).

Meanwhile, butterflies. We saw a Small Tortoiseshell on NT Tubney/Burwell Fen 14th February and then a week later (21st Feb) a Brimstone and a Peacock at RSPB Fen Drayton.

First Peacock butterfly of 2019, RSPB Fen Drayton

Scopelessly in love with birds

I made a start on a bird book, but there are so many around, it seemed like a futile effort, once I’d done a bit of due diligence and spoken to my publisher. My plan was originally for a nice, bright and glossy, book of full-colour plates, but they’re expensive to repro in print. The unique selling point (USP), aside from my photos, was to be discussion of the etymology of the different birds’ names, their recognised names, their folk names, and their scientific names. But, then I found and read Stephen Moss’s excellent book Mrs Moreau’s Warbler, which basically covered it.

So, here, in part-work form are the first few chapters from the sampler of what was to be Chasing Wild Geese – Spotting your first 100 birds. Apologies if you put your name down for a more positive update regarding a hardback, unless somebody wants to take up the option this book may never materialise. That said, my list is up to well over 100 birds now, so I could add new chapters over the coming months if there’s enough interest.

Chasing Wild Geese – PDF sampler version with bonus chapter about the author

Preface -  Scopelessly in love with birds
Chapter 1 -  Robin
Chapter 2 -  Barn Owl
Chapter 3 -  Blackbird
Chapter 4 -  Wren
Chapter 5 -  Red Kite
Chapter 6 -  Kingfisher
Chapter 7 -  Mute Swan
Chapter 8 -  Blue Tit
Chapter 9 -  Kestrel
Chapter 10 – Yellowhammer
Chapter 11 – Linnet
Appendix -  Birding Glossary

 

Kingfisher’s to Wicken to Tubney Fen

Did a bit of a marathon fenland crawl yesterday. Started mid-morning at Kingfisher’s Bridge Nature Reserve and learned a lot about the local setup and the Cranes, the Marsh Harriers, the otters, and the buffalo there from Bruce Martin. That’s a name any Cambridgeshire birder will know, he holds the record for the longest ticked list of species in the county, apparently, well over three hundred. Here are a few snaps from Kingfisher’s Bridge, NT Wicken Fen and Tubney/Burwell.

View from the left-hand hide up the mountain facing out over the lake
Unwanted otter in the lake despite the predator barrier (500m away)

 

Marsh Harrier harrying coots. It didn’t catch one.
Marsh Harrier chasing Mallard
Only mares allowed. The Konik pony stallions have been relocated to preclude breeding.
Disgruntled Sparrowhawk failed to catch the Kingfisher he chased into the reed bed.
Reach Bridge takes you over the waterway to NT Tubney Fen
Reach Bridge and reeds at NT Tubney Fen
Rusty Fenmen – Skater, Eel Catcher and Entomologist. Public art at NT Tubney Fen.

Birdlist for the day: Marsh Harrier, Coot, Wigeon, Pochard, Shelduck, Shoveler, Pintail, Whooper Swan, Sparrowhawk, Goldfinch, Greenfinch, Long-tailed Tit, Great Tit, Blue Tit, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Mallard, Mute Swan, Kingfisher, Reed Bunting, Wood Pigeon, Collared Dove, Robin, Kestrel, Lapwing, Black-headed Gull, Lesser Black-backed Gully, Great Black-backed Gull, Herring Gull, Cormorant, Greylag Geese, Canada Geese, Egyptian Geese, Gadwall, Tufted Duck, Wren, Blackbird, Fieldfare, Starling, Little Egret, Teal, Black-tailed Godwit, Little Grebe, Moorhen, Buzzard, House Sparrow. Mammals seen: Buffalo, cattle, Muntjac deer, otter, grey squirrel, Konik ponies.

St Mary’s Church at Burwell viewed from the western bank of NT Tubney Fen
Whooper Swan over NT Tubney Fen, Cambridgeshire

 

Feathered friends in an English country garden

TL:DR – Birds you might see or here in an English country garden. My Cambridgeshire garden ticklist is below.


Some time ago, my dear friend and fellow bigMouth singer John Stanford asked me to put together an article for our village newsletter about the birds we are likely to see in our gardens here in South Cambridgeshire. Your mileage will vary depending on where you are in the country, what kind of habitat your garden offers, feeders you use or don’t (it’s not essential and not always recommended). But, I do have an article on how to attract more birds to your garden.

Robin
Robin

Of course, which of our feathered friends turns up in your garden is down to many different factors, the size and layout of your garden, tree and other plant species, the presence of cats, whereabouts you are relative to patches of woodland, farmland, and whether or not the visitors find a useful supply of food in the form of berries on your bushes, seed feeders and bird tables, coconut shells full of suet, and whatever else you might put out to attract them.

Dunnock
Dunnock

Some birds will arrive in great numbers to feast on fatballs for instance. Most of us have been perplexed to see expensive fatballs disappear in a matter of minutes when a flock of starlings turn up. Other food, such as nyjer seeds in a specialist feeder will draw in Goldfinches and occasionally for some Redpolls. Sunflowers seeds with the husk intact, sometimes referred to as black sunflower hearts, will keep Greenfinches, Blue Tits, Great Tits, Coal Tits, and Long-tailed Tits busy, and if the nyjer seeds run out the Goldfinches too.

Redwing
Redwing

Robins, Blackbirds, Wood Pigeons, Collared Doves, Dunnocks, will spend much of their time pecking around under the feeders, although the Blackbirds will join Mistle and Song Thrushes plucking insects from the lawn. And, Thrushes will famously grab snailshells and smash them on the ground to get at the occupant. If it’s very cold out on the farmland, the winter thrushes – the Fieldfares and Redwings – will come into the warmer more urban areas and attempt to snaffle berries from your bushes and trees much to the consternation of the Blackbirds who will attempt to make them flee.

Redpoll
Redpoll

You might also spot Bramblings during the winter. They are another finch resembling the Chaffinch but brighter and more orange colours. I have heard from people living on the edge of our village who see them in their gardens occasionally, but they are more likely to be elsewhere.

Blue Tit
Blue Tit

Unusual but increasingly common in the winter are Blackcaps, a type of warbler normally considered a summer visitor, but turning up in our gardens from Germany and Eastern Europe rather than heading to the Iberian Peninsula and North Africa. Speaking of summer, by the time you read this birds that you might see above your garden or heading into your eaves may have started to arrive: House Martins first, then the Swallows that don’t necessarily a summer make, and finally the Swifts. Listen out for Cuckoos too. Certainly, houses on the edge of our local village green backing on to farmland have regular cuckoos visiting for the breeding season.

If you have ants among your plants, you might see Green Woodpeckers, also known as Yaffles for their scoffing call in flight. Ants are the staple diet of yaffles, so hold off the powder if you want to see them pecking at the ground in your garden. And, speaking of woodpeckers, there are quite a few Great Spotted Woodpeckers around, which will often come to garden feeders. Of course, if you’re attracting lots of small songbirds to your garden you might also attract predators including Sparrowhawks and less obviously egg-eating Magpies, and chick-chomping Jays. Great Spotted Woodpeckers will also peck into birdboxes to eat baby Blue Tits and the like.

Here’s our garden ticklist of the 70 species we’ve noted sight or sound) during the last quarter of a century, in, over, or very close to our small, relatively “sub-rural” garden:

  1. Barn Owl (daytime between neighbouring houses 2 Jan 24, Merlin app app late Oct 23)
  2. Blackbird (Seen using the pond for drinking and/or bathing)
  3. Blackcap
  4. Black-headed Gull (overhead)
  5. Black Redstart (Merlin app early Jan 24)
  6. Blue Tit
  7. Brambling (Merlin app, late Oct 23)
  8. Buzzard (raiding Blackbird nest behind shed, 2000s)
  9. Chaffinch
  10. Chiffchaff (bathing in pond, 2022)
  11. Coal Tit
  12. Collared Dove (Seen using the pond for drinking and/or bathing)
  13. Cormorant (overhead)
  14. Dunnock (Seen using the pond for drinking and/or bathing)
  15. Fieldfare
  16. Goldcrest
  17. Golden Plover (overhead)
  18. Goldfinch (Seen using the pond for drinking and/or bathing)
  19. Goldcrest (first time 2019)
  20. Great Black-backed Gull (overhead)
  21. Great Tit
  22. Great Spotted Woodpecker (2023, possibly also late 90s)
  23. Green Sandpiper (heard)
  24. Green Woodpecker
  25. Greenfinch
  26. Grey Heron (taking frogs, 2021, but also seen since 2017)
  27. Grey Wagtail (Merlin app, late Oct 23)
  28. Hobby (overhead, 2x taking Swifts consecutive years, early 2000s?)
  29. House Martin (attempted nesting under rear gable early 2000s)
  30. House Sparrow (Seen using the pond for drinking and/or bathing)
  31. Jackdaw
  32. Jay
  33. Kestrel (overhead)
  34. Lapwing (overhead)
  35. Lesser Black-backed Gull (overhead)
  36. Linnet (overhead)
  37. Little Egret (0verhead)
  38. Long-tailed Tit
  39. Magpie
  40. Marsh Harrier (Merlin app, early Nov 23)
  41. Meadow Pipit (Merlin app, early Nov 23)
  42. Mistle Thrush
  43. Oystercatcher (heard overhead and on Merlin night 28 Mar 24)
  44. Pheasant
  45. Pied Wagtail
  46. Prize Pigeon
  47. Raven (Merlin app, late Oct 23)
  48. Redpoll (once to new nyjer feeder)
  49. Redwing
  50. Red Kite (overhead)
  51. Redshank (heard overhead)
  52. Reed Bunting (Merlin app, early Nov 23)
  53. Ringed Plover (Merlin app, Oct 23, end of Pelham Way)
  54. Ring-necked Parakeet (Merlin app, 14 Jan 24)
  55. Robin (Seen using the pond for drinking and/or bathing)
  56. Rook
  57. Siskin (Merlin app, late Dec 23 and again Mar 24)
  58. Song Thrush
  59. Sparrowhawk
  60. Spoonbill (along Pelham Way just above roofline, Mar 23)
  61. Starling
  62. Stock Dove
  63. Swallow (overhead)
  64. Swift (overhead)
  65. Tawny Owl (heard in neighbour’s garden)
  66. Tree Sparrow (Merline app, early Feb 24)
  67. Waxwing (Merlin app, early Nov 23)
  68. Whitethroat (Tricia saw in pyracantha, autumn 23)
  69. Willow Warbler
  70. Wood Pigeon (Seen using the pond for drinking and/or bathing)
  71. Wren (Seen using the pond for drinking and/or bathing)
  72. Yellow-legged Gull (Merlin app, early Nov 23)

UPDATE: Mid-Sep 24 – 3-4 Linnets over the garden

UPDATE: Early Feb 24 – Merlin picked up a Tree Sparrow and another Hawfinch. I can hear what sounds like the Tree Sparrow on the recording.

UPDATE: Early Jan 24 – Merlin app heard a Black Redstart and days later a Ring-necked Parakeet

UPDATE: Late Oct/Nov 2023 – Merlin app App picking up the sound of Grey Wagtail, Brambling, Ringed Plover, Raven, Waxwing, Marsh Harrier, Meadow Pipit, Barn Owl, Reed Bunting, and Yellow-legged Gull from the garden/house. 67 species.

UPDATE: 2 August 2023 – Mrs Sciencebase spotted a Whitethroat briefly touching down on the previously mentioned front garden firethorn. 57 species.

UPDATE: As of April 2023, 56 species, with a Spoonbill flying past the house quickly at 3-4m above the roofline at about 3pm on 18th. Very surprising!

Nuthatch
Nuthatch

I could add a lot of other birds to this list if I were to consider my village sightings rather than just my garden sightings: Little Owl, Great White Egret, Kingfisher, Little Stint, Little Ringed Plover, Teminck’s Stint, White Stork etc many of which on the Cottenham Lode or flooded areas of local farmland.

Waxwing
Waxwing

Check out my tongue-in-beak birding glossary here.