At this time of year, with the nights closing in spring can seem very far away. For hill farmers, the call of the Eurasian curlew(白腰杓鹬) will be a reminder that winter is nearly over for another year. However, there are some parts of the UK and Ireland where farmers are no longer hearing their call.

Around early March, the curlew moves inland to breed, remaining obviously faithful to the sites where they have bred before. Their preferred nesting sites are rough grassland and moorland , which provide a mix of both open areas to feed and low bushes in which to hide their nests.

So why should we be concerned? The curlew is in serious trouble. The number of breeding curlews across the UK has dropped by 48% since the mid-90s. There are less than 150 pairs remaining in Ireland, down from 3, 750—4, 000 pairs in the late '80s, which is a disastrous decline of 96%. In southern and eastern England, recent surveys have shown there are fewer than 300 pairs remaining. Consequently, the curlews in Ireland and southern and eastern England are thought to be at the risk of upcoming extinction, while declines in the UK are also of serious concern. This is a potential disaster, not only for the UK and Ireland, but also the world as we are home to up to 27% of the global breeding population。.

What is driving the decline? What seems to be the problem? Firstly, the curlew is long-lived and should be able to keep stable numbers if each pair raises one baby bird every couple of months. Unfortunately, in many areas their breeding success rate is much lower. The main cause of this lack of production is loss of suitable living places due to land use change, such as agricultural practices and forestry. Secondly, their enemies, including foxes and crows, have multiplied rapidly over the last few decades

The challenge of responding to the problem is huge particularly as the curlews widely spread all over the lands. We cannot lose the curlew so how can we make a difference?

When I was six, Dad brought home a dog one day, who was called “Brownie”. My brothers and I all loved Brownie and did different things with her. One of us would walk her, another would feed her, then there were baths, playing catch and many other games. Brownie, in return, loved each and every one of us. One thing that most touched my heart was that she would go to whoever was sick and just be with them. We always felt better when she was around.

One day, as I was getting her food, she chewed up(咬破)one of Dad’s shoes, which had to be thrown away in the end. I knew Dad would be mad and I had to let her know what she did was wrong. When I looked at her and said, “Bad girl,” she looked down at the ground and then went and hid. I saw a tear in her eyes.

Brownie turned out to be more than just our family pet, she went everywhere with us .People would stop and ask if they could pet her. Of course she’d let anyone pet her. She was just the most lovable dog. There were many times when we’d be out walking and a small child would come over and pull on her hair. she never barked(吠) or tried to get away. Funny thing is she would smile. This frightened people because they thought she was showing her teeth. Far from the truth, she loves everyone.

Now many years have passed since Brownie died of old age. I still miss days when she was with us.

However, it wasn’t all sweetness and light. There was a reported coldness between the cat and dog in 25% of the homes, while aggression and fighting were observed in 10% of the homes. One reason for this is probably that some of their body signals were just opposite. For example, when a cat turns its head away it signals aggression, while a dog doing the same signals submission.

In homes with cats and dogs living peacefully, researchers observed a surprising behavior. They are learning how to talk each other’s language. It is a surprise that cats can learn how to talk ‘Dog’, and dogs can learn how to talk ‘Cat’.

What’s interesting is that both cats and dogs have appeared to develop their intelligence. They can learn to read each other’s body signals, suggesting that the two may have more in common than was previously suspected. Once familiar with each other’s presence and body language, cats and dogs can play together, greet each other nose to nose, and enjoy sleeping together on the sofa. They can easily share the same water bowl and in some cases groom (梳理) each other.

The significance of this research on cats and dogs may go beyond pets -- to people who don’t get along, including neighbors, colleagues at work, and even world superpowers. If cats and dogs can learn to get along, surely people have a good chance.