Taylor Alison Swift is an American singer-songwriter. She is known for narrative songs about her personal life, which have received widespread media coverage. At age 14, Swift became the youngest artist signed by the Sony/ATV Music publishing house and, at 15, she signed her first record deal.
Her 2006 eponymous debut album was the longest-charting album of the 2000s in the US. Its third single, "Our Song", made her the youngest person to single-handedly write and perform a number-one song on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart. Swift's second album, Fearless, was released in 2008.
Buoyed by the pop crossover success of the singles "Love Story" and "You Belong with Me", it became the US' best-selling album of 2009 and was certified diamond in the US. The album won four Grammy Awards, and Swift became the youngest Album of the Year winner.
Surveillance network aims to stop Dumfries and Galloway being hit by avian flu again
dailyrecord.co.ukA surveillance network has been set up to monitor migrating geese and wintering waterbirds.NatureScot has taken the step amid fears over the spread of avian flu over the coming months.Last winter, there were a number of outbreaks in Dumfries and Galloway with thousands of dead Svalbard barnacle geese being found on the shores of the Solway.The network will see site managers and volunteers across the country gather information for Scotland’s avian flu task force which will help it provide swift advice to government, conservationists and land managers on practical actions to help reduce the transmission and impact of the virus.Earlier this month, all of Great Britain was declared an avian influenza prevention zone in a bid to stop the spread of the disease.NatureScot’s wildlife management manager Alastair MacGugan said: “As we head into the winter months, we are still very concerned about the potential impact of avian flu on our wild bird populations and we remain vigilant to ensure we can respond to the evolving situation.“We’re monitoring wintering goose populations very closely for avian flu and are working with colleagues in Iceland and Norway to identify cases in migrating populations.“Here in Scotland, we’ve set up a network of site managers and volunteers to provide real-time reporting on what is happening out in the field, helping us take swift and targeted decisions.”The risk to human health from the virus is very low but members of the public should continue to avoid touching sick or dead wild birds and keep dogs on the lead in areas where there are infected birds.
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