Record numbers of chicks are being reared at Europe’s largest greater flamingo flock.

A total of 35 fluffy chicks are being raised at the Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust in Slimbridge, Gloucestershire. The wetland centre’s flock is the largest in Europe with 245 birds, and the number of newborns has helped smash the previous record of 25 set in 2010.

Mark Roberts, aviculture manager, said: “It is really quite incredible as the wet weather in May certainly made rearing challenging for them.” Four of the world’s six flamingo species are classed as ‘vulnerable’ or ‘near threatened’ by the International Union for Conservation of Nature.

First electric Harley is unveiled

Harley-Davidson is to unveil its first electric motorcycle – a sleek, futuristic bike that hums like a jet airplane taking off.

Harley plans to show handmade demonstration models at an invitation-only event in New York on Monday. The company will then take several dozen riders on a 30-city tour to test drive the bikes and provide feedback. It will use the information it gathers to refine the bike, which might not hit the market for several more years.

Warning sign gets man in trouble

A US man says police violated his right to free speech when they cited him for holding a sign warning motorists to turn if they wanted to avoid a police drink-driving checkpoint.

Douglas Odolecki, of Ohio, held a sign in Parma that said: “Check point ahead! Turn now!” Parma police say city lawyers believe the part of the sign telling motorists to turn is illegal.

It is not the first time Odolecki has used the sign. Police arrested him in 2012 for having a knife in his pocket while holding it and he did community service after admitting disorderly conduct.

Historic atlas published online

A historic atlas of Britain is being published online for the first time, showing how ancient parish and county boundaries have changed over the last 500 years.

History website Ancestry.co.uk said its atlas and index of parish registers contains 57 separate county maps, including information on local parish towns and churches.

The maps, digitised from original documents held by the Institute of Heraldic and Genealogical Studies, give an insight into how England’s historical county maps remained unchanged for centuries before many of the ancient counties were split up to make more governable areas.

Blast off down memory lane

Fans have been given their first glimpse of the new Thunderbird 1 as the classic children’s show is revived – and it looks almost exactly as it did almost five decades ago.

The much-loved series is due to make a comeback as International Rescue flies to the aid of a new generation next year.

Thunderbirds Are Go! is being screened by ITV and features a number of well-known names who will portray the characters who were first seen when the series was originally launched by the late Gerry Anderson in 1965.

Rosamund Pike will voice Lady Penelope, while Kayvan Novak – from Channel 4’s Facejacker – plays inventor Brains and Thomas Brodie-Sangster from Game Of Thrones will be John Tracy.

Blind mechanic earns his degree

A blind American man has earned an auto mechanics degree and says he can fix cars by listening.

Clifford Alderson recently graduated from New Mexico State University and earned his degree by learning to feel his way around the vehicle, KOAT-TV reports.

Born with a genetic disease that led to his blindness, Alderson got his on-the-job training at a small auto shop in Alamogordo.

Damian Orchard, of All Makes Automotive, said most of the time he could just tell Alderson what needed to be done on a car and let him work.