Virus advice

[Jack Harrison]

From a bird group:

Birders are expected to act responsibly and follow Government advice regarding unnecessary travel and social distancing.
We will update sightings as long as it appears expedient to do so.

Maybe I am missing something. Next month will be Orange Tip season. If I drive some eight miles from home, visit a remote “hot spot” for the butterfly where you never see another person, how would that be irresponsible?

On a brighter note, just seen Chiffchaff in the garden (unlikely to have been a similar looking Willow Warbler at this early date). A new garden tick (perfectly suitable habitat) but not the first report in the area in 2020.

Jack

[CallumMac]

If I drive some eight miles from home, visit a remote “hot spot” for the butterfly where you never see another person, how would that be irresponsible?

It wouldn't! If, on the other hand, you drove to the opposite end of the country and stood in a large crowd of people hoping to tick a "mega" bird...

From a butterflying perspective, I don't see many issues with solo local expeditions but I'm thinking of putting anything that can't be done inside a day trip onto the back burner for 2020, since hostels and eateries are high-risk places (if they even remain open!). Unfortunately that means my plans to see the last of the GB species - Glanville Fritillary - may have to be shelved for another year.

[MikeOxon]

In the case of us over-70s, the main risk, assuming we are self-isolating, is to ourselves. I am contenting myself with garden 'ticks' at present - only Red Admiral and Brimstone so far. Where you are, Jack, with some of Europe's best wilderness nearby, I should think there is very little risk. It is different in Oxfordshire, where I am. I suspect it's still going to get worse before it gets better, so we shall continue to 'lie low' and hope the Tesco home deliveries hold out!

[Jack Harrison]

Yes, I am hardly worried that I might catch the virus up here. If I do, so be it. But the effect of confinement to well-being is a far greater problem: as you say Mike, the risk is to ourselves.

Another problem is the real fear of a “vigilante” who tries to tell me that if I do go out, I am being selfish. I am old and virus or not, I don’t have all that many years left. I want to enjoy what I do have. Spring with fresh greenery, dandelions, migrant birds, and yes, Orange Tips is the most wonderful time of year. I won’t have many more springs and to be told that if I do enjoy the outdoors, I’m being selfish might just cause me to explode.

I am keeping busy at home and no psychological problems yet. But I won’t predict what three or more months of this might do to me.

Jack

[Jack Harrison]

Another example of spring that is special to me.

I grew up in the countryside in Norfolk and as a lad would stand on a chair at the end of the garden and watch the famers at work - sometimes using horses in those days. I had no family connection with farming and never considered it as a career. But I have always enjoyed the agricultural seasons come and go.

Today in a very different part of UK but the land is worked in very much the same way as in my native East Anglia.
Picture taken from within my isolation pod (aka yellow Skoda). Thanks Nick for inventing that term.

Jack

[John W]

Quote from Boris Johnson's speech this evening:

People will only be allowed to leave their home for the following very limited purposes:
shopping for basic necessities, as infrequently as possible
one form of exercise a day – for example a run, walk, or cycle – alone or with members of your household;
any medical need, to provide care or to help a vulnerable person; and
travelling to and from work, but only where this is absolutely necessary and cannot be done from home.
That’s all – these are the only reasons you should leave your home.
Parks will remain open for exercise but gatherings will be dispersed.

So, is it permitted to travel in your own car to your chosen place of exercise?

Or does it literally mean wandering around the streets where you happen to live? How long for? Why are two 15 minute walks banned but one 30 minute walk is ok?

[David M]

...Spring with fresh greenery, dandelions, migrant birds, and yes, Orange Tips is the most wonderful time of year. I won’t have many more springs and to be told that if I do enjoy the outdoors, I’m being selfish might just cause me to explode.

Concur with this, Jack. If prolonged 'house arrest' is imposed, it could have a detrimental effect.

Yes, there will be fewer coronavirus cases, but at what cost? Clinical depression, alcoholism, domestic violence, suicide....

[John W]

...Spring with fresh greenery, dandelions, migrant birds, and yes, Orange Tips is the most wonderful time of year. I won’t have many more springs and to be told that if I do enjoy the outdoors, I’m being selfish might just cause me to explode.

Concur with this, Jack. If prolonged 'house arrest' is imposed, it could have a detrimental effect.

Yes, there will be fewer coronavirus cases, but at what cost? Clinical depression, alcoholism, domestic violence, suicide....

Thank you David and Jack for expressing my feelings so eloquently.

Cheers
John

[MikeOxon]

... Yes, there will be fewer coronavirus cases, but at what cost? Clinical depression, alcoholism, domestic violence, suicide....

Is home really that bad?

[David M]

... Yes, there will be fewer coronavirus cases, but at what cost? Clinical depression, alcoholism, domestic violence, suicide....

Is home really that bad?

Not for me, Mike - it's positively blissful - but when China lifted restrictions in Hubei Province the Civic Offices were inundated with divorce proceedings!!

Another important thing to consider is the absence of televised live sport. For huge numbers of people, this is a principal interest in their lives, so not only have they lost that, but they would also have no legal access to the outdoors and be stuck all day in the house with family members in an equally depressed state with precious little to do.

It's a powder keg!

[millerd]

...Another important thing to consider is the absence of televised live sport. For huge numbers of people, this is a principal interest in their lives...

As someone who doesn't have a television and has no interest whatever in football, I personally find this aspect mystifying. (I have been known to dip into the Six Nations Rugby on i-Player on my PC, but that's about it!). However, unfortunately I think David has a made a worryingly good point. Many people are just not used to living with their own company, or the constant company of a very limited group of others, for prolonged periods.

Those of us that relish it are perhaps a small minority (sometimes known to the rest of the world as sad b*st*rds! )

Dave

[essexbuzzard]

I’m worried about the ‘non-essential travel’ situation. If I was pulled by the police, 50 miles from home,and said I had journeyed to look for butterflies, flowers and so-on, how would that hold up?

I personally don’t see how it would increase cases of the virus, but is probably still against the rules.

[millerd]

It almost certainly is, Mark. The trouble is that if there is to be a rule, it has to apply across the board. Even though you or I can demonstrate that what we plan in a trip out is reasonable and no threat to anyone, the law will still see that as exactly the same as thousands decamping 50 miles from London to Brighton beach. No exemptions for sensible folk, unfortunately.

Dave

[Pete Eeles]

... when China lifted restrictions in Hubei Province the Civic Offices were inundated with divorce proceedings!!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A5s433aTy98

Cheers,

- Pete

[CallumMac]

I’m worried about the ‘non-essential travel’ situation. If I was pulled by the police, 50 miles from home,and said I had journeyed to look for butterflies, flowers and so-on, how would that hold up?

I personally don’t see how it would increase cases of the virus, but is probably still against the rules.

A point that was made to me is that driving 50 miles to go for a walk carries a higher risk of crashing your car (increasing burden on emergency services), and means you will need to refuel sooner (petrol stations carrying an elevated risk of transmission between strangers).

However, I would argue that there is less risk of transmission and more benefit to me from driving a short distance (say, five miles) into the countryside to walk somewhere properly isolated, than from walking from home (out through the town, probably passing lots of other people doing the same (on a narrow pavement no less), and probably inhaling lots of nitrous oxides as I go).

Clearly there is a very difficult balancing act to be struck and I hope that those charged with enforcing the lockdown are capable of being reasonable.

[Jack Harrison]

Well that’s it. Stuck at home. I’m not very mobile these days (arthritis). I can just about manage a permitted walk of one kilometre. My doctor says I would qualify for a car disabled badge but have you tried filling in a 23 page application form? I simply gave up the attempt.

Anyway, the garden needs tidying. Raking moss after the wet winter is I suppose good exercise but isn’t exactly mind-stretching.

Jack

[John W]

A point that was made to me is that driving 50 miles to go for a walk carries a higher risk of crashing your car (increasing burden on emergency services), and means you will need to refuel sooner (petrol stations carrying an elevated risk of transmission between strangers).

Yes I have heard that argument too. While it must logically be true that the further you drive, the greater the risk of a crash, I think it's a pretty weak argument. The roads will be pretty quiet which will reduce the risk of a crash. A lot of petrol stations can be set up to take payment by credit card at the pump. You can also have an accident at home - in fact I'm sure I read somewhere that the majority of accidents happen at home.

Interestingly, in the official government advice on social distancing:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publicati ... ble-adults

it says:

Avoid non-essential use of public transport when possible

(my underlining)

nothing about driving in your own vehicle.

It's good to see that a number of experts do recognise the value of safe walking and cycling:

https://docs.google.com/document/d/e/2P ... 6TB0vq/pub

Cheers
John W

[David M]

As ever, it's not what responsible people do that's the issue, it's what irresponsible people do.

Most of us know of places to look for butterflies where few others go, so that's where I'll be going for the time being. However, some of the more frequented sites (Fermyn Wood, Alner's Gorse, etc) could see large numbers of folk gathering which would cause concern for the authorities.

If these restrictions lasted till July and you were found alongside sizeable numbers of others hunting for Purple Emperors then I daresay you might be in trouble.

Let's hope it doesn't come to that, although I fear we might lose a whole season to this pandemic the way things are going.

On the positive side, the lack of human interference (habitat destruction, pollution, etc) for a year should have a beneficial effect on wildlife. We may see an increase in numbers in 2021.

[CallumMac]

Let's hope it doesn't come to that, although I fear we might lose a whole season to this pandemic the way things are going.

Yes - me too.

On which note, Butterfly Conservation have just announced the suspension of the UKBMS and WCBS transects until further notice.

[John W]

Well I just drove a couple of miles to a local park (Stanmer Park on the outskirts of Brighton) to take my daily exercise. Roads obviously were quiet and I didn’t see a single police car on the way there or the way back. There were a few people dotted around the park in ones and twos but it wasn’t crowded by any stretch of the imagination and there were no large groups. So far, so good...

I saw a couple of Peacock and Comma. But actually the butterflies aren't the most important thing - I just need to get out into the woods and fields in order to stay sane.

Cheers
John W