Coronavirus has made life difficult for those of us who love to get out into nature, to feel the wind in our hair and to spend our time looking at the wildlife around us. Luckily for most of us, even if we are stuck at home, we have some nature close by.
I can hear the birds from my flat when my windows are open and I am delighted that the house martins, swifts and swallows have returned to spend the summer here. They call and wheel around in the sky, giving us something to look at. Hopefully the house martins that nest on the house behind my flat will be back soon so that I can watch them going in and out of their nests. Last night, at twilight I noticed many many bats flying around outside my window. They are probably pipistrelles. I am lucky that these animals live close enough for me to see them!
Being stuck at home is also an opportunity to learn more about nature. I am watching some of Chris Packham's live videos on Facebook. He and his guest presenters are always educational and entertaining to watch. It's also a chance to look back at old videos and photos. I haven't posted on this blog in the last year, mainly because I share photos and videos on Instagram instead (@wild_animal_welfare), but now is a good time to share some things here too. So here we go.
To start with, here is a buff-tailed bumblebee (Bombus terrestris) which I filmed a few weeks ago before we were told to stay at home.
