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Corona virus threat to birding (1 Viewer)


I think this is the same incident that Andrew posted a Twitter link to upthread (I hope so!)

If any of those birders are members/viewers of BF - consider this - you are publicly shamed - you know how the general public are vis a vis ‘birders’, we will all be tarred with the same brush - This makes us all look bad - I don’t want to have to defend my hobby/work to my ‘non-twitching’ and ‘non-birding’ friends/family/local media who already see ‘birdwatchers’ as an homogeneous group of people who all approach the hobby in the same way.

(and you look like idiots for twitching a Rouzel too)
 

This story has been posted on a couple of threads now, and yes totally unacceptable.

But it is rather odd - why on earth would that many people from around the country congregate on what is not even a rare bird? Real story (ie not fake news)? Someone watching a bird and passersby stopped too? A regular spot and the individuals concerned hadn't realised a) they weren't meant to be doing it b) it would be pointless as yearlisting was going to be off anyway? An organised group trip? Random or Organised photographers? Or a real story and proper birders/togs (all with a death wish) all congregating on one spot as their 'daily exercise' because they had nowhere else to go?
 
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Perhaps the Mods could combine this thread with the ‘remember thread’ its becoming difficult to follow these different poster inputs (I assume this is still the ‘impact on birding’?!)

It does seem really strange for the reasons pointed out above - maybe they were part of a group who knew each other and were already having a meet up in the area - either way ...
 
It might be hard for people to take the absolute need for noone to meet anyone else in the outdoors so dead seriously while seeing pictures of crowded underground in London on the news.... In all the lockdowns around the world, people outdoors are being targeted way ahead of their actual rank in the hierarchy of risk for spread, because it doesn't cost almost any money to disperse them, as opposed to all of the is-it-really-that-essential industry that still keeps running and bringing people together. I know it makes some sense simply because those people are visible and going after them sends a message to everyone and reinforces the (correct) idea of getting away from each other, but I think the demonization of those few is overdone.

The beatings will continue until morale improves.
 
Perhaps the Mods could combine this thread with the ‘remember thread’ its becoming difficult to follow these different poster inputs (I assume this is still the ‘impact on birding’?!)

It does seem really strange for the reasons pointed out above - maybe they were part of a group who knew each other and were already having a meet up in the area - either way ...

True. Think might be too much work on the poor overtaxed mods though.

It does kinda represent impact on birding as the reasoning that the selfish few can spoil it for the rest, impacts perception of birders, and an example of what not to be doing ... ?

Thread hop? ;)
 
...I think the demonization of those few is overdone.

The beatings will continue until morale improves.

Totally see your point but if we had a ‘transport thread’, I suspect the targeted group will be those using the underground for non-essential travel. The difficulty is, although ‘birding’ and other outdoor activities, do come low down in the hierarchy, I really don’t see how, as a matter of effective governance, you could draw up such activity-specific restrictions - do you have none for outdoors or apply them to everyone?

Yes of course people will look to ‘police’ others from a position of resentment if they find others flouting those same restrictions that are curtailing their own activities. ;)
 
True. Think might be too much work on the poor overtaxed mods though.

It does kinda represent impact on birding as the reasoning that the selfish few can spoil it for the rest, impacts perception of birders, and an example of what not to be doing ... ?

Thread hop? ;)

I wouldn't worry about perception of birders. After the park and Snowdon events of the weekend, no single group can claim not to be living in a glass house. In any case, nobody will remember anything at all beyond the resumption of professional football and soaps.

As for the thread hopping, I find it mentally refreshing, and its interesting to see who does it, contributing relevantly in different threads.

John
 
I would imagine dumb Gen-z'ers here and elsewhere would be the groups that people are going to remember as flagrantly disregarding Covid news. Birders are relatively well behaved compared to some of the fratbros and such crowding beaches

Here in Wisconsin we also have a no essential travel, but exercise is listed as an excuse and all state and county parks are open and free of charge right now. So I would imagine driving to a place and walking around in this state is fine, but driving around and stopping to scan for ducks in flooded fields is probably not. Which of course is problematic, given that it's waterfowl migration, and there isn't much birding on actual trails right now comparatively speaking.
 
I wouldn't worry about perception of birders. After the park and Snowdon events of the weekend, no single group can claim not to be living in a glass house. In any case, nobody will remember anything at all beyond the resumption of professional football and soaps.

It is a fairly big argument going on in certain circles, and an easy target perhaps ... but yes.

If there's anyone left at the end of it all (we can hope ;) )

Now I've got to work out which thread I last posted on about dogs and coronavirus ... ;)
 
I thought that it has already killed a few dogs? cats? in S Korea who have contracted the virus?? If dogs can catch/spread it ...

If so then dogwalking definitely shouldn't be an activity people should be engaging in irresponsibly (unless it's just going to eliminate dog owners only from the population as a whole perhaps?)

Update - funnily enough on Radio 4 this afternoon a story concerning - it was dogs in Hong Kong. They were saying dog to dog or dog to human transfer was infinitesimally low out in dog walking field or wherever (can't say I agree) with dogs sneezing on others, but don't pet other people's dogs!

(Apols this isn't birding)
 
Update - funnily enough on Radio 4 this afternoon a story concerning - it was dogs in Hong Kong. They were saying dog to dog or dog to human transfer was infinitesimally low out in dog walking field or wherever (can't say I agree) with dogs sneezing on others, but don't pet other people's dogs!

(Apols this isn't birding)

My late mum always took her bins dog-walking (or her dog birding). They aren't mutually exclusive and dog-owning birders -and fox-feeding birders - will be interested.

John
 
Update - funnily enough on Radio 4 this afternoon a story concerning - it was dogs in Hong Kong. They were saying dog to dog or dog to human transfer was infinitesimally low out in dog walking field or wherever (can't say I agree) with dogs sneezing on others, but don't pet other people's dogs!

(Apols this isn't birding)

From the alarmism being peddled in some quarters, we need to quarantine all our mail before opening.
 
I should burn it, that'll be safest. If it's important they'll find another way of getting the information to you. :t:

John

I think you missed my point, discussion today discussing how long the virus can potentially last on a letter should your 'posty' or anyone else in the chain be infected.

From my current experience though, all my local postal staff are taking the opportunity to 'self isolate' and a guaranteed 48hr delivery is still 'in depot' a full week later.
 
My late mum always took her bins dog-walking (or her dog birding). They aren't mutually exclusive and dog-owning birders -and fox-feeding birders - will be interested.

Don't forget: dogs and foxes are actually surfaces. Be wary ...


I guess this does concern me and my birding too; when I go out for my local exercise how many people will be out walking their dogs at the same time? - early morning wouldn't otherwise be a popular time I'd imagine and so not as safe from the crowds ...
 
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I should burn it, that'll be safest. If it's important they'll find another way of getting the information to you. :t:

John

and what if it has a cheque in it?;)

personally I wear gloves when unpacking parcels and use gel or wash my hands after opening any letters - perhaps this is a good time for Amazon etc to follow Alibaba’s services in Asia and start rolling out drone deliveries to the European markets?

or perhaps not such a good idea if Amazon’s gonna double them up as surveillance methods!

https://www.chargedretail.co.uk/2020/01/29/top-5-upcoming-retail-drone-delivery-services/

Fortunately all my birding related stuff (which is the biggest bulk of communications) is by email other than a few periodicals. I wonder if these publications will still arrive now most people have downed tools?
 
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.... In all the lockdowns around the world, people outdoors are being targeted way ahead of their actual rank in the hierarchy of risk for spread...
Total agreement. I'm curious whether this was considered a debatable point in the UK when restrictions were enacted? There also seem to be interesting cultural differences involved. Many Britons here seem exquisitely sensitive to any sense of shame at indulging in something others don't, while in America I think the common tendency is to resent any restriction of liberty. Few here would be likely to feel ashamed at being caught birding even if it were prohibited, which it's not. How are things in Czech/Poland?

Actually I think the problem is a complete lack of ranking, no sense of priorities whatever. Any possibility however remote is a source of panic. For example, the total paranoia about surface transmission, which wasn't even mentioned as a significant factor in the spread of C19 in the WHO report from Wuhan. I was going to say it "focused" on aerosol droplets in proximity to infected individuals, but that is the only transmission mode it identified at all. I don't pile my mail for three days, though I wash up after opening it.

P.S. Unrelated -- could someone point me to an explanation of British aristocrats shooting raptors? I only knew about pheasants etc.
 
Total agreement. I'm curious whether this was considered a debatable point in the UK when restrictions were enacted? There also seem to be interesting cultural differences involved. Many Britons here seem exquisitely sensitive to any sense of shame at indulging in something others don't, while in America I think the common tendency is to resent any restriction of liberty. Few here would be likely to feel ashamed at being caught birding even if it were prohibited, which it's not. How are things in Czech/Poland?

Actually I think the problem is a complete lack of ranking, no sense of priorities whatever. Any possibility however remote is a source of panic. For example, the total paranoia about surface transmission, which wasn't even mentioned as a significant factor in the spread of C19 in the WHO report from Wuhan. I was going to say it "focused" on aerosol droplets in proximity to infected individuals, but that is the only transmission mode it identified at all. I don't pile my mail for three days, though I wash up after opening it.

P.S. Unrelated -- could someone point me to an explanation of British aristocrats shooting raptors? I only knew about pheasants etc.

The aristocratic estates are stocked with birds for shooting which it's perceived that raptors kill a % of hence, they get shot and poisoned.
 
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