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RSPB reserves aren’r opening there hides on the 12th April as planned (1 Viewer)

IAN JAMES THOMPSON

Well-known member
I've been out all day today, but i did manage to have a look at Saltholme’s Facebook website and RSPB Saltholme and other RSPB reserves I've looked at aren’t opening there hides on the 12th April as announced earlier this week. Earlier on today RSPB Saltholme announces as well, that the earliest that the hides could be open was the 17th May when i looked earlier on today. Since I arrived home that date that was in that post has now been deleted. I don't know why this has changed about the hides planned opening. My local Wildfowl Trust reserve Washington Wetlands haven't updated there Facebook website as of yet, if that indeed does happen. No further news about this at present, as I've been out all day.
 
I meant Wildlife Trusts!

Slimbridge is still saying the hides are opening - you have to book.
 
WWT are opening as "animal attractions", they have fence around and are pay to get in and can control their visitor numbers. The date for that type of thing is 12th April in England

Most RSPB and Wildlife Trust sites have no such controls, their hides are just indoor spaces. Depending on ones interpretation of the roadmap it might be mid May or mid June before unsupervised hides may open.
 
What constitutes an hide?
I can understand the traditional enclosed hides being closed until 17th May perhaps. However an increasing number of "hides" are semi open, e.g. having no back wall, with or without a roof covering, do these still count as being "indoors"? I was at Fairburn Ings a week or so ago and the "Pickup" hide was taped off. This hide has no rear wall and is about as draughty as is possible, far more risky than public transport.
There is also a viewing area, a little like a small rectangular "bandstand "with a roof. The "hide" consist of pillars supporting the roof and railings on the lower sides. I suspect that was also closed. I didn't visit that part of the reserve. but again using it would be far less risky than public transport I suggest.
 
As far as I can gather, it's the same rules as for smoking shelters, ie more than 50% of the wallspace needs to be open to the elements for it to count as a non-enclosed space.

I think the whole thing is absurd, I'm not aware of a single covid outbreak anywhere on the planet that has been linked to nature reserves.
 
The large number of hides at Rutland Water are all open but with spacing/capacity limits and the requirement to wear masks.
 
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