Watching the great outdoors ...indoors

MORE people than ever are tuning into wildlife webcams for entertainment during the coronavirus outbreak.

Numbers watching the great outdoors unfold in front of them on webcams provided by the Wildlife Trust have more than doubled since this time last year.

Puffins in Alderney, peregrine falcons in Nottingham, bats in Essex and badgers in Cumbria are among the stars of the show in 19 online offerings with a further five planned for the near future.

Michael Blencowe, learning and engagement officer at SussexWildlife Trust said: “Despite being confined to our

A falcon filmed nesting

homes, we can still enjoy wildlife’s busy activity and be part of a huge online community sharing wildlife stories.

“It’s helping to lift our spirits and improve our mental wellbeing and proves that the role wildlife plays in our lives has become more important than ever.”

Online activities being held during the lockdown include Sheffield and Rotherham Wildlife Trust’s minibeast expert Ben Keywood giving a talk on frogspawn and spring insects in his garden.

The Hampshire and Isle ofWight branch is producing a series of videos called Bringing Nature to You.

And members in Worcestershire are advising people about feeding birds, watching wildlife in the garden and learning how to identify different species.

The Covid-19 crisis has seen theWildlife Trust close its visitor centres for the foreseeable future to help curb the epidemic.