56 BBC Wildlife May 2020Even before our current global health
crisis, many people were prevented
from being outside by their health. ME
affects over 250,000 people in the UK,
with a quarter of sufferers bedbound.
Illnesses like Ehlers-Danlos syndromes,
fibromyalgia, chronic pain and postural
tachycardia syndrome (PoTS) can also stop
people from leaving their homes.I
n 2015, I contacted BBC Two’s
Springwatch, where producers
Laura Howard, Anne Gallagher and
presenter Lindsey Chapman were
passionate about inclusive access to
nature. Together, we set up a social media
campaign called #WildlifeFromMyWindow.
The aim was to celebrate how nature
uplifts and inspires, whatever our personal
circumstances, especially for those who
cannot leave home. To take part, users
share wildlife sightings, images and
stories with #WildlifeFromMyWindow on
Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and Flickr. We
launched the campaign on ME Awareness
Day on 12 May, and within 24 hours we
had had several thousand responses.
#WildlifeFromMyWindow has been used
nearly every day since.
For the first time, I heard stories from
people who were like me – people who loved
nature but were stuck at home: “Nature and
garden wildlife makes me feel part of the
outside world and lifts my spirits when my
ME symptoms take over,” writes Sue.
Through the hashtag, I was able to
share my sightings, and post photos of my
blackbird and wild-meadow lawn. In return,
I saw new views from different windows: “I
get so much pleasure from watching birds,
insects and squirrels,” explains Emma.
And I got to read stories of how watching
nature helps other housebound people:
“When I feel too unwell to go outside, seeing
the birds gather food and sing songs helped
me to feel happy,” says Marika.
Sadly, chronic illness sufferers are used
to being housebound. As experts in finding
ways to survive with severe limitations,
many #WildlifeFromMyWindow users have
shared their creative, low-resource, low-
energy ways to encourage nature.
Mail-order feeders stuck to windows
can provide close-up views of blue tits,
great tits and coal tits. Hanging bird“ On days when
I can’t get out of
bed, I so enjoy
hearing the birds
singing. At night,
I listen to the foxes
and wonder what
adventures they
are getting up to.”
feeders on washing lines works well,
as does using windowsills as mini bird
tables. #WildlifeFromMyWindow posts
from people living in flats show that you
don’t need a garden to see a great spotted
woodpecker, greenfinch or even bullfinch.
An old bucket or washing up bowl
can become a wildlife pond and by just
changing your perspective, by looking
up, watching the sky, or looking out at
different times of day, a single view can be
transformed. Window boxes filled with bee-
friendly plants like marjoram, lavender and
hebe will attract myriad pollinators.L
ate spring is a brilliant time to
start watching wildlife. Migrants
will be returning – swallows,
martins and warblers – and bird
nesting will be in full swing.
Birds are in their breeding plumage,
looking resplendent – look out for busy
adults with beaks full of food and juveniles
from successful early broods.
On sunny days, you might be lucky and
see butterflies – peacocks, red admirals and
small tortoiseshells sun themselves against
walls and patios. Large whites and small
whites skitter around in a way that makes
you wonder how they ever find a mate.Talking
point