Friday 30 August 2019

Three more things to worry about

If you keep up with the national news you will already have enough to worry about; … the list gets longer every day. Depressing isn’t it? You might want to take a walk around the nature reserve to calm your nerves. It always works for me. But, before you put on your boots, let me give you three more things to worry about; Weil's disease, blue-green algae and Lyme disease.


Taking a walk in the countryside or anywhere else presents a few hazards but we take pride in offering a place that is safe for people and wildlife. I would argue that it would be hard to find anywhere more safe than Paxton Pits, but it is always better to be informed than ignorant regarding safety issues.

This summer both blue-green algae and Weil’s disease have have hit the national headlines.  The hot and dry weather led to low pond levels and the lakes turned to warm soup: perfect conditions for algae and bacteria to thrive. The same conditions attracted a lot of people to go wild swimming and some of them caught Weil’s disease as a result.

1              Weil’s disease (also known as leptospirosis) is a serious infection that is spread in the urine of infected animals such as rats, mice and dogs that urinate on the bank or in the water. You can be infected if you go into the water and you have a cut or abrasion, or the water gets into your mouth. If you are an angler or you are pond dipping, wash your hands frequently (wet-wipes are good for this). As far as we know, we have never had a case at Paxton Pits…..but this year we have.
The pond looks inviting; but it's not safe to swim in.

2              Blue-green algae appears increasingly every summer in almost all lakes. It floats to the surface where wave-action drives it to bays where it accumulates in a rotting, toxic, turquoise heap. Sadly, these are just the places where people let their pets into the water. Dogs then lick themselves and often die as a result. Many dog owners have no idea of the danger, and only find out from their vet when it’s too late. Again, this isn’t a drill; it’s been happening.
"A warm, green soup" with a frog in it.

3              We are all aware of nettles, thistle, bees, wasps, horse flies, mosquitos and other minor irritations, but what about ticks? Lyme disease is another really serious illness that we need to inform ourselves about and it is spread by deer ticks. We used to think that Muntjac (the little deer that we have at Paxton Pits) did not carry the disease, but now we know that they do and there have been cases locally in woodland but not on the Reserve. If you stay on the paths you are not likely to pick up any ticks but brushing against the vegetation, such as when blackberry picking, makes you more vulnerable. It is sensible to wear long trousers and tuck them into your socks. If you do pick up a tick, look up how to remove it or you will end up with the head still embedded in your skin. If you have a bite that has a red “bullseye” ring around it, see your GP as soon as possible.

Muntjac deer

None of this should put you off going for a walk but please check the NHS website to learn more about the risks and symptoms for Weil’s and Lyme diseases. My best advice stay on the paths and don’t swim in the lakes. 

Now for that walk. Autumn migration will bring in many more birds; some passing through and others staying the winter. Icelandic waders and ducks started to arrive in August. I’m looking forward to seeing late summer butterflies and spooky looking fungi through the next month.

Ranger Jim