Invertebrates in the garden this afternoon

I don’t know any camara shops so I don’t know. At the moment Im feeling very under the weather and this morning someone in the house did test and found out I got a bladder infection so Im going to be takeing anti biotics to try and help my body get rid of it So it’s likely I won’t be able to go out and about until I’m better but I might take photos out my window or in the garden. Even though going to a shop might be better I think it might be a case of getting the camera from Amazon

i would have been going to edge common this afternoon but cause of my situation someone else in the house went instead but Aside from missing out on going to edge I’m thinking maybe using some of this time to take photos out my window and in the garden and looking into weather I want the bridge or DSLR more than before  since I got the time 

Zo Clark said:

I don’t know any camara shops so I don’t know. At the moment Im feeling very under the weather and this morning someone in the house did test and found out I got a bladder infection so Im going to be takeing anti biotics to try and help my body get rid of it So it’s likely I won’t be able to go out and about until I’m better but I might take photos out my window or in the garden. Even though going to a shop might be better I think it might be a case of getting the camera from Amazon

i would have been going to edge common this afternoon but cause of my situation someone else in the house went instead but Aside from missing out on going to edge I’m thinking maybe using some of this time to take photos out my window and in the garden and looking into weather I want the bridge or DSLR more than before  since I got the time 

First, I'm sorry to read you're unwell, I hope you're feeling better and you've been able to get a trip out, if not to Edge Common, somewhere just as nice. I'm also sorry to read things are not 

My apologies for being so slow to reply, I've been enjoying the good life, early morning trips to watch barn owls.

Sadly, too many retailers today have closed the shops they had in many towns and cities and gone online, which isn't good in my book. All it does is save money for the business, but isn't conducive to helping the prospective new customer, or even existing customers.

If you do a web search for camera or photographic shops in towns and cities near to where you live, and easy access, you should find a couple at least, and make a decision from there.

I fully understand the prospect of buying online, my only concerns are you could miss out on vital information and not get the right camera that you want and can afford, but whatever decision you make, please try to do it with the support of a parent. Even we oldies can get blinkered making a decision when the desire to buy something burns strong in our hearts.

If things do go wrong, keeping your parents involved should help when trying to resolve the problem.

thanks Mike. And it’s good you got to see the owl.  I havnt  been able to out anywhere at all and havnt been in the garden much since last Thursday. I was going to be having another test to see if I still got the infection today but I do. Which means I might not be able to stay for the night at home and go see my Aunty but Iv been birdwatching out my window. And doing drawing I have been busy taking care of myself offline mostly so have been busy even though iv not been able to go out. Im in a residential home for people with Autism and  Learninf disabilitys. The positive thing is I apreaciate that birds That visit my garden and I can see them out my window.  a lot has gone on in the community and iv helped ans brought any discussions back on topic and stuff too. unfortunately though when your poorly it’s not enough to look after yourself physically but also emotionally. The more stressed you get the more under the weather or poorly your also going to get.  I have had a lot of bad days and today things have only got worse and someone iv helped out of spats and other things decided to take there probloms out on me  try and put me down knowing I’m poorly and under the weather  too.but I’m not going to name them. So I got upset  someone noticed it in the house when I went down to get a snack one of the people that  look after me and the others in the house told me one of the people I’m comfortable with talking to is here tomarow just to reassure me but hopefully I will feell better than today tomorrow so won’t need to.  So basically not my week Bird wise or anything for that matter or last week really. I can’t wait until I’m better. I don’t know about you but  I find birdwatching and Wildlife watching is very beneficial and there’s evidence it’s good for your health. 

that aside I hope I didn’t sound too depressing. Im going on another set of antibiotics which should help me get better and I won’t need to be next to a toilet 24/7 so I can go out and about again. I have been looking into the camara im trying my best not to give onto the temptation of buying it too quickly but I genuinely don’t know any shops in the area and I don’t think there is any I will have a look though 

Zo Clark said:

thanks Mike. And it’s good you got to see the owl.  I havnt  been able to out anywhere at all and havnt been in the garden much since last Thursday. I was going to be having another test to see if I still got the infection today but I do. Which means I might not be able to stay for the night at home and go see my Aunty but Iv been birdwatching out my window. And doing drawing I have been busy taking care of myself offline mostly so have been busy even though iv not been able to go out. Im in a residential home for people with Autism and  Learninf disabilitys. The positive thing is I apreaciate that birds That visit my garden and I can see them out my window.  a lot has gone on in the community and iv helped ans brought any discussions back on topic and stuff too. unfortunately though when your poorly it’s not enough to look after yourself physically but also emotionally. The more stressed you get the more under the weather or poorly your also going to get.  I have had a lot of bad days and today things have only got worse and someone iv helped out of spats and other things decided to take there probloms out on me  try and put me down knowing I’m poorly and under the weather  too.but I’m not going to name them. So I got upset  someone noticed it in the house when I went down to get a snack one of the people that  look after me and the others in the house told me one of the people I’m comfortable with talking to is here tomarow just to reassure me but hopefully I will feell better than today tomorrow so won’t need to.  So basically not my week Bird wise or anything for that matter or last week really. I can’t wait until I’m better. I don’t know about you but  I find birdwatching and Wildlife watching is very beneficial and there’s evidence it’s good for your health. 

that aside I hope I didn’t sound too depressing. Im going on another set of antibiotics which should help me get better and I won’t need to be next to a toilet 24/7 so I can go out and about again. I have been looking into the camara im trying my best not to give onto the temptation of buying it too quickly but I genuinely don’t know any shops in the area and I don’t think there is any I will have a look though 

First, wishing you a speedy recovery.

We're all entitled to feel a little down hearted at times, especially when you're unwell and unable to get and do the activities you enjoy.

Keep interacting, it helps to give you something to think about and take your mind away from your situation, even if just for a short while. For a lot of people, it is hard to grasp that not everyone finds comfort outside in nature, rather than the sports events, (primarily football) TV screen or online games etc.

Camera shops are thin on the ground, often requiring travel to major towns and cities to find one. I have a 20 mile drive each way for my nearest, but above all, and even harder when you're ill and not being able to go anywhere or do anything, is resist that temptation to make a rushed purchase.

Thanks.  Yes I’m quiet a quiet person so I don’t usualy tend to socialise with anyone in the house. The other 2 who are also in the house im not friends with cause we don’t get along but I treat them with Respect just like anyone else even though Im not friends with them. To me it doesn’t matter weather you get along with someone or not and weather your friends with someone or not. When you get along with someone you will naturally have a level of respect for them when you don’t then that can be a different story but I still think people should be treated with respect regardless. For me Iv been through a lot since the end of my secondary school. and when someones been through a lot or even been through any sort of traumatic exspeariances that doesn’t help matters and can make things difficult but for me I don’t let those things stop me treating people with respect regadless of weather I get along or not. And I think other propel should do the same. That’s not to say people don’t treat each other with respect but that is how I see it. And for me though I’m cautious about strangers at first until I start getting to know them Im allways there to help or support anyone in need regardless of weather I know them or not and who or what they are. So I do sometimes help people in my house I sometimes get called the Spider catcher cause I get them out for them if they find one though the spiders are usually just sitting there and not really doing anything so I try to encourage them onto my hand  rather than just grab them out of nowhere if possible 

For me though regardless  Iv allways spent most of my time doing my hobbys in my room and engaging in my speacial interests ever since I was a child so that is usually where you will find me. If I have ffriends offline I see them but I don’t have any online or offline cause I lost all my contacts at the end of secondary school and college and were too busy to make any time to talk or see me or even just say hi anyway and this went on for years so I don’t think it would of made any difference even if they weren’t lost for good. 

And due certain circumstances and complications where I live I’m unable to find anywhere to make any new friends not even a bird club I’m hopeing once I become independent and leave to go to supported living that I will have more luck. Iv been working forwards this with determination ever since I started at the Residential. Overcoming my fear of domestic animals and wildlife was only my first hurdle now that’s over its just learning independent living skills now. 

When I used to have friends I did used to talk to them and see them. But Iv never really been the type for going to party’s and what not. And would usually only hang out with one friend at a time rather than as a group. Ever since my Wildlife hobby started it inivatabky got me out and about and excersiceing which I wasn’t doing before the hobby so has benefited me In lots of ways. 

but even though i do like to spend a lot of time on my own regardless of weather I’m outside or in my bedroom it is usually obvious when I’m under the weather or feeling poorly, I don’t get angry with people or anything else but it’s rare for me not to go out and about so that was one of the things that alerted them that I’m clearly not well. Secondly being unable not to be near a bathroom. And 3rdly not smiling or looking myself at all.  I got a swollen eye and infection then Iv also been getting a pulled mucscls which is bound to make you feel even worse having more than one thing at once and even though I went to bed last night today they have noticed I got black rings under my eyes. 

But not being able to go out and about has made me appreciate the fact that the birds choose at there own accord weather to visit my garden even if I do put bird food out. And while Iv been poorly the birds have almost eaten all my fat balls there’s only one left. 

Just realised i acidently sent the message in reply to myself so I have rectified the mistake and g put it in reply to you. 

Iv also gone over everything I said to make sure I correct any other mistakes and have edited it so that it’s put better and gives the message I want to give 

I know that I have the support of members here In the community so I do feel safe but thought I should say Iv been making more time for people since I’m poorly and I have been so busy for a couple of months. When I comment on a post of a new member sometimes it’s possible to hold nice conversations with them but not all people are going to. You could be having a nice conversation with a stranger on a thread but it might not allways necessarily continue or go the way it should do  But as for people I know in the community when it comes to commenting on someone’s post exspeacialy someone I like and have lots in common with and get along very well with like you I sometimes worry about weather I might acidently sound like I havnt looked st your post even if I have cause I don’t give empty compliments only genuine ones.

Iv noticed the other members tend to manage to comment on some strangers posts without things going wrong often. And Iv. Also noticed somehow people manage to get lots of people on there threads or just somehow manage to start, continue or hold a discussion with people on there posts on a regular basis even ones that they originally started off for some reason. Perhaps it’s cause you guys have been in the community at lot longer than me but I don’t know



Then also whenever I’m part of a discussion with a stranger or I’m commenting to the members I come across one thread or another that starts of great then things go wrong yet again. I kind of wish I could have a discussion without things potentially going wrong so often for a change. I feel like a bad luck charm.


For some reason the only time things don’t go wrong often is when I don’t comment on strangers posts I’m not sure about. I didn’t start commenting more on photos strangers have sent until I got poorly which was probably a bad move considering I’m very under the weather and Iv got lots of things coming at me at once even though I’m poorly. And the fact I’m Autistic means I need to be even more careful when online with strangers. I think even though I do feel safe in the community I could benefit from becoming a friends with someone I get along with who’s a member in the community like me.



Iv found some camara shops in the area. Iv been there lots of times before I got poorly but hadn’t noticed them and Iv been visiting Stroud before Covid and after so they weren’t very obvious. but there not walking distance. There’s some around the Cotswolds AONB Area and a few in Stroud. The only thing I got about buying exspensive things from shops out and about is that Amazon can be cheaper than going to a shop to buy something. And me and my family usually find that’s thd case which is why they get most of there things from there. And I had told her I’m looking on Amazon and il let her know which one I want with my money so She can use the money I saved to buy it for me so she is already under the impression I’m getting it on Amazon. Cause Mum will be getting it for me the nearest shop would be In Cheltenham but it is an hour away so I don’t know if it it will work or not.

I could see if mum can do that or not but I’m not sure. do you think I should still get it from a camera shop?

I can only comment on the camera shop part.

The first thing I would do is look at the shop, or shops, online and see what prices they charge and for which camera, then look online with reputable online retailers like Amazon, and see what prices are charged there.

BEWARE, some online outlets are not always trustworthy when they sell through Amazon, eBay or others.

There are many ways in which you can buy a camera and obtain the best price possible.

• You can buy online, and if it doesn't suit, return within the specified time, it for a full refund, so long as there is no damage and all parts delivered are returned,
• You can buy from a proper retailer, after trying and handling, picking up tips from the sales person
• You could go to the camera shop, handle some cameras, get the tips, and then if cheaper online, buy online.

You could, go to look at your prospective camera in the camera shop, don't buy it, make no commitment to buy but see what offers they have, go home, look to see what prices are online, and then return and see if the shop will match the price or even come close to the price.

Some will, but not all, because unlike online retailers, shops have to cover the cost of a shop and customer friendly environment where online sales are dealt with from a warehouse, so no requirement for glossy shelves and cabinets etc.

They may even offer some extras to soften the difference in price, or even have a starter kit.

Whatever, keep your mum involved, it will be your safeguard, and as I said before, even we oldies need guidance from another adult.

I hope that helps.

Thought I’d leave an update on the  camara situation  Cause I got some updates on the camera.  I didn’t manage to get it by Saturday but I’m going to send Mum the one I want by the time I go and see her after Wednesday next week at the latest. Thanks for being understanding when I was poorly. I allways make sure I do my research before getting things to do with a hobby to help further it and my skills even more. So you don’t need to worry about me rushing into things. I have been researching even before I mentioned im going to get a new one. I meant to mention this earlyer. I was still doing some research when I was poorly aswell even if it didn’t look like it since I was catching up on peoples posts and stuff when and if possible. and as much as I can. I wasn’t very lucky when I was poorly but I did the right things and still birdwatched out my window. Even when I’m poorly and not my self it doesn’t usually Stop me persueing my main interest which in this case is Wildlife watching and even though I do appreciate my local and garden birds it made me appreciate them even more than before I was poorly if they didn’t visit or No birds in my local area visited I wouldn’t have any birds to see even though going to different places and seeing birds other than the ones in my area and garden birds for a change is more exiteing. And the trip on Saturday helped me feell better.

If I get poorly or feell under the weather or have some bad weeks or years or bad days Or times where no matter what I do bad luck follows me every where and things keep going wrong no matter what I do or say in life both off or online I put looking after myself first but even if I feell so down I feell like giving up or nothing ever seems to work out I try to find a way to keep going and I find the courage and determination to face and overcome difficulties and see it through. my motto is that if you completely give up your less likely to get there.

I feell worry About if my compliment comments sounds genuine when I comment on your post cause I say it so often since I allways say your photos are good. But I mean it every time I see your photos.
I say what I mean and mean what I say so wouldn’t say it unless I meant it. That’s the case with anyone though that I don’t give empty praise. I say what I mean and mean what I say. And I think it’s good you were getting out and about and enjoying yourself

I hadnt forgotten about the new camara.
And I know the difference between DSLR and mirrorless but at the moment I struggleing to choose between the two but im going to keep looking. I don’t know about bridge camara but Im sure I want DSLR or Mirrorless. I know Im even more determined than ever to get it cause my devices have reverted to not taking any photos again just like last year. 

I havnt decided on the camara yet but I kept getting camaras that didn’t turn out to be as good as i thought when I was younger. iv got more than 3 compact camaras about 4 that don’t work properly and are poor quality when you take pictures and very short battery and quiet slow and not very good at distant objects or things like wildlife.  And for my phone and I pad I don’t want to keep going round in circles with my smart devices. Like the I pad and I phone. (Not the old one but that doesnt have much storage either. I mainly take photos of Wildlife so I need a proper camera and one that is good for Wildlife. 2 members have given me suggestions But im still going for DSLR or mirrorless rather than a bridge but im starting to consider mirrorless even though I was going to go for DSLR before. The DSLR is known to have good battery life and I need a camera with long battery life cause I can use my camera for a very long time up to an hour or 2. On a day trip more than that. And almost constantly Looking out for Wildlife Exspeacially ones that move. Even though sometimes I take pictures of wildlife when there still I take lots of action shots so a camera that is good with moving objects is another thing to consider when finding a camera. I also need a camera with a quiet shutter so that is another thing to consider. I have 100 pounds now so I have enough.  im thinking if I sell a game I don’t like or something I don’t want anymore I might be able to earn enough money to get one that comes with the things I need for the camera so I don’t have to buy them separately. When I go home Dad is going to see how much the things he’s going to sell will sell for that I don’t want at a shop so that I can get more money and then when I have more money Mum is going to get a DSLR or mirrorless camera for me