ASs some regulars may know I sometimes have a few health problems that at times restricts my access to the countryside so many of the restrictions that we have endured, and are still enduring, do not feel strange to Chris and myself. My immune system is pretty shot up at times so I'm quite good at avoiding numbers of people, I'm maybe not as anti social as it seems, and I've never been a lover of shopping unless its books. When we were recommended to shield in our own homes we actually realised we could walk the riverside fields with permission from the owners and had little chance of meeting anyone so we felt quite happy there. When restrictions eased we have four small nature reserves within a couple of miles of home with plenty of space to avoid close contact but still both watch birds and talk about birds with others doing the same, quite a little anti social bird club we are. There has been good birds aplenty and as winter has drawn closer the wintering Thrushes arrived we have been doing counts on them. One of our local reserves has got a wonderful Starling murmuration,60,000 birds at least, which we managed to social distance the grandsons to. We have found by visiting the busiest of the reserves late afternoon most birders have gone home and we enjoy the spectacle of birds going to roost. We do miss visiting our local moorland but they are outside the 3 mile radius we put on ourselves, they will still be there when all this is over and we settle down to our new normal. Because I am in that at risk category we seem to be swimming in hand sanitiser but Chris keeps an eye on what I get up to. I just hope other folk are coping as well as us and getting the support we have been getting, take care out there we will beat this lot somehow.
Pete
Birding is for everyone no matter how good or bad we are at it,enjoy it while you can
Well good news for us, we had a phone call on Thursday and are both getting our 2nd jabs next Saturday! It is only 7 weeks since our first. Again in the games hall at the local high school. Our surgery has been on the ball and is now vaccinating the 50-59 age group and has already, 2 weeks ago, started giving the second jabs.
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.
"Birds are, quite simply, little miracles - and as such they require care and consideration."
Magnus Ullman
My Flickr account is here
For advice about Birding, Identification,field guides, binoculars, scopes, tripods, etc - put 'Birding Tips' into the search box
Lynn L said:Well good news for us, we had a phone call on Thursday and are both getting our 2nd jabs next Saturday! It is only 7 weeks since our first. Again in the games hall at the local high school. Our surgery has been on the ball and is now vaccinating the 50-59 age group and has already, 2 weeks ago, started giving the second jabs.
Brilliant.
Mine isn't until the end of May.
Mike
Flickr: Peak Rambler
seymouraves said:Hi
Definitely weird!
As a BMC member, I will confess to not reading the full details shared mainly because I've worked on the basis travel as little as possible. Like a lot of folk, I find the whole thing confusing and erred on the side of caution.
However, I had to peruse the BMC website and I wonder if its to do with the govt advice, that was updated 16th March!
I'm curious, and I've included that advice below (note dated 16 March 2021), which may also help Clare and Limpy regarding their accessing green spaces. As far as I'm aware, all links from the govt page are working.
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Advice on using green spaces and protecting yourself and others from coronavirus.
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/coronavirus-covid-19-advice-on-accessing-green-spaces-safely
You should exercise in green spaces locally wherever possible, but you can travel a short distance within your area if necessary.
Find out where you can go and what you can do in your local area on the Ordnance Survey’s GetOutside website.
If you need to travel, walk or cycle where possible, and plan ahead to avoid busy times and routes if you use public transport. This will allow you to practise social distancing while you travel.
If you need to use public transport, you should follow the safer travel guidance.
Avoid car sharing with anyone from outside your household or your support bubble. See the guidance on car sharing.
Before travelling, you should check if facilities are open to visitors (for example, car parks and toilets). Do not park on verges or block gates. This restricts access for other vehicles.
seymouraves said:Hi here's some confusing info for bird people- From an official mountaineering site- ( BMC) All forms of outdoor sport and physical activity (including climbing and walking) have been allowed since 8th March and this continues to be the case from 29th March. This seems to be ( apparently) INCORRECT- unless Bird watching is not a physical activity- BUT DOG WALKING IS - as birders stop periodically to look at birds they do not qualify: ( obviously written by someone who doesnt walk an inquisitive dog!) because stopping would bring them into close contact with other people . Birders have been stopped during current lockdown for the above mobility reason: WEIRD! As we used to say:) S
Bloody hell! Somebody's bonkers.
Our herring gulls are red listed birds. Think about that the next time you hear some flaming idiot calling for a cull of them.
Limpy said:Clare is still living in hope that a break in Mull will be possible in autumn but nothing has been booked.
Deep breath ......... just booked. 5 nights at the end of September. I'm hoping with almost everything I have that we'll be able to go.
We've wanted to go to Mull for years but we never seem to have got around to it. Lately, I find myself looking at Limpy - at his disablement and his Parkinson's disease - and he is, slowly but surely, deteriorating. I want to get him to Mull while he is still mobile, not yet wheelchair bound and still able to take photos with that rocket launcher-sized lens of his. It will also be good for his mental state to have something to look forward to.
Kind regards, Ann