Some thoughts on covid 19 restrictions

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

  • I had my second Pzifer jag yesterday morning, 9 weeks after the first one. So far so good just a wee ache in the upper arm. Congrats on Helen getting her first jag Clare and good luck with your holiday on Mull.

    Kind regards

    Jenny

  • Good to know, Jenny. Limpy is due his second Pfizer dose around the end of this month while my second AstraZeneca jab will be on May 20th. Scotland seems to have a shorter gap between doses.

    Our herring gulls are red listed birds.  Think about that the next time you hear some flaming idiot calling for a cull of them.

  • Clare, Which vaccine did Helen have?

    Kind regards, Ann

  • She had the AstraZeneca jab. Funnily enough her reaction to the vaccination has been stronger than either of ours - she didn't feel very well when she woke up yesterday and her arm was swollen. Fingers crossed that she feels better today.

    Our herring gulls are red listed birds.  Think about that the next time you hear some flaming idiot calling for a cull of them.

  • I've just got the date for my 2nd jab, a week on Sunday, I had AZ 1st time so it will be the same again I presume. As I had no problems before and the blood clot figures seem fairly low I have no worries. The centre where I have to go is very close to a Red Kite hot spot so we will have a little side trip as well.

    Pete

    Birding is for everyone no matter how good or bad we are at it,enjoy it while you can

  • Clare Bailey said:
    She had the AstraZeneca jab. Funnily enough her reaction to the vaccination has been stronger than either of ours - she didn't feel very well when she woke up yesterday and her arm was swollen. Fingers crossed that she feels better today.

    Mrs PR had the AZ, and she was bad for a few days. The GP reassured her it was normal, however, if the symptoms persisted for a couple more days, then to contact the surgery again, regardless of how bad.

    When I had the AZ, nothing, no pain, no symptoms, nothing.....

  • Chris says as I have a fistful of health problems I probably would not notice any side affects of the injection !!

    Pete

    Birding is for everyone no matter how good or bad we are at it,enjoy it while you can

  • Both hubby and I had our 2nd jab last Saturday, each in 50-59 category and 60-65 category (7 weeks after our1st), Pfizer. Side effects I had after first was a slightly sore arm, but both very sleepy, really whacked for a good 7-10 days. After 2nd jab, I have quite a sore arm, red, swollen at injection site and itchy, for a few days, both still had the tiredness but not as bad as after the1st.

    Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

  • Hi

    I had no side effects but Mrs S had headaches and felt odd for 2 days!

    S

    For advice about Birding, Identification,field guides,  binoculars, scopes, tripods,  etc - put 'Birding Tips'   into the search box

  • Limpy has got his second Covid jab this Saturday - the Pfizer one. I'll let you all know how he feels afterwards.

    Our herring gulls are red listed birds.  Think about that the next time you hear some flaming idiot calling for a cull of them.