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’m getting my first vaccine next Tuesday Morning and my second vaccine on Sunday 9th May again in the morning and that is in the centre of Newcastle Upon Tyne. I don’t know if you know, but anyone who is 65 years old and lives in England you can book an appointment to have your vaccine. I don’t know about the rest of the UK. I could have waited to receive a telephone call or letter and then I could have had the vaccine at my local hub just 10-15 minutes walk from where I live. But it’s so easy getting into Newcastle by local transport by either the Tyne and Wear Metro or an excellent bus service and both run very frequently into Newcastle.
Regards,
Ian.
Kind regards, Ann
_________________________________________________________________________
Regards, Hazel
Unknown said:I'm still 64 for another two weeks so really pleased to get the call up
You young whippersnapper. I'm very pleased for you!
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 Bailey said:You young whippersnapper. I'm very pleased for you!
LOL Clare - I feel about 94 some days ! I would suggest to anyone in the same 65+ rollout should get online and book via NHS website as my neighbours (without a notification first via text or letter) were able to successfully book their vaccine appointments yesterday (one is 65, the other 66) by filling in the necessary details including their NHS number (if known) which proves they are truly eligible. This only applies to those in Group 5 on the list. For me ........ 3 days and counting ;) and it looks like two other households in our apartment will also be attending on the same day although different time slot to me. When I think, how lucky we are to have such a well organised and successful roll-out of life-saving vaccine and such wonderful NHS and volunteers to administer it, hats off to them all for all their hard and dedicated work and a big thank you to all the scientists and testers too.
Unknown said:I have a friend in Netherlands who is 83 and he is not getting his until March sometime as I think it was the same problem there with late ordering of the vaccine. I think Australia are yet to begin with the most vulnerable starting from end of February.
That may be due to the fact that the EU was a lot slower in approving any vaccines than the UK, even though there is provision in the EU for individual countries/Member States, to approve things like vaccines should they need to..
Mike
Flickr: Peak Rambler
Michael B said:That may be due to the fact that the EU was a lot slower in approving any vaccines than the UK, even though there is provision in the EU for individual countries/Member States, to approve things like vaccines should they need to..
yes, that was the case Mike as UK ordered our vaccines much earlier. Hope all that want one wherever they are eventually get their life-saving jab. Stay well all.