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 got my 2nd jab last Saturday I have had aching joints for the last few days but not sure if that is from the jab or the fact we have spent a lot of time walki g looking at birds. None of these aches feel that bad and would not stop me having another jab

    Pete

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

  • Well, he's had the jab and is feeling fine. Let's see what tomorrow brings .............

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

  • Good news for both of you, Clare. How is Helen doing now?

    Kind regards, Ann

  • She hasn't moaned about it for a while so she's fine.

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

  • We're into the second day since Limpy's second Pfizer jab and his only side effect is that his arm is sore - but much more so than the first time around. Let's hope it doesn't last for much longer as he already lives with more than enough pain to be going on with.

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

  • Let's hope Limpy's armeases off soon, it took a while for mine to away and then last Thursday I had to have a biopsy on a growth on my arm and that is a bit tender nowbut hopefully the results will be back soon

    Pete

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

  • Keeping everything crossed for that biopsy result, Pete.

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

  • Fingers crossed for the result, Pete.

    Clare, How is Limpy doing today? Hope his painful arm is improving or back to normal.

    Mr GB's second vaccine jab is tomorrow and mine was a few weeks ago. I might actually risk public transport sometime this week when he is occupied on one of his birds of prey volunteering days--first time for a solitary jaunt for me since March of 2020! Who would have thought a few years ago that a bus or train ride might present any hazards other than that vehicle possibly having a crash in the short time you were on it?!

    Kind regards, Ann

  • I agree Ann, who would have thought a year ago that our lives would be so altered as to be nervous about catching a bus or train or meeting friends. I'd like to think that evenutually we'll get back to some sort of normality. I had my first jab of AZ at the weekend & the 2nd is booked for the 17 july. I had around 24 hours of shivery/not too good but feel fine today.

    Best wishes

    Hazel in Southwest France

  • Unknown said:
    How is Limpy doing today? Hope his painful arm is improving or back to normal.

    Happily, the pain is easing.

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