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ZEISS DTI thermal imaging cameras. For more discoveries at night, and during the day.

The private patch (1 Viewer)

samuel walker

It's OK to be a little blue........
I admire the job most of my local parks do in laying out trails to get into the woods and wetlands.The problem is that they are too good There is nothing worse than being revved up for a good day's outing and having half of the citizenry marching along with you with children under 7 years old flushing everything into the next county.My solution is to get your own private preserve.I've noticed on nearby land to the "official park trails are other unimproved sites.These little isolated pockets can be goldmines for birds and other wildlife.I have several of these private pockets that only a few know about.We are now moving into the peak of warbler season.A few tears ago I covered one of these sites to chase redheaded woodpeckers I was shocked to find it full of warblers in May.After many visits I began to meet a few birders wandering on its crude trails along the river.Conversations were spontaniuos usually "what warblers did you tick and did you see the wood ducks?"Closings were usually "I hope the park system never decides to develop this place and please don't tell anyone about this spot.I met an artist there who is a regular last year who showed me the prime spots for warblers along the river bank He dubbed the patch "Littlebird Lane" The private patch can reward the steady visitor with not only the wildlife but,the peace to enjoy it.Keep looking.
Sam
 
samuel walker said:
I admire the job most of my local parks do in laying out trails to get into the woods and wetlands.The problem is that they are too good There is nothing worse than being revved up for a good day's outing and having half of the citizenry marching along with you with children under 7 years old flushing everything into the next county.My solution is to get your own private preserve.I've noticed on nearby land to the "official park trails are other unimproved sites.These little isolated pockets can be goldmines for birds and other wildlife.I have several of these private pockets that only a few know about.We are now moving into the peak of warbler season.A few tears ago I covered one of these sites to chase redheaded woodpeckers I was shocked to find it full of warblers in May.After many visits I began to meet a few birders wandering on its crude trails along the river.Conversations were spontaniuos usually "what warblers did you tick and did you see the wood ducks?"Closings were usually "I hope the park system never decides to develop this place and please don't tell anyone about this spot.I met an artist there who is a regular last year who showed me the prime spots for warblers along the river bank He dubbed the patch "Littlebird Lane" The private patch can reward the steady visitor with not only the wildlife but,the peace to enjoy it.Keep looking.
Sam


Hi Sam,
I agree with your sentiments about parks and too many is the word "plebs" snobbish?
However it is not confined to parks and "plebs".We have a superb Yorkshire Wildlife Trust Nature Reserve on our east coast called Spurn Point.It is a peninsula that sticks out about 4 miles into the North Sea, sea on one side,huge(by our standards) river estuary on the other,loads of mud and scrub. At its narrowest point it is only about 40 yards wide at high tide.
In spring and autumn,with the right wind direction it can be phenomenal for getting rare Arctic and Siberian migrants and it is very well watched.
My wife and I went last weekend and it was fairly popular,but by no means overcrowded with birders.Nevertheless,it is pretty irksome when you are settled down watching or waiting for something interesting when birders stomp right through the middle of the action or inaction.
I'm positive we have done the same to other birdwatchers,so we have to just grin and bear it.
Regards, Tony
 
I can well understand your frustration Sam, as it regularly happens to me too, unfortunately I am stuck with either haveing to accept the improvements to the links and the invasion of nonbirders, or nothing, as I am now unable to go more than ten steps anywhere then I usually end up flat on my face! I have developed a way of instilling peace with most other users though, by having the scope set up and therefore other users of the path tend to want to know what I'm doing, and generally they ask quietly (perhaps afraid of me) so they don't disturb. Fortunately most people are becoming more aware of chair bound folks, and show less fear and although not very comfortable about speaking to them, do so with less alarm than in the past. I usually have to stay in the same place for quite a while though, (artists tend to see most) as remaining stationary lets the wildlife come to you. I haven't quite got the hang of all the tricks my camera can do, and I'm not always happy with photographic results, so as yet not many posts on BF, but then I'm only a beginner!
Have you tried this trick yourself yet?
 
seat pleasent

Yes Nina I picked up a term from an old birder called the "seat pleasent" Finding a reletively acessable spot in a location of known activity.Sit down,close mouth be alert and let them find you.Luckily birds are wary things and will come around your seat pleasent just to be sure they know where you are.This saves a lot of time and prevents stressing the bird with too much percieved preditory behavior.
Sam
 
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