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driving and birding= bad driving (1 Viewer)

will@bill

FATHER AND SON TEAM
So who is going to own up to being a inconsiderate or terrible driver because you are constantly looking for birds:eek!: .I get wrong for a sudden stop or slowing down to a snails pace by my daughters. my sons okay he normally spots them;)
 
For that very reason I am most reluctant to drive abroad, I have almost caused 2 crashes by paying more attention to birds than the road. Thankfully in this country I have seen most of the birds that are regular by the road so don't suffer too much from 'what was that' syndrome, although now and again I do have moments when the accelerator pedal is forgotten due to birdwatching.
 
I've been guilty of this whilst stopped at lights (such as "I wonder how many Starlings are on that roof?" etc.) rest of the time I'm pretty damned careful... 'Birding & Driving' is worse than using a mobile I reckon... and I don't do that either!

Mind you - if a 'Lifer' just happens to pass me, then I can't be held responsible for my actions on trying to see it - I just hope the jury will be sympathetic!

:t:

Neil.
 
.......................and whatever you do, don't try and look through bins while you're driving, (it's a bit scary, even at walking pace on a straight and empty road).|:$|
 
I did a double take last January when driving down a road I'd driven done hundreds of times before I saw a flock of Common Cranes!! Not that I knew what they were at the time(I'd never seen them before in my life!)
 
My wife is forever shouting at me as we go down the road. I am usually on the lookout for birds or deer in fields and regularly veer off slightly. I never actually look for more than a second or two at a time but it's enough to scare her to death.
I have always wondered too whether, if I saw something really good whilst driving on a motorway, if I would pull over on the hard shoulder and reverse back up for a look. Not a good idea I know but what do you do in such a situation?
 
I have always wondered too whether, if I saw something really good whilst driving on a motorway, if I would pull over on the hard shoulder and reverse back up for a look. Not a good idea I know but what do you do in such a situation?

Do you want the sensible answer or the honest one;)
 
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So who is going to own up to being a inconsiderate or terrible driver because you are constantly looking for birds:eek!: .I get wrong for a sudden stop or slowing down to a snails pace by my daughters. my sons okay he normally spots them;)

Not me! Never inconsiderate or terrible -- my motto is always "Safety First" o:D o:) Often thought I ought to have one of those little signs, "Birder at the wheel", though.

Marie:-O
 
Oh dear,...yes, guilty as charged M´lord. I really shouln´t do it but as a birder I always have one eye on the sky. I am sure if I think about it there are many "driving/birding moments" so perhaps this is the start of a good thread.

The ones that come to mind are, a Bridled Tern at Hanningfield reservoir. Four of us abandoned the car on a slope and ran for the bird. Lots of sleepy pensioners wondered what the hell was going on as we all descended on the place shattering the peace. When we got back to the car about an hour later all four doors were still open!!

I only remember getting one lifer whilst driving: a Golden pheasant in Norfolk which I nearly killed!

I am sure to remember lots more..
 
Must admit i'am terrible when driving abroad always on the look out for birds especially Raptors.

The wife is always on at me to keep my eyes on the road says she will look out for birds but never seems to spot them before me.
 
The A149 between Kelling and Cley is proper dangerous. All those corners, all those birds. Love it and hate it in equal measure.
 
My son is always reminding me in terrified tones to watch the road, never mind the birds. |:$| :eek!: And no, I definitely don't want him to take over the driving - he won't slam the brakes on when I shout "bird, bird!" - I'll miss them if I let him drive. :eek!: :-O
 
The A149 between Kelling and Cley is proper dangerous. All those corners, all those birds. Love it and hate it in equal measure.

I've drove east along that road just after sunrise, and the sun is right in front of you! You can see nothing.. so bad, it feels dangerous driving at 5mph. Really frustrating when you "need to be somewhere"!
 
One of the reason I bought a convertible, its easier to see raptors and flyovers and I dont have to swerve so much to keep them in view!

Have never broken the speed limit going to see a rariety though ;)
 
I always make sure nothing's behind me before slamming on the brakes and swerving to the side. Two stories come to mind though:

While driving with my dad from Minnesota to Winnipeg a flock of large birds was seen flying in the distance. We sped up to get a better look and had a sneaking suspicion they were Whooping Cranes. We ended up veering off onto small dirt roads and drove for about an hour to finally find where they had landed. They were Whooping Cranes, so definitely worth it, but the rest of my family in the car thought we were both a bit nuts!

While in Western Australia last year I was camping in the middle of nowhere. I hadn't seen anyone in days so felt pretty safe slamming on the brakes for birds (I was moving pretty slowly anyway). At one point I jumped out and ran off into the buch leaving the door wide open and the engine running. After searching a while for what I had thought looked like an interesting honeyeater, I gave up and returned to the car. Unfortunately the wind had blown the door closed and the car had automatically locked, engine still running! I ended up having to smash a window before I ran out of petrol but the worst part was that I missed the bird!

Cheers,
Benji
 
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