[Jane Turner]

I got a call to say there was an idiot with a camera getting too close to the roosting waders. This made some sense since they'd abandoned their usual roost site and were in front of my house despite the high tide being rather low.


Here is the pranny in all his (birdless) glory, sensibly wearing a balaclava to mask his identity.

Pictures removed....

[username]

Presume that you are going to have words with the pranny Jane...?

I have some words that you could use....

http://username-beast.blogspot.co.uk/

[Jane Turner]

There is a reception committee waiting for him. I'm having lunch :)

[northernloon]

Hope he got some nice flight shots

[username]

Originally Posted by Jane Turner

There is a reception committee waiting for him. I'm having lunch :)

Why does 'reception committee' sound ominous to me....? Chuckle...!

Be good to get someone to video the 'reception'.....

Responses i've had to such confrontations are..

a. indifference
b. acting all innocent and apologetic
c. pure ignorance and aggressive

ps,,,enjoy your lunch...

http://username-beast.blogspot.co.uk/

[chowchilla]

*waits in anticipation of the reception committee giving our friend a 'Wirral Kiss'*

[Larry Lade]

It will be interesting to hear about the pranny's reaction to your reception, Jane!

Are you going to attempt to have him unmask?

[username]

Originally Posted by northernloon

a. irresponsible
b. indefensible and just plain stupid
and c. would probably result in me attempting a medically impossible gynaecological procedure

Chuckle..!

Perhaps if this pranny has a penchant for lying on the mud he should be staked out for the crabs at high tide....

ps...will check back later to see how this situation turns out...meantime i'm off for some birding....[hopefully to see a red neck phal at Rutty Water]....

http://username-beast.blogspot.co.uk/

[northernloon]

If it turns out to be this guy I'll eat my shorts. How I miss those Saturday afternoons watching World of Sport with Dickie Davies

[Ratal]

Is it really too hard to get a bag hide and a seat?

The balaclava truely is LOL worthy.

[chris butterworth]

At West Kirby, just round the corner from Jane, we get the wide eyed innocents with brain dead dogs who "just want to play" + "wouldn't hurt the birds". Jane, on the other hand, always ends up with the SAS ( Satutday And Sunday ) photographers. Are yoi putting bread out for them, or somthing?

Chris

[Jane Turner]

Not sure what happened... my lunch was leisurely and slightly liquid

[Larry Lade]

Did the "masked man" get away then without reproach?

[Jane Turner]

I don't know yet Larry

[Fozzybear]

Looks like the kind of the moron I saw on my patch when a rarity turned up, one idiot stomped in far, FAR too close and scared the bird off into the vegetation... before the other people who turned up with him got to see the bird properly (I hope they gave him a piece of their minds, I was too concerned about the bird to go and give him mine!). I was not amused at all given that just a little earlier I had the 'delight' of being on the receiving end of some twitcher's blackest stares and intense scrutiny - you could just see what he was thinking even though I was moving around with great care to avoid spooking the bird and photographing it while standing at a greater distance from it than they were, having no intention of doing anything to risk disturbing the bird. They even hung about after they started to leave, watching me surreptitiously from cover with their bins as though they thought I was waiting for them to go so I could rush in and get far too close.

With this experience and the constant annoyance of twitchers turning up over the weeks the bird was here I was rather put off going to my patch for some time and haven't done much birdwatching this year at all since then, and usually take a little camcorder rather than my camera when I do. I decided if I saw anything interesting here in the future I wouldn't tell anyone, though given that someone else found that bird it's unlikely that anything here would remain out of twitcher notice - to be fair the guy did say they were putting it on the twitcher network and very kindly asked if that was ok by me... I just didn't realise the implications at the time and foolishly posted reports to a local sightings page myself as well! Fortunately there weren't hordes turning up as it probably wasn't a very valuable 'tick' in twitching terms, but I go there for relaxation, not to be under the scrutiny of some tick chaser (or having to watch some twonk go steaming in right to the edge of the pool) so it wasn't enjoyable at all and I didn't feel relaxed walking across the meadow until the bird had gone and the twitchers stopped coming.

I guess there must be a lot of moronic photographers out there for anyone with a camera to be plastered with slurry so am glad I rarely go to places where there are many birders/photographers.

[rosbifs]

check the serial numbers.....

http://www.birdforum.net/showthread....=stolen+camera

[chowchilla]

Originally Posted by username

Perhaps if this pranny has a penchant for lying on the mud he should be staked out for the crabs at high tide....
http://username-beast.blogspot.co.uk/

He'd be croc bait if he did that in Cairns.

[Allen S. Moore]

Originally Posted by chowchilla

He'd be croc bait if he did that in Cairns.

[northernloon]

Luckily saltwater crocodiles aren't a regular feature of birding in Cheshire. It would certainly make Hilbre more challenging

[Gill Osborne]

Where's a bit of quicksand when you need it!

[northernloon]

Morecambe Bay at low tide is rather good Gill. 'Puddling' is fun in that regard

[rockfowl]

Is it normal to wear Balaclavas up your way then Jane? - noting his hands glow like a neon bulb !

[deboo]

Was at Titchwell today feeding the local Robins some carrot cake..which was nice.
Spotted the Purple Sandpiper on the sea wrecked WWII defences on the beach. Which was quite happy to have a tourist stand within 10 foot of it. There were togs there who would have loved to be in her shoes. But they weren't. Fieldcraft has moved on since the time of 'Edward Woodward' and now needs a bright orange top and not having a scooby what is around you.
....WARNING...
If you wear a balaclava whilst out birding, then perhaps you know that JT will be onto you...unless of course she is pissed and full of lunch :-)

crimewatcher dave...

[Fozzybear]

Originally Posted by deboo

Was at Titchwell today feeding the local Robins some carrot cake..which was nice.
Spotted the Purple Sandpiper on the sea wrecked WWII defences on the beach. Which was quite happy to have a tourist stand within 10 foot of it. There were togs there who would have loved to be in her shoes. But they weren't. Fieldcraft has moved on since the time of 'Edward Woodward' and now needs a bright orange top and not having a scooby what is around you.
....WARNING...
If you wear a balaclava whilst out birding, then perhaps you know that JT will be onto you...unless of course she is pissed and full of lunch :-)

crimewatcher dave...

I remember a couple of years ago standing on the beach at the Naze in Essex and loads of Turnstones, Sanderlings and a Purple Sandpiper came along the tideline and were running around me. I was amazed just how close they came, especially the Turnstones.

[northernloon]

Your head might just be cold Dave, speaking as one of the follically-challenged