How many birders don't own a car (1 Viewer)

[username]

Hitching no longer seems to be 'the way' does it Mr.Anderson?
I reckon, if i had to...and 'the' bird was like a holy grail...maybe a Hawk Owl or something equally inspiring/desired...i wud still get 'my thumb out'! Get the feeling tho, that thanx to the 'media', people always fear the worst...ie...if someone 'gives you a lift' then they gotta be a knife wielding perv etc..etc......which is a dam shame coz most people are 'sound'..or so i've found. Despite Jeremy Clarkson's 'views' on truckers...i never had any 'problem' with them and i'm grateful as they transferred my twitchy-self hundreds of miles around the country. My life was never threatened...except on the odd occasion where i was in danger of being bored to death...

ps..i like 'Clarkson' by the way...he's a 'hoot'...!
pps...glad you still 'about' Mr.Anderson...hope life is good 'up north'....!

 

[Vectis Birder]

When I lived in Britain I never had a car - did a 'big year' which knocked up 405 species (not bad in pre-pager days) and hitch-hiked all over the place. Also did all my early trips purely by public transport - even got from the UK to South Africa (via Norway) without either driving or stepping upon a plane.

Serious respect to you and username. Not sure I could do it and I'm too cautious (scared!) to go hitching, unless I was in a group with others.

I read in Mark Cocker's Birders: Tales of a Tribe about a twitcher named Paul Flint who hitched all the way from Derbyshire to Norfolk, then promptly hitched from Norfolk to the Western Isles for (I think) a Steller's Eider. Impressive stuff.

 

[username]

Serious respect to you and username. Not sure I could do it and I'm too cautious (scared!) to go hitching, unless I was in a group with others.

I read in Mark Cocker's Birders: Tales of a Tribe about a twitcher named Paul Flint who hitched all the way from Derbyshire to Norfolk, then promptly hitched from Norfolk to the Western Isles for (I think) a Steller's Eider. Impressive stuff.

Did a similar thing myself Vectis....hitched [in 1982] to Shets for 'albert'...then onto hebs for the male Stellers...[which was in crippling plumage...wot a duck]! Twas just the 'done thing'...best thing about hitching is that you ended up 'kipping' in all sorts of bizzare places. When on 'that' hitch to shets n hebs i remember 'dossin' in a fairground...lifted up 'covers' of a merry-go-round ride and slept 'under the horses':eek!:...surreal! Franklins Gull, [same year], at the 'Barbican' on south coast..all the twitchyhitchers gravitated to the 'upside-down' boats on the shore where we all kipped for the night. Amazing in the morning when all the 'familiar faces' appeared bleary-eyed from under their 'boat-beds'...great chuckle...great bird too!

ps...be not afraid Vectis....!

 

[Vectis Birder]

Did a similar thing myself Vectis....hitched [in 1982] to Shets for 'albert'...then onto hebs for the male Stellers...[which was in crippling plumage...wot a duck]! Twas just the 'done thing'...best thing about hitching is that you ended up 'kipping' in all sorts of bizzare places. When on 'that' hitch to shets n hebs i remember 'dossin' in a fairground...lifted up 'covers' of a merry-go-round ride and slept 'under the horses':eek!:...surreal! Franklins Gull, [same year], at the 'Barbican' on south coast..all the twitchyhitchers gravitated to the 'upside-down' boats on the shore where we all kipped for the night. Amazing in the morning when all the 'familiar faces' appeared bleary-eyed from under their 'boat-beds'...great chuckle...great bird too!

ps...be not afraid Vectis....!

Lol, great stuff. :t:

I'm not really afraid, but as a woman I have to be cautious.

 

[rockfowl]

Those were good days Username!

remember it took me three days to get to the Steller's and then two back. I remember a certain southern birder leaving just before me getting picked up by the RAF and flown back to Kent...lucky ********

Weren't always good though, got stuck in Aviemore snow for three days with about two quid and nowhere to stay, was pretty grim. Still the first lift was to Sheffield!

 

[rockfowl]

Remember Username, when we did have a car it was still crap!

Roller, Lincolnshire, A6, Fire, Thumbs Out...

 

[davem]

If you want a list of the 'listers' without cars - just ring the pager services!

It's getting on for 6 years ago since I was behind the BN desk, but when a major rarity turned up you could pretty much guarantee the list of names who'd ring up asking for a message to be put out as 'lift wanted' etc !!

 

[username]

Remember Username, when we did have a car it was still crap!

Roller, Lincolnshire, A6, Fire, Thumbs Out...

I still have a very vivid image of that Mark....[one of the few images left in my addled skull]..still makes me chuckle now...yer engine pumpin' oil all over the place!.....'ditch' the 'scrap'...thumbs out for the 'white horse' Roller...[only one i've seen in uk...bout time for another i reckon]....

ps...Vectis.....me did not realize you were of the 'fairer sex'....kinda makes hitching a different 'ball game' eh? You are probably wiser not to hitch....unless accompanied...[hey...am i being sexist?...heck...i'm sure there is plenty o ladies out there who can 'look after' themselves]....

 

[silvercrest]

i dont own a car. all i have is a pushbike, and i use public transport. my mates all have cars and theyre always shooting off to see this or that rarity or scarcity. the closest birder mate lives about 10 miles away so i mostly get left out seeing the rarities. i used to get depressed about it, but ive got used to it now. i love birdwatching but i love twitching too, so its a huge problem. there are clubs and i go on coachtrips, and thats how i get to see the more unusual birds. so last year i managed to see around 30 new lifers, which isnt toobad. but i hate cycling to where the birds are, so i dont go out as much as i like. however, i think quite a few birders with cars are gonna find it hard soon when the credit crunch gets a grip, and when petrol gets more expensive.

 

[Howard King]

I rent one - as and when needed saves a lot of hassle tax, insurance, maintenance etc etc

 

[Vectis Birder]

however, i think quite a few birders with cars are gonna find it hard soon when the credit crunch gets a grip, and when petrol gets more expensive.

You are not wrong. I can't speak for others, but I daresay a lot of people are feeling the same, but I am finding it hard to keep my car on the road with the cost of fuel creeping up again. It's sitting at home, waiting for me to get back at the end of June and get it MOT'd - I just hope that it doesn't need anything major (apart from badly scratched windscreen that wants replacing) doing to it. It's only five years old, but I know from experience how unexpected repair bills can suddenly happen.

 

[silvercrest]

i see youre backpacking in Asia and Australia, and birding. lucky, lucky you. am i green with envy or what? i bet youve seen loads of wonderful birds, not to mention all the sights. im wondering how many species youve seen so far on your peregrinations? anyway, good birding, and keep safe mate.

 

[Vectis Birder]

i see youre backpacking in Asia and Australia, and birding. lucky, lucky you. am i green with envy or what? i bet youve seen loads of wonderful birds, not to mention all the sights. im wondering how many species youve seen so far on your peregrinations? anyway, good birding, and keep safe mate.

I have seen quite a few. Hopefully I'll get to a good few hundred by the time I'm done.

Tell you what, with what you'll save by not driving or owning a car, you'll easily afford a far more luxurious trip to far flung corners than me!

My grandfather always used to say 'Owning a car keeps you poor' and he was right. :-C

 

[selkie]

I'm another non driver/non car owner
We always choose to live in places with good or at least some public transport connections.

Luckily in Nice there is a huge public transport initiative and all bus journeys are one euro so you can go an hour and half to 2 hours on the bus into the mountains for one Euro

The trains aren't as cheap but they are still pretty reasonable .

In July the velib system for Nice should be unveiled - its a public bike hire scheme where you pick up a bike an drop one off and only pay a tiny amount

A tremendous number of my friends don't have cars in Nice, even if they do drive -they just rent when they need a car.

I do think that if we had a car that we would do more exploring in Western Provence but then again the folk I know who do have cars here tend to use them for big shopping trips rather than recreation or exploring.

alison

 

[Steve Babbs]

I'd echo the comments of Username.

When I lived in Britain I never had a car - did a 'big year' which knocked up 405 species (not bad in pre-pager days) and hitch-hiked all over the place. Also did all my early trips purely by public transport - even got from the UK to South Africa (via Norway) without either driving or stepping upon a plane. I agree with the earlier posters that a car is not needed to get to all the best places ...

...but it sure makes it easier Now, I'm probably amongst the worst sinners when it comes to cars - usually do about 1000 km a week, this year more.

405 not bad pre-pager days! Urm..wouldn't this be the biggest total recorded in a year in Britain?

 

[Steve Babbs]

Those were good days Username!

remember it took me three days to get to the Steller's and then two back. I remember a certain southern birder leaving just before me getting picked up by the RAF and flown back to Kent...lucky ********

Weren't always good though, got stuck in Aviemore snow for three days with about two quid and nowhere to stay, was pretty grim. Still the first lift was to Sheffield!

Personal don't miss the good old days. Hitched round the country myself too much getting cold by the roadside and being forced to listen to radio 2. Which 20 years ago really was a crime against humanity. I generally got lifts off sierra drivers and lorry drivers. Whereas other birders I knew seemed to (if you believed them) get constant sports cars and offers of drugs and/or sex. The only sex I was offered was from a gay priest.

 

[username]

I don't really know the answer to that one Steve....maybe Jos will get back and perhaps enlighten us?!
I personally never did the old 'big year' thing.....[off the top of me noggin i'd say perhaps 1982 wud have been my highest total....don't know without checking.....i do remember 'rares everywhere'....wot a year!

ps....these easterlies look promising at moment...good year for a big year?...'crunch' permitting....!

 

[username]

Personal don't miss the good old days. Hitched round the country myself too much getting cold by the roadside and being forced to listen to radio 2. Which 20 years ago really was a crime against humanity. I generally got lifts off sierra drivers and lorry drivers. Whereas other birders I knew seemed to (if you believed them) get constant sports cars and offers of drugs and/or sex. The only sex I was offered was from a gay priest.

There are some great 'tales' from way back....most a bit 'tooo much' for this forum perhaps!

ps....gay priest eh?.......
the dodgiest lift i ever got was from some yank who was playing gospel music....he turned to me n said 'Dooya believe in gawdd booy'? [do you believe in god]. My only believe at the time wuz that he shud let me out at the next roundabout and find himself some better tapes....
pps...never got 'collared' by 'skin-texture' man tho....did he ever have a 'rep'..!!

 

[Euan Buchan]

I don't own a car I havn't learnt how to drive

 

[silvercrest]

since i dont have a car, im toying with the idea of buying a festival tent, then go off for a few days at a time, and say, wander around the reserves in Suffolk and Norfolk, and camp in or near the reserves. Is that wise, i wonder?