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

How far do birders walk? (1 Viewer)

I agree with everyone, it's mainly time spend that adds up. When you bird it's about the birds, as soon as you spot something interesting that takes up time. The goal is not to cover a track but see nature at work.

I suppose there are tracks that you can follow, but once it's over 10 km I ask myself: am I going to hike today where I see birds? Or do I go birding so the hike is not the goal. Once that decision has been made the gear I take with me varies, on a hike the telescope stays put, with birding it comes with me.

But during holidays, where the main part of my most interesting birding happens I rarely go very far from the car. Probably 5 km max, most of the time less than 2 km.
 
I typically average 1 mile (1.6 km)/hour if listening for birds. I am just back from South Korea. My longest day was on an island and did 12 hours and did 12 miles, the following day was 8 hours and 6 miles. The second day had a higher density of birds. On the 12 mile day, I had a choice of a bus or a 3 mile walk (that said it should take 1 hour), it took 3 hours due to terrain, and I started to wish I had jumped on the bus, but I ended up getting about 6 "worth it" birds.

Another of the days, I was so disappointed with a marsh, I decided to walk down along the river. I walked 10 miles planning to visit a river island next to a bridge and had nothing to show for it.
 
Others put it - a number of species, especially various "chicken" or gallinaceous birds, simply require walking kilometers around until you see one by chance.

On the opposite side are most waterbirds and seabirds, where you simply put a scope and stand there. And species of African plains which are seen from the car.

Bird companies are different. They are generally tuned to elderly and unfit members, and minimize walking. Difficult species are simply written off or seen in one out of several trips.
 
it's not uncommon to see me walk 12-16 miles in a days birding close to home, in the hills at the top of the south Wales valleys. It doesn't usually get a big species list - 40 spp is very good, but in summer can include Redstart, Pied Fly, Spot Fly, Wood Warbler, Gropper, Tree Pipit, Cuckoo, Wheatear, and Whinchat. I walked at least 13 miles on Tuesday. Age? - closing in on 60
 
I do not drive but sometimes get a lift for a day out or a twitch so whatever walking is required has to be done...

Local patching from the house is between 2 and 4 miles which is usually with the Dog. I have always had an ambling rate of 1-2 miles an hour depending on season with flowers a feature in addition to birds. Anything further than that and it is by bike. I have a couple of Bromptons which are ideal for folding at gates and stiles etc - i have an adapted a crate so again the Dog gets to go out.

When abroad my accommodation is always centred from where i can walk out from to thrash a local area and for jaunts further afield i use a local taxi or bus and walk back from 5+ miles away. When required i also take one of the Bromptons abroad if hiring a half-decent bike is going to be an issue e.g. Poland and Spain no problem but Morocco forget it! We are off to Georgia/Batumi in 3 weeks and 2 of the places we stop at offer, wait for it, free bike hire:eek!:

I have both of these bikes converted to a 1kw electric motor for pedal assistance and it is neither a problem to remove the motor and cycle without it (20 mins to changeover with a Bafang) or keep the motor on and make sure you take the 4kg Lithium battery with you as hand-luggage whilst the bike travels in the hold.

Using a small folding bike like a Brompton allows me to cover lots of places as convenient as on foot and link roads with paths and tracks whether here or abroad.

Good birding -

Laurie -
 
I installed a steps app recently and was surprised to find that a day at Arne involved 18km walking but a morning at Frampton was 22km. No doubt helped by the buff breasted sandpiper popping up all over the site at random times. You’re right that I probably wouldn’t set off for a tick that involved 22km walking but it was actually perfectly reasonable walks
 
How far do birders walk?
In the case of Idle Jack, a local birdwatcher, not very far.
Bumped into him recently viewing a wet field full of birds, stood right next to his car. He said the adjacent field was wet too but the road next to it was too narrow to park. I suggested he walked down the road[ about 50 yards] and had a look through his scope, standing on the grass verge whereby he could get a good view..
This was far too much effort so he drove off to find somewhere else to stand next to his car to birdwatch.
 
Owene said:
I installed a steps app recently and was surprised to find that a day at Arne involved 18km walking but a morning at Frampton was 22km. No doubt helped by the buff breasted sandpiper popping up all over the site at random times. You’re right that I probably wouldn’t set off for a tick that involved 22km walking but it was actually perfectly reasonable walks
Click to expand...

If your app is accurate in converting steps to km that's quite impressive for Frampton - I only logged 8km the day I went there, and that included parking in the car park, walking to the sea wall to dip the buff-breasted sandpiper, and visiting the hides on the reserve. On the other hand, if you backtracked twice you'd more or less triple that.

In contrast, at Blacktoft Sands the previous day I only logged 2.4km - we only went to the eastern hides and back - it is a compact reserve in terms of its footpaths, definitely set up for the more slothful birder to sit and wait!
 
kb57 said:
If your app is accurate in converting steps to km that's quite impressive for Frampton - I only logged 8km the day I went there, and that included parking in the car park, walking to the sea wall to dip the buff-breasted sandpiper, and visiting the hides on the reserve. On the other hand, if you backtracked twice you'd more or less triple that.

In contrast, at Blacktoft Sands the previous day I only logged 2.4km - we only went to the eastern hides and back - it is a compact reserve in terms of its footpaths, definitely set up for the more slothful birder to sit and wait!
Click to expand...

My wife claims to do 10 miles a day round the hospital at which she works, I don't believe a word of it. I suspect most of these apps are incorrectly set up and the users should try tracing their routes on maps and establishing how wrong they are.

John
 
kb57 said:
If your app is accurate in converting steps to km that's quite impressive for Frampton - I only logged 8km the day I went there, and that included parking in the car park, walking to the sea wall to dip the buff-breasted sandpiper, and visiting the hides on the reserve. On the other hand, if you backtracked twice you'd more or less triple that.

In contrast, at Blacktoft Sands the previous day I only logged 2.4km - we only went to the eastern hides and back - it is a compact reserve in terms of its footpaths, definitely set up for the more slothful birder to sit and wait!
Click to expand...

Walked from first car park to sea wall. Back to visitors centre for breakfast. To the turtle dove viewpoint. Erroneous report at one of the hides. Then sea wall again for buff breasted sandpiper. Then back to turtle dove view point where doves finally showed. Then some more relaxed birding having got my target birds. Probably 6 hours on site.

But I have a feeling johns point about apps is also true
 
You certainly need to see how an App compares with other devices like a Pedometer and my cycling computer. The latter is configured for wheel diameter and i have 3 set up on 16/26/27 inch wheels and they all record the same - the App that i use is Endomondo which is free at the basic level i use. It is pretty accurate as it reads more or less the same as the bikes. It also tallied exactly with a 60+ mile run we did in a mate’s car to Sharpness a couple of weeks ago. The App works off GPS and i have used it with no problem in Morocco and Spain...

Laurie:t:
 
Nutcracker said:
Won't that give significantly different readings depending on tyre pressure? If it is pumped up hard, the circumference will be more than if it is a bit soft.
Click to expand...

Depends on cyclist weight, too - in winter plumage or with saddlebags significantly heavier even if personal weight constant.

John
 
I cannot envisage it making any difference considering the small amount of tire that is in contact with the surface. The Bromptons are 100psi, the road bike is 120psi and the MTB is 65psi. Maybe spoke tension is a factor too;)

Laurie:t:
 
Yesterday I only walked for half a hour because it was quiet where I was and to make things worse two dogs jumped into the water causing all the birds to fly away. I was at The River Esk in Musselburgh.
 
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