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

Ghana trip (1 Viewer)

andyadcock said:
For what they're cgharging for domestic holidays here right now, it's cheaper to fly to Africa!
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True! I spent 8 weeks birding in Ethiopia in 2014. That costed me a grand total of £1250 ! (including return flight there and back, accommodation, transportation, food, malaria pills, etc). Try that in the UK.
 
YuShan said:
True! I spent 8 weeks birding in Ethiopia in 2014. That costed me a grand total of £1250 ! (including return flight there and back, accommodation, transportation, food, malaria pills, etc). Try that in the UK.
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A one way return would have been even cheaper ;)

Did you do a report?
 
andyadcock said:
For what they're cgharging for domestic holidays here right now, it's cheaper to fly to Africa!

Not only that, unless a 'mega' turns up, I'm unlikely to see anything new.
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Good time perhaps to get into other groups, like mammals or dragonflies or what not?

I am in a similar situation this winter unless I fly. My only real options for ABA birds is Minnesota for winter owls and Black-backed Woodpecker, or head down to the St. Louis area for Eurasian Tree Sparrow. But I don't know if my car is well suited for Sax Zim Bog backroads in winter.
 
Yeah I think here isn't much point in traveling internationally anytime soon. I was recently groaning after reading that Turkey allows tourists but only if they "stay in high quality hotels and eat in high quality restaurants" and this is actually getting more common around the world - free independent travel being killed off first, because it doesn't make enough money. Then I read this here and see that the ... dependent tourists? (pardon me a lack of creativity in English to formulate a proper opposite to independent tourism) ... have it equally bad in places (because seriously, as an idea of an organized trip is already repulsive for me, the conditions posted by Andy sound like outright torture).

Technically, there are at least places in Europe where one could go, but it really isn't that much fun to spend time researching what the rules are, worrying about changing situations, risks of closing borders etc... and having to learn what is the specific interpretation of the mask gospel in a given location. So I am just traveling around Poland now and I think for most people it's the most rational thing to accept now.
 
opisska said:
Technically, there are at least places in Europe where one could go, but it really isn't that much fun to spend time researching what the rules are, worrying about changing situations, risks of closing borders etc... and having to learn what is the specific interpretation of the mask gospel in a given location.
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Just to assist, if you wished to travel north at present, you would need to take a Covid test before entering Lithuania, would then need to isolate for 14 days and masks are required in all shops, public transport etc ;)


In reality though, it takes a matter of minutes to check what the requirements are for countries in Europe, not very difficult.
 
opisska said:
I was recently groaning after reading that Turkey allows tourists but only if they "stay in high quality hotels and eat in high quality restaurants" and this is actually getting more common around the world - free independent travel being killed off first....
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This is not really true.
 
Jos Stratford said:
Just to assist, if you wished to travel north at present, you would need to take a Covid test before entering Lithuania, would then need to isolate for 14 days and masks are required in all shops, public transport etc ;)


In reality though, it takes a matter of minutes to check what the requirements are for countries in Europe, not very difficult.
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Well, considering that it is often not easy to find the currently valid requirements in the two countries in which I live and understand the local languages, I dare to concur. Maybe the rest of the continent is a bit less chaotic, but it's still a giant pain. And it also changes often from one day to another. Poland for example does weekly revisions of countries they forbid flights from and it now includes Spain, what great news for people currently there for any reason ...
 
Jos Stratford said:
This is not really true.
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Interestingly it turns out that it isn't - so I have read wrong information and accepted it due to expecting it. What a perfect example of confirmation bias!

Anyway, researching Turkey has been interesting - their curfew for people over 65 is one of the most spectacular failures of logical thinking I have seen and it's not for the lack of those during this year.
 
Another question, if you decided to do a trip with all the attendant inconveniences and added cost, how easy would it be to actually get a test?

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-53990068

Are the private sector holding a stock of test kits which aren't available to the government and if so, is that ethical?
 
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Jos Stratford said:
In reality though, it takes a matter of minutes to check what the requirements are for countries in Europe, not very difficult.
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I think the danger is getting caught out by local restrictions within a country, as we go forward. UK has several at the moment, where you could easily stray into a higher restricted zone, and get a hefty fine in extreme cases.
I know my parents are in a restricted area, and I can't visit them, but I've no idea which local area they live in, west Yorkshire somewhere! Gov't advice mentions Park, Town, and Warley areas(?!) Of Calderdale.

Apologies this isn't anywhere near Ghana! But would you know which region of another country you were in?
 
peter.jones said:
I think the danger is getting caught out by local restrictions within a country, as we go forward. UK has several at the moment, where you could easily stray into a higher restricted zone, and get a hefty fine in extreme cases.
I know my parents are in a restricted area, and I can't visit them, but I've no idea which local area they live in, west Yorkshire somewhere! Gov't advice mentions Park, Town, and Warley areas(?!) Of Calderdale.

Apologies this isn't anywhere near Ghana! But would you know which region of another country you were in?
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There are so many variables that can change, suddenly and without warning including your own potential for a positive test for Covid on arrival.

I really want to get away but the fact that your trip can be lost in so many unpredictable ways and with probably zero chance of recovering any monies, really makes me think twice.................

Governments can't win in this situation, they need to be demonstrating the ability to safeguard the home population against importing the disease whilst at the same time, stimulating tourism. I personally don't think it can be done unless individuals are prepared to accept the multiple risks to the money they've paid and the potential to forfeit a good chunk of cash.

I see absolutely no chance of clear skies ahead in the next year unfortunately.
 
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1.Keep your pennies to one side (easier said than done)
2.Write a list of the things you want to spend them on
3. Wait for the all clear!
 
Andy - Ghana will still be there when Covid is no longer an issue, whenever that is. Certainly worth a visit - the picathartes is the most impressive bird I have seen anywhere.

For the moment, why not just have a break somewhere in the UK, well away from Nottingham?
 
Steve Lister said:
Andy - Ghana will still be there when Covid is no longer an issue, whenever that is. Certainly worth a visit - the picathartes is the most impressive bird I have seen anywhere.

For the moment, why not just have a break somewhere in the UK, well away from Nottingham?
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Got the shakes mate, not had a tick this year!
 
We are still slated to fly to the Yucatán in 9 days. The USA and Mexico have an agreement that only "essential travel" can warrant a border crossing, but this only applies to over-land crossings, and not to flights. At least as of today. I'll still be surprised if it all goes off without a hitch.

The Cancún economy is all about Americans taking the short flight down to visit. I am guessing that our two governments, and the ariline industry, have some kind of agreement to look the other way on all the COVID issues, when it comes to travelling to places like this.

The airline we are using is now advertising upcoming direct flights to Mazatlan and Punta Cana (Dom Republic).
 
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Before we flew to Peru and had our little debacle down there in March/April, when we got locked down in Iquitos, I wired a guide in Tarapoto $5,000. We never could meet up with him, and instead sat in a frickin' hotel room staring at the walls for a couple of weeks. Still waiting for flights to resume and hoping he is honest.... otherwise, bye-bye to that money.

The surprising part in all this? I watch eBird numbers religiously, and the birders that are in the top 100 all-time world rankings are still somehow aggresively adding to their totals. I do not know how they do it during COVID.

Example: On March 8 2020, the individual at "the bottom" of the top 100 all-time had 4880 species. As of Sept 2? That 100th spot is 5052. A difference of 172 birds in 178 days. Somehow, people that already have a ton of birds are getting even more of them. Which is not easy.
 
Lerxst said:
The surprising part in all this? I watch eBird numbers religiously, and the birders that are in the top 100 all-time world rankings are still somehow aggresively adding to their totals. I do not know how they do it during COVID.

Example: On March 8 2020, the individual at "the bottom" of the top 100 all-time had 4880 species. As of Sept 2? That 100th spot is 5052. A difference of 172 birds in 178 days. Somehow, people that already have a ton of birds are getting even more of them. Which is not easy.
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It is not at all surprising because these rankings are simply a function of money. You can buy a high ranking by hiring private planes, private cars and a private guide and let a guide do all the hard work. If everything is private hire you can easily dodge any Covid restrictions.
 
YuShan said:
It is not at all surprising because these rankings are simply a function of money. You can buy a high ranking by hiring private planes, private cars and a private guide and let a guide do all the hard work. If everything is private hire you can easily dodge any Covid restrictions.
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How do they get 'in country' in the first place when so many are or have been, closed borders?

The high rankings are not just money though it undeniably plays a part, a list of 5000 for those of ordinary means, is a lifetime achievement for many, requiring years of dedication and probably, at least one divorce ;)
 
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