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Corona virus threat to birding (1 Viewer)

So birds today:

Had to go to Sintra and spotted a Booted Eagle while in the queue for the supermarket.

At ‘new’ residence there were a number of Sardinian Warbler.

I will admit to driving to Setubal to find the Ring Necked Duck which i found at second pass. Along with a Swamphen, two Gadwall, some teal, Cettis etc

And I felt a bit naughty doing a 5km round trip hike up from the house yesterday! Do you have to carry a signed “ attestation” explaining/ justifying your trip or is Portugal being less strict than here so far (apologies if answers are up thread)?
Did find my first Ring Ousel of the year on the walk though:t:
 
And I felt a bit naughty doing a 5km round trip hike up from the house yesterday! Do you have to carry a signed “ attestation” explaining/ justifying your trip or is Portugal being less strict than here so far (apologies if answers are up thread)?
Did find my first Ring Ousel of the year on the walk though:t:

An advantage of living at altitude Richard....is that you can ''free wheel'' from the house on the supermarket trolley all the way down to ''loot'' the shelves! Bugger the return trip though.....:-O
 
An advantage of living at altitude Richard....is that you can ''free wheel'' from the house on the supermarket trolley all the way down to ''loot'' the shelves! Bugger the return trip though.....:-O

Have you tried steering a supermarket trolley even when walking with it?!!!!:eek!:

John
 
And I felt a bit naughty doing a 5km round trip hike up from the house yesterday! Do you have to carry a signed “ attestation” explaining/ justifying your trip or is Portugal being less strict than here so far (apologies if answers are up thread)?
Did find my first Ring Ousel of the year on the walk though:t:

No attestation needed yet.

Had valid reasons for the first part of the trip the second was for me. As it happened you could see the bird from the car - just about. The president spoke last and didn’t go as far as lockdown but I guess that will happen very shortly.

In France where they do need an attestation I would be confined to barracks. There was clarification yesterday that they don’t consider walking in the mountains valid exercise - because they may have to divert health, mountain rescue etc if you get into trouble. I guess the same argument could be made for unnecessary road users having an accident... I present a unusual hazard to the crazy local drivers by using roundabouts and lanes correctly... joking aside that is shaping up as a valid argument for not going out...
 
No attestation needed yet.

Had valid reasons for the first part of the trip the second was for me. As it happened you could see the bird from the car - just about. The president spoke last and didn’t go as far as lockdown but I guess that will happen very shortly.

In France where they do need an attestation I would be confined to barracks. There was clarification yesterday that they don’t consider walking in the mountains valid exercise - because they may have to divert health, mountain rescue etc if you get into trouble. I guess the same argument could be made for unnecessary road users having an accident... I present a unusual hazard to the crazy local drivers by using roundabouts and lanes correctly... joking aside that is shaping up as a valid argument for not going out...

How are French drivers coping with the need to maintain a distance of at least 1m from the driver of the car in front of them!?
 
There'll be attempts to pillory you on other threads for saying such things, but I suppose now that 'Scientists' have said it in a 'paper' it will all be hunky dory to say such things ...... :cat:

https://mobile.abc.net.au/news/2020...hts-coronavirus-covid-19/12059266?pfmredir=sm

Chosun :gh:

Chosun

Many thanks for this link. A shame the other thread disappeared. Currently sitting through yet another statistical based Webinar on various health & economic issues. Lets hope social distancing causes a slow in growth of the spread of the virus. It has certainly provided an immediate economic shock which will deepen but that pales against the scale of increasing deaths.

The longer term effects on extent of business travel, commercial property, remote working, etc will be interesting and are already being discussed by business in future property commitments and by commercial landlords. A lot of business has mobilised to 80%+ remotely in a fortnight when it had struggled to get to 20% in a decade........

From a birding perspective, since Saturday, I decided against travelling as far as Cheddar currently (about 30 mins) when I would otherwise have done so and am currently confining myself to birding from the car and local walks which is what I do most of the time.

Keep safe all even those who knock lumps out of each other

Paul
 
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Chosun

Many thanks for this link. A shame the other thread dissappeared

do you mean the thread that a certain member complained very loudly about to get shut down because the thread topic and subsequent posts about C19 wasn’t related to the impact on birds and birding? B :)

it’s here https://www.birdforum.net/showthread.php?t=387635

Very little over the garden this morning of any note, feeders busy with usual suspects so an early morning excursion into the forest is on the cards tomorrow I think - or maybe I should get some work done :-O
 
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Before the link was added I was thinking of another thread that was actually closed. The other is still up and running.

Portugal is fine although have confined ourselves today.

That said saw almost the same a Rafael
Spotless starling
Lesser black backed and herring gulls
Ring necked parakeets
Greenfinch
House sparrow
Serin
Black redstart
Sardinian warbler
Blackcap
Mallard
Blackbird
Pigeon
 
do you mean the thread that a certain member complained very loudly about to get shut down because the thread topic and subsequent posts about C19 wasn’t related to the impact on birds and birding? B :)

it’s here https://www.birdforum.net/showthread.php?t=387635

Yes. Apologies for my lack of precision.

Difficult to see how you can possibly compartmentalise the different effects of a pandemic by its very definition or indeed the economic effect from birding but I'll try and walk the line & develop a bird-related interest in cars or planes instead. :king:

That said no intention of subscribing to Ruffled Feathers so clearly, I support the attempted separation where possible.

From the Prime Minister's latest briefing, it seems that we will continue to have freedom of movement for the time being with the continuing moral dilemma as to how much we restrain our birding. All very difficult. I genuinely struggle with even the marginal additional risk created to others fom birding my patch, in which I live. I may simply need to get a grip....

Rich/Rosbifs - cheers.

All the best
 
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Freedom to bird seems quite relaxed here in Britain at present. with The police arrived in a hide I was in at a local reserve today. This was in response to a call from the warden who was concerned about an apparent group of partying youths in one of the other hides. Said police were only concerned with keeping at an acceptable distance and not remotely bothered by my presence in the hide. They appeared flummoxed when they asked if anything interesting was about and I replied...are you mad this is portbury wharf. (Locally famous for its lack of rare or interesting birds)
 
Unless you use hides, I can't see increased risk from being outside birding. Additionally, if you fill up at the same place, it matters not whether you bird your patch or a hundred miles away. Social distancing does not have to mean mouldering indoors.
 
Freedom to bird seems quite relaxed here in Britain at present. with The police arrived in a hide I was in at a local reserve today. This was in response to a call from the warden who was concerned about an apparent group of partying youths in one of the other hides. Said police were only concerned with keeping at an acceptable distance and not remotely bothered by my presence in the hide. They appeared flummoxed when they asked if anything interesting was about and I replied...are you mad this is portbury wharf. (Locally famous for its lack of rare or interesting birds)

I'll post some pics later to ensure a bird quotient to this post. An enviable list of birds with a lot of boredom in between!

Edit - Portbury Wharf pics - Ring-necked Duck; Spotted Crake; Caspian Tern; Red Kite; & Spotted Sandpiper - https://ebird.org/hotspot/L1363726/media?yr=all&m=

Unless you use hides, I can't see increased risk from being outside birding. Additionally, if you fill up at the same place, it matters not whether you bird your patch or a hundred miles away. Social distancing does not have to mean mouldering indoors.

I know you are right John but I find the lack of precise advice difficult. Hence my reference to getting a grip. But my short walk yesterday after café birder mentioned a couple of birds near my home meant I passed an older couple out for a walk within a metre or so hence triggering my guilt instinct. I have worked at home since Tuesday lunchtime but felt more uncomfortable in a quick trip to the shops to pick up my wife's prescription than any time at work.

All the best

Paul
 

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  • 2012.09.01 - Spotted Crake (next to the Moorhen honest).JPG
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  • 2018.05.13 - Spotted Sandpiper.JPG
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Difficult to see how you can possibly compartmentalise the different effects of a pandemic by its very definition or indeed the economic effect from birding but I'll try and walk the line & develop a bird-related interest in cars or planes instead. :king:

I think (probably understandably in retrospect) you took my post to be critical of you or the content of your post - it certainly wasn’t :gh: so apologies if thats how it came across to you. It was a badly veiled calling out of someone but not of you. Yes, totally agree on your point above, although it wasn’t me that has made any complaints, either on this thread, or any other about the subject matter people post not being ‘appropriate’ for any reason - I actually don’t care! I’m not a Mod, have no pretensions of being one, nor any aspirations to become one :t:

Anyway, glad to see people are still managing to get some birding in despite the challenges. I’m trying to avoid my local reserve out of respect for the staffers remaining on site to warden the place and taking my chance of not meeting people by doing some forest birding instead.
 
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