Karl J
Well-known member
Been thinking of posting this for a while now but finally done it today after seeing, for the first time this year, another cycling birder.
I've often wondered, something i'm prone to be doing while pedalling along, how is it that the vast majority of birders i see are sitting in or arriving somewhere by car, after all none of the places i visit are really what you'd call underwatched so there are plenty of birders around & thats coupled with there being mostly very little traffic. Surely not everyone's driven hundreds of miles to get there and so needed a car ? Even at Minsmere when the place has been absolutely jam packed i've very rarely seen more than 4 or 5 bikes there, often there's only one,
Now before anyone shouts troll or mind your own business or anything like that, i do realise there are those who do go birding by bike and there are people who aren't able to bike etc, and i'm not suggesting every motorist should go and torch their car tonight and head to the bike shop tomorrow (interesting idea though it is ). In fact i'm not suggesting anyone should do anything but i do find it a little curious that in this day and age with global warming, the oil situation, traffic congestion etc etc why more birders, who i'd have thought were possibly more "environmentally aware" than some sections of society, don't often seem to be on a bike
Maybe wildlife & environmental organisations etc could do a little more ? . Certainly i can't recall, though i'm happy to stand corrected, any secure cycle parking at Cley NWT, which is why i've been known to wheel mine into the hides (with varying degrees of response from fellow hide-ers) and though in fairness a nature reserve on the north Norfolk coast is probably not a hotbed of cycle-crime i really wouldn't be too happy if mine was outside & got nicked. And i suppose too that in fairness to the RSPB & National Trust they do do a little bit to highlight the benefits & incentives to anyone thinking of visiting by bike, and only have limited budgets etc
But then again maybe i've got it all wrong and its completely different in other parts of the country (?)
I dunno, any thoughts ?
(wotcha if you're reading this btw - about 8am riding a flat-barred black Giant, along Horsey Rd towards Somerton, with bin's on and scope & tripod on the back rack)
I've often wondered, something i'm prone to be doing while pedalling along, how is it that the vast majority of birders i see are sitting in or arriving somewhere by car, after all none of the places i visit are really what you'd call underwatched so there are plenty of birders around & thats coupled with there being mostly very little traffic. Surely not everyone's driven hundreds of miles to get there and so needed a car ? Even at Minsmere when the place has been absolutely jam packed i've very rarely seen more than 4 or 5 bikes there, often there's only one,
Now before anyone shouts troll or mind your own business or anything like that, i do realise there are those who do go birding by bike and there are people who aren't able to bike etc, and i'm not suggesting every motorist should go and torch their car tonight and head to the bike shop tomorrow (interesting idea though it is ). In fact i'm not suggesting anyone should do anything but i do find it a little curious that in this day and age with global warming, the oil situation, traffic congestion etc etc why more birders, who i'd have thought were possibly more "environmentally aware" than some sections of society, don't often seem to be on a bike
Maybe wildlife & environmental organisations etc could do a little more ? . Certainly i can't recall, though i'm happy to stand corrected, any secure cycle parking at Cley NWT, which is why i've been known to wheel mine into the hides (with varying degrees of response from fellow hide-ers) and though in fairness a nature reserve on the north Norfolk coast is probably not a hotbed of cycle-crime i really wouldn't be too happy if mine was outside & got nicked. And i suppose too that in fairness to the RSPB & National Trust they do do a little bit to highlight the benefits & incentives to anyone thinking of visiting by bike, and only have limited budgets etc
But then again maybe i've got it all wrong and its completely different in other parts of the country (?)
I dunno, any thoughts ?
(wotcha if you're reading this btw - about 8am riding a flat-barred black Giant, along Horsey Rd towards Somerton, with bin's on and scope & tripod on the back rack)