A grand day out and request for help
Michael J Davis
Blacktoft Sands Saturday.
Having had a limited selection of warblers in Rochdale (none yet) we
decided to go East and see what was at Blacktoft.
Enjoyed a wide range of Sedge warblers, heard a gropper, and saw a
spoonbill, and our first house martins and swifts of the year. The
avocets were grand (nearly 50 of them) and not as argumentative as usual
at his time of the year. A distant hen harrier and a couple of marsh
harriers, plus a few waders made the day.
However, in the Singleton Hide (the best for watching Marsh Harriers)
two old buffers had taken up residence in the best viewing corner and
were talking in a loud voice about a recent trip one of them had made to
Nepal. Some of us were trying to listen to the birds as well as watch.
Their loud conversation ranged over almost everything birding except
what we could actually see. (Except for one helpful reference to where
the Spoonbill probably was at that moment).
It was enough to make me ashamed of being a member of the SBC!
So what do *you* folk do when a loud conversation is taking place in a
hide? (Hopefully, it's not you taking part!)
Mike
--
Michael J Davis
Personal email replies may be made to mi...@trustsof.demon.co.uk
+---------------------------------------------------------------------+
| They showed me to the seats marked "reserved", I said they'd <><
| got it wrong; I should be in those marked "exuberant" <><
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Tony & Sally
"Michael J Davis" <mi...@trustsof.demon.co.uk> wrote in message
news:j8kxAQAn...@trustsof.demon.co.uk...
>
> Blacktoft Sands Saturday.
>
> Having had a limited selection of warblers in Rochdale (none yet) we
> decided to go East and see what was at Blacktoft.
>
> Enjoyed a wide range of Sedge warblers, heard a gropper, and saw a
> spoonbill, and our first house martins and swifts of the year. The
> avocets were grand (nearly 50 of them) and not as argumentative as usual
> at his time of the year. A distant hen harrier and a couple of marsh
> harriers, plus a few waders made the day.
>
> However, in the Singleton Hide (the best for watching Marsh Harriers)
> two old buffers had taken up residence in the best viewing corner and
> were talking in a loud voice about a recent trip one of them had made to
> Nepal. Some of us were trying to listen to the birds as well as watch.
> Their loud conversation ranged over almost everything birding except
> what we could actually see. (Except for one helpful reference to where
> the Spoonbill probably was at that moment).
>
> It was enough to make me ashamed of being a member of the SBC!
>
> So what do *you* folk do when a loud conversation is taking place in a
> hide? (Hopefully, it's not you taking part!)
>
> Mike
> --
don't realise how loud they are. I've a mate in Bristol speaks loudly too,
he doesn't realise how loud he's talking until I tell him to pipe down!
I saw a sign once at Slimbridge or Caerlaverock (don't remember which) which
said simply "Remember - even geese have ears!". Sometimes I think we need
to be reminded that we're watching wildlife in the wild not on the TV.
Tony
Tony
Tony & Sally
"Michael J Davis" <mi...@trustsof.demon.co.uk> wrote in message
news:j8kxAQAn...@trustsof.demon.co.uk...
>
>
> Having had a limited selection of warblers in Rochdale (none yet) we
> decided to go East and see what was at Blacktoft.
>
> Enjoyed a wide range of Sedge warblers, heard a gropper, and saw a
> spoonbill, and our first house martins and swifts of the year. The
> avocets were grand (nearly 50 of them) and not as argumentative as usual
> at his time of the year. A distant hen harrier and a couple of marsh
> harriers, plus a few waders made the day.
>
> However, in the Singleton Hide (the best for watching Marsh Harriers)
> two old buffers had taken up residence in the best viewing corner and
> were talking in a loud voice about a recent trip one of them had made to
> Nepal. Some of us were trying to listen to the birds as well as watch.
> Their loud conversation ranged over almost everything birding except
> what we could actually see. (Except for one helpful reference to where
> the Spoonbill probably was at that moment).
>
> It was enough to make me ashamed of being a member of the SBC!
>
> So what do *you* folk do when a loud conversation is taking place in a
> hide? (Hopefully, it's not you taking part!)
>
> Mike
> --
Mike Crowe
ahoo.co.uk> writes
>>> --
>>I'd suggest *polite* asking them to turn down the volume. They probably
>>don't realise how loud they are. I've a mate in Bristol speaks loudly too,
>>he doesn't realise how loud he's talking until I tell him to pipe down!
>
>
>You'd get short shrift if you ever suggested such a thing in any hides
>we visit, if anyone doesn't like it they should push off, nothing in
>the wild is going to hear conversations in a hide at 100ft or more
>which is about the closest anything will come.
>
>Sounds like an excuse for the grumps to once more get a life, mebbe
>try train spotting instead.
>
>Sigh....there's always some who will try and spoil a great social
>activity and turn it into a weirdo solitary persuit, no wonder they
>frighten the kids.
>
>
Might I suggest that you produce a nice polite notice saying something
to the effect,
"Please remember to keep conversation to the minimum and keep the volume
down."
or something on those lines. Then have it laminated so that it looks as
if someone 'of importance' and in authority has done it. And then pin it
up securely, hopefully before any one else comes:-))
Mike
----------------------------------------------------------------------
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Phil Charleton
<mi...@trustsof.demon.co.uk> writes
>It was enough to make me ashamed of being a member of the SBC!
>
>So what do *you* folk do when a loud conversation is taking place in a
>hide? (Hopefully, it's not you taking part!)
--
Phil Charleton
Michael J Davis
>On Sun, 29 Apr 2001 08:49:52 +0100, Mike Crowe
><mi...@mikecrowe.demon.co.uk> wrote:
>>In article <3aefb47...@news.lineone.net>, Pete <save_our_planet20@y
>>ahoo.co.uk> writes
>>>>don't realise how loud they are. I've a mate in Bristol speaks loudly too,
>>>>he doesn't realise how loud he's talking until I tell him to pipe down!
>>>
>>>we visit, if anyone doesn't like it they should push off, nothing in
>>>the wild is going to hear conversations in a hide at 100ft or more
>>>which is about the closest anything will come.
>>>
>>>activity and turn it into a weirdo solitary persuit, no wonder they
>>>frighten the kids.
>>
>>Might I suggest that you produce a nice polite notice saying something
>>to the effect,
>>
>>"Please remember to keep conversation to the minimum and keep the volume
>>down."
>>
Thanks for all the comments folks. Think I'll have a a few preprinted
notes in my pocket, saying "Could you please keep a little quieter?
You're frightening the people away"
After all, the birds not be affected but we were. I did note a couple of
nearby Canada Geese standing there looking at the hide with raised
eyebrows.
:-)
Mike
--
Michael J Davis
Personal email replies may be made to mi...@trustsof.demon.co.uk
+----------------------------------------------------------------------+
| "The very man who has argued you down, will sometimes be found, |
| years later, to have been influenced by what you said." CSLewis |
+----------------------------------------------------------------------+
Larry Stoter
> On Sun, 29 Apr 2001 06:43:11 +0100, "Tony & Sally"
> <to...@browns88.fsnet.co.uk> wrote:
>
> >
> >"Michael J Davis" <mi...@trustsof.demon.co.uk> wrote in message
> >news:j8kxAQAn...@trustsof.demon.co.uk...
> >>
snips ....
> >> Nepal. Some of us were trying to listen to the birds as well as watch.
> >> Their loud conversation ranged over almost everything birding except
> >> what we could actually see. (Except for one helpful reference to where
> >> the Spoonbill probably was at that moment).
> >>
> >> It was enough to make me ashamed of being a member of the SBC!
> >>
> >> So what do *you* folk do when a loud conversation is taking place in a
> >> hide? (Hopefully, it's not you taking part!)
> >>
> >> Mike
> >> --
> >I'd suggest *polite* asking them to turn down the volume. They probably
> >don't realise how loud they are. I've a mate in Bristol speaks loudly too,
> >he doesn't realise how loud he's talking until I tell him to pipe down!
>
> I don't suppose the grumps have dirty macs and grey beards do they?
>
> You'd get short shrift if you ever suggested such a thing in any hides
> we visit, if anyone doesn't like it they should push off, nothing in
> the wild is going to hear conversations in a hide at 100ft or more
> which is about the closest anything will come.
>
> Sounds like an excuse for the grumps to once more get a life, mebbe
> try train spotting instead.
>
> Sigh....there's always some who will try and spoil a great social
> activity and turn it into a weirdo solitary persuit, no wonder they
> frighten the kids.
>
Perhaps if you had read the posting, you might have appreciated that the
original poster wanted to listen to the birds - bird song/calls being a
fairly key part of the enjoyment and interest of birdwatching.
And have you considered that the reason nothing comes closer than 100 ft
to the hides you're in could have something to do with the noise you and
your friends are making:-))
Regards,
--
Larry Stoter
34, Astwick Road, Stotfold, Hitchin, Herts, SG5 4AU, United Kingdom
E-mail: la...@care4free.net, Home Phone/Fax: +44 (0)1462 733309