I do have plans for next year, but mostly loose ones. For the first time in many, many years some of those plans are fish-related, and as these are probably the most flexible of all I shan't bore you with stuff that might never see the light of day. Then there is bike. I shall try and keep reasonably fit by cycling uphill a lot. Which reminds me: most of the bloggers I read have mentioned plans for this and plans for that during 2017, but never plans for bike. Why not? Loads of them are, like me, verging on doddery, and I think they are missing a trick. Perhaps they lack inspiration? A quick review of one or two NQS cycling posts might be needed. All of them plainly convey the sheer joy provided by two wheels and a steep gradient. And who wants to go to their grave unable to say that they unashamedly wore lycra in public?
After several weeks of hosting viruses I finally got out for a ride today, and as I cycled the mucky lanes I mulled over a 2017 plan I've been toying with...
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| Bike. Lane. Muck. Standard winter fare. |
During the course of 2016 I notched up a few nice birds from my bike, and I wondered whether I might find it interesting next year to actually list them, as in a 'Birds From My Bike' list. Of course it would all be naked eye stuff, or heard, but this year I would have had Wheatear, Whinchat, Redstart, Corn Bunting etc, plus a Hoopoe that I twitched. I think I shall give it a go. Mind you, if I start falling off due to not looking where I'm going, well...
I am genuinely looking forward to it Gavin!
ReplyDeleteCheers Jono, seemed like an easy way to include bird stuff on the blog. And perhaps I should do another list, something like 'Birds While Fishing'?
DeleteThat notebook analogy - me to a tee Gav!
ReplyDeleteMost of us I reckon Steve!
DeleteGav, I'll do a list myself to include running and work, since I'm outdoors a lot. To think I had SEO and a Monty as drive bys. The Monty (male) was being observed from the road side by a mass of birders somewhere outside Great Yarmouth as I was being driven back from a 5000m track race (17:01).
ReplyDeleteTo get the birds on your biking list on to my biking list, may involve treble figure round trips. It could be done.
I could have mentioned Med Gull and Yellowhammer too Ric, even the latter not so easy for a W London cyclist these days I'll bet! I did bike-twitch the 2014 Black Hole Marsh Little Crake as well, but I confess to being well off the saddle when I finally saw it!
DeleteDid a biking yearlist once. But it was in Surrey so it was rubbish. Did once find a Red-backed Shrike whilst cycling though near to home though. That was in Surrey too so miracles do happen. I look forward to your pike caught whilst fishing list....trawling a sprat up the towpath perhaps? Atb, Jon W
DeleteJon, I'm struggling to think of any really good birds I've found while cycling, but there is definitely potential around here. I'd take a Red-backed Shrike any day! Ooh, I've just remembered, I did find a Hawfinch at Stockers Farm in Herts many years ago. I think I was cycling home from work... Anyway, I later learned someone else had already stumbled across it, but that made little difference to my pleasure. What a cracker that was.
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