Are Turtle Doves only in my dreams?

Saturday 5^th June  Having commented last week in my blog on the terrible Manchester tragedy, it is awful to think of yet another terrorist incident, this time in London. The frequency of these attacks brings things home, especially as Mary and I and our family were in London on that day. 

We spent most of our time around the West End area, so we did not become aware of what had happened until Julian read the news on his i-phone at c7pm on the way home. Michael and his girl friend stayed later than us and they were in the Oxo building on the south bank, a little too close for our comfort, but they were not aware and safe.

From our aspect, it was a hectic day. Mary & I bought and learnt about Oyster cards for the first time, a nostalgia trip for coffee at the Royal Festival hall (In 1962 I was the MC at a large reunion, and compered the dancing with the band of The Scots Guards), Carnaby Street (packed solid with a table running the full length in the middle of the street) Dirty Dicks in Liverpool Street (no floor sawdust as in the Fifties) and finally Rules, the oldest restaurant in London (1798). 

Total = 1 eatery and 5 drinkeries!

Ed: Enough reminiscing, and no Microtibialism..    just get on with the Aviation(??) bit.

Sunday 4^th June    The BWB walk turned out to be nice birding weather, but the list had again to be closed at 22 names. The moral, book early to be sure, but please let Carsington know if you can’t make it.   Birding was not easy, but we got the magic 30 (31 to be exact) with BOD being a Little Ringed Plover. 

July 2^nd, Keith and Gary will not be with us so it will be Lorna and me.

As we reach 150 walks, I felt it was time to see if the walk needs any changes. I concluded that the many that kept coming back must be Ok with the format, and the new people on the walk don’t know what to expect so it will not be repetitious for them

I decided that I would make a couple of changes. Firstly, I have produced what I call The Rules, which is a sheet of notes about what the walk does, when where etc, and contact tel etc, so I do not need to go over it every walk, and when the majority know anyway.  And in its place, I do a short-researched lecture with loads of information about one selected species. Only lasts about 5 minutes, but it IS about a particular species.

For the first one (June 2017) I talked about the Common Swift, and whilst I did not get an ovation, I did get respectful silence! I enjoyed researching it, and learnt quite a bit more about a species that I already know a lot about.     

I asked for suggestions, and the August talk will be about the Cuckoo.

Friday 9^th June  I had planned all week to go birding somewhere, but for one reason or another, mainly the rain, it was Friday before I managed to find the time, so a Red Necked Phalarope was a good enough incentive to go to Frampton Marsh, and was duly in the scope within 10 minutes of getting there. The reported Wood Sandpiper wasn’t, and ONCE AGAIN, no Turtle Dove. One day!

For readers who have not been on BWB, I thought I would reiterate a couple of techniques to get the most out of your bins and scopes.

Binoculars.  I often encounter people new to using binoculars who think that if they jiggle around the focusing wheel, the view will become sharper. Maybe, but there is an established method to make sure the view DOES become clearer.  

It should be remembered, and oculist prescriptions will evidence this, that people seldom have 2 identically focusing eyes, and it is therefore important to focus both eyes individually to get the best visual image when using binoculars. 

This is achieved by focusing each of the eyepieces separately, as follows:-

1.  One of the lenses is rigid (normally the left one). Shut the right eye, and focus with the wheel in the middle of the binoculars, looking through only the left eye.

      

      2.  Now shut the left eye, and focus the right eye lens by adjusting the diopter, the rotatable lens on the right eye.

3    

.     3.   You have now adjusted each lens to suit each eye, and when you look through the binoculars with both eyes, you will have two correctly focused lenses.

The diopter lens normally has + and – marks on the wheel, and if you remember where the pointer sat when you had a clear image, if the lens goes out of focus, you can either reset the pointer position, or repeat the above procedure.

DO check your Binoculars – a clear and sharp image will help you enjoy your birding even more.

Next week – Telescopes.

PS   Sunday June 18^th – 10.30 BWB Markeaton Park.

Happy Birding