This will be a very self-indulgent blog involving 2 of my many passions. One has been with me since i was about 12 years old namely birds and birdwatching and the other my, recently Brompton folding bikes of which i have........3! There are a good number of sites about avid 'birders' and as for the Brompton or 'Brommie' just type it into Google!
I spend a reasonable amount of time birding more so now retired and travel abroad several times a year all within the Western Palearctic. Much of it locally here in the West Midlands or to be more specific around the Greater Stourbridge area. It's not very productive as birding goes, it's in the middle of the country and has no coastline as such but it does have Englands 2nd largest river, namely, the mighty Severn. The region has several large reservoirs, mainly for drinking purposes (the water provided mainly by Wales!) and a good number to provide adequate water supplies for the network of canals.
Below - old and new Stourbridge, pre and post 1960's ring-road.
Due to the lack of birds i often refer to it as 'The Bird Denuded Triangle' or BDT.
Above - Stourbridge in geographical and regional context and below locally.......the BDT.
My local 'patch' for birding purposes consists of a couple of 'pools', a section of railway line, canal and river and further afield some farmland with associated features i.e hedgerows, woodland and set aside etc.
I do NOT belong to any clubs or organisations for birding or biking purposes. I am NOT and never have been 'clubby', pubby yes clubby not. I do NOT cycle for its own sake or walk the dog because she needs one. I cycle because i either need or want to in order to get somewhere, buy something or off birding i do it to get somewhere and or bird on the way. I am NEVER seen or without a pair of binoculars of which i posess several pairs along with telescopes etc but more of that in later posts. I also do NOT wear cycling gear or purpose-made outdoor walking/birdwatching type stuff.
