Back to 2010 - BIKING BIRDER I - Birds, Birds, Birds!

 

2010. My first spectacular Biking Birder adventure, a, gruelling at times, twelve month cycle around every wonderful part the UK, visiting every amazing RSPB nature reserve, each so individual and every incredible W&WT centre, whilst listing the many birds seen.

Stories of the fabulous 'sunshine' people met will come later.

So, in a series of posts where I delve deep into the memories I will retain forever of each Biking Birder adventure. 

There is a book of this unforgettable year still to be published. One day it will be but before that important day, here is a sprinkling of momentous moments . . .

If you know the words, moisten your vocal chords and sing along now - and yes, Eels have given me permission to use their music!

If you're small

And on a search

I've got a feeder for you to perch on

Did you spot the three mistakes?        

Next year, as in 2010, I will be doing the BIGBY, the Big Green Big Year, to try and raise money for my favourite environmental charity, the RSPB.

To finish today's post, here is their beautiful and atmospheric Dawn Chorus video . . . 

                                   BCNU xx

I'm back!!! Biking Birder VI starts on January 1st 2022!

Whilst enjoying going around the UK, visiting the RSPB nature reserves, I realised that my legs are still reasonable and that at my age, 65, I may not have many years left in which I would be able to cycle for a whole year.

Do it again!

Do what?

Another Biking Birder year.

Previous Biking Birder adventures have been to achieve various targets.

BB I - In 2010 I cycled around the UK in order to see every RSPB nature reserve and every W&WT centre. 

BB II 2015 - try to become the British BIGBY - Big Green Big Year - champion whilst still visiting every RSPB nature reserve and W&WT centre. A Big Green Big Year is a challenge where one birds and keeps a list of all bird species seen during a whole year but no fossil fuel transport is to be used. More on that aspect later.

BB III 2016 - British BIGBY record broken, next target was the European BIGBY, held by Ponc Feliu Latorre of Catalonia, a year list total of 305 would be required to beat Ponc.

BB IV  2018 So with the European BIGBY record UTB, under the belt, why not go for the World record? Why not indeed but where?

Britain would not provide the number of bird species required to beat the incredible Green Birder, Dorian Anderson. Dorian had seen 618 bird species by cycling around the USA. More on that later.

My first idea was to do the same, that is cycle around USA and visit all of the Audubon nature reserves whilst doing so. I even bought a road atlas of the US and mapped a route! I still have it and who knows, one day maybe.

In 2013 though I had been to and fallen in love with Peru. I visited Peru again in 2014 travelled around for around three months. I was smitten. The country had everything I loved in life; nature in abundance and found amongst a wonderful diversity of biomes - oceanic, desert, montane and rainforest. Then there was the history with Machu Picchu being an ultimate destination, of course but not the only site of fascination. The people! Wonderful, friendly, colourful, fun-loving people. Everywhere I went I met such wonderful people, yes, Peru had the lot and I haven't even mentioned the frequent festivals and the music.

So the US trip was dropped and the destination for my Biking Birder IV adventure would be Peru.

BB IV 2018 World BIGBY record attempt.

BB V - 2019     It had to happen sometime but despite the words from the Apollo 13 film, failure was an option.

After a fabulous long weekend at the Ebro Delta Birding Festival with the fore-mentioned Ponc Feliu Latorre, the cycle back from south of Barcelona to Britain was stopped by a huge blowout of the back tyre when in the Pyrennean foothills. No replacement to the tyre could be found and all replacement inner tubes were quickly used up. I left the bike in a park beside a bench and took train, coach and ferry back to Britain.

Which brings me to today and tomorrow I will be detailing my plans for 2022, the reasons behind my sixth Biking Birder adventure, BB VI and how you can all participate and help.

Just over 100 days to go . . .