Hope you are enjoying these little anecdotes, if not tell me and I'll stop them, not much info about birds granted...but...still valley related and makes a change from all those boring counts/statistics that appear to be dominant on the forum, Yep its great to know whats about but the forum is to discusss all things Bird/Birdwatching/Birding related so I think some readers will appreciate my little ditties, I'm sure you all have something you wish to share, so C'mon Guys and gals lets rock together, Remember we don't have Nancy's cafe anymore and the CB's , we've all moved on but with modern technology has come less need to communicate on a personal level, As a radio Amateur I passed my exams at Dudley College in 1992 after 3 years of hard study , It was great when I bought my first radio, when members of the West Bromwich Central Radio club would come down to the reserve and set up two antenna, one at each end of the building, one for UHF/VHF and the other for HF, It was 9th/10th October 1993, World Birdwatch Weekend , The idea was that we could provide live radio links with other radio clubs around the UK and the World who were set up at Other Bird reserves and we could exchange greetings and other sightings, being newly licensed I couldn't wait to get on the HF radio and my first contact was to a fellow Birder/HAM in the Netherlands, we had many fine contacts that day , As a radio club we enjoyed it immensly, thanking the RSPB for their invite but most of all the looks on the kids faces to see us taliking into the mics and talking all over the world and letting them have a go , so whats the point of all this, well Back in Cley and the Scillies and many other places the birders used to use CB and maybe they still do, but nowadays its Facebook, Twitter, using our mobiles, tablets etc, without even batting an eyelid ,Technology as moved on a pace but is it still as exciting, maybe for the youngsters it's not, after all they have all grown up with the gadgetry but I sometimes think that having to run back to the centre from around the other side of the lake or Swan pool to report a good un' was an integral part of the fun, radios I still use them for mainly chatting around the midlands but the magic has gone somewhat when you can just pick up a mobile and know your message or bird sighting can be on the web or hotlines in seconds...You young birders just think how lucky you all are
In memory of the valleys greatest Birder ( My own Opinion ) John F Fortey
Mike
In memory of the valleys greatest Birder ( My own Opinion ) John F Fortey
Mike
