I've never really been one for joining groups in fact if i have the choice I'm more at ease just walking with my camera along the river bank,woods or fields just snapping at anything that takes my eye.      

 Even after joining a couple of Birding forums and browsing the events pages and noticing that a  guided walk was being arranged in my local area i thought I'd not sign up and just go for a ramble on my own or more often than not with my wife who's company i adore.

 I'm a London Taxi driver and one morning whilst working i was listening to LBC London radio station. The radio presenter James O'Brien was interviewing a guy named David Lindo.

David was leading James around a place called Wormwood scrubs a place i played football at as a kid in the school league.

I also know the area because of having a six week spell in the hospital over looking the fields in 2003. A pretty traumatic time for me and my family which I'll not bore my blog with at this time.

But i guess listening to the radio broadcast and recognising the fact that it held memories of my childhood and the most traumatic experience of my life thirty years later my skin tingled as i pulled the cab over turned the engine off and sat listening.

I say sat there listening but in fact as i sat there my mind was transported to the scrubs.

I could actually feel the warmth of the sun and see the birds David was describing mixed with the smell of white horse ointment that myself and other team mates rubbed into our legs to keep the cold out before a game.

I also had the sensation of that awful tinny taste that the Dialysis machine left in my mouth amid my spell in Hammersmith Hospital.

But mostly felt as tho i was there walking with David soaking up the atmosphere of a sunny day doing what i like most. just walking birding and taking a few pictures of what catches my eye.

I finished my days work went home and googled David Lindo aka the Urban Birder http://www.theurbanbirder.com/

After looking around his website decided to send an email saying how much i loved the interview on LBC.

I was surprised to receive an email inviting me to wormwood scrubs and David would take me round for real. I say i was surprised to get a reply but after actually meeting him I'm not surprised at all as he's a really nice guy approachable and nothing is too much trouble.

I didn't take him up on the offer of the guided walk around the scrubs (as yet) but instead joined him and a group called Tower 42 study bird group.

Like i said at the begining i'm really not at ease with joining groups but thought if i don't now i never will and never move on with my hobby.

The groups aim is to study the migratory patterns of birds over London.

The group met at 10am at the base of tower 42 and by 10.30 we were up on the roof 183m (600 ft) high.

Sixteen observers were located at different points of the roof stood with binoculars in hand scanning the horizon. after fifteen minutes someone shouted Buzzards i turned to look to see where they were and saw a guy pointing directly over my head and into the patch of sky i was so vigilant in scanning HHmmm well it was my first time and i guess I'll take that on board and will no doubt be better next time. The smug look on the guys face was enough for me to think yeah OK OK next time I'll have a better knowledge of what to do and where they're likely to be spotted and if i get a chance to yell over your head i'm gona use a megaphone haha.

The study group will meet again and the experience of going on it has given me a taste to go on some others and get involved more.

Wished i'd done it years ago!!

 

TO BE CONTINUED AFTER MY NEXT GROUP EVENT.