GOVERNMENT HEALTH WARNING to all new WAB members

[Pete Collins]

GOVERNMENT HEALTH WARNING - this web site is seriously addictive! If you are not careful, you could spend more time here than in the Great Outdoors, which would be injurious to your mental and physical well-being!

Seriously, I'd just like to say Hello to everyone. I actually registered with this site about a year ago, but it's only in the last two or three weeks that I've visited it regularly and started posting and uploading images.

My main hobby is walking, which as well as being a good way to keep fit is a great way to explore the countryside. While I'm out walking, I get to indulge various other interests, such as visiting historic buildings, watching birds, looking at wildflowers and butterflies. I'm finding I'm getting increasingly confused on my walks - I never know whether I should be scanning the skies for red kites and buzzards, looking for wildflowers or butterflies, or just admiring the wonderful countryside views! I frequently want to do all three simultaneously!

I got interested in wildflowers about a year ago, when during one of my walks I spotted what was obviously some sort of orchid. A day or so later, I managed to work out that it was a Common Spotted Orchid. I started photographing the flowers I saw on my walks, and then trying to identify them when I got home. That's how I found this site - it's great for helping identify wildflowers. But now I find I'm also looking at the Bird forums, the Walking, Cycling and Camping forum, the Wild Places forum and several others - I'm definitely addicted to Wild About Britain.

[jillw]

Hello Pete,

You are right about the warning!

Wildflowers? I'm new and I've not found that yet, off Jill trots to find it...

Now I actually want rainy days so I can browse on here without feeling guilty that I should really be outside

[Merlin]

Pete.Welcome,like the website,will have a good look around it later.Love the idea of walking and writing,hope to try taking photos myself someday!


Merlin

[Jez]

Hi Pete,
Yes i find this forum so inciteful as a nature lover amongst everybody else you can't go to far off the wrong track. I happen to be into wildflowers mainly at the mo as i've started to create to m/meadows as the land by me was wild but very uninspiring. Full of what gardeners would term as weeds. But with a lot of graft and muscle power and patience things are on the up. Maybe i won't need to go anywhere to see an abundant of wildlife, but it's not so fun that way. Luckily for me my father lives up in cumbria so do spend time admiring the beauty in the seasons from the tarns to the riverlettes in it's ruggedness. My uncle lives in Pembrokeshire so there i walk the coastline spotting wildflowers and birds. I work in a nursery/florist/farmshop in worcestershire and pedal 16 mile round trip so i get a good a mount of exersize inbetween humping sacks of spuds and compost for my sins. I here the success stories of the kites return but i have yet to spot them. Hope to some day. All the best Pete. Now that your visiting regularly will most likely to bump into each other from time to time-jez

[goosey]

Hi Pete, I know about the addiction - it's awful, I am on holiday and still have to find time to get my daily dose of WAB Luckily I have a while to say hello and welcome, though our paths have crossed on the osprey thread yesteday .

[Za]

Hi Pete, welcome aboard!
Za

[Pete Collins]

Thanks for the welcome messages!

I've already come across posts from Jez and Za before, so it was nice to get a response from you both. And yes Goosey, I remember you from that interesting Osprey thread - I never seem to be in the Lakes at the right time to see the Ospreys (I go there for the walks rather than the wildlife, though I sometimes manage to visit the Leighton Moss RSPB reserve). I did once see an Osprey at Minsmere though.

I've just got back from a quick visit to the Barton Hills Nature Reserve, not too far from me here in South Beds. It's another chalk downland site like most of the ones around where I live, so I wasn't expecting to see much that was new. There was lots of Clustered Bellflower, which is a gorgeous flower, and just a couple of Pyramidal Orchids. I did find one tiny little white flower that was new to me - if I can't work it out from my books I'll be posting another picture in the Unidentified Gallery soon!

Thanks again,

Pete

[demicav]

Hi Pete. Yes I agree, very addictive, I'll be away for two weeks from next weekend and I'm seriously going to be having withdrawl symptoms, how will I cope. Of course I will be thinking of WAB the whole time as I'll be out with my camera taking pictures of whatever I can see .

[Pete Collins]

Hi Demicav,

I hope you get some great photos that you can share with us in the Gallery when you get back!

Pete

Originally Posted by demicav

Hi Pete. Yes I agree, very addictive, I'll be away for two weeks from next weekend and I'm seriously going to be having withdrawl symptoms, how will I cope. Of course I will be thinking of WAB the whole time as I'll be out with my camera taking pictures of whatever I can see .

[clover green]

Hello Pete, you are so right about the addictive element of the site, but it's too hard to resist! Like you, I also like walking, exploring historical sites and watching the wildlife, especially birds. Wherever I go, there is always something to keep me occupied, but, the main problem is making time for it all.
I am a new member, who joined just over a week ago.

[Pete Collins]

Hi clover green,

Welcome to WAB! I like your nickname, much more original than mine! I know what you mean about making time for it all - I'm retired and still don't get time to do all the things I'd like to!

Pete

Originally Posted by clover green

Hello Pete, you are so right about the addictive element of the site, but it's too hard to resist! Like you, I also like walking, exploring historical sites and watching the wildlife, especially birds. Wherever I go, there is always something to keep me occupied, but, the main problem is making time for it all.
I am a new member, who joined just over a week ago.

[Deer Stalker]

Hi Pete.

[rlchew]

Hello Pete

Unfortunately your health warning has come too late for me and many others here .... but I guess there are very few regrets!

Welcome to WAB rather belatedly but at least you too are addicted now.

Richard

[GME]

Hi Pete,

As I think JillW intimated - with the amount of rain we're getting you can camp out on WAB and not feel too guilty for not being out in the 'real world'. It most certainly is addictive

Hi from me too