Just off out for a sit

Billy Wobble Dagger · #1 (**permalink**) 05-10-2007, 07:52 PM

I've become a bit jealous of some of you going for nice long walks during the week when I've been stuck at work. So at 12:30 I announced to the office I was going for lunch, and then never went back this afternoon.
Instead of going for a walk I decided I would go for a sit. So with the sun shining I set of for the River Windrush. I knew my site and set my self up Camcorder and old fashioned film SLR. It�s not a bad SLR fully auto or fully manual. Just turning it on, automatically sends all wildlife in a 50m radius fleeing into the undergrowth. So no wildlife pictures I'm afraid.
Within three minutes I saw my first Water Vole of the afternoon, swimming, eating and cleaning him self just 10 feet in front of me on the opposite bank. My vole watching was broken only by a robin and two wrens which are often in this area hopping on the branches above the entrance to the Water Voles burrows. I'll try and post the video of the Water Vole and wren later. As one Water Vole disappeared into the undergrowth, I could still hear him munching on grass and reeds and also see the stalks being dragged down, so another vole came out. After 2 hours of being alone and watching my favourite mammal and the robin and wrens do their own thing my afternoon was rounded off by a King fisher which flashed passed heading up stream.
So you can keep your walks give me a sit any day. Perfect.

BWD

Pete Collins · #2 (**permalink**) 05-10-2007, 08:00 PM

Sounds like you had a great time, BWD! I'm dead jealous of you seeing Water Voles, it's years and years since I've seen them. It's always nice to see a Kingfisher, though it's usually just a blue blurr as they fly past, isn't it.

I might try a 'sit' sometime, though patience isn't my strong point. I can manage to sit quietly in a bird hide occasionally, though.

Did anyone notice that you didn't go back to work?

ChrisJB · #3 (**permalink**) 05-10-2007, 08:34 PM

I love my walks, but the best bit is when I park my behind in some delightful spot, eat my butties and observe the wildlife that passes by.

Regards, Chris

KIDSTYPIKE · #4 (**permalink**) 05-10-2007, 08:57 PM

Whats a sit down?......I never get time for that. :-)

Dave

pressld2 · #5 (**permalink**) 05-10-2007, 09:13 PM

Sounds like a great afternoon BWD!

Lately I've come to realise that you can see much more wildlife by picking a spot and staying still than you can by walking around. I use to fret that other walkers, joggers, cyclists, etc. were scaring everything away but then I realised that, provided it's not a constant stream of them, they drive as much wildlife towards you as away from you.

Dave P.

Blackbrook Eye · #6 (**permalink**) 05-10-2007, 10:53 PM

Its a very old but true saying " a hour sat quietly in the countryside is rarely a hour wasted " I agree with you Billy, let wildlife come to you, it is generally fitter than we are.

Pete Collins · #7 (**permalink**) 06-10-2007, 11:49 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ChrisJB

I love my walks, but the best bit is when I park my behind in some delightful spot, eat my butties and observe the wildlife that passes by.

Regards, Chris

Very good point, Chris. On a walk last year my lunchtime entertainment was provided by a hare and a Fox, and then on my next walk by three or four Fallow Deer. Another lunch stop highlight was watching a bullfinch just 10-12 feet away.

nightshade · #8 (**permalink**) 06-10-2007, 02:02 PM

Darn good idea BWD I see more sat down than striding towards some distant objective

ron1863 · #9 (**permalink**) 16-10-2007, 10:51 AM

That's an excellent point. I walk a lot but I do notice that I see more wildlife when I sit down to rest or eat lunch and just watch what's around me.

ChasCreek · #10 (**permalink**) 16-10-2007, 02:06 PM

Just sitting is good!

Often we seem to be so busy getting somewhere and then when we get there we are off to get somewhere else. Far better to sit for a while and then actually 'see' something instead of just looking and moving on.

We like our walking but it is with time to stop and look. Sometimes when we come accross the 'serious' walkers stomping along the ridges with no time to stop just an aim to get to 'wherever' by later on I must admit I do wonder, 'why?'.

To me there is no cudos in walking 20 miles in a day over ridges at break neck speed with eyes down on the path to tick off 'big peak', 'really big peak', 'flippin heck how do sheep even stand at this angle peak' and 'we need Oxygen at this height peak' on a list of peaks to mount. I would much rather walk 5 miles in a day and actually see and appreciate what is around me with time to wait for wildlife to emerge and with time to sketch and to be able to remember more than a blur.