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The Pleasures of becoming a Groupie by Heather Rowe

Heather is a keen birdwatcher, out and about several times a week, covering Hampshire and Sussex, but also travels throughout Britain. Being a sun worshipper, she regularly travels abroad, and this love of our sun, has something to do with why she is famed. She is renowned for her unfailing method of predicting the weather, a method that is definitive, infallible, foolproof, fail-safe, and has yet to come unstuck

Should there be the merest glimpse of the sun, the merest indication of warmth in the air, then it’s on with the tee shirt and the hot pants. As soon as we see those shorts, then we know for certain, the weather is about to take a turn for the worse. It has yet to fail us. Unlike the Meteorological Office or old wife’s’ tales, this system is, 100% assured. We have even given to ringing Heather to enquire what she is wearing, which on occasion has been open to misinterpretation.

One extreme example, which occurred in the early spring, we recall with sardonic chuckles. 2 miles from the nearest car park in the New Forest, when her legs not only turned blue, but actually became luminous, a glowing translucent Sellafield blue, as flurries of snow began to fall. Oh, happy, happy memories.

‘I don’t want to make a fool of myself.' This is a common reason why people do not join groups. ‘I don’t know anything really, I would like to know more, but really I just like looking at things.’ Well, join a group. Field leaders do not show off their knowledge, but they love to share it, it is why they do it. There are even some who go on guided walks, week in, week out, yet hardly progress, they still have to be told that that distinctive bird is a Teal, but it doesn’t matter a jot. They love seeing nature and the scenery, and enjoy the company, and usually, a few members will be carrying around a telescope, which they are happy to share. I don’t know, is there anything else you could possibly want?

There is an alternative view to this, some prefer quiet solitude, or just being with a partner. Sometimes, you will see more this way. Do not wear bright clothing, lie down, break the skyline, and just wait and watch. A group can disturb wildlife, but alternatively, there are more sets of eyes. The rather obvious suggestion is to do both.

Heather is a member of the RSPB, writes about birds, and here she has written us a piece, about the benefits of joining a group, which says it all.

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THE PLEASURES OF BEING A GROUPIE!

Now I’ve caught your attention I must admit I have no lurid confessions to make, but please read on. I want to tell you why I recommend anyone, who is interested in seeing birds, should join their local group. I have learnt so much and have had so much fun since joining my local RSPB group many years ago.

To my mind it is the perfect way to improve your skills at your own pace. Not only will you have help to identify birds visually, but also audibly, and become knowledgeable about the habitats they frequent. This, of course, will only be possible if you fellow walkers are a friendly, helpful bunch and thankfully I have found this to be the case. I’m sure we have all made a mistake sometime or other and found a ‘wooden’ owl or mistaken the angry call of a green woodpecker for a squirrel (who, me?). If you have a good group you won’t feel embarrassed and great patience will be shown, pointing out a bird camouflaged amongst the trees. When I am on my own and I find an interesting bird, which I think may be the rarity find of the year, I wish I had an expert with me to confirm or (probably) deny my suspicions.

Is that a redshank, or could it be a spotted redshank?

It is frustrating to think you’ve briefly glimpsed a lesser spotted woodpecker, but wonder if it was a great spotted, and so can’t ‘tick’ it. If only someone could have been there and seen it too.

For the more experienced birdwatcher who feels quite confident in their skills, it is a chance to meet other like-minded people from all walks of life and enjoy their company. I have met many people I wouldn’t have previously crossed paths with, and enjoyed knowing them.

Not all conversations need to be about birds, especially when there aren’t too many birds around to observe. Also you can discover new places to visit where you may wish to return to on your own. Certainly there must be many places where a woman would not feel comfortable visiting on her own, but where she can enjoy on a group walk.

Of course attendance on all walks is not compulsory, unlike belonging to other types of organisations, such as musical or theatrical groups. You can be involved as much or as little as you want. The more walks you attend though, the more birds you’ll see and I’m sure you’ll become a better ‘birder’ for it.

So, give it a try and see if I’m right – what have you got to lose?

Heather Rowe

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