BIRDING THE LUNE ESTUARY THE FOREST OF BOWLAND AND BEYOND......................................................MEDITTERANEAN GULLS CONDER POOL PETE WOODRUFF

Sunday 16 October 2011

Closing Down....

....with no sale I'm afraid....nothing to sell anyway!

This is going to be brief.

Having many visitors to Birds2blog which have built up over nearly three years - and lots of them on a daily basis - I reckon its only fair to make a blogging announcement that I'm 'closing down'. More to the point and a much more seriously drastic move on my part is that I'm taking a step out of birding altogether for a while....probably a long while.  The world wide web is by far too big a place to offer reasons, in any case it's all very personal and I'm not sharing any anyway. 

OK....now I realise nobody's life is going to be changed by all this, I'm just another birder who decided to have a go at keeping a blog and....surprise....surprise, I nearly made it to the three year birthday, who'da thought.

Nobody has got into and enjoyed birding more than me, the list of achievements is by far too long to put up here, but I did find one or two of my own 'goodies' along the way, got involved with a nest box scheme which is attracting Pied Flycatchers to an area where they were absent, but the list goes on. On the subject of PF's I found a 'first' breeding site this very year in the Trough of Bowland and eventually observed an adult feeding one of the young, not an easy event to catch up with I can assure you, I also established over a year or two that the Spotted Flycatcher is to be found in greater number in the same area of the Trough of Bowland than anywhere else in the LDBWS recording area....like I said the list is just too long to go on.

I also made very good friends with some very good birders who know how and where to look for birds, and have the knowledge to ID what they found when they did so, I maintained a respect and admired these people who know what real birding is about and who subscribed greatly to my learning curve.

A pity really as I have a library full of brilliant images of birds, collected from people who have kindly given me the permission and privilege of posting their work on Birds2blog for the pleasure of us all to see. I was going to put a couple of final ones in this post but decided that it would have looked like favouritism directed to just one of the many brilliant birder/photographers I've come to know over the years....so no pics.

I could go on, but I did say this was 'going to be brief'....I'D SOONER BE BIRDING !

17 comments:

  1. Well I'll be the first to say ''I'll miss this blog''

    Pete I hope your personal reasons aren't due to anything serious.

    All the best to you anyway mate

    Warren

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  2. You'll be missed in the ether that is the www Pete.

    Best wishes for your tomorrows

    Cheers
    Davo

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  3. Always enjoyed having a look at your blog Pete. Doing one myself I know it can be addictive and you don't want to let your 'readers' down.

    Most important thing is ENJOY YOUR BIRDING!

    All the best

    Dave

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  4. Pete, I've always found your blog to be very intersting & informative, both on a local & a wider level, plus there's always a selection of photos to blow my socks off.

    I shall miss my daily click onto your blog & read about your travels/sightings.

    On a persoanl note, thank you for the kind words & publication on your site of my photos, which I've always found to be humbling but also gratifying.

    Many thanks Pete, I hope to see you posting again in the future, but whatever you choose to do good luck & good health!

    Regards

    Cliff

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  5. I'm really sorry to read you are finishing the blog. I am, one of MANY I imagine, anonymous readers to your wonderful blog. It will certainly be missed.

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  6. Pete. I just want to echo Cliff's comments he sums your blog up perfectly. All The Best.Martin.

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  7. Hi Pete
    I'll miss reading your blog. Although I am not out photographing I still like to see what is going on and to read your informative commentaries.
    All the best
    Simon H

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  8. All the best for the future. It's silly, but I always hoped you might use one of my images - a little ambition never to be fulfilled. Enjoyed your blog.

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  9. Pete. What can I say..I am lost for words and can only echo what has already been said. Your almost daily blogs have been wonderful to read and your dedication to your local patch legendary. I am pleased that I have been able to contribute to your blog from time to time and I will definitely miss my daily fix of Birds 2 Blog.

    Best wishes to you and Kathleen and I hope to catch up with you sometime...Take care Pete..You will be missed very much.

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  10. Well done for producing a quality blog and best wishes for the future.

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  11. Sorry to hear you are quitting the blog Pete but I'm sure whatever the reason it is a good one. Hope to see you still about at CG sometime. Phil

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  12. All the best Pete. I'll miss reading about the spotted redshanks of Conder Green and the stonechats of Bowland. You certainly inspired me to go out and follow in your footsteps.
    Steve Matthewman

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  13. Oh fiddlesticks! (will that do?)

    I don't know why, perhaps because it was only my second time to Plover Scar, the circumstances, the awful weather and a Snow Bunting and some chap I ran into who I was pleased to meet. I wont forget.

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  14. So sorry your packing it in Pete, I do hope that sometime in the future you could reconsider and reverse your decision.
    As you can see from your comments, you will be sorely missed, and I'm sure they are only the tip of the iceberg.
    Thanks for all the past info Pete and good luck with whatever the future holds.
    Cheers David

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  15. Sorry to hear that you won't be birding.
    Met you once or twice in my early birdwatching days at the sea hides in Leighton Moss and enjoyed seeing a few birds together.[usually early evening when it was nice and quiet].
    Our paths never crossed since but I enjoyed reading your blogs.
    Best wishes
    Mark aka Oz

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  16. You do whatever you need to do.... we'll miss you, but you don't need to worry about us. I look forward to bumping into you up at Conder Green and Cockersands and suchlike. Thanks for all your kind and supportive remarks about my rather ridiculous blog... you were one of the people who brought me back. Best wishes for whatever you do... ray

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  17. Pete.
    I'm gutted!All the best, Colin

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