Bird photography by bike
Recently my mental health has -to put it bluntly- been in the ditch, and as such I have not felt able to get out and explore as much as I would have liked too. However, today I tried something totally new and just went for it- I hired a bike all by myself (something I would never have considered), took my camera and my water bottle and spent two hours cycling around our local Quay and River spotting birds and snapping photos. All of which I did in the rain because I was determined to get out and try something different. And I ended up having an awesome time! So, I thought I would take you all along with me through my trip and discuss getting over my fears to have a brilliant time.
Hiring a Bike:
Firstly, I need to admit prior to this occasion I had not ridden a bike in over 4 years- the pandemic, not owning my own and a general disinterest in cycling meant that this morning upon walking up and asking to hire one I wasn’t entirely convinced I still knew how to ride! (Luckily it seems it’s not something you forget after 4 years).
I’m not entirely sure what motivated me to try cycling combined with birdwatching today other then I think my mental health is finally improving and I as such the thought of spending another day fretting over nothing (thank-you anxiety!) seemed like a total waste of time when I could be outside exploring. Also having visited the Quay many times and knowing the location from previous walks I figured how much different can cycling it be- plus I would probably be able to see more birds as I was able to ride around the river faster. And well given my love of nature what could be better then being able to see more of it?
Saying all this there was the small hurdle of having to actually hire a bike. Or I should say having to walk up to the bike hire shop, speak to someone and ask to hire a bike by myself for only me. Well, it turns out this didn’t faze me too much once I had actually entered the shop, the hire guy was super friendly (although I assume just happy to have a customer given it was a rather rainy day in the middle of a week in October) but still he helped me find a good bike and helmet and gave me advice on where to cycle. I did inquire about how many people had fallen into the river (given it was my first time back on a bike) but he assured me it had only happened once in the past year due to a dog- given I absolutely love dogs and couldn’t see my self cycling into a river to avoid one this did ease my mind a bit.
The cycling part:
So, it turns out that once id set off the actual task of cycling (or I should say remembering how to cycle!) and trying to spot different birds kept my mind thoroughly distracted from any anxiety. I had an absolutely awesome time going up and round the river at completely my own pace without anyone to keep up with/or talk to! I was able to stop whenever I wanted and look at the scenery and birds and enjoy just being back in the outdoors. It also didn’t really matter that it was raining a bit, it wasn’t too cold, and the rain wasn’t heavy enough to completely drench me, so I was able to have a lovely ride around for over 2 hours!
Combining Bird photography with cycling:
You’d think it would be difficult to photograph birds whilst also cycling and it had crossed my mind the logistics may be an issue however, it actually worked remarkable well. The cycle path directly followed the river and with hardly anyone about due to the rain I had plenty of opportunities to stop whenever I felt like it to snap a photo. The basket on the front of the bike was also the perfect size to house my backpack so I didn’t even need to get off the bike to grab my camera.
Results:
For me this trip was a huge success in every way! I was able to go out completely by myself and hire a bike -something I’d never done before; see lots of awesome wildlife and snap some photos with my camera; as well as getting two hours of much needed fresh air! It was an awesome morning and I think I will definitely be repeating the trip in the future!
Info about my trip:
Where did I go: Exeter Quayside
How did I get there: Exter Quay is a short (20 min) walk from Exeter city centre/Exeter central train station. There are also numerous car parks around the Quay side for those traveling by car.
Where did I hire the bike from: Saddles and Paddles – it cost me £14 for 3 hours as a student, they also offered full day and overnight hire. They provided everything I needed including a helmet, basket on the bike and a bike lock. All the staff I spoke to were super friendly and offered advice about different routes/local knowledge! You can check out Saddles and Paddles here!
