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My #1 outdoor activity is exploring places by bicycle, usually 30 to 40 mile day trips. Except for during 5 weeks in mid-winter, I have been riding an average of 4 or 5 days per week.
Sometimes I take off from my apartment and ride a loop route, or other times I take the train in one direction and ride back home. The trains give me many options, because they leave Chemnitz in almost all directions on the map. I have a monthly train pass for the entire region, so I can roll my bike on and off the train where ever in the area I want. It is also an adventure, because I often ride on roads or paths I have never been on, pass through towns for the first time, or see unique things for the first time. Good maps and navigation skills are a must in addition to having the energy to pedal the tough hills in this area.
I enjoy all outdoor activities be it hiking, walking, birding, gardening, yard work, flying and all water sports.
Water sports are my favorite hobbies be it rowing, kayaking, boating, sailing, scuba diving or wind surfing.
I no longer have access to a sail boat or having a place to wind surf since moving from NY to Idaho. I have been rowing (both sweep rowing with a rowing team or solo sculling) almost daily when weather permits for over ten years.
Since moving to Idaho, I don't have an opportunity for sweep rowing (the closest rowing club is 7 hours away in CDA!). Living on the river gives me a chance to scull or kayak as often as I wish pretty much year around. In NY, I could only be out on the water from mid April to end of October due to all the snow and ice on the Hudson in the winter.
The Snake River where we live is a busy bird migration path. There are no better ways to watch birds than being on the river. For the last week or two, every time that I am out on the river, I am surrounded by thousands of birds flying over head, on the water, building nests on island tall trees, courting and chirping in bullrush and cattail patch swamp along river banks.
I am having a lot of fun rowing by the island with many cormorants, great blue herons and white egrets rookies. When we first moved here, there were only two cormorant rookeries on tall trees at the island edge. The next year, some blue herons and egrets 'stole' few cormorant nests. It wasn't long before they established their own rookeries on several nearby tall trees.
Last year, I observed then learned that the male cormorants occupied the nests first (starting from the highest nest). It was so much fun watching the females circled over to inspect the nest and the male several times (3 circuits from high to low just like us pilots checking out a landing strip). It was about 1 of 3 times that a female decided to land and join her new mate.
This year, the blue herons came first. I lucked out and was next to the island shortly after the 1st one arrived. Within 30 minutes, there were 6 more to land occupying nests also from the tallest ones. There are now at least 20 nests within a week with half of them with 2 herons. I will have to research and find out whether the males or the females occupy the nest first. Few years ago, we made a documentary video of a blue heron rookery in NY. It was the males which flew around gathering sticks for the females to build or refurbish the nest - incredible 'basket weaving' skill with just their long beaks.
For the last 3 years of living here, I wake up every morning counting my blessings for living in an great birder/rower paradise.
I'm with you and hiking/walking. I also like cycling on simple paths, and I love birding. The nice thing about birding is you can do it just about anywhere, and there are ways to do it that are anything from sedentary to very athletic, depending on your abilities and desires. It also keeps you learning new things and going new places.
In the winter months in Arizona we are hiking 2 or 3 times a week, walking the rest. During the summer it’s swimming laps daily.
Photography and I’d say I’m more the accidental birder rather than seeking out birrds, although I did spend time hunting out the spoonbill at a local lake.
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