Atlantic Weather Blues

This afternoon I walked from West to East Bexington in a fresh SW breeze. I didn't expect much, and wasn't disappointed: 6 Wheatears, 1 Whinchat, 12 Yellow Wagtails, and singles of Chiffchaff and Willow Warbler. To be honest I wasn't trying very hard. Normally I'd give the fields and hedgerows a bit of a grilling, scan the sea carefully, that sort of thing, but not today. Just a cursory look here and there. Did this slackness cost me birds? Possibly, but not many I'll bet. It all felt a bit empty...

Distant Whinchat does its best to cheer me up

Here we are in the 4th week of August, a prime slot in the autumn birding calendar, and all I can see is a tedious procession of Atlantic weather systems rolling this way, one after another. I must admit, it affects my mood a bit. I would very much like to stumble across a Wryneck or (dare I say it?) Ortolan Bunting right about now, or at least feel like such excitement was a possibility, but in this weather I cannot see it happening. Not even slightly. Ah well...

At least Wheatears don't really care what the weather's doing, and just come anyway.

Only one thing for it. Just plod on...