Keep on keeping on

Since I swore off birding locally I have been birding locally (apart from the escape to the South Downs on Tuesday). That is quite typical of me, full of declarations, plans and ideas that somehow go to pot within the blink of an eye. And how quiet these sessions have been! Scarcely a migrant to be had, even after hours of scouring the fields, hedges and copses of Epsom and Walton Downs, full of hope, topped up with patience and a resolve not to go home empty handed. And to a lesser degree it has been a success. Each session has ended with at least a handful of Wheatear, once a male Common Redstart and on three occasions a male Ring Ouzel (all different birds). This afternoon I was near the end of a sunny, breezy, and birdless session (not even a Wheatear), when this popped up in front of me...

I will never tire of Ring Ouzels. For us southerners they are just passage migrants, and you've had a good day when you are graced with their presence. So, the lesson is clear. Keep on ploughing that birding furrow, even on a day that promises nothing. Today, a Ring Ouzel - and tomorrow? Who knows...

Comments

Stewart said…
Ring Ouzels are still good birds up here Steve. You can see one if you hike to breeding sites but they are now few and far between. We were really excited to find ours on Sunday.
23 April 2021 at 13:50
Steve Gale said…
We can share in the Ouzel appreciation then Stewart!
23 April 2021 at 18:59
Tim Saunders said…
A rare treat for us southerners. Two years ago one landed near me at Beachy Head, but love to see a ring ouzel on a wild moor.
4 May 2021 at 16:50
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