Inspiration Lacking

Inspiration Lacking - European Robin — Inspiration Lacking

I don’t know what it was about today but I found myself lacking inspiration and motivation when out on the patch today.

I don’t know if it was the light rain and thick clouds at the start of my walk (when sunshine had been forecast); or if it was the cold wind blowing in from the East (Storm Henry this time I think). Perhaps it was burn out from lots of birding through January; or maybe just tiredness?

I guess it could even be the fast approaching life change of leaving my thirties! But today was a struggle.

Especially when it came to photographs, so this post won’t exactly be littered.

I should say that the birds were fine, OK there was nothing spectacular, but what was about was pleasing enough to see. From the stunning group of Goosander swimming the River Ouse, the males hitting peak breeding plumage now, the usual white of their bodies feathers turning a light pink, clashing brilliantly with the dark, iridescent green head and neck and striking red bill. To the small Lesser Redpoll that gave me a close view as it fed off the seed heads beside the path, the dull browns of the body making the bright red face patch stand out even without bins raised.

But something was lacking in me.

As I walked the river, the cold was seeping into my bones for the majority of the walk, the dark clouds above me eventually broke to reveal a short spell of bright sunshine, but even the suns warming rays couldn’t quite break the chill I was feeling. In both body and mood.

Canada Goose
Canon 70D 400mm @ f/6.3 1/125 ISO 100

Still Inspiration Lacking

A few bright sparks from the birds helped to keep me going. Two female Stonechats gave me fleeting views as they flew low in the scrub, trying to stay out of the chilly winds themselves. Fly through Kestrel and Sparrowhawk gave brief moments of thrill, both to me watching them as they passed on the hunt and to the local birds who were scattered by their threatening presence.

A Robin, presumably fooled by the large amounts of blossom all around the patch and bright sunshine, gave me a few moments of full song and some lovely poses, as it rested in the willows along the river, but otherwise the day was uninspiring.

Or rather I was uninspired by the majesty of nature today.

European Robin in full song
Canon 70D 400mm @ f/6.3 1/800 ISO 320

European Robin
Canon 70D 400mm @ f/6.3 1/500 ISO 100

Early Spring

As a side note it is hard to miss the way nature has got its self all mixed up at the moment, tree after tree was dripping in blossom, a sight you would associate with March or April certainly not the 2nd of February, birds who would be starting to court latter in the season are now in full display and even some insects are on the wing already, I fear that a sudden cold snap could prove devastating for the local nature.

Blackthorn Blossom on 2nd Feb!
Canon 70D 400mm @ f/6.3 1/250 ISO 250

As my walk was coming to a close the old church bell began to ring, not the usual, melodic chimes of a Sunday but the long mournful tone of a single church bell peeling repeatedly for 5 mins, this fittingly signalled the end of my walk and the onset of a brief, but soaking hail storm. I finished my walk home, cold, damp and really not full of the joys of the day.

Sorry bit of a down post today, really wasn’t “feeling” the walk.