August Let the games begin!

So my year list sits at 265 as we move into August, a month when birds get on the move again moving south to their wintering grounds and usually lingering a little longer than they do on the way to their breeding grounds in spring. I started the year chasing last years 279 total and have been asked by a few people if 300 is a realistic goal for 2013 but knowing how hard the ticks get in the second half of the year I'll just settle for 280 to beat last year. In August 2012 I saw just six new birds taking my year list to 257 so whilst I have my nose in front I'm mindful of the fact that of the 27 birds seen in the last five months of 2012 I've already seen 11 of them and amongst the other 16 are birds I might find harder to connect with in 2013 like Desert Wheatear, Buff-bellied & Olive Backed Pipit, Short Billed Dowitcher, Pallas's Warbler, Alpine Swift, Booted Warbler, Red Breasted Flycatcher, Red Flanked Bluetail, Baillon's Crake and White Rumped Sandpiper which I think you'll agree are not givens by any stretch.  The truth is the longer the year goes on the harder the ticks get. I need 15 to beat last year so if I can find just one new bird each week I could achieve my highest total to date and I'd be very satisfied with that at this stage....Let the games begin!