Ring Ouzels.

Today may have been a bad day for football, for Everton and a low point in the life of Sylvain Distin... but it was a good day for birds in Gloucestershire. Well, a good day for birds in Gloucestershire... for me at least. The Osprey / Ring Ouzel combination play was very much on. I've already posted some dodgy photographs of the Dowdeswell Osprey (which I understand remained around the reservoir until 0840hrs), but it is now my great pleasure to present in this entry dodgy photographs of Cleeve Hill Ring Ouzels!!!

Ring Ouzels.Yes, I have stopped the 'no-Ring-Ouzels-on-Cleeve-Hill' clock (or the 'Idontbelievetheyrereallyhere-o-meter') at 29 hours and 16 minutes. Two years of combing the area, and then this. It was amazing... less than ten minutes had passed before they showed on the main strip down from the bench beside the Heather Enclosure. In total there were eight birds in this group. Four males and (probably) four females. They were all, save one I thought (the foremost bird in the fifth photograph in the series of six below?), adult birds.

Thanks must go to @MPHobson for pointing me in the right direction.

Once I'd had a good look at them feeding infront of the bench from a distance I decided to try and sneak a little closer. They'd been in the same place for ten minutes - amazingly undisturbed. Some (IMHO) good fieldcraft - slow movement, remaining hidden (I even stayed upwind! - although I'm aware they're not Impalas) got me much closer. Although the wind on the common was a fierce easterly, down in the valley it was relatively still. The birds seemed quite at ease - calling to each other regularly.

Ring Ouzels.I'm pleased I went when I did. No people = lots of birds. Feeding on the ground with the Ring Ouzels were Meadow Pipits and Song Thrushes. I left at about 1845hrs. The wind was getting up and the Sun was starting to cast everything in silhouette. Birds...

Tree Ouzel.And people...