Last year I visited Cleeve Common in Gloucestershire in the hope of finding some ring ouzels which are often seen in April as they stop off on their migratory route to breed. Sadly I was unable to locate any so I decided to make another attempt this year.
I left home at by 7 a.m as I knew the area was likely to be popular on a Saturday morning, not just with birders, but with joggers and dogwalkers for whom this is a popular spot. After driving up the windy road that leads to the top of the hill, I found a parking spot in the already nearly full car parking area adjacent to some large pylons.
I'd read that up to 5 birds had been seen during the early part of this week so I was fairly hopeful of seeing at least one today though I had no idea where to start looking on this vast expanse of hillside dotted with gorse bushes and small trees. It is easy to get lost but the tall pylons are a useful marker as to where the car park is situated!
I meandered amongst the gorse checking for any dark blackbird sized birds in the trees. I also used my phone to find out what their call was like so I could listen out for it amongst the gorse. On descending a path I noticed two dark coloured birds, roughly the size of blackbirds, fly across in front of me, one of which was emitting a call similar to what I had just heard on my phone. However not being able to make out any white crescent on the birds' breasts I couldn't be sure.
I made my way across to the direction in which they had flown but couldn't see or hear anything to indicate their presence. Across the small valley few photographers had set up tripods but I couldn't see what they were looking at as they were quite a distance away. Another lady approached me and said she'd noticed the photographers too so we decided to make our way towards them.
They had gone before we reached the spot where they had stood, but I could see them talking to some other people who came in our direction and said that there were some ring ouzels to be seen across the valley, probably not far from where I had just been looking. We followed them and sure enough it was possible to make out some birds feeding on the grass between some large areas of gorse. Looking through binoculars I could make out the white crescent which distinguished them as ring ouzels. Every so often they would retreat back into the gorse before reappearing. Although not as close as I would have liked, these birds were a 'lifer' for me so I had to be content. Although tempted to go and see if I could gain a closer view, I was aware that the birders I'd spoken to had a dim view of people who got too close, and anyway the birds would probably keep out of sight if they detected human presence. I've read of photographers who had to spend 2 or 3 hours hidden in a gorse bush in order to get some decent pictures. Not for me!
distant ring ouzel
female stonechat
