Easter Holidays

It's the last day at work before the four day Easter long weekend and I'm contemplating what to do! Summer migrants have been relatively thin on the ground recently, probably due to the northerly wind and the return to wintry cold weather conditions which we have been experiencing over the last couple of days, with only willow warbler and swallow having been reported locally at Wanstead Flats to add to the recent arrival of Chiffchaff, Blackcap and Wheatear.

I recently enjoyed a talk by the 'Urban Birder' David Lindo on his life and travels, including growing up in London and in particular the joys and rewards of 'patch' birding with his local patch being Wormwood Scrubs. He described the time when he said to himself  "Today I will find a Ring Ouzel on the patch" and as he walked his usual route around Wormwood Scrubs, low and behold as if by magic one appeared before his eyes! This all sounds too good to be true but in all probability this is not as unlikely as you might think. Ring Ouzels are passage breeding migrants from the thrush family (Turdidae) and breed in the higher grounds of Scotland, Wales and northern England having spent the winter months in the Mediterranean regions. On route to their breeding grounds in the spring they have to stop to feed and this is when you have an outside chance of seeing one of these birds on your local patch! The birds love open ground like playing fields or parks surrounded by bushes or trees for cover and will stop over for a day or two to feed before continuing their journey north, they can be particularly difficult birds to see as they can be quite nervy and will often quickly take to cover if disturbed, when in the open they can be seen on the ground in the grassy fringes of a field feeding in the same way you would see a blackbird or song thrush feeding, looking for grubs, insects or earthworms in the grass. The autumn gives you another chance to see these birds away from their usual breeding grounds, perhaps even more of a chance than in the spring if it has been a successful breeding year, as there will be a greater number of birds moving south with juveniles in tow, stopping again to feed on route before heading on to warmer climates.

Next time you are over the park with children or grandchildren in the spring or autumn and you see a blackbird feeding on the ground just take a moment and have second look to ensure you haven't just found yourself a Ring Ouzel!

Male Ring Ouzel

So, to start my Easter weekend and in the words of David Lindo "I'm going to find a Ring Ouzel on Wanstead Flats tomorrow" - We shall see!


For more information on Ring Ouzel's, please check this excellent website out http://www.ringouzel.info/index.html