Ring Ouzels - Haweswater

[CJW]

All,
I've been asked to take a couple of friends to the UK so they can see Ring Ouzels (don't ask!). The ferry sailings (we're coming from the Isle of Man) give me two possible options which both involve going to Haweswater for Ring Ouzel and Golden Eagle.

Basically we can be at Haweswater for first light (actually, well before) and hopefully get the Ring Ouzels fairly pronto (I don't hold-out much hope of getting the eagle in short order). So we can be at LMoss by 09:00 and back at Heysham for the 1st of the return ferries by 13:15.
The other option is to spend longer at Haweswater, then do Leighton Moss at our leisure and go for the early morning ferry (02:15) the following day.
My preference is the first option, which means I won't be as knackered and have to sit at Heysham for several hours waiting for the 02:15 sailing.

To summarise, just how easy will we get Ring Ouzels at Haweswater?

Thanks in advance,

[Jane Turner]

I've had them twice (out of two attempts) without really looking for them, walking up to see the Eagle, on whatever the scraggy craggy thing on the left hand side of Riggindale is called.

[IanF]

I've not been there this year but previous years I've always seen them from the car park area at the top of Haweswater and below the crags on the left as you enter the eagle viewing valley. Goshawk as well. You can scope Ring Ouzel from the eagle watchpoint as well - but they are very distant.

Sounds a pretty hectic schedule!

[CJW]

I've had them twice (out of two attempts) without really looking for them, walking up to see the Eagle, on whatever the scraggy craggy thing on the left hand side of Riggindale is called.

Yeah, I know the location Jane, I was just wondering if they were still using the area given the apparent population crash in recent years. Were yours recently?

[CJW]

I've not been there this year but previous years I've always seen them from the car park area at the top of Haweswater and below the crags on the left as you enter the eagle viewing valley. Goshawk as well. You can scope Ring Ouzel from the eagle watchpoint as well - but they are very distant.

Sounds a pretty hectic schedule!

Cheers Ian, it doesn't sound like a lot of fun does it? But you've got to do these things to keep the low listers interested!! ;)

[Jane Turner]

two years ago was my last attempt... or was it one, my memory is dodgy!

[barontan2418]

On my last visit to Hawswater the Eagle had just polished off a Ring Ouzel for dinner but I'm sure there will still a few around. They usually show on the rock face to the front and left of the view point.

Mick.

[tonyath]

Saw a Ring Ouzel from the Eagle viewpiont last year, no Eagle though. :-C

[oncebittern]

I was at the Haweswater car park yesterday evening (Monday) and was up to the Eagle viewpoint today. Unfortunately, I neither saw nor heard any Ring Ouzels, and neither had anyone that I spoke to.

Likewise with the Eagle - 2 chaps I spoke to yesterday had spent most of the day at the viewpoint without a sighting. I arrived today at around midday, and there were five birders there - no one had seen anything. I left at around 2.30, still with no sightings.

Sorry I can't offer anything more positive.