Bird in the hawthorn tree (UK) (1 Viewer)

[papanatur3]

Hi folks
This just turned up tonight as the sun went down.
Is it just a funny coloured blackbird or something else?

Had a dark body... Like a light grey ring of colour around the neck then a darker greyish/black head.

Thanks to the 46x zoom of the Nikon P510 lol.. was over 100ft away in low light.

:t:

 

[papanatur3]

Ah cheers thought so, Never really seen one looking like that though.

 

[OlaB]

Looks like a Ring Ouzel to me.

 

[Adam W]

I may be missing something but surely this is a Ring Ouzel?

 

[stablewill]

Looks like a Ring Ouzel to me.

Indeed.

 

[dwatsonbirder]

Slightly concerned that folks think this is a blackbird...back to the books guys!

 

[KayD]

Ring Ouzel. Very nice if it was in your garden.

 

[Samuel Perfect]

Definitely Ring Ouzel

 

[Brian2]

Indeed a nice garden bird, well done

 

[papanatur3]

Slightly concerned that folks think this is a blackbird...back to the books guys!

Sorry I am not very good at any of this rather new when it isnt basic birds. Did think it looked odd though lol I have never even heard of this Ouzel chap. I shall go read up on it now at the RSPB site. Not a normal visitor to my garden! :t:

Ring Ouzel. Very nice if it was in your garden.

Was indeed.. Sitting in the hawthorn tree with 2 magpies. They kept swooping in for nuts while that just sat for 5 or 6 mins then flew off.

Indeed a nice garden bird, well done

Ah see now I am super intrigued to read about it.. not common I guess?

Off I go!

 

[Kentbloke]

Slightly concerned that folks think this is a blackbird...back to the books guys!

Well yes, I did think "that's the weirdest blackbird I've ever seen"!

 

[papanatur3]

Well yes, I did think "that's the weirdest blackbird I've ever seen"!

hah aww come on I am a noob I know this!

On a serious note.. when I was googling it. Came up with this site. Worth dropping them a line I guess?

http://www.ringouzel.info/index.html

 

[Kentbloke]

hah aww come on I am a noob I know this!

On a serious note.. when I was googling it. Came up with this site. Worth dropping them a line I guess?

http://www.ringouzel.info/index.html

No worries mate, I'm an "old" and still miss ID almost daily! :t:

 

[papanatur3]

No worries mate, I'm an "old" and still miss ID almost daily! :t:

Ah its no big deal, I guess this bird deserves to be called better then a funny looking blackbird in a hawthorn tree hah.

I shall learn over the years.

Good times.

 

[Songkhran]

There has been a huge 'fall' of Thrushes on the North and East Coast and really big numbers of Ring Ouzels arriving in the foggy condition. The winter Thrushes (Redwings, Blackbirds and Fieldfares are gradually filtering inland and your 'Ouzel chap has probably been carried along with them.

To give you an indication I usually see about a dozen Ouzels in the Spring and 1 or 2 in the Autumn, the last three days I have seen about 80!

Its probably a very good record for Bedfordshire and worth sending to your county recorder.

 

[papanatur3]

There has been a huge 'fall' of Thrushes on the North and East Coast and really big numbers of Ring Ouzels arriving in the foggy condition. The winter Thrushes (Redwings, Blackbirds and Fieldfares are gradually filtering inland and your 'Ouzel chap has probably been carried along with them.

To give you an indication I usually see about a dozen Ouzels in the Spring and 1 or 2 in the Autumn, the last three days I have seen about 80!

Its probably a very good record for Bedfordshire and worth sending to your county recorder.

Thats really cool! You mention "redwing" There was about 6 of them in the same location this ouzel was in only a few days back. First time I had ever seen them also. Usualy its mostly Blackbirds and Song Thrush that I see every day in that area.

I have to admit I wouldn't know how to go about contacting the county recorder. Is there a specifc website or something? I emailed the "ring ouzel" website about 15 mins ago with this sighting.

 

[Phil Andrews]

Thats really cool! You mention "redwing" There was about 6 of them in the same location this ouzel was in only a few days back. First time I had ever seen them also. Usualy its mostly Blackbirds and Song Thrush that I see every day in that area.

I have to admit I wouldn't know how to go about contacting the county recorder. Is there a specifc website or something? I emailed the "ring ouzel" website about 15 mins ago with this sighting.

Contact for rarities reports:
Richard Bashford (Secretary Beds Rarities Panel),
6 Brook Road,
Eaton Ford,
St Neots,
Cambs,
PE19 7AX
Tel: 01480 212932
Email: [email protected]

Or see the Bedfordshire Bird Club website

 

[papanatur3]

Contact for rarities reports:
Richard Bashford (Secretary Beds Rarities Panel),
6 Brook Road,
Eaton Ford,
St Neots,
Cambs,
PE19 7AX
Tel: 01480 212932
Email: [email protected]

Or see the Bedfordshire Bird Club website

Appreciated. :t:

 

[RiB]

Thanks - that is an old email address for me but still got to me. Ring Ouzel is a great bird to see in Beds but we get good numbers on the hills each year, especially in the Spring. Garden ouzels are really rare, although we had two different birds in gardens last winter

http://bedsbirds.blogspot.co.uk/2012/03/wintering-ring-ouzel.html

For anyone living in or near Bedfordshire, we have a thriving Yahoogroup

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/bedsbirds/

And a website

http://www.bedsbirdclub.org.uk/

Best wishes and thanks for sharing this bird with us.

Richard Bashford