I'd love to see a ring ouzel ,are they common?I was at the stone circle briefly on thursday morning and photographed a skylark in the grass and a meadow pipit on one of the stones eating a maggot.The area is teeming with both these species and i found a skylark nest there last year with 4 eggs by just stumbling across it.I just bought a 100-400mm zoom lens and it seems pretty good up to now.
Well, today could be your day! It was still there at 7am, I guess it will stay all day now. It's very shy though, if you go anywhere near the stone circle it will go.
Nice find Colin - thanks for the info. Hopefully I'll get chance to go and see it this year before it goes, I missed the one last year. I didn't even know that you could get near to the stone circle. I hope nobody scares it off!
Hi Damian, as far as I know you're not supposed to go near the Stone Circle. I've certainly never been near it, I don't know how to get to it. The best place to view from is the beacon. I think it will flush very easy if anybody approaches it. I didn't find it by the way, it was another birder.
I work saturday so i may try tomorrow ,weather permitting!Does it actually alight on the stones?I know quite a few birds do this and ive photographed a Wheatear on the stones last year.Is it just one lone bird and would it breed around here if it had a mate? There is a way into the area but i'd rather not say although quite a few people do use the same access.Its owned by a local trust in Wigan,i think theyre debating whether or not to open it up to the public.But imo this would be a disaster for the local wildlife and i hope they leave it as it is.The very first day i tried the area last year i saw a stoat on one of the paths and it practically came and ran over my feet.Ive also seen a stoat carrying its prey,a huge rabbit!So far a potential photograph has eluded me.It was also teeming with 6-spot burnets and butterflies.Last week for the first time i saw an orange tip.
Hi Andrew, there's a reasonable chance it will still be there tomorrow I think. It's a migrant, it doesn't breed here, it breeds in Mountain areas. The weather at the moment may put it off leaving. A clear sky is always a bad sign if you want a migrant to stay! Rain might deter it from leaving. They usually migrate at night, so if it's there in the morning it's likely to be there all day. It does sometimes alight on the stones, but more often it's just in the grass in amongst the stones. I think that it would be a shame if they let people on to the site, wildlife needs places where it can live in peace and quiet, without dogs and walkers and scramblers etc. Even so I've been tempted to have a look myself, but so far resisted! It is a shy bird, when I looked through the fence from the beacon this morning, it was about halfway between the the stone circle and the beacon, in the grass. It spotted me immediately, and even at that distance I spooked it and it flew to the stones.
Hi Andrew, I had a message from a friend at about 1pm to say that it was still there. If you get chance to go back, I would expect it to stay until tonight at least.
Hi Colin,i was at Billinge Hill this afternoon around 3.30pm.I saw a black bird at the stone circle and because it was on its own i photographed it.Now,even though i was on maximum focal length of 400mm it still wasnt very close.However ,i blew it up and it appears to have white around its throat although the beak is yellowy/orange like a blackbird.Could this be the Ring Ouzel,do they have yellow beaks?I would upload the photo here but dont know if thats possible.However i'll put it on flickr to see what reaction i get.You may also like to have a look on there!
Hi Andrew, I've just had a look at the photo. Yes Ring Ouzels do have yellow bills, but they don't have white throats! They have a white crescent on their breast. They also have pale grey wings. Unfortunately it's difficult to say from the photo, my guess is its a Blackbird but I can't be sure.
I'm affraid I don't know for sure. I've not heard any reports of it still being there, but that may just mean that people haven't gone looking, or perhaps they just haven't reported it. I've been away for a few days so I've been out of touch.
I'd love to see a ring ouzel ,are they common?I was at the stone circle briefly on thursday morning and photographed a skylark in the grass and a meadow pipit on one of the stones eating a maggot.The area is teeming with both these species and i found a skylark nest there last year with 4 eggs by just stumbling across it.I just bought a 100-400mm zoom lens and it seems pretty good up to now.
ReplyDeleteWell, today could be your day! It was still there at 7am, I guess it will stay all day now. It's very shy though, if you go anywhere near the stone circle it will go.
ReplyDeleteNice find Colin - thanks for the info. Hopefully I'll get chance to go and see it this year before it goes, I missed the one last year. I didn't even know that you could get near to the stone circle. I hope nobody scares it off!
ReplyDeleteHi Damian, as far as I know you're not supposed to go near the Stone Circle. I've certainly never been near it, I don't know how to get to it. The best place to view from is the beacon. I think it will flush very easy if anybody approaches it. I didn't find it by the way, it was another birder.
ReplyDeleteI work saturday so i may try tomorrow ,weather permitting!Does it actually alight on the stones?I know quite a few birds do this and ive photographed a Wheatear on the stones last year.Is it just one lone bird and would it breed around here if it had a mate?
ReplyDeleteThere is a way into the area but i'd rather not say although quite a few people do use the same access.Its owned by a local trust in Wigan,i think theyre debating whether or not to open it up to the public.But imo this would be a disaster for the local wildlife and i hope they leave it as it is.The very first day i tried the area last year i saw a stoat on one of the paths and it practically came and ran over my feet.Ive also seen a stoat carrying its prey,a huge rabbit!So far a potential photograph has eluded me.It was also teeming with 6-spot burnets and butterflies.Last week for the first time i saw an orange tip.
Hi Andrew, there's a reasonable chance it will still be there tomorrow I think. It's a migrant, it doesn't breed here, it breeds in Mountain areas. The weather at the moment may put it off leaving. A clear sky is always a bad sign if you want a migrant to stay! Rain might deter it from leaving. They usually migrate at night, so if it's there in the morning it's likely to be there all day. It does sometimes alight on the stones, but more often it's just in the grass in amongst the stones.
ReplyDeleteI think that it would be a shame if they let people on to the site, wildlife needs places where it can live in peace and quiet, without dogs and walkers and scramblers etc. Even so I've been tempted to have a look myself, but so far resisted!
It is a shy bird, when I looked through the fence from the beacon this morning, it was about halfway between the the stone circle and the beacon, in the grass. It spotted me immediately, and even at that distance I spooked it and it flew to the stones.
Hi Andrew, I had a message from a friend at about 1pm to say that it was still there. If you get chance to go back, I would expect it to stay until tonight at least.
ReplyDeleteHi Colin,i was at Billinge Hill this afternoon around 3.30pm.I saw a black bird at the stone circle and because it was on its own i photographed it.Now,even though i was on maximum focal length of 400mm it still wasnt very close.However ,i blew it up and it appears to have white around its throat although the beak is yellowy/orange like a blackbird.Could this be the Ring Ouzel,do they have yellow beaks?I would upload the photo here but dont know if thats possible.However i'll put it on flickr to see what reaction i get.You may also like to have a look on there!
ReplyDeleteHi Andrew, I've just had a look at the photo. Yes Ring Ouzels do have yellow bills, but they don't have white throats! They have a white crescent on their breast. They also have pale grey wings. Unfortunately it's difficult to say from the photo, my guess is its a Blackbird but I can't be sure.
ReplyDeleteThanks Colin.When i said throat it looks more like a small bib.But youre right ,its very vague!
ReplyDeleteI'm affraid I don't know for sure. I've not heard any reports of it still being there, but that may just mean that people haven't gone looking, or perhaps they just haven't reported it. I've been away for a few days so I've been out of touch.
ReplyDelete