Ouzelling about on Titterstone Clee Hill

Not a bad sight when getting out of the car

Ring Ouzel

Ring Ouzel

Ring Ouzel

Old Quarry workings

Great place on a calm day

Titterstone Clee Hill Summit

Wheatear (down low)

Wheatear (up above)

With one final day off before returning to work I headed west to Shropshire for a bit of ouzelling at Titterstone Clee Hill. With the weather looking beautiful the hour drive soon past. 

Upon getting out of the car I picked up a Ring Ouzel towards the summit and grabbed a quick digiscoped image just incase I didn't pick another one up. The old workings was looking as eerie as ever but was relatively bird free so I headed up towards the summit. As I headed upwards I past a number of Wheatears, Meadow Pipits and Skylarks.

Towards the top I located a pair of Ring Ouzels so I sat down on a comfortable clump of grass and watched the birds feeding on earth worms along the rocks and grass on the summit above the old workings. It always amazes me how distinctive their striking white breast band is. These birds will be refuelling here before they continue their path further north to their breeding grounds.

Ring Ouzels at Clee Hill

Ruins near car park

Ring Ouzel 

Gert looking rather arty

More ruins

Checking out his pursuers

 

Me on Ouzel scramble

My original plan for Saturday was to head to the south coast but given the lack of superstar migrants I headed to Titterstone Clee Hill with Upton buddy Gert who fancied the challenge of finding a Ring Ouzel.

Just as we left Bromsgrove at 7am we received a text that a Marsh Harrier was at the Upton Warren Flashes reserve. After a moment of deliberation it was a quick U-turn to try and record an Upton first for us both. After a good 30 minutes of searching I saw the bird almost take off and then change its mind. From that point you could see the bird through the reeds. 

We then made the 45 minute drive out to Clee Hill. There was plenty of mist around the 1,749 feet summit so we were thankful of our delayed arrival due to the Marsh Harrier. Clee Hill is one of the most prominent hills of rural England and is often driven through when heading to Wales.

On the drive up to the car park a Stonechat sat on a fence line whilst Meadow Pipits could be seen commonly. The derelict building, often reported as the best place to see the Ouzels, where limited to Wheatear, Carrion Crows and a single White Wagtail.

Given the report from the previous day that the Ouzels were seen near Trig Point we scrambled our way up and across the hillside through and over some tricky rocks. Our search was not going to plan so once we reached the top we thought we would try the other side which was out of the wind. Not to be deterred we scrabbled down and across giving his good views of the top of the hill. Hopes were raised when we saw a Ouzel shaped bird fly towards the summit. 

After a good hour and a quarter Gert spotted a male Ouzel and once we set the scopes up we had great views of actually two. For one moment we had views of two Ouzels and a Wheatear at the same time. You could easily see the large white chest crescent on the male. With us both battered from the wind and rather pleased with our find we headed back to car for coffee. Passing others birders it seemed we were the only ones to find the migrants. 

Superb morning in a great environment.