These two male Ring Ouzels were found today in the village of Morborne near Peterborough by patch watcher Andrew Gardener and represent my first local Ouzels for 2 years. They were quite shy, staying on the far side of the field and frequently disappearing back into the hedge for cover, but were seen feeding well.
The Ring Ouzel is another bird whose numbers have fallen by over 50% in the last ten years, with between 6,000-11,000 pairs breeding in the country. They breed in the upland areas of Wales, Scotland, south-west England, the Pennines, the Cheviots, North York Moors and parts of western Ireland. They pass through our area en route to these sites and have their favoured stopping off points, an area of which is Morborne Hill and the surrounding countryside.
