Another walk on the uplands and yet more Ring Ouzels! Four birds today - a male and three females - on the scree behind Rock Farm near World's End.
Typically a loud tuck-tucking alerted me to the presence of a female sitting on top of what has to be their favourite type of perch - a small, bare dead tree jutting out from the rock.
Slowly, three more birds revealed themselves and I watched them feeding for four or five minutes before the male bird and one of the females decided to elope to the other side of the valley - maybe eager to get the nuptials underway!
It seems almost certain that they are passage birds - I think it has been a few years since they bred on Ruabon Moor - but it appears to be an excellent spring for Ring Ouzels - maybe a few old, traditional territories will be occupied this year.
Another migrant appearing in bumper numbers this year is the Grasshopper Warbler and today there was three birds reeling from the heather - not the first type of habitat you would expect to hear a Gropper in!
My first Redstart and Whinchat of the year rounded off an excellent morning's birding. Slightly concerning however was the absence of Tree Pipits - the Offa's Dyke path is normally a home banker for this species. In contrast to Ring Ouzels and Groppers they seem to be having a very poor year - in terms of birds on territory if not on passage.
Swings and roundabouts as they say.
Until later.
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