Ring Ouzel

A band of light rain cleared to the east early this morning, and there were more birds in the bushes than on Tuesday. The highlight was a first-winter Ring Ouzel in clifftop scrub at Bundle Head; it called three or four times and showed its tail-end briefly before disappearing into dense blackthorn. Also noted were 20+ Robins, 18 Goldcrests, nine Song Thrushes, six Redwings, six Chiffchaffs, four Bullfinches and a Green Woodpecker. Long-tailed Tits seemed to follow me everywhere, with at least three parties of birds roaming between The Ness and Bundle Head. Overhead passage was limited to just 12 Meadow Pipits, 10 Goldfinches (plus 45 in trees by Shaldon Zoo), 10 alba Wagtails, four Linnets, four Chaffinches and a Skylark.