UKH

Ring Ouzels have been starting to arrive back over the last couple of weeks. It will be at least a couple of weeks before we will start to see them settling down to nest – which will hopefully get us past the busiest Easter period – so no restrictions just yet!

Last year we began a project to individually colour-ring broods of ouzels on the eastern gritstone edges – to help understand return rates of first year birds (a possible factor in Ring Ouzel population declines) and which will also help our understanding of how birds use and move around the area during the breeding season.

It would be great to hear of any sightings of ringed birds (even if you don’t catch the exact colours). We ringed nests on Bamford, Stanage, Burbage and Curbar so these are the most likely areas for re-sightings, but it would be even more interesting if we see birds further afield – Derwent, High Peak, Kinder, possibly even Staffs.

The nest protection and monitoring work is probably familiar to those who regularly climb on grit – it has been supported by climbers and the BMC for many years now. We have a really good team of volunteers who help locate nests each year. There is some background info on the project here https://tinyurl.com/peakouzels and you can report sightings directly via email to peakouzels@yahoo.com (both ringed birds and potential breeding/nesting birds).

I’ll post restriction updates here through the season too.

Thanks again Kim for the outstanding work you and your volunteers do on this, on behalf of all climbers and hillwalkers.

Steve 

I think I saw and heard them around dusk at Stanage on Monday! They were noisy buggers, if that was them. 

If they could be so kind as to nest on 0-star routes this year it would be much appreciated. 

Any nesting yet?

pee-pee-pee fairly high pitched and almost metallic, not sure if it's just males that do the call, usually from a vantage point but might not be that prominent.

[Edit: just remembered, the Rob Matheson @70 videos, there's one of him on Dow crag and you can hear a Ring Ouzel when he gets to the top]

Last year I got some cracking views of male and female by just sitting quietly and patiently for a bit at the edge of the restricted Black Hawk area.

They have started to arrive in the Chew Valley and Saddleworth area, spotted my first one last week and have heard of 2 other sightings so far. 

I've seen one a couple of times this week at Burbage North, Mutiny Crack kind of area. Always a joy to see them back

We have them up in Calderdale so I’ll keep my beady eyes peeled for any Peak District escapees! Haven’t seen/heard any yet but half a chance to get out and about wouldn’t go amiss either..

Saw two at Stanage Plantation/Unconquerables area, beginning of the week. Pretty sure they've been here before.

Mike Cheque: get it done before its bird banned😉

Two pairs nest building already, though away from climbing spots.

Thanks all for those sightings reports too.

Nest building will be starting in earnest from now so keep an eye out on the crags, good weather imminent too!

I found this male ouzel at Bamford this morning, who was ringed as one of a brood of four at Higger Tor on 12th May last year. Even better, this was actually the second time I've seen him - the first was a few weeks after fledging last year, still at Higger on 6th June!

The first restriction is up at Stanage - at Popular End. A slightly less popular section (perhaps) than last year - the restriction runs from Jersey Boys (E1 5a) to Mantelpiece Crack (D) inclusive. This is the area immediately right of Grotto Slab (I've put a sign up asking groups not to use Grotto Slab too, as it's a popular congregating area).

As usual here, if people could pass on this message to groups/instructors/clubs etc. so people are aware in advance that would be great.

It's been a slightly slow start to the season so while there are a few other nests (away from climbing) there are also birds still to settle down. So any sightings from over the bank holiday weekend(s) would be very helpful (email peakouzels@yahoo.com) and keep an eye out for more signs appearing at short notice.

Cheers!

A few more restrictions popping up now as the ouzels get into the swing of things:

Stanage North - Anniversary Arête (E1 5b) to Self-Propelled (VS 5a).

Likely ones coming to The Vice (E1 5b) area and to Shuffle (S 4a) area - TBC.

Stanage Popular - Jersey Boys (E1 5a) to Mantelpiece Crack (D).

Stanage Apparent North - Petty Larceny (E1 5c) to Grand Theft (E1 5b)/Zorro (f5).

Burbage North - Problems on The Terrace (f7C) block.

Stanage is the place to be if you're an ouzel this year. Burbage quiet in comparison.

Updated list:

Stanage North - The Tempest (VS 5a) to Physician's Wall (E1 6a) (this covers The Vice and Crab Crawl amongst others).

Stanage North - Anniversary Arête (E1 5b) to Self-Propelled (VS 5a).

Stanage Plantation - Flight of Ideas (E6 7a) to Foetus on the Eiger (E1 6a) (this covers a couple of popular routes - Tower Face and Nuke the Midges).

Stanage Popular - Jersey Boys (E1 5a) to Mantelpiece Crack (D).

Stanage Apparent North - Petty Larceny (E1 5c) to Grand Theft (E1 5b)/Zorro (f5).

Burbage North - Problems on The Terrace (f7C) block.

Sadly the Popular End pair have abandoned their nest before they finished laying. This is most likely due to disturbance over the bank holiday weekend - not necessarily people within the restriction (every time I looked over the last few days it was being respected) but perhaps just sheer volume of people in the immediate vicinity. It was a wider-than-average restriction too due to the location, but unfortunate timing with laying/good weather weekend.

The pair are already prospecting again for a new nest in the Central Trinity/Rusty Wall area so signs will go up again as soon as they settle on a spot.

Hope this works out for the lovely pair! 

Fellow climbers, if you go to Stanage please keep your voices down near a nesting area. 

The Stanage Popular End pair have settled on Black Hawk area (as last year). Signs have gone up this morning and the restriction covers Chameleon (E4 6a) to Tier Climb (S 4b). This includes Manchester Buttress and the Black Hawk routes. Please give this area a wide berth! Thanks. 

That's pretty much where a pair nested last year, any idea whether either bird is the same as last year?

It's exactly the same spot. I know for sure the male is a new bird as he's one of the chicks we ringed at Bamford last year! So perhaps it's last year's female (though some spots do get chosen by different birds years apart).

Both the Stanage North pairs have failed due to natural causes - one looks like the adult female was predated at the nest, and the other likely the eggs were taken by crows - so the the signs have been removed and the remaining restrictions at Stanage are as above. 

It's actually a good spot to watch them, you can be distant enough to get great views without disturbing them (by staying still & quiet) - photos from last year (smartphone "through" binoculars)

Another one. Stanage just above the causeway. All routes on Cracked Wall/ Creepy & Crawly and Broken Buttress. So the restriction is from Wall and Slab (VS 5a) to Jenny Wren (VD).

This one's a bit bigger than usual - this is a really skittish pair who have started nest building in 2 or 3 different places so far - and abandoned each time before laying. They're now also on the side of the buttress right next to the descent path. I don't know how often this area gets used by groups but it's seemed quite busy up there lately. Possibly that's affected them - I think they need a bit more space than average. 

Thought I post here rather than start a new thread... heads up that:

A bird of prey of some sort appeared out of a big hollow tree up and left of Libation (6b+) as I finished it, we vacated the area and it returned later. I think there is a nest but not certain.

Oops just realised it was actually just to the left of Late at Night (6b+)

Quite likely to be a Tawny Owl (coming out of a tree), in which case appropriate route name 😄

Also good that it didn't go for you, I'd rather have a buzzard swooping at me than a Tawny Owl.

On 16th May we saw no ring ousels but did have a "spot". As we parked at say noon folk were walking down with what looked like filming equipment. On the walk up we met Vic Reeves aka Jim Moir coming down. Said "owdo" and passed on. I understand he's become a big birder and painter thereof and is doing something for TV so guess was there for the ousels. In the words of Bette Midler "From a distance" one hopes.

Thanks Graeme. If either a Kestrel or Tawny Owl I think will likely be OK up above the crag - Tawnies will be well on the way to fledging by now and Kestrels, once they've started incubating, seem very tolerant of people from my experience on other crags.

Ah, yes, the Peak Park did get in touch and say they wanted to film someone painting ouzels - though they didn't say who!

Two more pairs have failed at Stanage. At Apparent North the nest was predated (possibly by a stoat or weasel I would guess given the nest location). More unfortunate - the second attempt nest at Popular End has been abandoned before the eggs were due to hatch. I've not seen the adults, so it's possible the female has been predated, though no evidence of this at the nest. This is the same location they succeeded in last year, and I actually widened the restriction this time, but following a busy, sunny weekend suggests again that people numbers may have been too much. Hopefully they will pick somewhere quieter for attempt 3.

Balanced slightly by a couple of new nests today - one of which is at Bamford and has a restriction on Wrinkled Wall - from Wrinkled Wall (VS 4c) to Sinuous Crack (VD).

Three further existing restrictions remain in place:

Stanage North/Broken Buttress - Wall and Slab (VS 5a) to Jenny Wren (VD)

Stanage Plantation - Flight of Ideas (E6 7a) to Foetus on the Eiger (E1 6a) (this covers a couple of popular routes - Tower Face and Nuke the Midges).

Burbage North - Problems on The Terrace (f7C) block.

Just the one restriction left in place for this weekend - at Bamford:

Wrinkled Wall - from Wrinkled Wall (VS 4c) to Sinuous Crack (VD).

The pairs at Burbage North/The Terrace and Tower Face both fledged successfully - so thanks on behalf of them.

Broken Buttress failed unfortunately - looks like the chicks were predated when they were a few days old.

Sadly it's been a poor year for ouzels on Stanage so far, with only 2 nests from 7 pairs successfully fledging young. They're is still time for further attempts/broods but the edge seems very quiet now. Any sightings of birds welcome - post here or email peakouzels@yahoo.com. 

On a happier note it was good to see three of the Tower Face fledglings being fed in the Wall End Slab area yesterday - though not being very survival conscious, merrily chirping away out in the open, they are at least flying reasonably well now!