Other regular stop-off points include Netherfield Lagoons and Annesley Pit Top (Newstead) and Annesley Bentinck Pit Top, but probably any less developed pit top would produce near annual records during both migration periods.

The key factor in most of Nottinghamshire's Ring Ouzel records, is the fact that they are mostly from well watched sites. King's Mill Reservoir produced several records when covered on an almost daily basis during the mid-late 1990's.

The following are accounts of all the area's Ring Ouzel records to date, including the latest 2012 birds.

The next hour was actually spent searching for invertebrates on Poplars just outside Kneesall and talking to one of the Gamekeepers from the local estate. Walking back to the car, which was parked in a nearby gateway, two 1st Winter female Ring Ouzels flew out of a Mountain Ash, with a single Blackbird following, as I approached. I had no binoculars on me, but the calls of both birds provided as distinctive an ID as one could wish for. Both birds flew into dense cover across the road and although I waited for a further hour, there was no further sign.

It was however, present again the following morning and into the afternoon, still in company with 12 Fieldfare and a Redwing. Like several other Spring Ring Ouzels, it was favouring the Ivy covered trees in the area, feeding on Ivy berries. It only showed distantly in the rain when the group descended to feed in nearby fields.

This bird occurred when good numbers of Ring Ouzels were at many sites across the Midlands. On April 20th, there were at least six Ring Ouzel at four sites in Nottinghamshire, presumably held up by the bad weather at the time.

The arrival of this bird was a surprise considering the small number of passerines moving through on the morning and it may have been present for a day or two before. It was again seen on September 21st, 22nd and 23rd, still favouring the same hedgerow, but became considerably more flighty and occasionally flew across the field to Eakring Flash. This was a welcome record and the first Ring Ouzel for three years.

Adverse weather conditions have not influenced previous records here, with all other birds being found on sunny and relatively windless mornings. It was however the first to show well enough to allow photographs to be taken and indeed, spend any length of time out in the open. Despite a flock of 120 Fieldfare in the general area (at times in the same field) this male showed no association with them, but as most of that flock had also departed next morning, it is possible that the Ring Ouzel could have gone at the same time.

It is clear that April is the best month for Ring Ouzel's to turn up in Nottinghamshire. A general peak occurs between April 20-29th, a period that usually coincides with peak numbers of Wheatears moving through the area. The two birds at Eakring in 2003, continued a relatively regular series of records here by this uncommon Nottinghamshire migrant.

Since a male was rung at Leyfields by Andy Chick (see photograph) in April 1997, a further six Spring records have occurred - four of which have been males.

There is a tendency for males to arrive slightly earlier than females and this is shown in Fig 2. Most of the county's late March and early April records are of males, and females have generally arrived in conjunction with the peak numbers of Spring records.

Out of all the county's historical Ring Ouzel records, only 94 have had their sex accurately determined and of these some 71% have been males.

Clearly this must be a species which passes unnoticed at many sites, through it's generally shy and extremely wary nature and it would seem that as in the case of Wheatears and other chats, Ring Ouzels can turn up just about anywhere and in a multitude of habitats. Birds have most often been found near Hawthorn (either scrub or hedgerow) and there have been two which showed a preference for Ivy-covered trees.