Other regular stop-off points include Netherfield Ash Lagoons and Annesley Pit Top, but probably any of Nottinghamshire's undeveloped pit tops would produce near annual records. Well watched sites such as King's Mill Reservoir has also produced several records. King's Mill Reservoir is a well known visible migration watch point site, at which Paul Naylor and myself spent many hours counting migrants between 1994 and 1997 and the intense coverage it received produced Ring Ouzel records during both migration periods during that time.

The table shown above depicts all Nottinghamshire Ring Ouzel records dating to Spring 2003. With the Eakring records occuring within that time shown in blue, 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 in April 1997, a further six Spring records have occurred - four of which were males.

Photograph courtesy of Andrew Chick

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. Up until 2003, Ring Ouzel occurrences at Eakring were restricted to a 13 day period from the middle of April onwards, a general trend which fits in well with that of Wheatear arrivals - another early arriving migrant. Although Ring Ouzels do turn up across the Midlands in late March, it has yet to do so here, although the date of the Tug Bridge Farm bird (April 1st) virtually falls within the late March limits. Even records from the whole of Nottinghamshire are sparse during March, but they are seen in conjunction with Wheatears in Pennine areas at this time.

Autumn records

Despite much searching each year since 1998, there were no Autumn records from the Eakring and Kersall area until a female was eventually found with a small group of Blackbirds along the old hedge at Eakring Flash on October 17th 2004.

The following are accounts of all the area's Ring Ouzel records to date, including the latest 2008 bird.

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.