The Mountain Blackbirds return.
09th April 2026
Spring has finally arrived in the Brecon Beacons after what has been a miserable grey and often wet winter. Migrant birds are arriving now, Sand Martins, Chiffchaffs, Blackcaps, Willow Warblers and the odd Common Redstart. My favourite the enigmatic Ring Ouzel has been reported here and there in the south of the UK, but it takes a little time for them to arrive on their breeding grounds high up in the Brecon Beacons. However, this spell of very nice weather will have encouraged them up onto higher elevations. With this in mind I checked out a rocky environment which is very remote, quite inhospitable and little known to most people. Ring Ouzels like the above terrain, quiet, awkward to get to and not visited by the hordes of walkers that swarm all over other parts of the area.
It was a struggle to walk to this site carrying my Canon 600mm prime lens, heavy tripod and gimble head, but Ouzels are nervous birds and you need all the focal length you have at your disposal to avoid disturbing them. When I finally got to the site, after an hours walk, I set up using some large rocks as cover, whilst sitting on a smaller flat rock on a kneeling pad I had brought with me. Sitting on hard rocks is Ok at first but it soon becomes uncomfortable. I had brought a small flask of coffee and biscuits because a bit of comfort from food and drink makes a potentially long wait more bearable.
After about ten minutes I could hear that tell-tale ‘Peep Peep Peep’ call of a Ring Ouzel, it’s usually delivered in ‘Threes’. It’s one thing though to hear that lonely call, but another to see them and quite a different proposition altogether to get them in front of your lens. Patience, keeping very quiet and remaining still and as unobtrusive as possible is fundamental.
Sometime later a bird perched on an elevated rock and started to call out across the valley, this is typical behaviour for Ouzels – so there was hope. I took some shots which I knew would have to be cropped in later, but never mind I had something.
A second bird flew overhead and landed a little nearer to me, I didn’t rush things, I waited. Sometimes this is very difficult but years of experience have taught me to be patient.
There was a small depression in the ground within which rain water had accumulated and the second bird started feeding around it’s muddy margins.
Before then hopping onto a small stone in the middle of this water. This was my cue and I shot it while it perched there for a few seconds – a nice pose.
These two birds started to grow in confidence and began perching on different rocks and coming ever closer to me.
Even displaying at one point.
This confidence was I’m sure, because of my behaviour described above. It’s not complicated, but some people just can’t adhere to these criteria and that’s where their problems occur, if you want success, you must be disciplined!
Both birds showed reasonably well for about an hour perching on various rocks obviously very tolerant of me being there.
One bird now unbelievably flew over towards me and began feeding in the grass literally thirty feet away from where I was sat.
I have never experienced a Ring Ouzel being that confiding before. In all my years of watching Ring Ouzels it was unique behaviour, and one which I’m sure very few people are privileged to experience.
I was enthralled by these shy, usually very unapproachable, enigmatic but beautiful, birds, all this set in panoramic mountain scenery with glorious weather on a beautiful spring morning - it doesn’t get much better!
It was a struggle to walk to this site carrying my Canon 600mm prime lens, heavy tripod and gimble head, but Ouzels are nervous birds and you need all the focal length you have at your disposal to avoid disturbing them. When I finally got to the site, after an hours walk, I set up using some large rocks as cover, whilst sitting on a smaller flat rock on a kneeling pad I had brought with me. Sitting on hard rocks is Ok at first but it soon becomes uncomfortable. I had brought a small flask of coffee and biscuits because a bit of comfort from food and drink makes a potentially long wait more bearable.
After about ten minutes I could hear that tell-tale ‘Peep Peep Peep’ call of a Ring Ouzel, it’s usually delivered in ‘Threes’. It’s one thing though to hear that lonely call, but another to see them and quite a different proposition altogether to get them in front of your lens. Patience, keeping very quiet and remaining still and as unobtrusive as possible is fundamental.
Sometime later a bird perched on an elevated rock and started to call out across the valley, this is typical behaviour for Ouzels – so there was hope. I took some shots which I knew would have to be cropped in later, but never mind I had something.
A second bird flew overhead and landed a little nearer to me, I didn’t rush things, I waited. Sometimes this is very difficult but years of experience have taught me to be patient.
There was a small depression in the ground within which rain water had accumulated and the second bird started feeding around it’s muddy margins.
Before then hopping onto a small stone in the middle of this water. This was my cue and I shot it while it perched there for a few seconds – a nice pose.
These two birds started to grow in confidence and began perching on different rocks and coming ever closer to me.
Even displaying at one point.
This confidence was I’m sure, because of my behaviour described above. It’s not complicated, but some people just can’t adhere to these criteria and that’s where their problems occur, if you want success, you must be disciplined!
Both birds showed reasonably well for about an hour perching on various rocks obviously very tolerant of me being there.
One bird now unbelievably flew over towards me and began feeding in the grass literally thirty feet away from where I was sat.
I have never experienced a Ring Ouzel being that confiding before. In all my years of watching Ring Ouzels it was unique behaviour, and one which I’m sure very few people are privileged to experience.
I was enthralled by these shy, usually very unapproachable, enigmatic but beautiful, birds, all this set in panoramic mountain scenery with glorious weather on a beautiful spring morning - it doesn’t get much better!