Ring Ouzel is a quite descriptive name for this robust
member of the thrush family and can be traced back to at
least 1450. Ouzel is derived from the Old English word 'ósle'
and 'merle' meaning blackbird. The scientific name 'torquatus'
is a direct reference to the white breast crescent. Some
historical names for Ring Ouzel include; Heath Throstle,
Mountain Colley, Ditch Blackie, Flitterjack and Whistler.
There have been around fifty-five Ring Ouzels reported from
S. Gloucestershire in modern times;
2012:(2)
A
male was found in the evening at Oldbury Power Station
near the hedge between Lagoon II and the paddock to the
south on April 14th; A female was found at Aust Warth on
April 15th;
2011: (c.11)
A
male was noted in a garden on Green Lane, Rangeworthy on
February 10th briefly before being flushed by a Blackbird; A
female was watched on 'Hillside' in the Shire Valley at
Marshfield in the morning on April 10th and was seen to
circle several times over Broadmead Brook straying into S.
Glos. This is the first record for the Marshfield patch; On
April 16th up to five potentially on Chipping Sodbury
Common with two males in the morning plus another male, 1st
winter male and female present at 19:50. This is the first
record for the Yate & Chipping Sodbury patch; A female
present on Chipping Sodbury Common and Golf Course from
April 17th - 29th; A male was seen at Severn Beach on April
20th.
Male Ring Ouzel on Chipping Sodbury Common. April 2011.
Darren Pearce.
2010: (c.3)
A
male was seen at Aust STW, Sandy Lane just north of the Old
Severn Crossing on March 18th; One was present in the New
Passage area on October 10th with the same or another 1st
winter at Aust Warth and cliffs on October 11th.
2009: (6)
One was noted in the 'sheep fields' adjacent to Aust Warth
at 18:00 on March 31st; A male was seen in trees on the
south side of Lagoon III at Oldbury Power Station on April
6th; Three were seen briefly on Northwick Warth on September
1st; One was seen in the New Passage/ Northwick Warth area
on October 15th.
2008: (1)
A
male was seen at Severn Beach between the sea wall & railway
on the track in fields c.300 metres south of Riverside Park
at 18:30 on April 18th.
Ring Ouzel at Severn Beach. April 2008. Left & centre Paul
Bowerman, right John Martin.
2007: (9)
A
male was reported in the 'sheep fields' at Aust Warth around
lunchtime on April 11th; A male was seen at New Passage at
07:15 on April 12th, it then flew towards the disused rifle
range at Northwick Warth; On April 13th there were two males
at Aust Warth in 'sheep fields' early morning before flying
north; On April 14th a female was found in 'sheep fields' at
Aust Warth and was still present on April 18th; On April
15th a male was found at Oldbury Power Station between
Lagoons I and II and was present until at least 10:00; On
April 16th a male was seen at Northwick Warth; On April 28th
at 08:30 a male was found at Oldbury Power Station on the
flood bank of Lagoon II by the shore, it flew to the shore
path by Lagoon I and then on towards Shepperdine where it
was relocated in the hedge between Lagoons I & II - at 09:40
another male was flushed from the bank of Lagoon III, it was
relocated on the lawn by the footpath from the entrance to
the shore. A different bird than the one at 08:30 it was
over half a mile away from first and appeared to have a
‘less adult’ plumage; The throat not as white and wings not
as silvery, it was still present at 18:40.
Ring Ouzel at Aust Warth. April 2007. Left and
centre. Paul Bowerman. Right. Gary Thoburn.
Ring Ouzel at Oldbury Power Station. April 2007.
Pete Hazelwood.
2006: (4)
A
male was found at Aust Warth on March 25th in sheep fields
with around ten Fieldfare; A female was noted on the hill
behind Aust Services on the M5 at 13:30 on April 3rd; A
female was seen at Severn Beach at around 12:15 on April
21st; A male was seen at Severn Beach on April 23rd.
Ring Ouzel at Aust Warth. March 2006. Paul Bowerman.
2005: (1)
A
male was located in gardens at New Passage on April 2nd.
Ring Ouzel at New Passage. April 2005. John Martin.
2003: (1)
A
male was seen at Severn Beach on October 23rd.
2002: (1)
On was reported on April 10th at Oldbury Power Station.
2001: (1)
A
male was seen feeding on Hawthorn berries at Northwick Warth
on September 22nd.
1991: (1)
On was reported on April 24th at Oldbury Power Station.
1981: (2)
Two individuals were reported from Rockhampton on April 9th.
1973: (3)
One was seen at Stoke Park on April 5th; One was noted at
Filton on April 17th; One was present at Filton on October
23rd.
1970: (1)
A
single bird was reported from Stoke Park on April 2nd.
1967: (1)
One was noted at Filton on passage, no dates are available.
1964: (3)
A
pair were seen on Filton Golf Course on March 25th; One was
noted on Rodway Common, Mangotsfield on March 28th.
1952: (2)
A
male was watched on March 25th at Little Stoke; A male was
seen on April 20th at Little Stoke.
1941: (1)
On May 6th a female was seen in a hedgerow at Little Stoke
Farm near Stoke Gifford.
1937: (1)
An adult male was reported on November 5th near Stoke
Gifford, it was also seen on November 9th and was an
exceptionally late bird. This occurrence constitutes the
first report of this species in S. Gloucestershire.
1899:
A
record from 1899 of a pair nesting at Almondsbury should be
treated as unreliable. (From the notes of H.H. Davis).