Dotterel and Ring Ouzels at Pendle Hill, Lancashire.

The thought of flocks of Ring Ouzels and a couple of Dotterels was just too much, so Angie and I headed for Pendle Hill this morning. On arrival we scanned the slopes and soon found our first 3 Ring Ouzels. These are one of my favourite British birds and I get a real thrill out of seeing these (almost as much as Med' Gulls and my all-time number one: Hawfinch). Anyway, in the top pic you can just make out 4 Ring Ouzels (3 in the tree and one on the wall - careful of that swine Blackbird), as well as a male Wheatear at bottom left.

Every now and then they would feed in the open but always at a fair distance from the path. We only ever saw six at one time, although we suspected more were present and up to 19 were seen earlier this morning.

Dotterel is of course "the" Pendle bird. The female pictured above was accompanied by a very drab male and as usual they were quite approachable.

A brief evening visit to Brockholes Quarry today produced nothing of note. But you just have to check, don't you?