Cleeve Hill

Saturday 7th April 2007

I bumped into Jake King and Andy Lodge on top of Cleeve Hill this morning so we teamed up to look for Ring Ouzels, after I had found no sign near the masts. We tried the wash pool and it was near there Jake noticed a deer behind some bushes. We all stood still as it emerged. It was a male Muntjac and as we stayed rooted to the spot it continued on the path below us before climbing up the hill opposite. It eventually spotted us and turned tail. Later Andy and I saw a Willow Warbler singing nearby after Jake had gone in a different direction. Andy then got a call from Jake to say he had found the Ouzels. We eventually caught up with him to see seven Ring Ouzels skulking somewhat amongst the gorse-scrub. They soon flew off in the direction of the wash-pool, and I could only get a fairly distant shot - at least you can tell what it is! Later Jake saw a group of five, so there may have been 12 in total. (photos of Ring Ouzel above and Muntjac below: Paul Masters).


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