Ring Ouzel - 1994

Passage migrant, has bred. Not recorded in December

Mathew (1894) frequently encountered Ring Ouzels on the Preseli Mountains and judged from their behaviour that they bred there, noting that eggs were taken in 1867. Lockley et al. (1949) added the record of a pair breeding in a Preseli Mountain quarry in 1948, where Fursdon (1950) also found them nesting the following year, with three young fledged. A pair was present in another nearby locality in 1969 and bred in 1971. There are no subsequent breeding records, though a female was seen in the Preseli Mountains in July 1983.

The Ring Ouzel is a regular spring and autumn passage migrant, with up to four occurring in coastal areas, principally at Skokholm, Skomer and the Preseli Mountains, from 5 March to 26 May and from 27 August to 22 November. One seen at Skomer on 29 February 1984 was probably an early migrant, but another seen in a St David's garden on 6 January 1985 seems more likely to refer to an overwintering bird.

Donovan J.W. & Rees G.H (1994), Birds of Pembrokeshire