UKC

Ring Ouzels are currently nest-building on Stanage.

There are currently two restrictions in place, one to the left (NW) of Flying buttress, and one around Wall End Slab in the Plantation.

As always the signs on site are the most up-to-date and accurate source of information so please follow those. I'll try to keep this thread updated as the season progresses.

Bill, the Stanage warden and Ouzel-monitor-in-chief, is on twitter as @northlees and well worth following for constant weather reports, historical snippets and nature info, including Ouzel restrictions.

The Eastern Moors Partnership (NT & RSPB, Froggatt and Curbar) have also appointed funded a bird surveyor this year (a keen climber as it happens) so nests will also be monitored in Burbage and south along the edges to Baslow. That is unlikely to mean any more restrictions than past years but should mean better data on how they are doing.

In reply to Adam Long:

Many thanks for the annual update Adam.

In reply to Adam Long:

Great stuff, thanks.
Good work on the pole, btw.

In reply to Adam Long:

There were a lot of folks in the Burbage valley on Wednesday carrying binoculars, appeared to be searching for something specific, the Ring Ouzel maybe ?

In reply to Adam Long:

Was at SP yesterday and was apperciating what I think was the call of the ring ouzel around Flying Buttress area!

In reply to Jack Whiteley:

If you climb at Stanage on a sunny summer morning after dawn the Ring Ouzels are very obvious the masses are absent you can park and the rocks are nice and cool.

In reply to Adam Long:

Update:

There is one restriction at Stanage, in the Twin chimneys area between Mississippi and Wuthering areas. The earlier restriction near flying buttress has been lifted as the nest appears to have been abandoned.

There are also single restrictions on each of Burbage North, Burbage South and Millstone. They don't really affect any routes anyone is likely to make a special trip for, so rather than publicise the locations I'd suggest keeping an eye out for signs.

The signs are always the most up-to-date source of info, they go up or down as soon as we've checked the nest.

In reply to Adam Long: There's a restriction on the Stanage far right area as well (near to grand theft auto/flat wall traverse). Sorry if I'm butting in.

In reply to kedvenc72:

Thanks, you're quite right I'd forgotten that one.

In reply to Adam Long:

Any change to the restrictions? Specifically in the Twin Chimneys area?

Many thanks.

In reply to LionSJH:

There is currently a restriction between Argus (E1 5b) and Pure, White and Deadly (E2 5c) in the Wall End Slab area.

In reply to Adam Long:

Hi folks. Any chance of an update to the current status or details on how to find out please.
I'm thinking of the VS challenge and it's a shame to disturb the chicks just to get it done!

In reply to khalidq:


I really hope that's a joke, but just in case... If there's a bird ban in place you can't climb there. It's not just about the birds (although that would be enough), it's also about not being a dick so that access continues to be granted for all climbers.

In reply to Phil Anderson:

You realise not the whole crag is banned? Indeed it is rather limited. I guess Khalid wants to know if any of the 36 routes in the challenge are currently banned.

In reply to TobyA:


Sure, but he did say "it's a shame to disturb the chicks just to get it done!" which implied to me that he'd consider doing it anyway. Re-reading it though, maybe I took it the wrong way.

In reply to khalidq:

The restriction around Twin Chimney's area had been lifted on Sunday but the one between Garden Wall and Right Hand Trinity is still in force so you won't be able to do Via Media.

In reply to Phil Anderson:


Yes, maybe not the best phrasing, but I sort of saw it the other way, that he was thinking of postponing the attempt due to the restrictions.

Oddly I was talking about the VS challenge last weekend with a friend. We did 24 of 36 routes last August before it poured down, but at the rate we were going it was going to be dark by the time we finished had it not rained. So doing it in mid-June seemed a good idea, but we hadn't thought about the Ouzels, even though I have the BMC Ringed Ouzels on tour t-shirt with half the relevant buttresses mentioned!

In reply to khalidq:

We're currently in between first and second broods, so there aren't many restrictions at present. More will likely go on in the next weeks; they can change daily as chicks fledge and parents start nest building.

As Hat Dude says, there's one in the Green Crack area that would affect your plan.

In reply to Phil Anderson:

I took it the same way you did when I first saw it - took me a few seconds to come around to "Nah, *obviously* he doesn't mean it like that!".

Mind you, a nest was abandoned a few weeks ago thanks to the thoughtless actions of someone climbing.
A bit disappointing to say the f*cking least: https://twitter.com/northlees/status/732120173403066368

In reply to deepsoup:

A bit disappointing to say the f*cking least: https://twitter.com/northlees/status/732120173403066368

How utterly depressing!

In reply to Adam Long:

I'd be grateful if somebody could tell me if the restriction around the Rusty Wall area is still in force

In reply to Hat Dude:

Signs still up as of Monday evening and a loud Ring Ouzel bouncing around nearby

In reply to Wood for Trees:

Thank you for the info

Looks like I will have to revise my itinerary for a little project I've got planned next week.