Listening Station Captures - A Few Whoopers!

Just a few tests initially, lossy MP3's i'm afraid but hope they will be well webloggable?

Some of our nocturnal Whooper captures over the Airedale (DB) and Whafedale (LW) Listening Stations.

Airedale - Whooper skein in the offing!.....



Airedale - Whooper contact calls!.....



Wharfedale - Whooper Skein overhead!



Now you have hopefully got your ear in? here's some of the more difficult edge of perception stuff.... nevertheless, I think you will agree that, yes, its there at a big multiplication of 5xmag...... all proved inaudible to the naked human ear.... The ambiance apparent in the two following Airedale clips is not Le Mann's but the quiet mid evening country atmosphere on a deeply silent, windless hazy night....

Airedale - a distant skein, taking c 2 mins to traverse.....



Wharfedale - another distant skein at many mags....



Airedale - finally the most difficult skein of the lot, that I could find, anyway....



Just some examples of how continuous audio stream capture run through automated analysis software can bring stuff in!!

Enjoy.....

All soundfiles Copyright, Wharfedale (LW) and Airedale (DB).

Dave and Lester

Listening Stations - End April Update

Early spring passage dieing back, with later stuff still on the horizon. More swamp birds, in fact more than ever hoped for with Moorhens prominent again in the early part of the period. Thrush presence in the dark skies falling back but Golden Plover wailing in harmony and a resurgence of Oystercatcher migratory calls confirming these sp still well on the move. Curlews strong again for a spell up till mid last week with some obviously big flocks at the very edge of perception, no doubt very high in mass migratory call. Single mig calls as well from this species but the massed nocturnal events, at this time of year quite probably en-route to the mainland, quite dramatic and new to me at this location.... as is the magnitude of some of the other stuff detected. No less common late spring wader sp yet, except for Whimbrel tittering through in very marginal conditions. A morning spell of large gulls through in the early hour period of the deeply silent blank white period on the sonograms was interesting and may well resurge as the weather improves. Best period of detection rate for me, just over a week ago, a brief spell sandwiched between the rains, but all in all a disappointing period, spoilt by night after night of badly inclement weather and making the capture files almost impossible to analyse in the time available..... so perhaps more already in the pipeline when manual time available to put in and catch up with the analysis. Still another six weeks of potential spring passage to go tho..... as and before merging transparently in to the moult migs and return wader passage of early autumn, so no rest for the wicked...... Lets hope the conditions improve dramatically after the end of this week as the current forecast runs out......

Dave

afternoon anguish!... 2012-04-14

1300-1645hr DCB, HC, CJK
N, 14kn gusting 24, 30km, 6degC, QNH 1011 rising, overcast

A bitter afternoon but better than this morning with sleet and snow now long gone. Despite the, to us marginal conditions birds were moving with another all day mipit move, a continuous move of both Common and LBB Gulls NW along with a sprinkling of Swallows north. Buzzards were in distant evidence. A couple of very high Rooks travelling fast east were perhaps the best birds of the day.

Meadow Pipit 27 > N
LBB Gull 90 > NW
Common Gull 34 > NW
Lapwing 1 > NW
Swallow 6 > N
Buzzard 2 > O
Rook 2 > E

Dave

Oxnop Ouzel!... 2012-04-14

Out birding this morning with CJK checking out a few staging areas and not without success! Chris first spotted this tremendous but very mobile find in sleet and snow storming down.....

Dave 

Listening Stations - Mid April Update

Again a wet morning and easter as well..... so time to catch up again. Big strides forward in all respects at both the Wharfedale and Airedale stations with monitoring now in full swing during suitable conditions through all hours of darkness.... More skeins of Whoopers captured during the main passage period and over both stations as well.... in fact taking account of current, obviously minimalistic, literature, more that we might ever have hoped for over here on the east flank of the Pennines where they never venture! As expected and mooted in my last report thrushes have started, and are "well" moving now with both Redwing and then Fieldfare captured, Redwings many times, Blackbird, with Fieldfare present up there but infrequent in calling.... although been out checking a couple of local staging areas this morning for Fieldfare and at one of these sites, a massive congregation of several thousand birds was still present... so lots more infrequent FF chances yet I think and Redwings for a little while. Waders up there as well with a few migratory curlew calls still being captured, together with what is possibly now the onset of the later Oystercatcher flush. LRP captured briefly at one site some while ago on one night suggested passage. Golden Plovers in evidence for some while now contacting in the sky on optimum nights, with the fantastic and beautiful both on sonogram and to the ear, rippling song call recorded in absolute clarity directly overhead on one occasion as a flock moved through.... The deeply silent traffic free small hours are best tho and a wonder to delve into on placid, favourable nights, with more next time on this. Other nocturnal passerines captured but some difficulty here yet.... we will get there in the end!! Interesting also that during the now very early dawn chorus performance, obvious vis can be detected in the gaps as it passes overhead...... so daytime stuff not forgotten altogether!!

Dave

Oxenhope.... 2012-03-17

The end of the first week of the season when mips start to become prominent in the hills once again and which usually shows the first sign of summer migrants flooding back into the north, no exception this year.... Report from HC up "on top of the world" at the most elevated of our Oxenhope watchpoints (440m asl)....
WSW F3/4, scattered/broken, visibility clear, some drizzle, 7degC, QNH 1010 steady.
Had a quick hour up at the watchpoint this a.m. (10.30 to 11.30). Got first Wheatear, 3 Skylarks blogging and there was a steady flow of Mipits north, but in low numbers, often singles and best party was five.

Howard

Beware all you early Wheatear hunters.... well known in local folklore is the following!!!...

The wheatear bears a bad reputation in the North of England.... Its presence is considered, in some localities, to foretell the death of the spectator : in others the evil fortune is only considered likely to ensue if the bird be first seen on a stone. Should its appearance be first observed while sitting on turf or gi-ass, good luck may be expected.....

Nocturnal Listening Stations - Update

A wet morning so chance to catch up... Both Wharfedale and Airedale listening stations in full production for some weeks now. Wharfedale during most hours of darkness throughout and Airedale for c four hours on suitable nights. A continued steep but exceptionally exciting learning curve for for us both!.... with the resultant sound files when opened being just like Christmas presents, full (sometimes, but often very sad and empty) of unexpected and even yet unidentified goodies. These roof top devices are with sounds, just like binoculars pointed into the sky with resultant magnifications in level at critical frequency of up to five times..... so no more uncertainty with nocturnal calls at the edge of perception which never come again as to whether your nose is wheezy or ears are playing tricks in the dark as spot on every time and with things you cant even hear unaided, when you play the file back.

Lapwings frequently over in January, early Feburary (Airedale) followed very soon by the shrill 'kubeeks' of Oystercatcher passage (Airedale then Wharfedale)... then by the enigmatic migratory call of frequent Curlews (Wharfedale and Airedale) echoing around through silent skies, Golden Plover (Wharfedale)..... together with a smattering of varied geese and swamp birds. The end of February saw (or heard) the first Ringed Plover (Wharfedale) and Redshank (Airedale) of the season.... Thus the season continues with Friday evening bringing a tremendous skein of Whoopers (Airedale) nearby overhead as almost certainly they tracked fast north. The streaming sonogram which I didn't see live cause I was at the supermarket doing shopping just exploded, lighting up like a Christmas tree before blank white and empty again. Its a good job they wernt right overhead as with the elevated levels necessary, they would just have blown the roof off!! Interestingly, whilst several other passerine contacts, no Redwings yet but hopefully, weather patterns permitting they will be up there soon on their way back home.

Thanks to Lester for prodding me into and reviving the interest I had years ago but now on tap, this nocturnal migratory stream, albeit just like the vis whilst a bit thin / absent at times is most certainly very compulsive.

Whilst I write the rain has turned to exceptionally heavy SNOW so the edge of the inclemency is nigh!... off to hang some washing out soon.....

Dave

Blizzard.... well not quite! 2012-02-04

Last nights snow storm... two images as the wind died down (c) 2012

Dave

Listening Stations.....

Full of Moon.... at Dead of Night! (c) 2012

The Airedale and Wharfedale nocturnal listening stations are now up and running, as and when conditions are suitable.... I hesitate to be specific as to the Oxenhope and Chevin locations, as nocturnal possibilities are such that practicalities will intervene. This together with the location of optimum site position will be the determining factors. Nothing much so far except for a few Lapwings (not unexpected in mid Jan), some good recordings of Tawney Owls, a cat fight, wind, falling rain and lots of police sirens etc.... Beset by difficulties up to press tho, hopefully soon to be overcome with wind buffeted waterlogged mics, ponding reflectors, mains hum, freezing temps and continuous rain all in the equation!.... but.... conditions will soon improve as January slips away and hopefully allowing any audiable migrant activity overhead to be recorded.

Dave and Lester

the big end!.... 2011-12-26

Pendle Hill... the Big End with Lower Black Moss below.... two images (c) 2011

An excursion over the border to one of my old stamping grounds..... on a darkly overcast Boxing Day but exceptionally warm this year at 11degC.

Dave

MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL....

2011 Oxenhope Whoopers, just a few montaged... our best ever autumn vis passage (c) 2011

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all visitors stopping off here.

Dave and the Oxenhope Team.

a nephological KNOCKOUT !!.... 2011-12-22

altocumulus lenticularis... in climatic magnificence!!... (c) 2011

A nephological display of utter grandure this lunchtime over our part of West Yorkshire on this the shortest day of the year.... unavoidably obvious and jaw dropping to those outside and even inside, just like us trapped in Bradford city centre! see image above over the Bradford cityscape.... some even more dramatic snaps from the open outlook at Oxenhope to follow when electronic link to the watchpoint team restored. Lenticularis, a common cloud type over the Pennines to anyone out in the hills but not at all common here in such massive proportion and perfect formation.... The image above shows just a small part of a teriffic lenticularis convoy extending visually north but this was most likely only a small fraction of what was happening in the wider sky.... cars and wagons were pulling up to watch and folks were gawping into the sky, even those that had never given clouds a second look were fixated by this tremendous alien craft. Many thanks to Karen / Diane and their teams for initially drawing it to my attention.

Dave

PS....2011-12-24
following the interest on here, still awaiting HC's Oxenhope snaps delayed by email failure but here following some "googleing" are links to images from taken other parts of W Yorks....

BBC News
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-leeds-16302606

Paul Hudsons Weather and Climate Blog
http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/paulhudson/2011/12/fabulous-display-of-lenticular.shtml

Adam Getliff....(Above Bradford today) these are awesome!
http://homepage.mac.com/adamget/Lenticular%20Clouds/

ENJOY... but following on.....

Here are Howards Oxenhope Shots.... absolutely AWESOME.......

 Whole altocumulus lenticularis in context with landscape.... (c) Howard Creber 2011

 Detail with snaps joined.... double click to get this one full screen!.... (c) Howard Creber 2011

 Detail in distance looking North.... (c) Howard Creber 2011

Final image!..... (c) Howard Creber 2011

and finally Lesters image to add to ours, taken from his kitchen window in Otley in Wharfedale and on his I phone shows an entirely different perspective..... fantastic stuff Lester....

altocumulus lenticularis... overhead.... (c) Lester Ward 2011

Dave

crisp, cold and blue!... 2011-12-18

cold crisp and blue!!... (c) Lester Ward 2011

13.30-14.20hr
0 DegC
Force 2 WNW
0/8

8 Lapwing SE
3 Stock Dove NW

Crisp and snow-capped 3 peaks in distance made for a beautiful panorama, but after 50 mins finger tips were going numb so went home for a cup of tea, just as masses of roost bound gulls started to pass.
Lester Ward

minus three and worse to come!!... 2011-12-10

 Snow before dawn!... heavily montaged!!....as it had almost passed whilst still in the car (c) 2011

 First Light.... on Mountain... with snow moved through (c) 2011

 pre sunrise.... scud (c) 2011

 Mist enveloping the Moor at dawn.... (c) 2011

 Downfall and Scar.... (c) 2011

 Hazy cold col....(c) 2011

 Snow Squall..... one of many!!... pre sun (c) 2011

 instability over Lancs.... rapidly developing cunim (c) 2011

 pre sunrise.... (c) 2011

 cumulus fractus..... (c) 2011

 a wonderful mix!!.... (c) 2011

 snow looms large.... (c) 2011

 evacuate evacuate..... (c) 2011

 snow squall passing through!.... just missing us.... (c) 2011

the 0930hr sky.... evil affect!.... (c) 2011

Oxenhope, Bradford (W Yorks, England)
Saturday 10 December 2011
Counting period: 7:05-9:35
Weather: wind WSW3, cloud-cover 4/8, precipitation snow, visibility 40000m, temperature -3 ℃, 0 increasing 9ok, wind F5 in squalls.
Observers: Dave Barker, Lester Ward

Woodpigeon 5 S + 150 NE
Meadow Pipit 3 -

Totals: 158 individuals, 2 species, 2:30 hours

Comments: A very active snow squall before dawn was almost preventative but none of the other many cunim snow squalls visible really got us. All in all, virtually no birds but the exceptionally dramatic skies were worth every minute of discomfort!! A single big group of pigeons NE with 5 in bits going west. Mips were a single and a 2 going south.

Dave

the contrails come good!!!.... 2011-11-30

 pre sunrise today.... (c) 2011

 the bristleing col at dawn!.... (c) 2011

 Queensbury Skyscape at Dawn.... THE land of masts and pylons... (c) 2011

 Sunrise today.... (c) 2011

 Brilliant blue.... 1ok.... (c) 2011

ANZ.... The Aukland Express!!... (c) 2011

 Ethiad Overhead..... (c) 2011

 Product of War?.... globie going back!.... (c)

Norwegian Air Shuttle out of Oslo.... (c) 2011

Oxenhope, Bradford (W Yorks, England) Wednesday 30 November 2011 Counting period: 7:30-9:30 Weather: wind SSW4, cloud-cover 1/8, visibility 65000m, temperature 3 ℃, SSW F4 becoming F5, 1ok, 3degC, 65km, QNH 1015 rising 1016
Observers: Dave Barker

Woodpigeon - 16
Starling - 2
Fieldfare 2 -

Totals: 20 individuals, 3 species, 2:00 hours

Comments: A morning of brilliant blue skies but with little in them up here. Bitter cold and exceptionally raw before the sun got up. Would have stayed longer but chilled to the bone. Few pigeons NE. Thus with open blue above in long gaps of nothing, the contrails came good!... not all of these Oxenhope snaps were taken today....

Dave

NERF Review 2010... now available

Summary:

The Review opens with reports from Paul Irving, Chair and Ian Court, Secretary. The thought provoking foreword by Richard Saunders, Ornithologist, sets the tone for the Review.

Part 1: summaries the activities undertaken by the Forum during 2010, including geographical and habitat coverage, conservation status of raptors in the NERF region and persecution data recorded by members.

Part 2: the species report, covering all 23 species of raptor, including raven, that occur in or transit through, the NERF region. Each species report includes a historical overview, population and conservation status together with threat assessments. Monitoring and productivity data from each NERF Group is presented in a tabular format followed by individual group reports.

Part 3: the following articles are presented in this section

• A Review of the RSPB Birdcrime Report 2010: Guy Shorrock, Senior Investigations Officer, RSPB

• Monitoring Raptor Demography on a National Scale: Dr Dave Leech, Senior Research Ornithologist, BTO

• Predatory Bird Monitoring Scheme: Lee Walker, PBMS, Centre for Ecology & Hydrology

• A Tale of two Ospreys, a report from Cumbria detailing the different stories of 2 chicks as they migrated from the UK to Western Africa: Phil Cheesley & Pete Davis Lake District Osprey Project

• Monitoring Nests with Cameras: Nigel Butcher, Technical Development Officer, RSPB

• National Merlin Survey 2008: Steve Ewing and Mark Eaton, RSPB

• Conservation Project for Lesser Kestrels in the Alta Murgia National Park, Italy: Pino Giglio & Marco Gustin, [translated by Gabriele Zambelli]

The Review is printed on high quality paper, in A4 format, perfect bound; c72,000 words across 112 pages, full colour throughout, including 46 photographs.

Copies can be purchased from Steve Downing for £12, including p&p.
Email throstlebower@hotmail.com

A small number of copies of the 2009 Annual Review are still available at the reduced rate of £5 per copy. £17.50 including p&p for both Reviews.

the blue land of the pinks!!... 2011-11-20

 first sun today... complete with spots!!... (c) 2011

 open skies above the clagg!!.... (c) 2011

still invisible Soil beneath a snowfield of fog!!.... (c) 2011

shiftiing alpine peaks in the pennines!!.... (c) 2011

 paul..... (c) 2011

 bradford clagg!!!.... (c) 2011

 the blue land of the pinks!!.... (c) 2011

 pinks above the fogs.... (c) 2011

pink profusion!! (c) 2011

Oxenhope, Bradford (W Yorks, England)
Sunday 20 November 2011
Counting period: 7:05-13:05
Weather: CALM, E F1, SE, SW F3, S F1, CALM, E F1, 9 but always with vv becoming 1ok, 6deg C becoming "hot" in sun, 100m becoming 30km, fogs soon clearing up her to give good visibility out over a blanket of deep fog in the vallies below, QNH 1018 ridging1019-1017
Observers: Dave Barker, Lester Ward

Pink-footed Goose - 260
Meadow Pipit 2 -
Greenfinch 3 -
Golden Plover 4 -
alba wagtail sp. 2 -
Goldfinch 4 -
Grey Plover - 1
Fieldfare 143 -
Reed Bunting 1 -
Lapwing 2 -
Redwing 68 -
Red Admiral 1 -
Stock Dove 13 -
Starling 13 -
Woodpigeon 35 -
Chaffinch 13 -

Totals: 565 individuals, 16 species, 6:00 hours

Present: Wren 1

Comments: Another teriffic almost calm morning up here looking out in brilliant sunshine over a sea of fog clogging all of the land and vallies below. Not a continuation of yesterday but nevertheless and most interestingly a couple of pure Redwing flocks were very different. Pigeons today hardly any and certainly no high ones that we could see with just very small numbers south. After yesterday, Starlings virtually absent but late morning trans Pennine pinks still going for it with all traveling above the fogs NW today. A Grey Plover heard calling could not be located as it went N. Again a Red Admiral going south in the HOT pre mid day sunshine! A Wren was at the watchpoint throughout. At midday the air shifted back into the east bringing the dark fogs and stench of the city up onto the moor... only briefly tho as the air shifted back south and all was clear again! Gulls not counted but again very many going south above the fogs throughout.

Dave

the big (pig) secret?.... 2011-11-19

 post sunrise today.... (c) 2011

 the Airedale fogs at dawn!....

 more fogs at dawn!!!... (c) 2011

 pigs in the blue!!.... (c) 2011

 lenticularis prevails!... (c) 2011

 mid morning vista!.... (c) 2011

 low ball south... taken a few weeks ago... with Man Stone backdrop... (c) 2011

 lowish ball north..... (c) 2011

 mega high ball north.... (c) 2011

 mega high ball north (c) 2011

 high ball north.... (c) 2011

 high ball north.... (c) 2011

 White Crag, twix Aire and Wharfe both fog clagged, with Simon Seat beyond.... (c) 2011

the second White House through the fog banks.... (c) 2011

more high balls north.... (c) 2011

Oxenhope, Bradford (W Yorks, England)
Saturday 19 November 2011
Counting period: 7:15-13:30
Weather: S F1 becoming SSE F3, 2ok reducing, inversion with 2/3degC below fogs but 6/7 degC up at watchpoint, 50km reducing, fog in vallies but watchpoint clear, QNH 1015 ridging 1016 then 1015
Observers: Dave Barker, Lester Ward

Pink-footed Goose - 436
alba wagtail sp. 2 -
buzzard sp. 2 -
Starling - 867
Golden Plover 236 -
Chaffinch 2 -
Woodpigeon - 2028
Greenfinch 3 -
Skylark 1 -
Red Admiral 6 -

Totals: 3583 individuals, 10 species, 6:15 hours

Comments: In all respects, a brilliant day for the time of year.....Report to follow! Gulls not counted but tremendous move south throughout the morning at all ranges.

Dave