Watchpoint 01-04-2005

Members only watchpoint 01-04-2005
Friday 1st April 2005xx
0945 - 1150hr (dense fog in process of clearing @ 0945hr)
Weather and Sky:
An improving morning with dense fog starting to clear at 0930hr, then cloudbase lifting and sky (o/cast) becoming brighter. Wind: S F2 initially, becoming S F3. Temp: 8 dp 8 @ 0830hr, becoming 10 dp 8 by 1000hr and remaining similar. Visibility: initially 1800m @ 0830, becoming 4000m max W (Cock Hill), 5500m max E (Wilsden) by 1000hr and improving 10km max NW (Jacksons Ridge), 19km max E(Pudsey) by 1145hr. Cloud: low stratus and fog initially, improving to gappy stratocumulus / altostratus 9ok by 1030hr. Pressure: static 1023.

Fog and low cloud clearing only slowly and from the west lead to a late start today. With improving visibility later on and hopefully on the back edge of these terrible light easterlies, as expected an increase in the vis albeit only slight. Just a few Meadow Pipits moving today and spread throughout the morning – nearly all were going N or NW. Sky Larks however all came after 1100hr and all were going west. A single broad wave of Starlings came high over the ridge from the west and continued away, still high east, as did a considerable group of Fieldfare and away NE. Still a few Lapwings, all high and going between W and NW in singles and two’s. Also still reasonable numbers of Golden Plovers in the area with a large group of about 230 in and over the in-bye, together with several smaller groups nearby. The only Golden Plover movement noted was a small skein of 12 going high north, out over the valley to the west. A large (for here) congregation of 10 Redshank, suggested influx.

Moving Birds:
Meadow Pipit 21 > NW – N
Lapwing 26 > W – NW
Heron 3 > various (assumed frogging)
Stock Dove 2 > S
Pied Wagtail 2 > N
Carrion Crow 14 > N - NW
Golden Plover 12 > N
Linnet 3 > W
Sky Lark 8 > W
Starling 360 > E
Fieldfare 210 > NE
Snipe 2 > NW

Other congregations:
Golden Plover 231
Lapwing 12
Redshank 10 in one party – influx.
Dave.