Sunday, April 03, 2005

Watchpoint 03-04-2005

Members only watchpoint 03-04-2005
Sunday 3nd April 2005
0725 - 1100hr
Weather and Sky:
A deteriorating morning, following open skies and hard frost at dawn together with almost calm conditions. Very hazy throughout. Wind: calm @ 0600hr, increasing E F1 by 0700, swinging S F1 by 0745. Then calm to S F3 (variable speed) throughout the rest of the morning. Temp: initially 3 dp 1 with widespread local frost here @ 0600, then 3 dp 2 with frost just thawed by 0730 @ watchpoint, then quickly increasing to 8 (14.5degC much warmer at watchpoint on moor) dp 3 by 1045hr. Specifically noted that temperatures up her on the moor were very unusually for this time of year several degrees warmer than further east and down in the valley adjacent. Also a feeling of humidity. Visibility: initially 10000m NW and 5500m E from watchpoint but mist soon forming / rising from valleys to become poor / variable for the rest of the morning. Cloud: initially open sky and remaining similar until 0810 with lots of contrailing (must still be pretty cold up there!). Then a combination of cirrocumulus mackerel noted spreading from the SW and stratocumulus at c 5500ft advancing from the south soon closed the sky 7ok. However this was variable during the morning with some good sunny periods. Pressure: falling overnight with 1015 throughout at the watchpoint.


Another good morning to be out but with very very little visible migration and most certainly without any influx of Meadow Pipits today Most notably gulls had started moving again with a total of 46 Lesser bbg’s and one first year Common Gull in various northerly directions. Also a total of six Sand Martin were noted at various times to be hawking the surface. The bird of the day was a single Green Sandpiper, flushed when I was on my way out at 1100hr, this towered high, calling and went off still high on its way NW.

Moving birds:
Meadow Pipit 10 > N – NW
Woodpigeon 3 > E
Greenfinch 3 > NW
Golden Plover 12 > NW
Greylag 1 > SE
Fieldfare 10 > SE
Lapwing 12 > SW
Sand Martin 6
Lesser bb gull 46 > N – NW
Common Gull 1 > NW
alba 2 > N


Some other:
Green Sandpiper 1 > NW
Wheatear 1 creeping through
Twite 2
Stonechat 2


Dave.
Ref a1

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