Watchpoint 02-07-2005

Members only watchpoint 02-07-2005
Saturday 2nd July 2005
1425 – 1650hr
Weather and Sky:
A deteriorating afternoon after a bright and warm improving late morning. Rapidly increasing cloud and closing skies. Wind: initially SSW F3, becoming WSW F4. Temp: initially 21 dp 15, becoming 20 dp 14. Visibility: max Leck 60km NNW, Drax 64km E. Cloud: initially cumulus mediocris 4ok with cirrostratus spreading rapidly from the SW, becoming stratocumulus 8ok. Cloudbase: reducing from 4200ft initially to 3000ft. Pressure: more or less stable 1014.

All of the activity was with the Swifts. Throughout the afternoon Swifts were moving SW into the wind on a broad front, with numbers seen per scan increasing markedly after c1600hrs. A total of 297 Swifts went SW with only the "charging" birds being counted. Several scope scan counts were in excess of 20, with a peak of 36 noted in one scan at 1620hr. Birds were at all distances and levels with many being high. Definitely a case that more observers would have counted more birds! Otherwise, Goldfinch, Linnet and Greenfinch were in small groups and a few Curlew went west.

Moving birds:
Swift 297 > SW
Curlew 6 > W
Gulls, fewer than expected.
(LBBG, HG, BHG)

Other:
Lapwing 24 pbf
Curlew 26 pbf
Golden Plover 21 pbf
Starling c100
Oystercatcher 2

Dave.