Watchpoint 17-09-2005

Members only watchpoint 17-09-2005
Saturday 17th September 2005
0805 – 1050hr (DCB)
Weather and Sky:
A deteriorating morning with early frost and clear skies over drawing, clearing then overdrawing again from west. Wind: W F2 @0630hr, becoming W F1 by 0800hr, then NW F3 by 0930hr. Temp: early hard white ground frost over cars and fields persisting until c0710hr. when t=4degC, then 6 @ 0825hr increasing to 10.5 by 1050hr. Feeling cold throughout. Visibility: >Leck Fells / Humber Bridge. Cloud: initial open sky at 0630hr, soon overdrawing 6ok altocumulus mackerel from north, then becoming open again before advancement of much deeper stratus from west and becoming 8ok by lunchtime. Pressure: gradual rise over night with 1025hpa throughout.

Majority of Meadow Pipit movement during the first hour with many of those being before 0835 when became notably more quiet. Suggest most of move was before I arrived, therefore missed. Two very distinct movements of Meadow Pipits this morning with the higher birds nearly all going south and the lower closer ones nearly all c west. In addition to the identified finch sp listed, several distant high parties were noted going in a variety of southerly directions, from SE, through S to W. With the exception of the Sand Martin, which was a bit earlier, all of the House Martin movement came after 0920hr. Very notable this morning, no Swallows at all here. Also notable the continuing near absence of albas here this autumn – have any other counters noted this?

Moving Birds:
Meadow Pipit 113 > S and W
Linnet 18 > W
Siskin 22 > SW
Goldfinch 39 > SE
Sand Martin 1 > SE
House Martin 42 > S / SE
Swallow (none)
alba 1 off S
Chaffinch 24 > W
Grey Wagtail 1 > W
Finch sp a good few high and distant parties not specific.
Wigeon 1 arrival overnight.

Dave.