Watchpoint 16-10-2005

Members only watchpoint 16-10-2005
Sunday 16th October 2005
0710 - 0930hr (DCB, HC, JS)
Weather and Sky:
A poor and deteriorating morning, with low, shallow cloud deepening and wet fog setting in. Wind: SE F3, becoming E F3 rising F4. Temp: 12 throughout between 0530 and 0930hr. Visibility: 1000m initially at 0725hr, soon deteriorating but very variable down to 100m min. Cloud: stratus / fog stratus 8ok, best 7ok, in first 90 mins frequent vertical vis to open sky above through shallow stratus above but after 0840hr becoming deep and obscuring, leading to very dark light. Pressure: falling very gradually overnight and through morning with 1025hpa at 0630hr.

Initial promise soon changing to despair with deepening fogs and drenching drizzle. Howard first at the watchpoint this morning had the best birds, in the best of the weather, a small group of Lapland Buntings, thought to be four, straight on through just as it was getting light. By 0725hr it was very clear that even bigger numbers of Redwing were continuing on the move again this morning. Some birds were seen moving below the fog base but most were either above the shallow fog or later within it. Shrill contacts from birds overhead were at times almost constant as the groups passed by, with all three of us shouting and pointing towards different unseen groups going over. The direction of seen Redwing movement today was to the east and south. A single species group of all Fieldfare went east at 0815hr. Again, an early finish well and truly fogged off.

Woodpigeon 36 > S
Meadow Pipit 4 (2 > N and 2 > S)
alba Wagtail 4 > SE
Fieldfare 19 > E
Redwing 273 > E (most) and some S
Jackdaw 40 > SW
Starling 130 > W and N
Chaffinch 2 > W
Lapland Bunting 4 > SE

Total: 512 individuals, 9 species, 2:20 hours, three observers.

Dave