Mipits-April Wave?
Mipits-April Wave?
Last year (2004) in April between the 8th and the 18th at the watchpoint we had a considerable number of mipits through, mostly going north on the days that were counted. For information here are the counts:
8th April – 95
9th April – 680
10th April – 204
11th April – 1176
12th April – 950
17th April – 101
18th April – 88
Today, up here, we had flies, lots of them, ears, eyes and coffee cups full of em, (so plenty of food) but hardly any birds at all!! On the west coast however today I am told there have been passerines in abundance as well as the flies! I hope its our day tomorrow! This has happened before when the wave seems to streamline round the Pennines (up the coasts) first, with us catching up a bit later (just a guess I think but that’s how it seems to me). Up to 1100hr this morning we had hardly anything over here at all but this afternoon here has been very warm and sunny and tomorrow looks clearish (this fog and bad visibility permitting) at the moment with some cloud and rain later coming up from the south by tea time? Also Portland have been getting the better nos of mips for a few days now so we must be in with a chance. All this weeK there have been good numbers of territorial mipits on the moors and in the in-bye here, all up and down in the sky. So unless these mipits currently going north are just filling the gaps they must be going a good bit further north. I wonder if it’s the equivalent of last years bulge coming a bit early?
One thing I have noticed during my last week off by doing the early morning weather checks every day is that the west side of the country has had persistently clearer morning conditions that the east. I just wonder if that is one of the reasons why the birds seem to be coming up the west side first? If in fact that’s what they are doing? Anyone know? Just a thought anyway.
Would appreciate if anyone interested in when we begin to get this inevitable pipit wave, could if at all possible get out in the field and see, as next week I am unable to watch.
Dave.
Last year (2004) in April between the 8th and the 18th at the watchpoint we had a considerable number of mipits through, mostly going north on the days that were counted. For information here are the counts:
8th April – 95
9th April – 680
10th April – 204
11th April – 1176
12th April – 950
17th April – 101
18th April – 88
Today, up here, we had flies, lots of them, ears, eyes and coffee cups full of em, (so plenty of food) but hardly any birds at all!! On the west coast however today I am told there have been passerines in abundance as well as the flies! I hope its our day tomorrow! This has happened before when the wave seems to streamline round the Pennines (up the coasts) first, with us catching up a bit later (just a guess I think but that’s how it seems to me). Up to 1100hr this morning we had hardly anything over here at all but this afternoon here has been very warm and sunny and tomorrow looks clearish (this fog and bad visibility permitting) at the moment with some cloud and rain later coming up from the south by tea time? Also Portland have been getting the better nos of mips for a few days now so we must be in with a chance. All this weeK there have been good numbers of territorial mipits on the moors and in the in-bye here, all up and down in the sky. So unless these mipits currently going north are just filling the gaps they must be going a good bit further north. I wonder if it’s the equivalent of last years bulge coming a bit early?
One thing I have noticed during my last week off by doing the early morning weather checks every day is that the west side of the country has had persistently clearer morning conditions that the east. I just wonder if that is one of the reasons why the birds seem to be coming up the west side first? If in fact that’s what they are doing? Anyone know? Just a thought anyway.
Would appreciate if anyone interested in when we begin to get this inevitable pipit wave, could if at all possible get out in the field and see, as next week I am unable to watch.
Dave.
posted by Dave Barker at
4/02/2005 06:42:00 pm
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