Members only watchpoint 20-09-2005.
Tuesday 20th September 2005
0755 - 1015hr (DCB)
Weather and Sky:
An improving morning with breaking cloud and increasing visibility. Always more cloud to the west. Wind: Initially WSW F2 @ 0630, then WSW F3 by 0800hr, becoming W F3 and rising by 1015hr. Temp: initially 13 @ 0630, and finally 14 by 1015hr air always feeling damp. Visibility: Flasby Fells (NNW) and Ferrybridge (E), improving slightly later on. Cloud: initially low stratus 8ok at 0630, soon breaking to become deep and low stratocumulus. Cloudblock and variable fractus streaming off the moors. Initially from the watchpoint it could be seen that to the east, skies were open except for cirrostratus 8ok with only a small amount of cu humilis, whilst to the west deep cumulus up to congestus was always variably present and gradually spreading northward and westwards. Pressure: static overnight but rising slightly during the morning. 1021 @ 0630, 1023hpa by 1015hr.
First impression when arriving at the locked gates was that there were a lot a Blackbirds about, in the low vegetation and the wood generally Goldcrests were calling and Coal Tits still about were in evidence. At the other end of the wood at the third gate – exactly the same, nothing counted but that must mean something! At the watchpoint Meadow Pipits were immediately both heard and seen going overhead, even before getting out of the car, so the count today will be very incomplete, must get up sooner!! Nearly all were going west and when the nearer ones started to get a bit thin by 0900hr, scoping out over the cols and lower ground soon got the numbers back up again, so again, its only as much as one pair of eyes could see!! Chaffinch were very prominent, a total of 105, mainly from 0900hr onwards and all except a few were going west. The first Swallows were noted at 0840hr, the forerunners of a big wave of nearly 200 birds all high and going south-east direct, with absoluetely no messing about this morning! The first House Martins were not noted until a few were scoped, exceptionally high and again all going south-east and direct. Continuing Snipe movement was all west with a total of 13 noted in three groups. Last but not least almost as leaving were a group of distant grey geese, assumed to be Pink-feet, far out to the north-west, also high and going straight SSE. There may well have been more distant geese this morning, but owing to pressure of other birds, the goose tracks were hardly watched. Interesting were a total of six Magpies in bits all going north-west.
Moving Birds:
Meadow Pipit 327 > W and SW
Goldfinch 31 > S and W
Grey Wagtail 2 > W
Siskin 21 > SW
Linnet 14 > W
Greenfinch 5 > W
Mistle Thrush 6 > W
Reed Bunting 1 > W
Swallow 238 > SE
House Martin 37 > SE
Starling 7 > W
Pipit sp 1 > WNW
Snipe 13 > W
Magpie 6 > NW
Pink-footed Goose 17 > SSE
Other:
Lapwing 16
Lesser Black-backed Gull 30
Common Gull 3
Carrion crow 55
Jackdaw 30
Dave.
