Pennine Skywatch: 27 Sept 2005

Paul Clough breakdown 21-09-2005

Thanks very much for this Shaun a very interesting comparison, Dave.
----- Original Message -----
From: Shaun Radcliffe
To: Daveb
Sent: Tuesday, September 27, 2005 9:47 PM
Subject: vismig breakdown 21-09-2005

Here we are David, as promised:
A breakdown of the vismig on Wednesday 21st September 2005 at Paul Clough.

Started at 6.45.
Redpoll heard in the Clough.
Meadow Pipit 30
Pied Wagtail
Greenfinch 7

7.00
Chaffinch 60
Meadow Pipit 166
Redpoll 9
Greenfinch 3
Grey Wagtail
Bullfinch & Ringed Ouzel heard in Clough.

7.30
Meadow Pipit 258
Chaffinch 22
Goldfinch 12
Pied Wagtail 5
Skylark
Coal Tit heard in Clough.

8.00
Meadow Pipit 80
Greenfinch 19
Snipe
Chaffinch 8
Redpoll 3
Blackcap heard in Clough.

8.30
Meadow Pipit 35
Chaffinch 21
Redpoll 10

Finished at 9.00

David - I hope to go again this Thursday.

Regards
Shaun

A Trektellen database example

A Trektellen database example:
Click the link below:

http://www.trektellen.nl/stat_soort.asp?site=0&taal=2&land=5

or select GRAPH from the main Trektellen page.

Select: Meadow Pipit.
Select: Oxenhope, Bradford (England)
Click: Show Overview

And a bar chart of day by day Meadow Pipit counts will appear.
Try it with different species and different sites and see what you think.

Below is an example of the Meadow Pipit chart. Click it to make it bigger.

Dave.

A Trektellen database example. Meadow Pipit counts.

Databases and Migration Counting

Databases and Migration counting
If you count bird migration with constant effort you should seriously consider adding your data to the following databases, thus making it available to others with similar interest as well as supporting the national cause.

To my knowledge there are two "on line" products available, both different and complementary in what they present and make available.

FIRSTLY:
the BTO BirdTrack, which hopefully everyone counting bird migration in the UK already subscribes to and is familiar with.

See:

http://www.bto.org/birdtrack/

Dawn Balmer
British Trust for Ornithology
The Nunnery
Thetford
Norfolk
IP24 2PU

For information please contact Dawn at the BTO. Or to subscribe follow the route on the BTO website.

SECONDLY:
the new Trektellen.nl "Migration Counts Great Britain"

http://www.trektellen.nl/default.asp?taal=2&land=5

or for the main site (select English), for The Netherlands, Belgium and France:

http://www.trektellen.nl/default.asp?site=0&taal=2&land=1

Personally, I already contribute to BirdTrack and intend to contribute to Trektellen as well, there being just so many ways to interrogate the Trektellen database easily, that together with the BirdTrack weekly animations you can literally see the birds move across the country as they arrive and on a day by day basis (subject to enough data availability like there is in Holland) - just what we need.

The Trektellen database is designed by Jethro Waanders and programmed by Jethro Waanders & Gerard Troost. For information please contact the webmaster Gerard Troost. Or to subscribe to the database please contact Jethro Waanders via the Trektellen.nl website.

If you have not seen, have a look at both, specifically the charting, graphical and mapping representations, see what you think and please do contribute, so your data is available for others with similar interests locally, in other parts of the country, or abroad to compare. The data from our members only watchpoint near Oxenhope is submitted to both organisations to give you the readers or contributers to this weblog, maximum insight as to the status on passage of the birds that we see.

There is also lots and lots of scope for comparison, not just to bird migration in the UK but in The Netherlands, Belgium and France as well!!

I am shortly to add some links to the above websites for you assistance in browsing or adding data to the databases. These will appear down the right hand side top of this page.

Good Migration Counting, and now databasing!

Dave.

Watchpoint 27-09-2005

Members only watchpoint 27-09-2005.
Tuesday 27th September 2005
0750 - 1105hr (DCB, JS)
Weather and sky:
A rapidly improving morning after some early rain, with clearing skies but rising wind. Cloud cover and some further rain by 1105hr. Wind: SW F4 initially @ 0630hr, SW F5 by 0830hr and finally SW F7 gusting F8 by 1100hr. Temp: 11 @ 0630, remaining similar then rising 13 by 1000hr and finally 15 by 1100hr. Cloud: stratus 8ok initially @ 0630hr, moors obscured by stratus with fractus streaming off them until c0815hr, then after 0815hr cloud rapidly clearing and withdrawing into the east with increasing wind. Then a long period of open sky until cumulus / stratocumulus advancing from west by 1030hr giving 6ok cover with some rain by1100hr (See photo looking SE). Pressure: quick fall yesterday until c midnight then gradual rise for the rest of the night with 1006 by 0630 and 1007hpa by 1100hr.

Not conducive to getting out first thing, with strengthening winds and heavy showers of rain but during the first 40 minutes of the watch most of the birds passed through with 270/341 Meadow Pipits, 40/75 Swallows, all of the House Martins and Jays being noted in this period. Whilst no problems in the increasing winds with the mechanics of watching due to shelter provided by the wall the birds were not keen with only the few Swallows and albas being occasionally prominent in the higher skies. All had difficulty in negotiating the wind blast above the wave wall. Pipits were generally after the initial rush all low and later struggling against the side winds. As yesterday the shorescape was bare and there appeared to be very few birds in the general area or in the skies after the first rush had gone through. The Golden Plovers were in a single skein, going high south at the initial cloud /clear interface.

Moving Birds:
Kestrel 1
Swallow 75 > S
Jay 9 (8 > S and 1 > N)
Golden Plover 24 > S
House Martin 29 > S
Lapwing 45 > S / W
Meadow Pipit 341 > S
Black-headed Gull 156
Starling 10 > S
Common Gull 5 > S
Goldfinch 10 > SW
Lesser Black-backed Gull 75 > S
Blackbird 2 > S
Siskin 2 > SW
Sky Lark 1 > W
Mistle Thrush 19 > W
Kestrel 1
Stonechat 1
Wheatear 1
Carrion Crow 10
Jackdaw 3

Total: 819 individuals, 20 species, 3:15 hours

Dave.