Watchpoint 28-09-2005
Members ony watchpoint 28-09-2005.
Wednesday 28th September 2005
0710 - 1035hr (DCB, JS)
Weather and sky:
An initially improving morning after a squally start but clouding over almost fully before the end of the count. Wind: W F3/4 initially increasing SW F4 and ultimately S F4/5. Temp:initially 7 @ 0610hr becoming 9 by 0915 and 11 by 1030hr. Visibility: 10km initially outside of the squalls, 44km max by 1030hr. Cloud: heavy cumulus / stratocumulus 2ok min, 8ok max. Pressure: rising over night, static during first part of watch with 1015, then falling off very quickly with 1012hpa by lunch time.
A very urgent mass move by the Meadow Pipits during the first part of the morning. A telephone call from John already at the watchpoint just after 0700, urging me to hurry up owing to "lots of mipits going over" followed almost immediately by a text message from Brian Sumner to say mipits flooding over Queensbury set the scene for the watch this morning. At the watchpoint mipits were indeed prominent and flooding through in all directions of vision, fronting south with several hundreds passing during the two fifteen minute periods to either side of 0800hr. Some time was lost due to failed pen and soggy book following one of the squalls at the height of the push but fortunately John had a spare pen in the car, so did manage to catch up in the end, but not before yet more time lost to seeking out a calling Grey Plover, going south and over head initially which was never seen. Other than the mipits, nothing was outstanding with many fewer hirundines, most of which, as usual came later in the watch. Alba wags also fewer than expected and the shorescape was empty. Siskins in relation to my memory of last year have this year been tremendous on vis with at least some seen on almost every watch. A telephone conversation with Bryan during the last part of the watch prompted my attention to this. How are others finding them relativly?
Moving Birds:
Grey Plover 1 > S
Lapwing 12 > S
Black-headed Gull 41 > S
Lesser Black-backed Gull 13 > S
Skylark 13 > W
Swallow 19 > S
House Martin 34 > S
Meadow Pipit 2,026 > S and SE but some also > SW
alba Wagtail 3 > S
Mistle Thrush 2
Jay 2 > S
Jackdaw 48
Carrion Crow 27
Greenfinch 3 > W
Goldfinch 29 > various
Siskin 24 > various
Linnet 14 > SW
Reed Bunting 1 > W
Total: 2312 individuals, 18 species, 3:25 hours
Dave.
Wednesday 28th September 2005
0710 - 1035hr (DCB, JS)
Weather and sky:
An initially improving morning after a squally start but clouding over almost fully before the end of the count. Wind: W F3/4 initially increasing SW F4 and ultimately S F4/5. Temp:initially 7 @ 0610hr becoming 9 by 0915 and 11 by 1030hr. Visibility: 10km initially outside of the squalls, 44km max by 1030hr. Cloud: heavy cumulus / stratocumulus 2ok min, 8ok max. Pressure: rising over night, static during first part of watch with 1015, then falling off very quickly with 1012hpa by lunch time.
A very urgent mass move by the Meadow Pipits during the first part of the morning. A telephone call from John already at the watchpoint just after 0700, urging me to hurry up owing to "lots of mipits going over" followed almost immediately by a text message from Brian Sumner to say mipits flooding over Queensbury set the scene for the watch this morning. At the watchpoint mipits were indeed prominent and flooding through in all directions of vision, fronting south with several hundreds passing during the two fifteen minute periods to either side of 0800hr. Some time was lost due to failed pen and soggy book following one of the squalls at the height of the push but fortunately John had a spare pen in the car, so did manage to catch up in the end, but not before yet more time lost to seeking out a calling Grey Plover, going south and over head initially which was never seen. Other than the mipits, nothing was outstanding with many fewer hirundines, most of which, as usual came later in the watch. Alba wags also fewer than expected and the shorescape was empty. Siskins in relation to my memory of last year have this year been tremendous on vis with at least some seen on almost every watch. A telephone conversation with Bryan during the last part of the watch prompted my attention to this. How are others finding them relativly?
Moving Birds:
Grey Plover 1 > S
Lapwing 12 > S
Black-headed Gull 41 > S
Lesser Black-backed Gull 13 > S
Skylark 13 > W
Swallow 19 > S
House Martin 34 > S
Meadow Pipit 2,026 > S and SE but some also > SW
alba Wagtail 3 > S
Mistle Thrush 2
Jay 2 > S
Jackdaw 48
Carrion Crow 27
Greenfinch 3 > W
Goldfinch 29 > various
Siskin 24 > various
Linnet 14 > SW
Reed Bunting 1 > W
Total: 2312 individuals, 18 species, 3:25 hours
Dave.
posted by Dave Barker at
9/28/2005 01:45:00 pm
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