Thursday, October 13, 2005

Spot the Greylags (c) CRR Posted by Picasa
Mixed geese (c) CRR Posted by Picasa
Pied Wagtail (c) CRR Posted by Picasa
Canadas low (c) CRR Posted by Picasa

Watchpoint 13-10-2005

Members only watchpoint 13-10-2005
Thursday 13th October 2005
0710 - 1210hr (DCB, JS, SG, CRR)
Weather and Sky:
A very gradually improving morning with almost static temperatures, total cloud cover and dark light for much of the time. Wind:WNW F3 at 0530hr, remaining similar for much of the time before becoming N F3. Temp: 10 @ 0530, becoming 9 by 0730, remaining similar until c 1100hr when 11. Visibility: Keighley Moor / Bradford, becoming Elslack Moor / Kippax. Cloud: initially stratus almost 8ok with some fractus, but almost open sky to far south and remaining similar with stratus ceiling edge becoming pronounced to south and north-west, where open sky remaining. Stratus gradually breaking and drawing back to east to give 4ok. Cloud block over Rombalds Moor and hills to north for the early part of the morning. Pressure: rising since yesterday and leaping up during morning with QNH 1014hpa at 0530, becoming 1020hpa by 1200hr.

Another terrible gloomy morning. Only as many birds as yesterday but in getting on for twice the time! Meadow Pipits now only a few singles > south, finch numbers crashed, with still only a very few thrushes, and hardly any Starlings again. Also notably few gulls and corvids today. In balance, albas still strong > southerly, Woodpigeons increasing in small groups and singles (all going south-east), and geese active today. A single Snow Bunting, again picked up flying (did not call) and purely by chance, on one of the scans, going fast south-east and went through at 1127hr. This made the 1hr extension in count time very much worthwhile.

Pink-footed Goose 150 > E
Greylag Goose 2 > E
Canada Goose 195
Kestrel 6
Golden Plover 8 > NW
Black-headed Gull 21 > S / W
Lesser Black-backed Gull 14 > S / W
Woodpigeon 51 > SE
Meadow Pipit 20 > S / W
Grey Wagtail 2 > W
alba Wagtail 32 > SE / S / SW
Stonechat 2
Blackbird 12 > SE
Redwing 4 > W
Mistle Thrush 3 > NW
Great Tit 1
Jackdaw 14 > SE / W
Carrion Crow 6 > V
Starling 14 > S / W
Chaffinch 17 > S / W
Brambling 1 calls
Greenfinch 14 > W
Goldfinch 33 > SE
Siskin 5 > W
Snow Bunting 1 > SE
Reed Bunting 1 > ?

Total: 629 individuals, 26 species, 5:00 hours, two observers

Dave.
The sky this morning (NW) late am Thursday 13th October 2005 (c) Posted by Picasa
The sky this morning (N) mid am Thursday 13th October 2005 (c) Posted by Picasa
Dawn (NW) Thursday 13th October 2005 (c) Posted by Picasa
Dawn (S) Thursday 13th October 2005 (c) Posted by Picasa
Dawn (E) Thursday 13th October 2005 (c) Posted by Picasa