Watchpoint 03-06-2006

Members Only Watchpoint 03-06-2006
Saturday 3rd June 2006
0720 – 0945hr
Weather and Sky:
A set fair summer day with increasing temps, little cloud throughout but increasing cooler wind.
Wind: increasing F4 / 5. Temperature: 9degC @ 0615hr, 15degC @ 0945hr. Visibility: +Leck Fells, Cleveland Hills, Yorkshire Wolds max. Cloud: None Sig. Cirrostratus 4ok nearly all to far SE and E with almost white out in brilliant sun. Pressure: steady 1030 – 1029hPa all day.

Starling movement most prominent with waves of mainly young birds passing low and throughout. Much gathering in the plantation and on the in-bye but critical watching confirmed all were on the move, mainly N and NW in easy steps between feeding and loafing habitats. These birds don’t return by the same route later in the day, so some form of displacement / movement could be possible. The best birds of the day were a single Greylag Goose picked up far out to the east over Cookridge Tower and passing through West, without deviation, to disappear over Oxenhope Moor – Ribble direction!! At 0935hr a distant Red Kite was picked up high circling and drifting NNE before making off still high NNE and away. A single Swift passed fast North at 0810hr. A couple of well time spaced Lapwings passed, both very high and going NW. Large gulls were very definitely on the move and going NW, with only a fraction of those moving counted.

Moving Birds:
Starling c 1500 > N – NW
Swift 1 > N
Greylag Goose 1 > W
Lesser Black-backed Gull 43 > NW
Herring Gull 5 > NW
Red Kite 1 > NNE
Lapwing 2 > NW

Others:
Rooks and Jackdaws were much in evidence in the in-bye. A couple of Carrion Crows kept chivving the Starlings along and a Wheatear was noted. A very lively morning with a good species count - with a total of 43 species seen.

Dave.
See the Visible Migration link:
http://vismig.blogspot.com/
For Photos and local details.

See the following links for "day" skies and landscapes:
http://skyscapeyorks.blogspot.com/2006/06/saturday-3rd-june-2006-am.html
Open sky above the Environs of Keigley.

http://skyscapeyorks.blogspot.com/2006/06/barden-fell-white-crag-and-cringles.html

http://skyscapeyorks.blogspot.com/2006/06/ingleborough-and-simon-fell-this.html

http://skyscapeyorks.blogspot.com/2006/06/holiday-skies-overhead-this-morning.html

Or see "Skyscape Yorkshire" for the whole image collection:
http://skyscapeyorks.blogspot.com/

Good Vismig for the new season, just started,
Dave.