Oxenhope 22-09-2006

Members Only Watchpoint 22-09-2006
Friday 22nd September 2006
0700 – 1100hr. (DCB, HC, PC)
Weather and Sky:
An improving morning of complete altostratus after early rain, whilst dark, drying up. SSE F1 / 3, 14 increasing 15degC, rain drying up prior to 0650hr, Settle / Pudsey, altostratus 8ok breaking altocumulus 5ok, 1002 rising 1005hPa.

A awesome morning with swarm after swarm and wave after wave of mipits at all ranges and heights with the near ones passing only feet overhead / below and totally oblivious to us watching from the embankment all movement was S and SSE and exceedingly determined. The biggest group was c300, this and many were spread out in long raggeling waves. Many groups were over 100 strong, with the minority later on being in fews and singles. Most of the movement was between 0700hr (and before) and 0930hr solid with only a small second wave after about 1015hr. More of the movement was to the west and south west of our watchpoint this morning than was out to the east, although scoping revealed a constant stream of birds going south in this direction which for the most part were not counted through shear "pressure of birds" with attention being taken up with the more obvious closer and binable birds. Otherwise three different Merlins were seen moving in the same direction along with three Sparrowhawks and a Peregrine. Unusual were two groups of Collared doves totalling seven also going south.

Moving birds:
Mipit 5120 > S and SSE
Swallow 165 > S
Alba wag 6 > SW and S
Jackdaw 3 > E
Skylark 3 > SE @ 0947hr
Snipe 9 > W
Collared Dove 7 > S (two well spaced groups)
Linnet 12 > SE
Starling 37 > SE
Merlin 3 > S
Sparrowhawk 3
Peregrine 1 > S
Chaffinch 8 > S

Other:
Wheatear 2

Dave