Saturday, February 25, 2006

Wilsden 25-02-2006

Wilsden 25-02-2006
Saturday 25th February 2006
0845 - 0915hr
Weather and Sky:
Initially bright but open sky soon overdrawing. A sprinkling of snow on the moors but currently not freezing. Wind: NE F4, bitter. Temperature: +2degC, dp –1. Precipitation: none. Visibility: 35km. Cloud: cumulus fractus / stratocumulus 6ok. Pressure: 1026hpa steady.

Just a sample count this morning from home – real "Back Yard Birding" today filling a few spare minutes and viewing just an eighth of the sky!! Small gulls were immediately apparent travelling east and north-east in ones and two’s, equally spread, both in the sky and over the time period, all were high (gull ground clutter in the fields was ignored) and those counted kept on going. Starlings were interesting in that there were flows both going east and going west. The westerly ones, lots and lots were ignored skimming the roof tops, as it was assumed they were dispursing from the "city" roosts? The easterly and north-easterly moving ones were many fewer, higher and direct – origin?. A single Pied Wagtail went over high, east as did two Golden Plover and a Lapwing went north-west. In addition to these, thought to be the more genuine movers, ground, garden and field clutter of House Sparrows, Collared Doves, Starlings, Robin, Wren, tits, Lapwings, Rooks, Jackdaws and gulls were omitted. Well worth the exercise and will do again.

Birds thought to be moving:
Black headed Gull 10 > E and NE
Common Gull 6 > E and NE
Starling 37 > E
Pied Wagtail 1 > E
Carrion Crow 1 > W
Lapwing 1 > NW
Golden Plover 2 > E

For skyscapes and landscapes see:

http://skyscapeyorks.blogspot.com/

or click on the "Skyscape Yorkshire" link above the "Visible Migration" logo.

Dave.

A gap in the cloud this am, Saturday 25th February 2006 (c) Posted by Picasa