Oxenhope Watchpoint 09-09-2007

Airedale full to the brim with mist at dawn (c) 2007

First Sun on the Moor (c) 2007

0650 - 1030hr (DCB, HC)
WSW F1 increasing F3 after 0900hr, 12degC, 20km, 4/8, mist in valleys persisting and rising to become towering fog banks with much fog spilling over from Lancashire, brief whiteout between 0850 and 0915 when the fog passed and the wind began to rise. QNH 1025hPa steady, dry

A classic and awsome morning in all respects..... a vis watchers dream in conditions usually only available in summer up here!! Yes the skies were full of birds, nearly all high and moving strongly to the south, taking no account of the topography. The morning started with mipits (probably flighted by the fogs) broad fronting through, often overhead and to the east, but mainly to our west out over the Worth basin. These peaked between 0715 and 0730hr but kept on comming throughout the watch. By the time we were enveloped in fog at 0850hr, 486 had streamed through with only very few touching down. The total count was 607 > S, massive for so early in September!!

Swallows however were even more dramatic with massive groups comming up out of the Worth basin and congregating high in the sky before moving off south. The largest group were in excess of 200 and almost certainly these were being pushed on obliquly in front of the tremendous towering fog bank making gradual progress towards us after initially spilling over from Lancashire. Group after group did the same working down in front or the edge of the fog bank. The total count was c1050 > S, awsome, for this site, a morning Howard and myself will remember for ever.

Moving Birds:

Meadow Pipit 607 > S
Redpol 5 > SW
Skylark 1 > W
Swallow c1050 > S
Greenfinch 6 > W
Golden Plover 6 > W
Carrion Crow 16 > W
Lesser BB Gull 15 > NW
Common Gull 1 > S
BH Gull 155 > S
Linnet 11 > W
alba Wagtail 5 > W
Grey Wagtail 2 > W

Other:
Wheatear 3
Sparrowhawk 1
Kestrel 5
Spotted Flycatcher 1
Robin 6 influx
Chaffinch 2
Reed Bunting 1
Bullfinch 1+
Great Tit 1+
Goldfinch 1
Great Spotted Woodpecker 1

Not a bad list for a moorland site!!

Dave


Fog Spilling over from Lancashire (c) 2007

Brief Early September Whiteout (c) 2007