Oxenhope Watchpoint 26-09-2007

Sunrise... Note the deep cloud over the North Sea (c) 2007

Conditions soon clearing from the North (c) 2007

0700 -1000hrs (Dave Barker, Howard Creber, John Suckly)

NNW F3 swinging N F5, 65km, a bitter cold 3.5degC rising 6, 3/8 improving 1/8, Dry, QNH 1023 rising.

Sparkling but unbareably cold conditions at N F5 up here, thus the watch was abandoned early at 1000hr due to inability to hold the bins steady or write! Initially almost overcast but soon clearing to almost open sky. A poor morning for the movement but several highlights. Mipits were very few and far between and all were very high, birds could be heard going over but could not be seen. Even scoping out beyond the range of 10x binoculars did not produce the goods today. Swallows were virtually absent with except for 2 > S, only the local pair still feeding the juvs about. Interestingly the whole family of five were seen spiraling up several times as if testing the conditions for off, but they did no go. Geese were a feature of the day with small numbers of Greylags going NW in the early part of the morning, followed by a big skein of Pink Feet (c100) going very high east at 0905hr this brought new inputus to our stiffening bodies and made us look for more but without success. However a text message was received to say that another skein of Pink Feet had also passed east over Whiteholme at 1010hr (thanks to Sean Gray) so it must have been a "thin" broad front movement which from past experience would probably increase during the day. An influx of Blackbirds and Ring Ouzels was interesting with many birds calling from the small wood after sunrise. Ring Ouzels were first heard calling a little later and one of the birds was seen on the wires before giving us a machine gunning on fly past to settle on the wall only a stones throw away. A very tame but noisy bird and one of the closest any of us had ever seen. Otherwise except for the same number of Goosanders (55) leaving the roost NE at 0715 very little was in evidence.

Moving birds:
Meadow Pipit 210 > S
Greylag Goose 10 > NW
Pink Footed Goose c100 > E
alba wagtail 17 > S
Greenfinch 5 > W
Goldfinch 6 > S
Woodpigeon 3 > E
Starling 25 > W
BH Gull 20 > S
LBB Gull 6 > NW
Linnet 22 > S
Reed Bunting 2 > W
Skylark 2 > W at 0855hr
Swallow 2 > S
Golden Plover 2 > S
Great Spotted Woodpecker 1 > W

Other :
Blackbird c10
Ring Ouzel 2
Goosander 55
Wheatear 3

Dave


Departing Cloud.... looking SE (c) 2007

Departing Cloud... looking East (c) 2007