Oxenhope Watchpoint 14-10-2007

A damp and dismal start but brighter to the west (c) 2007

0720 - 1100hr (Dave Barker / Howard Creber)
W F1>Calm>S F1, 11degC rising 12, 40km decreasing 20, 8/8 moderate height, drizzle soon ceasing, QNH 1019 falling.

A dismal start but almost a TOP DAY here with much new to report! The first continental Starlings of the autumn were going through in determined squadrons of up to 50 birds and all were moving strict NW following the line of the Aire valley. Many were closely hugging the ground but several of the larger groups were quite high and thus could be seen at distance. In view of the contour hugging nature of the closer birds seen, todays count would only be indicative of a much larger broad front movement. Thrushes were definately on the move with the first larger numbers of single species Fieldfare all were in high to very high groups, suggesting these were fresh arrivals passing through west. Pink-footed Geese were however the STAR attraction today with four exceptionally large skeins located in the vast but overcast skies, all were travelling east. The first skein of c300 at 0920hr was picked up far out over Airedale (a couple of skeins 100+ seen by Cameron over Harden Moor at 1015 were missed). Next Mark (in Denholme Clough) picked up a massive skein of c450 over Wilsden (1020hr) which we managed to get on to and almost concurrently Brian was on the phone and frantic from Fly Flatts, telling of hundreds of pinkfeet which had come out of the low cloud like dambusters, overhead and low over the water heading our way. Sure enough this skein of c330 came almost directly over head and continued to pass east over Denholme Clough for Mark. Shortly after yet a further skein of c420 came through on almost an identical track. The West to East movement here suggests a Ribble to Humber or Linclonshire passage. So despite a slow and dismal start in all respects the morning turned out to be a cracker!!

Moving Birds:
Pink-footed Geese 1500 > E
Starling 581 > NW
Meadow Pipit 286 > S
Redwing 254 > W
Fieldfare 192 > W
Woodpigeon 44 > S
Song Thrush 2 > W
Blackbird 4
Merlin 1 > SW
Kestrel 1
Skylark 2 > W
Chaffinch 87 > S and W
Lapwing 30 > SE
Siskin 12 > W
Reed Bunting 11 > W
alba wagtail 36 > SW
Wheatear 1
Greenfinch 25 > W
Goldfinch 3 > S
Jackdaw 30 high > W
Redpoll 10 > S
Snipe 2 > W
Golden Plover 2 > SE

Dave

Just Part of one of the large Skeins of Pinkfeet overhead (c) 2007

See below for even more Pinkfeet we missed from the watchpoint whilst our action was happening here!

Mail From Ian Hargreaves
Coincidently I had PFG's over St Ives on Sunday morning at 10.23 flying east down the valley over Bingley and on towards Shipley. I took a quick pic or two to enable me to count them accurately and managed 211. Slightly worrying though since I had guesstimated c250-300 when I first saw them; clearly I need to practice counting again!

Cheers
Ian