Fw: Queensbury Tonight

----- Original Message -----
From: "Stephen Welch"
To: "Brian Sumner"
Sent: Saturday, August 18, 2007 9:34 PM
Subject: Re: Queensbury Tonight

>> When the daily gulls come over to roost each evening the BH gulls always
>> come over first followed shortly afterwards by the LBBs.
>> Thats your tonights bit of useless information. Bri.

Not that useless, quite interesting actually!

I found large gulls, particularly HG, tend to arrive later in roosts, cf.:

http://www.geocities.com/steve_extra/Gull_roost_flight_path_study.html

See also these interesting pages reporting observations of large movements
of gulls ***during the night***:

http://www.farmoor-birding.com/Gull-Deterence-Trials

Regards

Stephen

Queensbury Tonight 19-08-2007

A miserable evening with either heavy drizzle or heavy rain.Also dark much earlier than usual.

Quiet skies as expected with just:-
5 Swallows..........>SW 1950hrs in heavy rain
3 Mipits ...........>W 1905 hrs during a clear spell
1 Mistle Thrush.....>W 1915 hrs, unusual for up here.

Otherwise just the usual gulls passing, small first followed by large gulls which Stephen informs me is the norm for large gulls to be last to the roost.

 

Bri

Oxenhope 19-08-2007

Trough lane,  Wheatear 10, Whinchat 1, Stonechat 1,

Nab Water lane,  Wheatear 2

Fly Flatts,  Wheatear 2.

 

Brian Vickers.

Wilsden Tonight 19-08-2007

1750 - 1915hr

N F3, 10degC, 8/8, showery but moderate rain from 1905hr.

 

Mipits travelling west tonight with a total of 34 seen, max group size six. Gulls also active in the skies with nearly all tracking NW. Otherwise hardly any Starlings at all and just seven Woodpigeons > NE. No change with the House Martins. Everything stopped from 1900hr when the heavier rain started.

 

Mipit 34 > W

Starling 22 > ESE

Woodpigeon 7 > NE

 

Dave

Photo Quality Test

Norr Hill (Reduced Quality) (c) 2007

Saltaire (Reduced Quality) (c) 2007

Fly Flatts 19-08-2007

19/08/2007 0730-0930hrs.
Bright start with low cloud and scud about, even in the valleys. By 0830 drizzle started and the mist rolled in. By 0900hrs it was thick fog and heavy rain. NNE>3 Up to 200 grounded Mipits in area and slight movement of others. All movement took place before 0800hrs although some Swallows were still moving in the fog and heavy rain.

SWALLOWS..............34 > SW
HOUSE MARTIN..........8 > SW
ALBA WAGTAIL..........8 > W
MIPIT.................27 > W
WHEATEAR..............3 on deck

Other. 22 TWITE at feeding station.

Bri.

Norr Hill 19-08-2007

Mipits Mipits everywhere (c) 2007

Low Cloud and Rain (c) 2007

Norr Hill 19-08-2007

0800 - 1000hr

NW F1 rising 2, 12degC, soft drizzle becomming moderate rain, low fog stratus increasing 2km with moderate rain, becomming very wet!

 

Got absolutely saturated this morning but well worth while!

 

A totally different day with different birds to last week up the Hill. Gangs and flocks of grounded Meadow Pipits were everywhere - on the walls, in the uncut grass and even in the scrub with much sallying about. An obvious earlier move interupted by the at times dense fog stratus. All had gone by 0915 with some seen moving off to the west during a brief clear, dry interlude prior to the onset of the moderate rain. Also new this week were a loose group of c17 Skylarks on the north western edge of the downfall, these flushed off in bits as I walked the Hill. A good number of Swallows were about even in the fog but these were not seen to be moving, just feeding low over the ground. Again these disappeared before the moderate rain began. A good morning with promissing signs for vis watching on the Hill but I think it will be Oxenhope next Sunday!

 

Meadow Pipits everywhere at least 150 grounded.

Skylark c17

Swallow 15 to 25

 

Dave