Oxenhope Watchpoint 28-08-2007

A Poor Sunrise Today (c) 2007

0700 - 1000hrs (Dave Barker / Howard Creber)
NE F3 increasing NE F4, 7degC increasing 8, 60km reducing 20, 8/8, some light drizzle with rain by 1045, QNH 1020 falling.

In relation to yesterday a poor morning! The cloud was very low, most of the time the base was below the nearby Soil Hill radio mast top! Visibility was decreasing and misting rain becomming widespread. Thrushes were moving in much smaller numbers here (all to the NW) but interestingly at two flight levels. Most of the birds seen, were today silhouetted below the land horizon making them much more difficult to get on to and not as yesterday way above it against the cloud. In addition there was a flow of mainly unseen birds just above the shallow cloudbase, often detectable Redwing calls were heard from mainly unseen movers overhead. Occasionally upon hearing the calls birds could be seen dodging in and out of the cloudbase as they followed its base. Today as yesterday only a single contact from Song Thrush (a "stip" call overhead) suggesting again that at least some were moving with the masses. Otherwise very little moving that could be identified. Many small passerines, thought to be mainly finches could be seen moving on a broad front but nearly all were too distant to id. The Meadow Pipit trend continues to decrease with long gaps between birds this morning. This morning a confused picture with some mipits in reverse and going north!!! As it was generally quietening without prospect of improvement the watch was abandoned early.

Moving Birds:
Redwing 660 > NW
Song Thrush 1+ > NW
Curlew 1 > E
Lapwing 1 > E
Starling 34 > W
Skylark 2 > W
alba wagtail 5 > S
Siskin heard
Woodpigeon 1 > NW
Reed Bunting 1 > W
Mistle Thrush 11 > NW
Chaffinch 6 > NW
Meadow Pipit 81 > S and a few N

Dave


Misting Rain and the Sky at mid AM (c) 2007