Norr Hill Wilsden 01-10-2007

Open Sky to the North (c) 2007

1600 - 1720hr
E F3, 4/8, open sky to north, overcast to south, (on the interface between the clear and overcast weather), Dry

This morning the fog lifted from the moor shortly after we left. Upon dropping in elevation we ran into clear conditions confirming that by 1100hrs the fog was only over the hills.

This afternoon:

Two congregations of grounded Skylarks this afternoon, 27 flushed from the rough and 19 from one of the surrounding fields total 46. Grounded Mipits were in short supply with only 18 located. A check on the sky confirmed that several singles and small groups of mipits were still on the move south...... presume this is why the fields were empty!

Elsewhere, in Oxenhope Howard reports that at 16.15 hrs, 8 alba wags were still on the move over his back garden in quite a compact group, heading south.

Dave


Overcast to the South.... looking west (c) 2007

Oxenhope Watchpoint 01-10-2007

The Leeming Valley at Dawn (c) 2007

The Stubden Valley at Dawn (c) 2007

0700 - 1100hr (Dave Barker / Howard Creber)
SE F1 rising SE F4, 5.6degC rising, 200m, 8/8, Fog, Dry, QNH 1025 steady.

Clear skies until 0445 when mist and fog starting to form at home. No fog on the moor upon arrival but fog top level only c 100 feet below watchpoint, however fog soon rising and enveloping us until a brief dramatic clearance at 0910hr. Just a 10 minute gap of clear sky (1000m horizontally) and brightness and then dense fog again for the rest of the watch!! Very disappointing! In that ten minute gap of clear, a total of 84 mipits streamed through south with an absolute urgency in jiz not seen before this autumn. The birds were comming out of the fog below us and past us on both sides as well as overhead.... a brilliant ten minutes of pressure and very typical of a big day! Albas were exceptionally strong in relation to the overall numbers of birds seen and again urgency to "get out" was reflected in their jiz with many birds actually cutting purposefully through the fog. Otherwise a couple of Song Thrush > west, two Blackbird contact calls and calls from an unseen Ring Ouzel in the plantation. Siskins were heard on several occasions but none were seen.

Moving Birds:
Meadow Pipit 148 > S
Song Thrush 2 > W
alba wagtail 25 > W
Swallow 22 > S
Siskin heard
Linnet 2 > S
Goldfinch 25

Other:
Ring Ouzel

Dave


Fogged Off and Redundant (c) 2007

Paul Clough 30-09-2007

Paul Clough vismig watch.
Mipits 62, Brambling 2, Chaffinch 30, Jay 7, alba wagtail 2, Siskin 17, Goldfinch 17, Pink -footed Goose 41, Chiffchaff 1, Swallow 5.

Rod Procter and Chris King.

Denholme Clough 30-09-2007

Denholme Clough - vis mig watch

A frosty morning with a slight southerly breeze. Surprisingly, given the clear skies and very high cloud, there was a steady movement that lasted for over 3.5 hours. Flock numbers were very small and were seldom into double figures.

Meadow Pipit 289, Chaffinch 103, Greenfinch 76, Swallow 82, Redwing 123, Pink-footed Geese 42 (one group seen at Paul Clough first), Starling 35, Song Thrush 7, Woodpigeon 15, Goldfinch 11, Siskin 8, Jay 15, Reed Bunting 2, Skylark 8, Collared Dove 4, Cormorant 1, Golden Plover 1, Snipe 1,Canada Geese 2, Mallard 4, GSWdpkr 2, Grey Wagtail 4, Pied Wagtail 3, House Martin 12, Common Gull 8, LBBGull 4,

others; Chiffchaff, Blackcap female, Goldcrests, 16 Siskin,Sparrowhawk, Green Woodpecker, Bullfinch

Mark