Oxenhope 21-09-2008

Dawn This Morning.... The Big Picture (c) 2008

Cirrostratus and Contrails (c) 2008

Sunrise This Morning (c) 2008

Haze! L to R.... Billing Hill, Wrose Hill, Cookridge Tower (c) 2008

0645 - 1135hr DB/CK/HC
SW F2, 9degC rising 21, 19km Mist and Haze, 0/8 increasing 4/8 altostratus breaking altocumulus, QNH 1027 falling.

A wonderful morning to be out in all respects with lots of moving birds from pre sunrise with no gaps right through till noon. Meadow Pipits going very well initially with at least 616 > S in the first hour up to 0745hr, then slackening a bit to resurge later. The first Swallow > S was early at 0750hr then after a slow start by 0949hr large never ending parties of up to 100 were rising up out of the Worth basin and off high over the moor to the south. This continued right upto and beyond the end of the count with one very large and almost uncountable party going on for ever at 1120hr. At 0839hr a Goshawk (a first for vismig here) was picked up by HC travelling high SW above the Worth valley, no sooner had we all got onto this bird than another browner bird was located following on behind..... the two were obviously travelling together. As they moved on the birds lost hight a bit and dropped over the col, through and into Calderdale. At 1102hr another large raptor was picked up on distant approach WSW out to the North East over the Trough. It too was in level flight and as the angle of vision improved a Honey Buzzard was confirmed. It continued at medium height WSW out over the western moors, Lancashire bound. Siskin also kept on moving with several large parties of up to 26 > SE towards the end of the morning. Again several Red Admirals were on the move SE towards the dne of the morning.

Moving Birds in order of appearance:

Meadow Pipit 1661 > S with just a very few blogging later on.
Chaffinch 19 > W and S
alba wagtail 12 > SW and SE
Redpoll 3 > W
Goosander 6 > S
Wheatear 5
Swallow 2211 > S and SE
Skylark 4 > W
Siskin 85 > SE
BH Gull 345 > S
Sparrowhawk 3
Goshawk 2 > SW
LBB Gull 137 > S
House Martin 5 > S
Tree Pipit 2 > SW
Greenfinch 2 > W the first this autumn!
Snipe 2 > W
Goldfinch 3 > W
Linnet 12 > SE
Reed Bunting 1 > SE
Cormorant 6 > SW
Kestrel 6
Honey Buzzard 1 > WSW

Dave


Altocumulus Invading from the West (c) 2008

Goosanders > South over Speak (c) 2008

Cormorants into the High Sun (c) 2008