Oxenhope 24-09-2008

Dawn This Morning.... Deep Stratus with Clear Edge to East (c) 2008

Stratus Fractus after Dawn (c) 2008

Same Deep Stratus with Clear Edge to East.... Mid Morning (c) 2008

0705 - 1000hr DB / HC
ENE F2 rising NE F4, 10.4degC rising 11, 21km, 8/8 Deep stratus with fractus, QNH1028 steady.

Another gloomy morning in all respects. Cloud was down over the hills to 1400ft asl (c200ft over our heads) and apart from initially the birds were not moving well at all. Calls from moving mipits, Siskins and Chaffinch were frequently heard from the fractus overhead. but nothing could be seen. The best birds without doubt were a tight group of four Grey Herons which came in high from the SE giving us a flypast and continuing NW. They were right up in the cloudbase and sometimes above it as they went. At 0945hr a small thrush was picked up as it went high NW, not certain but this could have been a Redwing or Song Thrush as earlier in the morning a telephone conversation with Mark in the adjacent Denholme Clough had advised of a flock of 44 Redwings > N during the morning (five there yesterday). Albas were quite strong today with 17 going over and a large grounded congregation at Trough Lane, mid morning on the way home.

Moving Birds in order of appearance:

alba wagtail 17 > SE
Meadow Pipit 341 > mainly SE
Skylark 3 > E
Siskin 6 lots heard but none overhead seen today. A group of c10 grounded into the wood.
LBB Gull 4 > S
Chaffinch 3 Lots unseen + 9 > SE
Linnet 2 > SE
Chiffchaff 1
Redpoll 1 > SE
Grey Heron 4 + 1 > NW @ 0845hr
Peregrine 1 > W
Kestrel 2
Sparrowhawk 2
Mistle Thrush 3 > W
Thrush sp 1 > NW
Lapwing 20 > SE

Dave


Montage of five snaps of a group of four distant Grey Herons > high NW (c) 2008

Same four Grey Herons > NW (c) 2008

Grey Heron > NW (c) 2008