Caldene Fields Watchpoint 31-10-2008

Another Record broken here as Starlings power through!

I'm Shattered thanks to you Dave!

Caldene Fields, Low Moor, Bradford.

31st October 08 Watch 06.45 - 09.30
Weather: A cold damp start with a F3/4 N/W and 60% heavy rain clouds to the N/W with clearer skies to the E/S/E. There was intermittent light showers which started around 08.00 and lasted till 09.30.Temp -0 Visibility to 11 miles slowly decreasing

Comments: It was a day of Starlings and Thrushes as they poured in from the E/S/E. The first Starlings came through well before dawn with 54 parties noted throughout the watch with the majority in groups of 40-70. The majority of the birds moved W on a broad front and some moved through very low down to 1 metre! My ID skills were tested as on some occasions Starlings/Redwings and Fieldfare came through together ! With such a westerly bias today I look forward toHoward 's report as I bet he should have some excellent counts. The highlight of the watch however, was when I picked up a 150 strong party of Starling some 8 miles to the east of my watch point only for the group to drop to around 2 metres and land and start to feed only feet away from me! ( there were also some Fieldfare andRedwing in the flock as well). After about 5 minutes they all got upand headed of west again !

Moving Birds:

Black Headed Gull > 4 S/S/W
Wood Pigeon > 159 S/S/W
Meadow Pipit > 2 W
Alba Wagtail > 3 S +10 W/S/W = 13
Starling > 2,634 W to S/W A site record!
Mistle Thrush > 1 S/W
Redwing > 755 W
Fieldfare > 549 W/N/W
Carrion Crow > 5 S
Chaffinch > 5 W
Greenfinch > 47 W/S/W
Redpoll > 8 S

Martyn Priestley