Oxenhope 01-10-2008

The Sky to the E....Drax Power Station and Humber Bridge Beyond (c) 2008
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The Sky to the NW.... Cumulonimbus on Approach!!

Cumulonimbus now Overhead!!!! (c) 2008

0710 - 1000hr DB.
WSW F5 gusting F7 reducing W F4, 8degC falling 7, 130km max, 8/8 - 3/8, QNH 992 rising 995.

An exceptionally variable morning after very heavy overnight rain now cleared to the south. At sunrise conditions were impossible here with the first of several thundery downpours overhead and to the south and west but with clear, open and very clear skys to the north and east..... Visibility NE - Bilsdale West Moor Tyne Tees mast / NY Moors, E Yorkshire Wolds, Humber Bridge, Lincolnshire Wolds and much more - very impressive today..... Here though, conditions were abysmal and all I could do was sit in the car for the first 40 minutes whilst the rain pounded down.... too bad for behind the wall this morning. At 0800hr the rain had passed over, sun was out and the sky overhead was deep blue but the moving birds were well sluffened with very little on the move in the WSW F5 gusting F7 winds associated with the clearing storm clouds. Just a few mipits were giving it a try south, all were low and struggling to negociate the wind over the wave wall. In the next hour the winds slackened a bit allowing the mipit rate to increase a bit, a few Snipe to pass and a very distant flock of c50 grey geese (probably pinks) > E were picked up going obliquely away, way out to the east where the conditions were probably better. At 0850 it was obvious that it was going to rain again as a terrific mass of cumulonimbus was approaching from the NW........ this passed only to be followed by another one..... As the birds had stopped I decided to leave.

Moving birds in order of appearance:
Meadoiw Pipit 46 > S
Snipe 10 > W
alba wagtail 1 > S
Pink footed Goose c50 > E

Dave