Oxenhope 08-11-2008

Ceasation of Rain 0755hr.... looking N (c) 2008
















Breaking Sky.... panus over Rombalds Moor(c) 2008
















Altocumulus lenticularis (c) 2008
















Back Edge of the Front (c) 2008

(0725) 0755 - 1115hr DB/HC
S F2 rising S F5, 7degC, 20 - 65km, 8/8 reducing 3/8, QNH 1002 falling.

Rain overnight in this part of W Yorks only ceasing c0730hr. Very interestingly the surface wind was from the south whilst the upper wind at cirrus level was from the north!! A strange combination? Back end of a Redwing night migration over Wilsden and Oxenhope village at 0725hr but none see all moirning from the watchpoint. Initially a little flurry of Fieldfare going NW but then none for a couple of hours. Starlings were moving thinly all morning and all to the NW, most were low and very fast with the largest party being c80. Interesting was a Short eared Owl going high NW being mobbed by a C Crow as it went.

With out doubt the most interesting species of the morning was Pink footed Goose with a small skein of 31 high west at 0923 followed by a massive fragmented skein of c260 initially picked up (1025hr) at great distance travelling exceptionally high south, estimated to be over the Pudsey ridge 5 or 6km east of Bradford. They continued in this direction, but loosing height a bit until the back drop was just south of Morley Town Hall (estimated above Birkenshaw) when they made a dramatic fragmented 90deg+ turn and started to proceed in our direction, obviously using Airedale as a leading line NW. They continued in this direction estimated to be passing very high over Wilsden and Harden Moor and onward crossing over the Worth valley whilst loosing hight a bit. Here they gained hight dramatically continuing NW until they crossed the Pennine watershed into Lancashire high above Keighley Moor. Here as seen on previous occasions another dramatic fragmented 90 degree turn was made, to put them on a SW track, quite possibly when the Ribble / Southport area was first seen from great hight. They were finally lost from view high above and beyond Lancashire Moor after appearing to cut oblequely exceptionally high over the Coumbe Cross col. The time was now 1105hrs and we had been watching this skein for over 40 minutes!! Seen at distance and over time this whole manouvre was an obvious re-orientation and navigation, seemingly using known features and topography to put them on a direct course for the Southport area of Lancashire and quite possibly Martin Mere!! The leading goose might even have had a satnav on board!! it knew which way to go!! As it is exceedingly difficult to estimate the exact track of the geese whilst watching from distance, the route described is subject to minor modification if any of our readers / other observers saw this skien passing directly over head during the time period stated!! One final and important observation relative to this event is that whilst scoping the fragmented skein whilst at our perihelion it was most obvious that the third goose from the end of the last fragment of the skein, white wings with black tips flashing in the bright light above "Sun Hill" was a Snow Goose!!

Moving Birds in order of appearance:
Fieldfare 138 > NW
Starling 140 > NW
Magpie 1 high > NW
Meadow Pipit 2 > W
Short eared Owl 1 > NW
Greenfinch 10 > S
Pink footed Goose 291 > as described
Snow Goose 1 > as described
Common Gull 3 > S
Wood Pigeon 5 > N
Jackdaw 12 > NW

Dave and Howard












Pink footed Geese (part of a fragmented skein) high > NW above Airedale (c) 2008
Click to make it Bigger!

Leeshaw and Coumbe Cross Col (c) 2008