Oxenhope 09-09-2008

RAINED OFF & FOGGED OFF ONCE AGAIN!

A very frustrating day. That there Jet-Stream ain`t moving and has conspired once again to throw a spanner in the works. However, forecast for tomorrow looks better - fingers crossed.

Main interest today was a group of circa 60 House Martins blogging over my house 07.30 hrs.

Despite rain, ventured up to Sentry Hill, Oxenhope... the next best thing to the watchpoint in dire conditions (08.15) - rain there was driving. Hung around for half an hour and birded from vehicle. Just a handful of Swallows and Mipits were moving through in dogged fashion - counted 12 and 4 respectively. A Willow Warbler came in from North, past vehicle and shot into Jacks wood.

Watersheddles col (09.15) - single Wheatear

Penistone Hill (10.15) - two Wheatears & single Curlew

Leeshaw (14.00) - 12 Swallows from North low over res and out into Worth Valley. Also approx 60 Swallows blogging over south embankment and on way up to res, circa 100 Mipits blogging in fields to south - not there when I set off home. 3 Kestrels up at same time.

Cheers

Howard Creber

Nosterfield Quarries 06/07-09-2008

Highlights- Nosterfield Quarries ( between rivers Ure and Swale, North Yorkshire).

6th September 2008
Mip- 35 SE
H Martin 600+ SE
Swallow 250
Sand Martin 100
Vast numbers of hirundines around - only able to count when they moved on in front of heavy rain- could have been 10 times that many but visibility poorwhen they moved.

7th September 2008
Buzzard 29 ( usually about 7 or 8 local birds)
Marsh Harrier 1
Goshawk 1 juv female
Shawk 6
Kes 6
Mip 45 SE
Ywag 6 SE
Raptors mostly drifting south
Generally a big increase in snipe- in c 139 2 weekends ago, ( from 1-2 the week before).

Andy Hanby