Denholme Clough 19-10-2008

Howdo All!
I think this is maybe my first posting of 2008!

Though I have been doing vis mig I have not been able to do it as religiously as I have for the last ten years, however, I answered the call for an effort for us all to get out on the same day and record in 15 minute intervals.

I was on site from 07.15 until 10.00.

The skies were worryingly quite clear at first but a large cloud bank slowly and thankfully made it's way north in the SSW force three wind. These are my favourite conditions for watching vis mig at DC. At 0815 drizzle arrived and the vis mig virtually stopped for 15 minutes while it passed but then picked up again at 08.30.

Overall not a great morning but, at times, I was kept reasonably busy recording.

Here are this morning records;

Redwing 2, 7, 88, 169, 11, 72, 81, 44, 107, 60 = 500+
Fieldfare 0, 15, 18, 22, 5, 1, 0, 7, 10, 20 = 88
Woodpigeon 0, 11, 44, 0, 20, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0 = 75
Greenfinch 0, 2, 5, 0, 11, 0, 0, 5, 0, 0 = 23
Jackdaw 0, 0, 2, 0, 0, 5, 0, 0, 0, 0 = 7
Chaffinch 2, 0, 3, = 5
Redpoll 2, 3, = 5
Bullfinch 2, = 2
Whooper Swan 2 = 2
Snipe 2, = 2
Siskin 1, = 1
Reed Bunting 0, 0, 1, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0 = 1

regards
Mark Doveston
Denholme Clough (West Yorkshire)

Ogden 19-10-2008

Fog hanging in the valley.... Ogden (c) BS 2008

Soil Hill in the clouds... CK up there somewhere! (c) BS 2008

19/10/2008 0730-0930hrs Fog, Mist, Heavy Drizzle, W>4

Just the opposite to yesterday although conditions did,nt help but the big push of Redwings had moved through with none in the trees at Ogden. Around the water was quiet with just the usual Robins, Tits and Goldcrests but in small numbers. 1 f Goosander was on the water with 25 BH and 4 Common Gull.

BACK LANE.
4 Meadow Pipit >S
6 Chaffinch >S
28 Redwing >NW
8 Fieldfare >W
3 Siskin in lower plantation.

BS

Soil Hill, Queensbury 19-10-2008

Vis Mig Report for Soil Hill, Queensbury, Bradford, W Yorks.

19th October 2008 0730 - 0900
Soil Hill SE075314 Altitude 400m

Wind SW F2/3, Overcast at first with the cloud base descending. Fog and light drizzle by 0745hr and visibility reduced to 50m.

Soil Hill was a poor choice for a vis mig venue today...... too high! Way to gloomy to see much. A few Redwings were heard in the foggy cloudbase overhead and only a couple of small groups of no more 10 or so were seen. Very little else moving. Had enough by 0900hr.

Redwing 3,5,1,0,20,0,0,1,-,-,-,- Total 30 South through to West
Fieldfare 0,0,0,1,1,0,0,0,-,-,-,- Total 2 West
Pied Wagtail 0,0,1,0,0,0,0,-,-,-,- Total 1 SW

Other local birds were: -
Meadow Pipit 2
Skylark 2
Goldfinch 2
Golden Plover 7

Chris King

Paul Clough 19-10-2008

Paul Clough, Oxenhope, W Yorks
0730 - 0745, Nil birds
0745- 0800, Nil birds
0800- 0815, Nil birds
0815- 0830, Mistlethrush 19. ( departed out of the Clough west.)
0830- 0845, Stonechat 4
0845- 0900, Nil birds.

Abandoned the watch at 0900hr.
The Stonechats moved up the walls at the side of the Clough before moving off over the moor south.

Brian Vickers

Caldene Fields Watchpoint 19-10-2008

19th October 08 Watch 07.00 – 09.30

Weather:
A dry mild start with 90% high cloud cover with slightly clearer skies to the S/E. A F1 S/W wind with a temp of 9c. Around 08.15hr heavy cloud came in from the S/W bringing 100% low cloud, mist and drizzle increasing to light rain. Visibility at 07.00hr to 11 miles reducing from 08.15hr to 1 miles.

Comments:
A relatively poor watch due to poor weather and viewing conditions. There was no repeat of the massive thrush movement although some birds were noted moving to the S/S/W.

0.700 – 07.15
Redwing > 4 S - Meadow Pipit > 1 S

0.7.15 – 07.30
Redwing > 3 S/W - Blackbird > 1 S - C Crow > 3 N/N/W + 1 S/W - Chaffinch > 2 S - Sparrow Hawk > 1 N/W - Startling >2 N/W - Redpoll > 1 S/W

07.30 – 07.45
Redwing > 41 W/S/W - Alba Wag > 3 S + 1 N/W - Mipit > 1 S -Greenfinch > 4 - Chaffinch > 2 W - C Crow > 2 W - BH Gull > 18 S - Goldfinch > 1 S – Fieldfare > 12 W/S/W

07.45 – 08.00
Redwing > 63 S/S/W – Fieldfare > 3 S – BH Gull > 19 S – Greenfinch > 10 S/W - Goldfinch > 3 W – Wood Pigeon > 109 S/S/W – Starling > 1 S/W - C Crow > 6 S/W – Mipit > 2 S – Alba Wag > 7 S + 4 N

08.00 – 08.15
Redwing > 71 W/S/W – BH Gull > 2 S – Greenfinch > 7 S/W – Chaffinch > 7 N- Wood Pigeon > 122 S – C Crow 1 S

08.15 – 08.30
Redwing > 31 W/N/W – Starling > 14 S/W – Greenfinch > 2 S/W - Chaffinch > 4 W/S/W – Wood Pigeon 5 S/S/W – C Crow 1 S

08.30 – 08.45
Redwing > 7 S/S/W – Greenfinch > 2 S/W – Meadow Pipit > 1 S - Wood Pigeon > 4 S – Chaffinch > 1 N/W – Alba Wag 1 E

08.45 – 09.00
Redwing > 71 W/N/W – Fieldfare > 6 S – Greenfinch > 4 S/W – BH Gull > 3 S - Starling > 30 S/W – Wood Pigeon 1 S – Redpoll 1 S – Goldfinch > 1 S

09.00 – 09.15
Redwing > 59 S/W – Fieldfare > 6 S/W – Greenfinch > 2 S/W

09.15 – 09.30
Redwing > 133 S/W – Fieldfare > 47 S/W – Wood Pigeon > 54 S

Redwing = 482
Fieldfare = 74
Wood Pigeon = 295
Greenfinch = 31
Chaffinch = 17
Starling = 47
BH Gull = 40
Alba Wag = 16
C Crow = 12

Martyn Priestley

Oxenhope 19-10-2008

The Sky at 0700hr.... looking east and looking IDEAL! (c) 2008

Post Sunrise below the Stratus.... looking ESE (c) 2008

Oxenhope Bradford W Yorks. Elevation: 378m / 1241ft asl.
0630 - 1000hr DB/SL
WSW F2 rising SSW F4, 9.2degC rising 10.4, 65km east / 10km west all reducing 800m, 8/8 low stratus, QNH 1013 falling slowly.

First trace of dawn here in the eastern sky at 0625hr. Thought I,d better be on site early today and what a relaxation getting there, set up and the weather done before the birds started to come. In the first half hour (before the count, 0625 - 0700) 29 Redwing contacts from the sky were noted - obviously a nocturnal migration again, but absolutely miniscule in relation to yesterdays (see 18-10-2008 report). The morning started off looking ideal with open sky and a bright moon overhead but fractus from the moor soon extinguished this, followed by low stratus base c 1300ft asl and later light drizzle.... the period 0800-0815 was sterilised by this. Despite the low level, the stratus never came down to the ground here and visibility was maintained for most of the time to 65km out to the east. In relation to yesterdays thrush masses, seeming virtually a birdless morning today, the thrushes without doubt moved on elsewhere. In the first half hour of the count (0700 - 0730) only Redwings were encountered with 27 sky contacts noted despite noise disturbance from the breaking gull (c2500) and Goosander (81) roosts. Each sky contact was counted as "one" the first seen Redwings today were a group of 21 west at 0725..... a big let down after yesterday!! The regular increase in passing Starlings during the final hour was interesting! True to form the stratus began to lift and sky open at 1005hr after a very heavy period of drizzle which sterilised the final count increment but by this time we had had enough!!

Here are the Oxenhope results:

Redwing, 15,33,47,240,326,153,6572,26,101,0, TOTAL 862, W
Skylark, 0,0,1,00,0,0,00,0,0,0 TOTAL 1, S
Chaffinch, 0,0,6,00,4,0,40,0,18,0 TOTAL 23, S
Fieldfare, 0,0,0,00,46,6,30,21,0,0 TOTAL 76, W
BH Gull, 0,0,0,00,1,0,00,0,0,0 TOTAL 1, S
Meadow Pipit, 0,0,0,00,0,0,30,0,3,0 TOTAL 6, S
Goldfinch, 0,0,0,00,0,0,60,0,0,0, TOTAL 6, S
Starling, 0,0,0,00,0,0,041,125,220,0, TOTAL 386, W
Greenfinch, 0,0,0,00,0,0,07,0,0,0, TOTAL 7, S
Alba Wagtail, 0,0,0,00,0,0,01,0,0,0, TOTAL 1, S
Carrion Crow, 0,0,0,00,0,0,00,1,1,0 TOTAL 2, E

Total birds: 1371
Total species: 11

COMMENT:
A very poor morning here in relation to the past days recorded.

Dave


Post sunrise... looking east below the stratus (c) 2008

Low stratus and drizzle..... Coombe Cross col at cloudbase level.. looking NW (c) 2008

Low Stratus base at 1300ft asl (c) 2008

More on Redwings! Baildon Bank 18-10-2008

Was speaking to Peter Riley at the Oxenhope Watchpoint after the count on Saturday. Peter stated that early on Saturday morning 18th October 2008 whilst he was walking the dog along Baildon Bank, Shipley, W Yorks, masses of Redwing estimated (those that he could see) to be in excess of 2000 flew low west.

Dave

Redwing Nocturnal Migration 17/18-10-2008

Redwing Calls over the Bradford Ornithological Group area (W Yorks) on the night of the 17th of October 2008

I was working on Friday night 17th of October from 16.00 to 01.00 the day before the massive inland Redwing movement and what was interesting around 20.00 - 21.00 alot of Redwing calls were noted over the Scholemoor and Lidget Green area of Bradford.

At around 22.00 calls could be heard over the Bradford City Centre. When I arrived home at Low Moor 01.00 again numerous calls could be heard as birds were thought to be moving S/W.

Given that numerous calls were heard throughout the night in 3 different locations approximately 10 miles apart I feel this gives some indication of how absolutely massive the movement was on the 17th and 18th of October. And whilst excellent counts were noted on Sat 18th in the Bradford Ornithological Group area this belies the real numbers of birds involved.

Martyn Priestley