Wharfedale Watchpoint 23-10-2008

Fieldfare 120+ ( in two flocks)
Redwing 20+

Brian Vickers

Caldene Fields Watchpoint 23-10-2008

Caldene Fields, Low Moor, Bradford, W Yorks

23rd October 08 Watch 07.15 – 09.30
Weather: A dry blustery watch with 100% low cloud cover at 07.15 reducing to 60 % patchy thin high cloud to the S/W. A F5/6 S/S/W with the odd gust to F7. Temp 8c with ground visibility to 11 miles.

Comments: I went out this morning ‘half hearted’ due the strong S/S/W wind but was pleasantly surprised as a good number of birds were moving albeit in small numbers. 3 species of gull were moving which can be unusual here. Greenfinch battled through in reasonable numbers some were even quite high which is a little unusual here and especially given the strength of the headwind.

Black Headed Gull > 123 S/S/W
LBB Gull > 7 S
Common Gull > 18 S
Wood Pigeon > 16 S
Meadow Pipit > 1 S
Alba Wagtail > 3 E + 17 W/S/W = 20
Starling > 35 W/S/W
Mistle Thrush > 1 S/W
Redwing > 107 W/S/W
Fieldfare > 4 S
Carrion Crow > 78S/S/W
Chaffinch > 7 S/W = 4 N/W = 11
Greenfinch > 71 W/S/W
Goldfinch > 17 S

Martyn Priestley

Saturdays Thrush Migration Oxenhope

Fieldfares Going West.... Paul Clough (c) B Vickers 2008

Oxenhope Watchpoint in the Gloom (c) 2008

Dave

Oxenhope 23-10-2008

Eggborough and Ferrybridge.... open sky to the east pre sunrise (c) 2008

A gap in the clouds (c) 2008

Altocumulus through the fractus overhead (c) 2008

Our North Lincolnshire Horizon.... can anyone identify / confirm location of any of the large buildings and chimneys way out there..... as far as you can see!

CLICK TO MAKE IT BIGGER!

0800 - 1040hr DB
SSW F5 rising SSW F7, 8.5degC rising 10.4, 100km+, 6/8, QNH 1012 falling 1011.

Weatherwise a much improved more stable morning than the previous two and dry for a change! It was quite clear out to the east with the Humber Bridge easily visible along with our least known North Lincolnshire horizon with unknown chimneys and what appear to be power stations belching smoke and steam! Can anyone help to locate these for us? Very very few birds for the first hour and then after 0900hr a trickle of small groups of Golden Plover began to be seen struggling low to medium height south into the strengthening winds. A total of 51 were counted all in very small groups (mainly threes and fours) except for a single larger group of ten. At 1011hr squadrons of Starlings began to pass NW. The first group, a large one of c150 was low overhead moving crosswind along the embankment. Other groups of 45,65,35 and 40 followed for the remaining half hour I was on site. If it haddent have been for the Golden Plovers and late Starlings next to nothing would have been seen!!

Moving birds in order of appearance:

Woodpigeon 6 > S
Meadow Pipit 2 > S
Golden Plover 51 > S
Snipe 3 > S
Starling 335 > NW

Dave


Nimbostratus to the north west... never getting closer (c) 2008