Oxenhope Spring Watchpoint 20-03-2009

Whoopers on the Water (c) 2009










Early Morning - looking NW (c) 2009
















Early Morning - looking SW (c) 2009

Stratus and Stratus fractus on the clear! (c) 2009

Open skys to follow (c) 2009

0730 - 1230 DB / BV

SSE F4, becoming SW F2/3, 3degC at 0730, rising quickly later on, 1km increasing 20km, 8/8 becoming 1/8, QNH 1032 falling.

Initially bitter cold, mist, low cloud and poor visibility but mipits were still moving well during the first period. Many registrations were an call only in the low sometimes enveloping fractus so the mipit count is absolute minimum. Many single birds but two groups of four went through. Interestingly a few finches were encountered moving west and north. In conjunction with the clearing skys a group of 29 Whoopers were noted briefly on the water.... arrived unseen from nowhere! Very shortly afterwards a dog walker on the far shore flushed the lot which left to the NW over the moor. Later in the morning another very distant skein of 21 swans, assumed Whoopers, was seen far out over the Worth basin, also travelling high NW, these were followed in the scope until they exited Yorkshire over the Coombe Cross col. A high Raven was heard approaching very high from the north, this overflew the col and continued gaining even more height, going on south. A memorable morning in all respects!

Moving birds in order of appearance:

Meadow Pipit 32 > N + 1 > S

Teal 6 > S

Chaffinch 1 > N

Skylark 2 > W, 2 > E

Carrion Crow 4 > N

Linnet 5 > W, 1 > N

Goldfinch 1 > N

Whooper Swan 29 > NW, 21 > NW, Total 50

Golden Plover 31 > N

Raven 1 > S

Curlew 1 > S

House Martin 1 > N

Dave