Oxenhope 26-04-2009

Early Sun on High Withins, Haworth Moor.... wonderfull colours!! (c) 2009


Early Sun on the Moor.... Nan Scar (c) 2009



Open Sky initially (c) 2009



Cumulus humilis then mediocris developing mid morning (c) 2009



LBB Gull second summer > NW down flap (c) 2009

LBB Gull second summer > NW up flap (c) 2009

Green Hairstreak on the Moor (c) 2009

Mipit of the day (c) 2009

Sphawk > NE montage (c) 2009

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GBB Gull > NW with the Lessers... montage (c) 2009

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0615 - 1230hr D Barker / H Creber / C King / R Procter / M Doveston

Calm / SSW F1 / SW F2-3, 2.5degC initially frost, 30km increasing 65km haze, 0/8 increasing 4/8, QNH 1008 rising then falling.

OXENHOPE SENTRY: A fine morning to be out on the moors with the very first birds two Cuckoos, one calling from each valley.... in the ideallic but cold conditions.... they must have arrived yesterday afternoon or overnight..... part of the move that Andy and John witnessed yesterday morning at Thruscross! Otherwise a morning with a lot of diversity but few of anything except for the masses of LBB Gulls still pouring through. Interesting on this front was a sooty black backed LBB Gull with little contrast on the uppers seen well in the bright sunlight and compared to the others (graellsii) it was with... this must have been intermedius.... unfortunately I couldent snap it! Small numbers of Redpoll and Siskin passed through NW and N for the first time this year and the trickle of Goldfinch continued. The first sign of Autumn, or at least high summer was two Lapwings flying high and purposefully west!!!!

Moving birds in order of appearance:

Woodpigeon 9 > E

Meadow Pipit 5 > NW

Lesser black backed Gull 809 > NW and N

B H Gull 2 > NW

Swallow 14 > N

Starling 5 > NW

Goldfinch 20 > NW and SE

Herring Gull 1 > NW

Siskin 10 > NW

Golden Plover 1 > N

Redpoll 2 partys NW estimate at least 4 birds

Lesser black backed Gull intermedius

Sphawk 1 > NE

Sand Martin 2 > N

Wheatear 1 > N

Great black backed Gull 1 first winter with LBBG's

Other:

Cuckoo 2, it is thought that both birds moved on during the early morning as the constant calling initially ceased before 0700hr

Whinchat.... one heard singing on the reserve.

PS RHP had his first Oxenhope Swift over the village on the morning of Sunday April 19th.... there was a single Swift over Hewenden Reservoir, Wilsden late yesterday afternoon but it was not clear whether this was the first bird back to the colony there of whether it was passing through.

This morning there were 17 Wheatears congregating along Trough Lane Oxenhope the first big congregation of the spring suggesting that the more northerly birds were starting to come in?

Dave