Oxenhope "Sea Pie" Day 24-05-2009

Eleven!! Oystercatchers arrived from the SE to spend the morning here.... seven images (c) 2009 (+ a further seven in bits passed through!!)

0745 - 1200hr

WSW F3 / NW F1 / SW F1, 13degC, 65km, 1/8 cirro various and cu humillis, QNH1020 rising.

A morning of hot sun and open skys throughout. Further Oystercatcher movement totalling 18 birds between c 0845 - 0945hr was very interesting..... noted passage movement NW in May before but never as many as this! First a flock of 11 arrived from the SE, followed by two smaller groups overflying. Could all these birds be failed breeders (and yesterdays as well) or are they still passage movers?.... I'm not sure! will have to check. The two flocks that passed streight through were high and calling.... the flock of 11 on the deck got up and flew around but diddnt follow on..... specific note that the birds decked out were very tame and allowed a very close approach..... Otherwise more Sanderling with two coming low off the north end and onward at 1005hr, so fast I couldent snap them despite trying and hoards of LBB Gulls also NW with many soaring and drifting NW over Airedale exceptionally high. Many more than were counted passed through this morning.... scoping out east into the haze could see many birds also exceptionally high. A high proportion of second summer birds but still lots of adults..... looking for a first summer to snap but a close one diddnt come past.

Moving birds:

Oystercatcher 18 > NW

LBB Gull 233 > NW + many more uncounted

Sanderling 2 > NW

Dunlin 4 > NW

Swift 34 > N

Black headed Gull 3 > N

Yesterdays unidentified calls from unseen bird checked out and certain from what I heard, it was a Bee-eater! a vis first for me.

Second summer LBB Gull NW (c) 2009

Adult LBB Gulls NW (c) 2009

Second summer LBB Gulls NW (c) 2009

Swallow nest building in the sheds (c) 2009

Not only are Swallows nest building but this afternoon under next doors summer house roof.... this nasty piece of work!!

Dave