Pennine Skywatch: Oxenhope.. First Push South of BH Gulls 30-06-2009

LBB Gulls just a few NW today (c) 2009

1300-1730hr
SE F2, 21degC at 1200hr, 3km deep haze improving to 10km, 8/8 dark and gloomy starto base, intermittent light rain, QNH 1024 falling.

A wet and foggy morning in this part of West Yorkshire but mist lifting and rain ceasing at c lunchtime. Intermittent showers throughout the afternoon were thought in this instance to assist the passage today! A desperately gloomy, deeply hazy, humid afternoon but with the sky FULL of birds. Heavy / steady movements of all species recorded throughout the visit. The first big push south of BH Gulls this afternoon with the first juvenile recorded all were coming in from high to the north. Two Common Gulls also south amongst the masses were a definate sign of "northern" gulls reaching us. LBB Gulls were also steaming through also from high in the north.... just a very few leaving NW today. Swifts were well stirred up by the weather with the sky often full of pulses of moving birds, specifically after each of the light showers. Interestingly the direction of movement swung from west to south west during the afternoon. Only a fraction of those on the move were counted as scoping opened up another world of Swift movement. Many were very high but some were skimming the moors, in-bye and water as they passed. Lapwings were also on the move with two populations thought to be involved. Firstly flocks of 12 and 29 passed high south during the visit (these thought to be British population) whilst singles and small flocks up to four passed in the main high NW... these could possibly be continental birds on direction and jis. All were very heavily in moult. Interestingly there was a Starling movement this afternoon with all birds passing NW in low flocks of up to 90!! There may also have been a hint of Linnet and Greenfinch dispersal west? The only Curlews seen on the move approached from the ESE at about hill top level (1400feet) and continued on without stopping.

Moving birds:
Lapwing 41 > S and 18 > NW total 59
Swift 1110 > W and SW
BH Gull 487 > S and 24 > N total 511
Sand Martin 1 > W
LBB Gull 334 > S and 31 > NW total 365
Starling 109 > NW
Golden Plover 34 > S
Curlew 4 > NW
Common Gull 2 > S
Greenfinch 16 > W
Linnet 4 > W