Oxenhope 04-07-2009

1000 - 1500hr
S F2/3, 20deg C at 0830, 65km haze, 4/8 cumulus mediocris increasing 7/8 stratocumulus, QNH 1014 falling.

An interesting morning with more diversity on the moors as dispersal kicks in. A poor showing with gulls below expectation but all were coming in high from the NE - N and moving on SW - S. Again just a few leaving NW today. As the visit progressed, less and less were noted on the move. Lapwings were on the move with a large fragmented flock moving NW, in addition to several high singles. Many hirundines were very high and when watched critically, some looked as if they had no ties, scoping suggested juvs or more Sand Martins than I counted. A small group of Sand Martin left to the west gaining much height. Swifts were interesting in that there were few at the start but by lunchtime as the cloudbase was dropping and becoming more dense they started to appear out of the high east in moderate numbers, some in quite big bunches and all were moving west. Scoping confirmed this to be a diffuse broad front movement. Three Curlews went north west over the lunch time period and most interestingly three approaching waders picked up at very high at distance (c1450hr) in the NNW turned out to be godwit sp as they overflew south. Sadly I couldent get any plumage details at all as I couldent scope vertically but could make out their long bills against the brightening sky through the bins as they went over.... probably blackwits.

Moving Birds:
Lesser black-backed Gull 179 > SW
Swallow 5 > SW
BH Gull 180 > SW
Stock Dove 1 > NW
Sand Martin 7 > W
Lapwing 151 > NW, 1 > S.
Swift 181 > W
Oystercatcher 2 > NW
Linnet 4 > W
Goldfinch 2 > W
Curlew 3 > NW
godwit sp 3 > S
Red Admiral 1 > NW
Gatekeeper 1
Small White 1 > NW
Large White 2 > NW
Common Blue

Dave