Oxenhope 11-07-2009

1100 - 1600hr

SSE F2/3, warm, 65km, 2/8 increasing rapidly 8/8. QNH 1011 falling.

Delayed visit to coincide with the advance of the first front and overdraw of cloud but very little in the sky at all throughout the visit!..... possibly a bad decision as things very quiet. I thought there might have been a Swift weather move in progress but few were seen. A good few gulls loafing but the recent wave of BH Gull dispersal seems to have petered out... possibly now awaiting the big arrivals from the continent, third week in July? Three groups of Sand Martins passed low SE over the water at well spaced intervals and there seemed to have been an influx of Willow Warblers with several birds seen working west at well spaced intervals along the waterside bushes. Common Sandpipers adults (an influx and copulatiing pair noted last weekend) have all now gone, leaving only a couple of juvies seen. Redshanks now long gone by a couple of weeks at least. Still a couple of Curlews alarming from the silent moor and in-bye but none seen on the move. A single Oystercatcher could at intervals be heard calling over the in-bye but again none on the move.

Moving Birds:



Black headed Gull 41 > S and NW
LBB Gull 6 > NW
Sand Martin 17 > SE
Willow Warbler 7 > W
Swift 8 > SW

and now for the "metal bird" enthusiasts....




Jet Provost overflying.... a very noisy beast (c) 2009


Piper PA34-220 Seneca V (c) 2009



Aerospatial AS355N Squirrel (c) 2009

Dave