Oxenhope... Red Arrows fly past! 19-07-2009

Red Arrows fly past Oxenhope in the Rain! Hawk T1 (c) 2009


Red Arrows en-route for Otterburn Northumberland (c) 2009


Red Arrows en-route for Otterburn Northumberland (c) 2009

A FANTASTIC VisMig Sky.... looking East (c) 2009

Oystercatchers still on the move NW (c) 2009

0720 - 1200hr

Dave Barker and Chris King

WSW F2 reducing WSW F1, 12degc at 0715, 30km, rain showers initially, 8/8 strato various, QNH 1008 rising.

A fantastic dark strato "vismig" sky first thing after an early shower. Avian vis giving a slow start early doors but soon picking up as the morning went on. The highlight was undoubtably not avain vis but aero vis with a thundering, mind blowing, totally unexpected Red Arrow flypast at almost touchable distance and just above eye height at c0915hr! They blasted through the Causeway Foot col in two formations, below hilltop level from Calderdale to the south and continued north up Airedale, undoubtably en-route for the Otterburn Festival in Northumberland. Probably flying low to keep out of the civil traffic, but what a thrill! Only a moment to get the camera out from beneath my bag in the pouring rain and then they were almost too close for it! Red Arrows aside... after they had gone through both the weather and the birds started to pick up, first the Swifts, then the gulls, a few waders and two small groups of Crossbills. Early dispersal noted with a singing Chiffchaff in the plantation and most unusually by a Whitethroat (very rare here) in the waterside bushes in the middle of the moor!!..... Autumn is with us!! Every mipit seen, mostly low singles, was moving west as were the Linnets. The first Skylark of the year went high west. BH Gulls were interesting with very few initially but at c1030 large flocks were noted to be moving west, overflying very high. These continued on and off all morning.... something not seen before this autumn and possibly a sign of immigration kicking in? Two groups of Woodpigeons including juvies on and off the moors coming for the Bilberries as they always do at this time of year. A couple of Common Sands were fresh in since yesterday.

Moving Birds:

LBB Gull 121 > NW and SW

BH Gull 216 > mainly W

Oystercatcher 3 > NW

Curlew 1 > SW

Starling 33 > SW

Crossbill 14 > WSW

Lapwing 3 > SW

Skylark 1 > W

Mipits 19 > W

Linnet 37 > W

Swift 271 > W

Other;

Common Sandpiper 2

Chiffchaff 1

Whitethroat 1

Dave

Air Ambulance Out and overhead! travelling WSW (c) 2009