Oxenhope... drizzle and despondency 16-08-2009

Crepuscular rays before the rain... open sky now far to the east (c) 2009


Strato gloom over the moors... looking west (c) 2009

0655 - 1030hr D Barker, H Creber
SW F4 rising SW F6, 13degC at 0700, 65 reducing 20km, frequent drizzle,7/8 becoming 8/8 stratus and stratus fractus, QNH 1011 rising.

Much promise at first light and in the first one hour of day with a good sunrise but all the time cloud advancing from the west and deepening...soon with frequent drizzle setting in. Very few birds in the sky at all, especially early on with only LBB Gulls moving through SSW together with several intermittent very small waves of Swallows moving south west. The first seen Goosanders of the year passed SE. Another Grey Wagtail west reinforced the start of this species moving and interestingly a small flock of c30 Starlings came in from the north. Also interesting that no local Swallows seen in the sky at all, suggesting the first brood juvs now gone? with possibly the adults now on follow ups?

Moving birds:
LBB Gull 45 > SSW
Meadow Pipit 7 > W
Swallow 15 > W
Grey Wagtail 1 > W
Goosander 2 > SSE
Starling 30 > S

Dave