Oxenhope... mip crossover day! 05-09-2009

Open Sky at Sunrise this morning (c) 2009


Cumulus fractus streaming off the Moor with Cirrus fibratus above (c) 2009



0600 - 1115hr D Barker H Creber
SW F5 rising SW F6, 10degC at 0600hr, 65km, 2/8 cu sp to W becoming 8/8, intermittent driving drizzle, QNH 1016 rising


Open skies initially soon closing from the west an ultimately horizontal driving drizzle setting in giving rise to an early bath! Nevertheless, an interesting morning but with little on the move initially except for a few Meadow Pipits struggling west and a couple of Redpoll also over > W at 0635. Mipits continued to trickle low west all morning but most excitingly at 0750hr we first noted the "big south push" crossover with first one flock followed by many all high and powering south with great ease, even in the strengthening F5 westerly blow. This has come very early this year!!! These mips all in total difference in jis to those determined to struggle low west. The advancing rain did not bother them at all as they continued in almost level flight to plough into it and off. There was much more mipit movement to our east than to our west. The first swallow came through at 0645 followed by more but in smaller numbers today than last week. At 0920 we picked up an Osprey coming in from the NE, very high over Denholme. It was soaring and gaining height all of the time as it circled into the wind. As it approximated over the"farm shop" it sheared off still very high and headed off over the Clayton direction still seeming to gain height. We followed it as far as we could see it as it made off over south Bradford.... this bird wasent coming back! Most interestingly we heard from BS later in the morning to say the NK had also had had Osprey whilst on Soil Hill (0948hr). Apparently this came from our direction low (probably flying across the moor behind us) going south and continuing south low through the Causeway Foot col and away even lower into Calderdale.... obviously an Osprey day! Next skirting into the further advancing driving drizzle at 1033 came a very close and well seen Sanderling. It came out of the east and continued west also into the blast. An exillerating day in all respects!!


Moving Birds in order of appearance:

Meadow Pipit 513 > S and W
LBB Gull 21 > S
Redpoll 2 > W
Swallow 107 > S and W
Grey Wagtail 2 > W
Linnet 45 > W
Jackdaw 1 > E
alba wagtail 2 > W
Lapwing 11 > S
Osprey 1 > SE (DCB/HC) 1 > S (NK) =total 2
Sparrowhawk 1 > S
House Martin 6 > SE
Snipe 1 > SW
Goldfinch 2 > W
Sanderling 1 > W


Dave