Oxenhope... mipits starting to surge? 23-09-2009

Jays again on the Move.. high.. distant images from a loose flock east... montage! (c) 2009


An Angry Sunrise!... but clear to the east... (c) 2009


Little open sky at all... looking north (c) 2009

Visibility Closing in... looking north east (c) 2009

Under the fractus! (c) 2009

Mid Morning Mipit filled Skies! (c) 2009

0650 - 1100hr Dave Barker Howard Creber

W F3/F4 reducing W F2 later on, 1odegC at 0630, 100km + initially reducing 20km, 7/8 becoming 8/8 complex, QNH 1022 rising.

As expected a much better morning with the weather on the change. Mipits were interesting in that initially up to c0900hr there was only a steady megre flow mainly south. At 0900hr it looked as if things were on the change with mipits starting to pick up on a broad front and also much bigger flocks many of which were high to very high. By 0945hr they were absolutely storming through again nearly all high and in large diffuse flocks of up to 75. There were always more to our east than the west. This continued for some while but was slackening of as we left..... The time has come?? The bird of the day... an unseen flythrough at 0736 was first picked up on approach from the NW at moderate height.... the unmistakeable (well heard by both of us) single "teu" of either a Snow or a Lap!! as it passed by obliquely over head we both heard well... a soft dry "tik i tick" which clinched it.... a Lapland Bunting!!!...it was travelling SE. The first up here on vis for several years! Otherwise Jays on the move again with a loose flock of six going. At 0917hr the single distant zeeek of a Fieldfare was heard but the bird /s could not be located. A large (for here) flock 15 of Dunlin were located moving high SE whilst doing the mipit scans during the late morning.

Moving birds in order of appearance:

Meadow Pipit 1371 > S mostly after 0915hr

Reed Bunting 5 > W

Lapland Bunting 1 > SE

alba wagtail 11 > S and SW

Starling 2 > E

BH Gull 20 > S

Chaffinch 22 > S and W

Swallow 45 > S

Goosander 1 > S

Lapwing 30 > NW

Jay 6 > E

LBB Gull 122 > S

Redpoll 6 > W and SW

Mistle Thrush 2 > W

Snipe 7 > W

Goldfinch 3 > E

Sparrowhawk 1 > S

Common Gull 1 > W

Dunlin 15 > SE... a single flock!

Dave