Oxenhope... first big fieldfare passage 17-10-2009

Pre sunrise this morning... looking east (c) 2009


Sunrise obscured at 0735.... thus deep cloud to the far east (c) 2009


Looking east north east mid morning... line of sight to Andy and Johns watchpoint on the furthest horizon mid photo.... Click to make it BIGGER! (c) 2009



Thrushes on the move (c) 2009





More Thrushes on the move (c) 2009


Oxenhope, Bradford (W Yorks, England)
Saturday 17 October 2009
Counting period: 7:00-7:35 Totals
Weather: NW F1, 7degC, 6/8 clear to east, 45km, QNH 1032 falling
Observers: Dave Barker


Moving Birds:
Dunnock 1 -
Redwing - 645
Fieldfare - 25
Lesser Redpoll 6 -
Song Thrush - 11

Totals: 688 individuals, 5 species, 0:35 hours

Comments: 0700-0735 Redwings moving at first light out over Airdale assumed to be back end of a night migration. All were high. Song Thrush contacts interesting. A Dunnock dropped into the wood from the east.


Counting period: 7:35-8:35 Totals
Weather: NW F1, 7degC, 6/8 clear to east, 45km, QNH 1032 falling
Observers: Dave Barker


Moving Birds:
Pink-footed Goose 36 -
Meadow Pipit 8 -
Starling - 181
Peregrine 1 -
alba wagtail sp. 4 -
Chaffinch 14 -
Golden Plover 22 -
Blackbird - 5
Siskin 6 -
Lapwing 12 -
Fieldfare - 59
Linnet 3 -
Common Snipe 6 -
Song Thrush - 1
Lesser Redpoll 9 -
Black-headed Gull 16 -
Redwing - 364
Reed Bunting 2 -
Woodpigeon 74 -
Mistle Thrush - 3

Totals: 826 individuals, 20 species, 1:00 hours

Present: Green Woodpecker

Comments: ......0735-0835hr Thrush movement slackend off initially going west but swinging to NW and N. Pinkfeet went south at 0750hr.


Counting period: 8:35-9:35 Totals
Weather: W F1, 7degC, 8/8, 45km becoming more hazy, QNH 1032 falling
Observers: Dave Barker


Moving Birds:
Black-headed Gull 48 -
Redwing - 245
Woodpigeon 55 -
Jackdaw 21 -
Meadow Pipit 8 -
Starling - 200
alba wagtail sp. 3 -
Chaffinch 14 -
Stonechat 2 -
Greenfinch 7 -
Fieldfare - 164
Lesser Redpoll 2 -

Totals: 769 individuals, 12 species, 1:00 hours

Comments: .....0835 - 0935hr bird movement still at almost background level. Jackdaws going west.


Counting period: 9:35-10:35 Totals
Weather: NW F2, 8degC, 6/8, 30km becoming more hazy, QNH 1032 falling
Observers: Dave Barker


Moving Birds:
Black-headed Gull 75 -
Blackbird - 2
Siskin 31 -
Great Spotted Woodpecker 1 -
Fieldfare - 980
Lesser Redpoll 3 -
Skylark 55 -
Redwing - 1280
Bullfinch 3 -
Meadow Pipit 5 -
Raven 1 -
Reed Bunting 1 -
alba wagtail sp. 1 -
Starling - 366
Stonechat 1 -
Chaffinch 12 -

Totals: 2817 individuals, 16 species, 1:00 hours

Comments: ......0935-1035hr Thrush movement starting to pick up quite dramatically all going NW and N. Bullfinches went west as did Gt Spotted Woodpecker.


Counting period: 10:35-11:35 Totals
Weather: N F1, 9degC, 7/8, 30km becoming more hazy, QNH 1032 falling
Observers: Dave Barker


Moving Birds:
Pink-footed Goose 61 -
Lesser Black-backed Gull 4 -
Redwing - 451
Sparrowhawk 1 -
Woodpigeon 13 -
Starling - 163
Kestrel 1 -
Skylark 27 -
Chaffinch 6 -
Lapwing - 1023
Meadow Pipit 8 -
Brambling - 8
Black-headed Gull 138 -
alba wagtail sp. 2 -
Goldfinch 11 -
Common Gull 14 -
Fieldfare - 1608

Totals: 3539 individuals, 17 species, 1:00 hours

Comments: .....1035-1135hr Thrush movement continuing including some Brambling in singles and twos. Large skeins of Lapwings began to appear out of the south east. Pinks went south east.


Counting period: 11:35-13:00 Totals
Weather: WNW F3 - NE F3 by 1200hr, 10degC, 6/8, 30km becoming more hazy, QNH 1032 falling
Observers: Dave Barker


Moving Birds:
Cormorant - 1
Black-headed Gull 62 -
Magpie 1 -
Pink-footed Goose 121 -
Skylark 21 -
Jackdaw 43 -
Wigeon 3 -
Meadow Pipit 4 -
Starling - 523
Golden Plover 21 -
Fieldfare - 545
Chaffinch 6 -
Lapwing - 290
Redwing - 71
Lesser Redpoll 6 -
Common Snipe 4 -
Mistle Thrush - 2

Totals: 1724 individuals, 17 species, 1:25 hours


Comments: .....1139-1300hr Fieldfare movement continuing but Redwings slackening off. Starling movement continuing and picking up dramatically after lunch time. Jackdaws went west. Pinks went south east. All in all and exceptional morning without doubt refecting an arrival overnight reacing us by mid morning. Well worth hanging on for during the slackness of the early morning. Without doubt it was the long views that did it for the thrushes today and the fact that they were high against the grey of 8 ok.

GRAND DAY TOTALS:

Cormorant - 1
Great Spotted Woodpecker 1 -
Raven 1 -
Pink-footed Goose 218 -
Skylark 103 -
Starling - 1433
Wigeon 3 -
Meadow Pipit 33 -
Chaffinch 52 -
Sparrowhawk 1 -
alba wagtail sp. 10 -
Brambling - 8
Kestrel 1 -
Dunnock 1 -
Greenfinch 7 -
Peregrine 1 -
Stonechat 3 -
Goldfinch 11 -
Golden Plover 43 -
Blackbird - 7
Siskin 37 -
Lapwing 12 + 1313
Fieldfare - 3381
Linnet 3 -
Common Snipe 10 -
Song Thrush - 12
Lesser Redpoll 26 -
Black-headed Gull 339 -
Redwing - 3056
Bullfinch 3 -
Common Gull 14 -
Mistle Thrush - 5
Reed Bunting 3 -
Lesser Black-backed Gull 4 -
Magpie 1 -
Woodpigeon 142 -
Jackdaw 64 -

Totals: 10363 individuals, 37 species, 6:00 hours

Present: Green Woodpecker 1




Dave