Oxenhope Spring Watchpoint 19-03-2009

On top of the World this morning (c) 2009

















0745 - 1045hr DB/HC/RP
NE F3, 5.5degC initially, 1 - 4km but improving later, 1/8 fog stratus / stratus fractus, QNH 1030 falling.

Open sky and vertical visibility to the blue all the time up here. Once the fog stratus, mainly below us, evaporated a good morning with virtually all movement seen coming through north at or just above eye height out over the col...... exciting stuff! Mipits were moving very well early on in and above the stratus before it cleared with many flight contacts heard as the morning went on movement slowed but it is obvious that the new spring watchpoint is going to work!

Moving birds in order of appearance:

Meadow Pipit 34 > N seen (+20 heard > N), total 54
alba wagtail 3 > N, 1 > E, total 4
Curlew 2 > N, 1 > S, total 3
Carrion Crow 11 > N, 1 > S, total 12
Starling 1 > N, 2 > NE, 4 > S, total 7
Skylark 1 > W
Wheatear 1
Golden Plover 26 > NE

Dave

More Bradford Whoopers 19-03-2009

Whooper Swans > NW up Wharfedale this lunch time (c) BV 2009

58 Whooper Swans Flew over the Wharfedale watchpoint around midday heading NN.

Brian Vickers

Whoopers 18/19-03-2009

Hi Simon,
Think you may be right. As you know Clayton is only 2 miles east of our Oxenhope autumn watchpoint and if they were going west they would have gone almost over us at just after 1030hrs..... wish we had been at the autumn point and not at the spring one!!! Also there were several reports on the pager yesterday of Whooper herds on the deck along the line of Airedale and also of them on the move. One was at Hellifield Flash but I cant remember the others but I will post a link in due course with all the details.

Also yesterday there were Whoopers moving up Calderdale in the evening followed first thing this morning by a flock on the water at Ogden, just over the hill south from our Oxenhope watchpoint. They had gone before mid morning see (Thanks to DJS):

http://queensburybirder.blogspot.com/2009/03/ogden_19.html

there are some nice pictures here together with the report.

This morning we were at our new watchpoint again and diddnt see any Whoopers, but we did have a good morning.... quite exciting actually!

Does anyone know where these Whoopers that we have been getting on passage over the last few days might have wintered and be starting out from??

Dave

----- Original Message -----
From: simon J
To: vismig
Sent: Wednesday, March 18, 2009 11:04 PM
Subject: RE: [vismig] Whooper movement, etc

Also yesterday Dave 17/3 lots of reports mainly Yorkshire.They all seem to be Eastern Pennines, maybe using the air gap to to cut across ? 65 were reported flying west at Clayton today...and a few others flocks on the move or down and again in Yorkshire.

Si

To: vismigFrom: dave
Date: Wed, 18 Mar 2009 20:55:16 +0000
Subject: Re: [vismig] Whooper movement, etc

I havent got the details now but there were an awfull lot of pager reports of Whoopers on the move on 16th March. I will post a link in due course. That was the day we had Whoopers at Lower Barden.

Dave.

----- Original Message -----
From: simon J
To: vismig
Sent: Wednesday, March 18, 2009 3:41 PM
Subject: RE: [vismig] Whooper movement, etc

There seems to be Whooper's on the move every where at the moment.... expect Manchester of course!! Not been able to get out much these last few days as recovering from another Knee op but had 66 Mpipit north along with single siskin at Heaton Park yesterday.

Si