SWIFT ACTION!! 07-05-2009

After a quick look at the series of rainfall radar charts for today(Sunday).... I diddent realise it was as bad as this just to our south this afternoon.... even some "pink" and a bit of "red" rain! This together with conditions shown on the pressure chart ( slack elongated low centred to our south) and easterly wind put this as a classic weather (albeit a bit last minute!) move across our part of the Country... suggest some of these birds into the wind could have ended up on the continent with these conditions. The rain never reached us at all here and just seemed to peter out in the evening.

Dave

Thruscross / Sandwith 07-06-2009 SWIFT action here as well!!

Today we started at Thruscross but very little to note other than 3 Crossbill (Andy was recording the few moving birds we saw, so will post separatly).

Here are Andy's notes:

Siskin 1N
Crossbill 3 N
Heron 1E
Starling 19 N and NW
LBBG 25 NNE
Swift 2N 1S (but see Johns posting for later large movement)
Tree Pipit 1W
Skylark 1W
Lapwing 9 NE

also about- 8+ H Martins, Cuckoo 1


A later stop-off at Sandwith gave a completely different picture with a sizeable and sustained movement of Swift around 200/h rising to 500/h. They were moving consistently in bursts (20 up to 130) generally following land features (eg the tree line) and at different heights. No sign of any rarer ones.

Sandwith Moor 7th June 2009, First Watch 10:30-11:30; Second Watch 12:30-15:00
Wind 3-4 ENE; Temp 14degC ; Cloud: 4/8; Vis 80km

Swift 1776 (187 JB 1st watch, then 1589 JB AH 2nd watch) E to NE
LBBG 11 N
BHG 3 N

John Blacker and Andy Hanby

Sand Martins 07-06-2009

Sand Martins.... breeding confirmed.... three images (c) 2009

Dave