Sunday, August 30, 2009

Oxenhope... an AUGUST mega mip day! 30-08-2009


Sunrise this morning through torrential rain! (c) 2009


The team this morning.... listen!! (c) 2009


Pere....... flypast..... a montage (c) 2009


Todays skein of Cormorants SW (c) 2009
0545 - 1200hr Dave Barker, Chris King, Howard Creber
SW F2 rising SW F 4 then reducing S F1, 12degC at 0600, 5km increasing 100, 8/8 low deep stratus with fractus base reducing 4/8 increasing 8/8 late morning, heavy rain initially ceasing c0605hr, QNH 1015 falling.
A phenomenal August morning, perhaps owing to the very poor start weatherwise with a tremendous shower clearing the area and our part of Airedale just at sunrise. Quite unlike the last few early morning visits the birds were slow to start appearing and as mooted above the weather may well have held them down. But very soon by 0625 mipits started to pour through... low, high and some even above the low cloudbase!! The majority were going west but some were going SW and even hard and fast SOUTH! Never seen this as early in the season before and never as many as this in August either! EIGHTY was the largest flock which just kept coming and coming up out of the gloom in the valley below. The sky was dark and forboding with fractus down on the moor top, all giving ideal conditions for viewing in and across the direction of approach... few being missed! The movement had almost stopped by 0915 but a few kept on coming throughout the morning. Albas also on the move this morning in ones and twos, for the first time proper this autumn and most excitingly we located a certain White Wagtail on the wave wall some distance down.... we all agreed... a real cracker! Interestingly it was still in adult summer plumage with a male cap extending right down the nape sharply to the silver grey mantle.... it had nothing on its flanks!!! It went off west after a short stay in the company of a first w pied. Grey Wagtails also very strong today in ones and twos, with a single flock of five through at 0845. Swallows very slow to start up here today moving both south and west... the first bird was at 0649 but most did not start appearing until the mipits had almost dried. We thought they might have been going early doors but keeping lower down through the col.... BS from Ogden confirmed this to be the case! Four Tree Pipits were heard going high SW in the early, gloomy part of the morning.... the last one was at 0650hr. The first very early Siskin of the autumn were heard going SW and a Pere.... gave a close flypast as it went fast and low west to be lost from view high above the moor... possibly on its way to the coast? The late morning exotics included a Herring Gull going west, two Ringed Plover going NW, two Common Tern going W, 21 Jackdaw in one flock fast south and yet another couple of Cormorant skeins totalling 7 SW with a single E..... All in all a brilliant morning for so early in the season.... Get out and give it a go!!
Moving Birds in order of appearance;
Meadow Pipit 1137 > W with a few SW and S
alba Wagtail 18 > W and SW
Tree Pipit 4 > SW
LBB Gull 41 > S and NW
Grey Wagtail 12 > W
Swallow 575 > S and W
Goldfinch 61 > W
Chaffinch 1 > W
Cormorant 8 > SW and E
Reed Bunting 1 > W
White Wagtail 1 > W
Wheatear 2 > SW
Siskin c3 > SW
Lapwing 40 > NW
Peregrine 1 > W
Sand Martin 2 > SW
BH Gull 29 > S
Greenfinch 1 > W
Herring Gull 1 > W
Sparrowhawk 1 > W
Canada Goose 1 > W
Ringed Plover 2 > NW
Common Tern 2 > W
Snipe 3 > SW
Jackdaw 21 > S
Other
Willow Warbler 1


Pre sunrise sky through the pouring rain.... looking ENE (c)


Pouring rain and fractus sky.... looking NNW (c) 2009

Initial rain storm moving off east over Leeds (c) 2009

Another rain storm avoiding us and moving off over Bradford... looking east (c) 2009
Dave

Oxenhope (environs of) 30-08-2009

Paul Clough,
Reed Bunting 6,
Green Woodpecker 1
Sparrowhawk 1,
Spotted Flycatcher 1

Trough Lane,
Wheatear 10,

Fly Flatts
Wheatear 7,

Lower Laithe Res,
Cormorant 4

Brian Vickers

Stainburn Moor... Mip Buzz Day!! 30-08-2009


Knabs Ridge from Sandwith Moor (c) John Blacker 2009


Stainburn Moor (c) John Blacker 2009


Sandwith Moor... towards Harrogate (c) John Blacker 2009

0700-1100 A Hanby, J Blacker.

Wind variable SW, but flitting more S or W from time to time 2-4 poss 5 at times. Cloud variable from 8/8, low with drizzle to 3/8. Cool and getting cooler.

A very good day with Buzzards and Mipits the highlights.

Mipit 865 SW ( av direction, some more W others more S). Coming through in groups of up to 65. Sometimes there would be a lull with no birds for up to 10 mins then another 'wave'. The first three hours counts were 352, 231 and 191

Buzzard 19 of which 17 SW, biggest groups 8 and 6 respectively. Only odd ones and twos over last couple of months so a real influx passing through.

Marsh Harrier 1 NE- came from general region of yesterdays bird and looked similar, though distant- headed off over Harrogate. Could well be same bird hanging around.

Red Kite- up to 6 loafing mostly.

Swallow- poss up to 300 visible at any one time but hard to gauge movement and they seem to progress in large swirling feeding parties.

Sand Martin 1 W

H Martin- up to 6 comments as per swallow.

LBBG 22 SW

Wheatear 4 in

Golden Plover 45 in from East- landed.

Woodpigeon 28 W- seems always to be a drip of these going west- i'd love to know whether they keep going or return 'home' in the evening.

Blue Tit 8 SW

Alba 5S

grey Wag, 1S, 2 in

Snipe 9 SW ( not always taking the most direct path!)

Ringed Plover 1N

BHG 5E

Andy and John

Back Lane Ogden 30-08-2009

30/08/2009 0730-1000hrs SW F3 early drizzle then cloudy.

An ideal vis mig morning throughout with good numbers of Meadow Pipits and Swallows moving through.The Swallows were at their peak at 0745hrs all low and fast through the Causway Foot Col and below the level of Soil Hill. By 0800hrs gulls were streaming onto the reservoir and several landed in surrounding fields.
Things quietened by 0930 although Swallows were still coming through but in smaller numbers.

VIS MIG :-

278 SWALLOW..............>S
192 MEADOW PIPIT....>W
4 HOUSE MARTIN.......>S
2 CORMORANT............>SW
6 ALBA WAGTAIL.......>W
42 LAPWING................>E could be locals ?
1 TREE PIPIT...............>W

Brian Sumner

Stainburn Moor 29-08-2009

0650-1030hr A Hanby, J Blacker.

Wind WNW F4-5, 3-5/8 cloud (varied somewhat). Cool

A steady day of moderate but not heart racing interest with best Mipit count of the Autumn and both Hobby and Marsh Harrier. Also Rooks moving for some reason.... seems somewhat early to ge genuine.

Cormorant 4NE, 1S, 3W-- thats consistency for you!

LBBG 25 SW Common Gull 28 SSW

Hobby 1 SE Marsh Harrier 1 prob juv (bit distant) SW

Wood pigeon 25 W

Starling 47 N- prob commuting to a better field!

Lapwing 17 E and circa 100 about

Golden Plover 37 about.

Mipit 145 SW

Grey Wag 3 SW

Alba 2 SW

Swallow 102 SW - probably a lot more but this site is favoured for feeding so some rigour is required to pick out the 'real ' movers

Sand Martin 8 SW H martin 4N, 2 S.

Rook 36 W

Swift 1 > SE

Andy and John