Saturday, September 05, 2009

Oxenhope... contrail vis 05-09-2009


USAF Boeing KC-135R Stratotanker powering NNW high overhead! (c) 2009


Singapore Airlines powering NNW (c) 2009


United Airlines (USA) old livery ... going east... (c) 2009


Lufthansa going E (c) 2009
As well as the birds! some exotic stuff going over in the open skies initially. However fractus advancing from the west followed by deep stratus and driving drizzle soon put a block on visibility... but nevertheless... some of it totally unexpected over Oxenhope!!

Dave and Howard

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Stainburn Moor... yet more mips! 05-09-2009

0655-0955 cloud 1/8 at first,7/8 at finish. Wind NW 2-3 rising 5-6 WNW by end with light rain commencing

A lazy start which probably missed a few birds.

Meadow Pipit: the highlight again with 1585 SW; hourly splits 505,689, 391.

Most birds were to the East of us coming through the lower ground between Harlow Hill/ Harlow Carr and where we stand, A drive around after revealed some light movement over Thruscross, but more birds over the Duchy and even over my House in Central.Harrogate.

Alba Wag 5 SW

Goosander 1F W

Golden Plover 130 in area. Lapwing 500 in area; 45 w --- both these species well up.

Jay 3 W

Snipe 4W

Goose Sp 15 S over Vale of York looked suspiciously like Pinks

Cormorant 1S

Swift 1 S

Swallow 68 S and lots 'swirling'



Andy Hanby
John Blacker

Nab End, Rombalds Moor... not much activity! 05-09-2009

This morning at Nab End (Rombalds Moor)
7.50 to 9.30

29 Meadow Pipits, 2 Chaffinch, Grey Wagtail, 3 Woodpigeon, Sparrowhawk.

No evidence of any great movement after what looked like perfect weather at the beginning. Later drizzle and robust winds.

Shaun Radcliffe, John Preshaw & Winston Pell.

Oxenhope... mip crossover day! 05-09-2009


Open Sky at Sunrise this morning (c) 2009


Cumulus fractus streaming off the Moor with Cirrus fibratus above (c) 2009



0600 - 1115hr D Barker H Creber
SW F5 rising SW F6, 10degC at 0600hr, 65km, 2/8 cu sp to W becoming 8/8, intermittent driving drizzle, QNH 1016 rising


Open skies initially soon closing from the west an ultimately horizontal driving drizzle setting in giving rise to an early bath! Nevertheless, an interesting morning but with little on the move initially except for a few Meadow Pipits struggling west and a couple of Redpoll also over > W at 0635. Mipits continued to trickle low west all morning but most excitingly at 0750hr we first noted the "big south push" crossover with first one flock followed by many all high and powering south with great ease, even in the strengthening F5 westerly blow. This has come very early this year!!! These mips all in total difference in jis to those determined to struggle low west. The advancing rain did not bother them at all as they continued in almost level flight to plough into it and off. There was much more mipit movement to our east than to our west. The first swallow came through at 0645 followed by more but in smaller numbers today than last week. At 0920 we picked up an Osprey coming in from the NE, very high over Denholme. It was soaring and gaining height all of the time as it circled into the wind. As it approximated over the"farm shop" it sheared off still very high and headed off over the Clayton direction still seeming to gain height. We followed it as far as we could see it as it made off over south Bradford.... this bird wasent coming back! Most interestingly we heard from BS later in the morning to say the NK had also had had Osprey whilst on Soil Hill (0948hr). Apparently this came from our direction low (probably flying across the moor behind us) going south and continuing south low through the Causeway Foot col and away even lower into Calderdale.... obviously an Osprey day! Next skirting into the further advancing driving drizzle at 1033 came a very close and well seen Sanderling. It came out of the east and continued west also into the blast. An exillerating day in all respects!!


Moving Birds in order of appearance:

Meadow Pipit 513 > S and W
LBB Gull 21 > S
Redpoll 2 > W
Swallow 107 > S and W
Grey Wagtail 2 > W
Linnet 45 > W
Jackdaw 1 > E
alba wagtail 2 > W
Lapwing 11 > S
Osprey 1 > SE (DCB/HC) 1 > S (NK) =total 2
Sparrowhawk 1 > S
House Martin 6 > SE
Snipe 1 > SW
Goldfinch 2 > W
Sanderling 1 > W


Dave