Oxenhope.... snipe surge! 30-09-2009

Our Upper Humber "wind sock"... Drax showing a northerly blow!! whilst we had still from the west!! (c) 2009


Yet more previously unseen water.... this time we believe the River Trent... this is just part of the length we could see! (c) 2009


On "Snipe" watch... looking east (c) 2009

Still the "clagg" over Lancashire... looking NW (c) 2009

An angry sky... looking NW (c) 2009


Oxenhope, Bradford (W Yorks, England)
Wednesday 30 September 2009
Counting period: 7:00-11:00
Weather: W F3, 13degC at 0700hr, 100+ reducing 65km, 7/8 stratus - stratocumulus reducing 3/8, QNH 1018 falling
Observers: Dave Barker, Howard Creber


Moving Birds:
Golden Plover 25 -
Meadow Pipit 702 -
Greenfinch 10 -
Common Snipe 34 -
Grey Wagtail 1 -
Goldfinch 6 -
Curlew 1 -
alba wagtail sp. 7 -
Siskin 30 -
Black-headed Gull 2 -
Mistle Thrush 4 -
Lesser Redpoll 1 -
Lesser Black-backed Gull 6 -
Magpie 1 -
Reed Bunting 1 -
Swallow 190 -
Chaffinch 20 -

Totals: 1041 individuals, 17 species, 4:00 hours

Comments: Initially overcast o/h but open sky to the far east. Still got westerlies here but out to the east a more northerly component in play with the steam from Drax showing a blow from the NW or even N for a time! Mipits back on the agenda with nearly all moving south but a better selection of finches this morning as the season moves on. Snipe however were the star movers with 34 total all moving west and throughout the morning with the biggest whisp being nine, this overflew our heads by feet and was too close for the camera to focus!! Determined scanning out to the east and north east could pick these up far out on approach, very obviously a thin broad front movement today. Golden Plover calls mid morning overhead from an unseen flock was indicative but just before 1100hr a couple of moderate size skeins were picked up out to the east moving south west. A single Curlew went SW and a very high Magpie went south. Vision early doors out to Grimsby again and yet more previously unseen water seen in the landscape, this time thought to be the River Trent! All in all an enjojable morning.

Dave