Cold Edge / Hunter Hill, Calderdale 03-10-2009

Cold Edge/Hunter Hill, Calderdale

Vis mig 07.00 till 10.00
Wind WSW very strong, bright spells and blustery showers (hard work)!

Moving Birds:
Meadow Pipit - 28 >S
Woodpigeon - 3 >S
Goldfinch - 1 >S
Wigeon - 4 >S
Greylag Goose - 2 >N
Mallard - 6 >SW (well they were trying to go SW but after c 10 mins battling against the wind they gave it up as a bad job and came down towards Mixenden)

Mixenden Res'r
Canada Geese - 14
Stock Doves - 3

Dave Sutcliffe

Oxenhope... exhilerating conditions! 03-10-2009

Oceanic Breakers and Spume! (c) 2009


Good Clear Vision out over Airedale (c) 2009


Tranquillity behind the Wall (c) 2009

Advancing Fractus (c) 2009

Wind Blown Spume and Rain Arching High Overhead!!! (c) 2009

Rain Wins in the End! (c) 2009

Oxenhope, Bradford (W Yorks, England)
Saturday 3 October 2009
Counting period: 7:00-10:00
Weather: SW - WNW (W) variable F8 gusting F11, 12degC, 100km+ - 1km in rain, 3/8 reducing 8/8 stratocumulus, fractus becoming deep cu sp, QNH 999 reducing 995.
Observers: Dave Barker

Moving Birds:

Dunlin 7 -

Lesser Black-backed Gull 21 -
Common Snipe 11 -

Meadow Pipit 23 -

Totals: 62 individuals, 4 species, 3:00 hours

Comments: An exciting morning to be in out the hills with dramatic conditions albeit not much rain here. Oceanic waves on the water with always more cloud and rain over the Pennine watershed and into Lancashire. Behind the wall normallity prevailed with the shelter allowing extended periods of watching out over Airedale. Despite the conditions small numbers of birds were still in the sky and on move. Mipits were still moving both south and west, some were way up and shooting like rockets on their way whilst those that were lower gave the appearance of struggling greatly. As might be expected a few LBB Gulls passed NW up Airedale... these were hugging the contours as they passed out to the NE. Snipe were also having little difficulty in moving essentially NW and a single group of seven Dunlin came off the res and past at eye height away NW. All in all a very stimulating experience!.... despite being unable to stand up on Windy Corner!

Dave