Oxenhope... Redwings swing NNW 11-10-2009

Pre Sunrise today (c) 2009


Sun vanishing for the rest of the morning! (c) 2009

Deep cloud and unforecast rain coming out of Lancashire (c) 2009


Stainburn Moor this afternoon from our watchpoint... looking ENE over Airedale over Glovershaw col to Reva Hill and then across Wharfedale to Stainburn Moor with the North York Moors on the far horizon! (c) 2009

Double click the photo to make it bigger!

Oxenhope, Bradford (W Yorks, England)
Sunday 11 October 2009
Counting period: 7:00-10:45
Weather: W F3 rising W F5, 11degC, 65 reducing 2km, 7/8 open to E becoming 8/8, Recent rain becoming dry for a spell then very wetting drizzle, QNH1011 falling
Observers: Dave Barker, Howard Creber, Chris King.

Moving Birds:

Goosander 2 -
alba wagtail sp. 5 -
Chaffinch 4 -
Black-headed Gull 48 -
Fieldfare 3 -
finch sp. 2 -
Common Gull 6 -
Redwing - 652
Greenfinch 7 -
Lesser Black-backed Gull 11 -
Mistle Thrush 3 -
Goldfinch 4 -
Kittiwake - 1
Magpie 1 -
Siskin 10 -
Woodpigeon 26 -
Carrion Crow 3 -
Meadow Pipit 58 -
Starling 95 -

Totals: 941 individuals, 19 species, 3:45 hours

Comments: A deteriorating morning in most respects. Redwings still on the move with initially movement in all directions but soon settling down to primary NNW throughout the morning. Unlike yesterday movement, less intense initially continued right through the morning during our visit. 31 flocks passed, the largest of which was c60, with four flocks being counted as zero because they were unseen. For finches up here the wind was too strong... thus very few. Interesting was a Magpie going south but only a small continuing Snipe movement... as alway, west. The star bird, picked up coming in from the north below us as we were sat sheltering behind the wall in the rain was a Kittiwake quite possibly downed by the rain and very low cloud. It came in over the water before going straight off NE... the first for some while up here!


Counting period: 15:00-17:00
Weather: W F5 gusting W F7, 12degC, 65km, 2/8, QNH 1011 falling then rising strongly 1014
Observers: Dave Barker


Moving Birds:

Common Snipe 5 -
Greenfinch 1 -

Totals: 6 individuals, 2 species, 2:00 hours


Comments: .......Afternoon visit. A dead loss today with virtially no moving birds in the sky across the tops. The wind was too strong... it blew my scope over twice! Just a few Snipe in singles and twos still gong west and a single Greenfinch also west. No Starlings this afternoon. Gulls were not counted as the only ones seen were coming into the roost.

Dave

Stainburn Moor, Harrogate... 11-10-2009

Stainburn Moor, Harrogate (N Yorks, England)
Sunday 11 October 2009
Counting period: 6:55-9:35
Weather: W F3 4/8-8/8 100km-10km rain later
Observers: John Blacker, Andy Hanby

Moving Birds:

Cormorant 3 + 1
Woodpigeon 38 -
Jay 1 -
Grey Heron - 2
Skylark 1 + 1
Magpie 1 -
Whooper Swan 2 - S
wallow 9 -
Starling 427 -
Greylag Goose 2 + 13
Meadow Pipit 217 -
Chaffinch 18 -
Anser spec. 17 -
alba wagtail sp. 15 + 2
finch sp. 41 -
Goosander 1 -
Wren 1 -
Greenfinch 80 -
Sparrowhawk 1 -
Blackbird 3 -
Goldfinch 1 -
Lapwing 6 -
Fieldfare 7 -
Siskin 6 -
Common Snipe 16 -
Song Thrush - 1
Linnet 63 -
Black-headed Gull - 2
Redwing 275 -
Lesser Redpoll 13 -
Common Gull - 6
Mistle Thrush 2 -
Crossbill 5 -
Lesser Black-backed Gull 7 -
Coal Tit 1 -

Totals: 1308 individuals, 35 species, 2:40 hours

Present: Sparrowhawk 2, Kestrel 1, Golden Plover 300, Lapwing 100, Great Spotted Woodpecker 1, Blue Tit 4, Great Tit 2, Jackdaw 50, Rook 100, Carrion Crow 100, Starling 650

Comments: We watched 0.5km apart; the small birds were moving mostly SW and we recorded different birds. Me ( AH) moving East was interesting- this brings me to a shallow valley and a line of trees and this seems to be the greenfinch/Starling route which takes them to the South, out of sight, of our usual spot. It shows that a minor distances can change the whole character of the vis mig.


Counting period: 12:05-12:40
Weather: Wind wnw 4; cool. 4 Oktas
Observers: Andy H


Moving Birds:

Common Snipe 7 -
Starling 45 -
Meadow Pipit 6 -
Linnet 3 -

Totals: 61 individuals, 4 species, 0:35 hours

Present: Common Buzzard 1, Merlin 1, Starling 1200

Comments: Another look after rain stopped play earlier. Generally nothing except Snipe happening. The number of grounded starlings had risen quite a bit- not surprising in view of the steady movement.

Andy Hanby and John Blacker

Ogden, Queensbury... 11-10-2009

Ogden, Queensbury (W Yorks, England)
Sunday 11 October 2009
Counting period: 7:15-10:00
Weather: Low cloud, heavy showers throughout, W>4
Observers: Brian Sumner


Moving Birds:

Common Snipe 8 -
Mistle Thrush 11 -
Black-headed Gull 71 -
Jay 2 -
Woodpigeon 21 -
Starling - 98
Skylark 2 -
Chaffinch 32 -
Meadow Pipit 15 -
Greenfinch 49 -
alba wagtail sp. 4 -
Goldfinch 13 -
Fieldfare - 7
Siskin 7 -
Redwing - 185

Totals: 525 individuals, 15 species, 2:45 hours

Present: Grey Heron 1, Sparrowhawk 1, Kestrel 1, Willow Warbler 1

Comments: What started off well was soon spoilt by heavy showers piling across from the NW, this continued throughout the watch. Finches, Skylarks, Mipits, Snipe and Jay were all W and SW Starlings were moving well in the rain >NW.

Brian Sumner

Caldene Fields, Low Moor... 11-10-2009

Caldene Fields S Bradford

11th of October 2009 Watch 07.00 –10.00
Weather: A very mixed weather today with a damp start, temp of 8c and a F1 W wind. Clear skies to the E with high thick cloud coming in from the W. Around 07.45 there were intermittent showers followed by low mist and cloud giving 80% cloud cover. Around 08.30 the skies cleared to around 30% only to return to showers and low cloud around 09,00. Visibility ranged from 5 to 10 miles.

Comments: What a morning!, it had everything from a late Swallow to an excellent movements of Starling and Redwing which moved for most of the watch fairly high to the W/S/W. A squadron of 150 Starling moving S/W which nearly knocked me over! they were that low... and a Skylark, sadly a passage rarity here flew E, Greenfinch again moved and a slight increase in Chaffinch was noted. 2 Brambling moving W at around 08.30 probably brought in by the same weather system as the Redwings etc was an excellent highlight!

I feel that I missed half of the ` Golden hour ` this morning due to poor visibility and many birds were probably missed

Moving Birds:

Mallard > 4 W
Black Headed Gull > 12 W + 22 S/S/W = 34
Common Gull > 5 S
LBB Gull > 3 S
Wood Pigeon > 22 S/S/W
Meadow Pipit 8 S
Alba Wagtail > 4 W + 6 S = 10
Swallow > 1 W
Starling > 241 S/W
Redwing > 669 W/S/W
Carrion Crow > W 7 + 6 = 13
Jackdaw > 9 S/W
Skylark > 1 E
Chaffinch > 15 S/W
Greenfinch > 98 W/S/W
Brambling > 2 W
Goldfinch > 13 S + 1 E = 14
Siskin > 1 W

300+ Golden Plover were observed at their normal feeding area N of Caldene Fields
A party of 12 unidentified Ducks flew N

Martyn Priestley

Movement along Aire Valley... 11-10-2009

Today I had 25 Redwing flying north at Sandbeds on my way to Stockbridge along the canal.

At Stockbridge, small flocks of Redwing flew west against the wind and totalled 57. Largest flock only about 20. Also Siskin flock of 20 went west.

Shaun Radcliffe

Paul Clough... 11-10-2009

Paul Clough 0730 - 0900,
The weather,dull windy drizzle was a shock to my system after a month in Spain, but a few birds did move up the Clough before I retired suffering from exposure, Redwings moving in small groups, most with a few Mistlethrush tagging along.

Redwing 137,
Mistlethrush 12,
Reed Bunting 2,
Chaffinch 20,
Bullfinch 8,
Pied Wagtail 5,
and the usual Sparrowhawk.

Brian Vickers.

Stainburn Moor, Harrogate... 10-10-2009

Stainburn Moor, Harrogate (N Yorks, England)
Saturday 10 October 2009
Counting period: 7:00-12:20
Weather: wnw 3, 2 oktas cool.
Observers: John+Andy


Moving Birds:

Cormorant 4 -
Woodpigeon - 12
Magpie 4 -
Whooper Swan 3 -
Great Spotted Woodpecker 3 -
Jackdaw 18 -
Greylag Goose - 25
Skylark 22 -
Starling 197 -
Teal 6 -
House Martin 3 -
Chaffinch 42 -
Goosander - 1
Meadow Pipit 81 -
finch sp. 38 -
Sparrowhawk 1 -
alba wagtail sp. 10 -
Greenfinch 13 -
Kestrel 2 -
Robin 1 -
Goldfinch 21 -
Lapwing - 16
Ring Ouzel 2 -
Siskin 4 -
Dunlin 1 -
Blackbird 4 -
Linnet 13 -
Common Snipe 38 -
Fieldfare 2 -
Lesser Redpoll 3 -
Black-headed Gull - 19
Redwing 448 -
Reed Bunting 4 -
Common Gull - 3
Mistle Thrush 1 -
Red Admiral 4 -
Lesser Black-backed Gull - 1
Blue Tit 2 -
Herring Gull 5 -
Jay 2 -

Totals: 1079 individuals, 40 species, 5:20 hours

Present: Golden Plover 250, Lapwing 90, Stock Dove 2, Pied Wagtail 3, Stonechat 1, Mistle Thrush 2, Long-tailed Tit 1, Rook 10, Carrion Crow 10

Comments: The Dunlin was in a group of Snipe. New Snipe day record. The starling got going after 1130 but my rumbling stomach drove me home and precluded a more impressive count!


Counting period: 14:40-15:20
Weather: as earlier
Observers: Andy Hanby

Moving birds:

Common Buzzard 7 -

Totals: 7 individuals, 1 species, 0:40 hours

Present: Red Kite 3

Comments: A quick afternoon look for thrushes- unsuccessful for that but 7 Buzzards was nice.


Andy Hanby and John Blacker