Oxenhope.... early DEARTH! 25-10-2009

Just an illusion... it was nothing like this suggests.... Sunrise over the North Sea and Lincolnshire.. (c) 2009


Nothing like this either!! (c) 2009


Sunrise in context!!... even this is misleading (c) 2009



Sheeting rain squalls and driving drizzle! lets be realistic... (c) 2009




Oxenhope, Bradford (W Yorks, England)
Sunday 25 October 2009
Counting period: 6:45-11:30
Weather: WSW F5/6 moderating F4, 11degC, 100km+ reducing 3000m in rain, 8/8 deep stratus breaking stratocumulus, QNH 1001 rising 1003
Observers: Dave Barker


Moving Birds:

Cormorant 1 -
Meadow Pipit 1 -
Whooper Swan 11 -
Fieldfare 110 -
Pink-footed Goose - 74
Redwing 1 -
Black-headed Gull 37 -
Rook 3 -
Common Gull 8 -
Starling - 10
Lesser Black-backed Gull 7 -
Chaffinch - 1

Totals: 264 individuals, 12 species, 4:45 hours

Comments: GREENWICH MEAN TIME STARTS TODAY....Started off at Sentry but moved up after 0930. A brilliant sunrise over the North Sea and Lincolnshire from up here in the Pennines but very brief as sky was 8ok. Very soon numerous rain squalls set in advancing from the WSW. Initially there was a total dearth of moving birds even before the squalls with the first and only squadron of Starlings passing NNW not until 0903. A total of three Rooks passed west, a good record for here! Nothing much happened then until 1046 when a skein of 11 Whoopers unseen on approach came in very low over the N end during a sheeting rain squall... nearly chopping my head off!!...a terrific surprise. I thought they were going to come down but on they went low over the water and off out to the SSE... Immediately after at 1048 in the same rain squall a broken skein of very low pinks went through NW (going the other way) at eye height just at / above tree top level... again a total out of context surprise and unseen on approach. I hung around for another 45mins thinking there might be more but absolutely nothing came. Except for these two exceptional highlights, worth every minute of waiting it was a really horrible morning.

Dave Barker

Wycoller Ark.... DIRE!! 25-10-2009

Wycoller Ark, Trawden (Lancashire, England)
Sunday 25 October 2009
Counting period: 7:00-9:00
Weather: WSW F5/6 gusting more!, 11degC, 100km+ 3000m in rain, sheeting rain squalls, 8/8, QNH 1001 rising 1002
Observers: Howard Creber


Moving Birds:
Lesser Black-backed Gull 1 -
Starling - 15

Totals: 16 individuals, 2 species, 2:00 hours

Comments: GREENWICH MEAN TIME STARTS TODAY...Weather : Brilliant early morning sunrise gave way to overcast conditions though decent visibility was maintained - Oxenhope Sentry always in view. Very windy with driving drizzle at times.....DIRE TODAY....Simply nowt apart from a measly 15 Starlings NW which were literally bouncing very low over the in-bye as they tried to make headway in the gusty wind conditions. Drew stumps at 0900 hrs , as per Dave, everyone else was suffering the same fate as me this morning.

Howard Creber

Ogden, Queensbury... miserable morning! 25-10-2009

Ogden, Queensbury (W Yorks, England)
Sunday 25 October 2009
Counting period: 7:15-10:00
Weather: Strong SW > F6 Continuous horizontal drizzle showers and rain throughout the watch
Observers: Brian Sumner


Moving birds:
Cormorant 2 -
Redwing 18 -
Whooper Swan 2 -
Starling - 28
Black-headed Gull 13 -
Chaffinch 8 -
Fieldfare 2 -

Totals: 73 individuals, 7 species, 2:45 hours

Comments: A real miserable morning with the heavy drizzle being blown across from the west. Very little movement, even the Starlings were keeping their heads down, just 2 squadrons > NW skimming the heather. 2 Whoopers came up over the moor from a local reservoir and headed off > SE during a brief dry period.

Brian Sumner

Caldene Fields, Low Moor... no real movement 25-10-2009

Caldene Fields, Bradford (W Yorks, England)
Sunday 25 October 2009
Counting period: 6:30-10:15
Weather: A morning of squally showers, 80% thick high swirling cloud with always clearer skies to the E and a temp of 10c. There was a F3 with gust to 4 S/W wind and visibility ranged from 5 to 10 miles due to the drizzle and cloud.
Observers: Martyn Priestley


Moving birds:
Mallard 3 -
Woodpigeon 221 -
Starling 121 -
Lapwing - 32
Meadow Pipit 2 -
Chaffinch 11 -
Black-headed Gull 105 -
alba wagtail sp. 15 + 2
finch sp. 50 -
Common Gull 6 -
Fieldfare 4 + 3
Greenfinch 102 -
Lesser Black-backed Gull 2 -
Redwing 252 -
Goldfinch 11 -
Stock Dove 5 -
Carrion Crow 28 -

Totals: 975 individuals, 17 species, 3:45 hours

Comments: There was no real movements of Thrushes or Starling noted here today. The mild temperature and wind ensured only a small number of Woodies moved and those mostly flew low due to the wind. A number of unidentified finches and a large squadron of Starling dropped down in to trees around the Heckmondwike area due to the weather but were not counted. Also the first double figure count of Lapwing E of the Autumn was noted.

Martyn Priestley