Pennine Skywatch: 26 Oct 2009

Monday, October 26, 2009

Wycoller Ark... anticipation lingers! 26-10-2009

Wycoller Ark, Trawden (Lancashire, England)
Monday 26 October 2009
Counting period: 7:45-11:15
Weather: WNW F3 moderating CALM, 10degC, light drizzle at times, 8/8 stratus fractus / fog stratus, QNH 1011 rising 1017
Observers: Howard Creber

Moving birds:
Black-headed Gull - 67
alba wagtail sp. - 2
Greenfinch 9 -
Common Gull - 8
Fieldfare 2 -
Goldfinch 15 -
Lesser Black-backed Gull - 4
Redwing - 58
Siskin 10 -
Woodpigeon - 60
Jackdaw - 40
Linnet 1 -
Skylark 6 -
Starling - 152
Reed Bunting 2 -
Meadow Pipit 15 -
Chaffinch 13 -

Totals: 464 individuals, 17 species, 3:30 hours

Comments: Bowland Fells in view and also Sentry, though murky at times to the SE. Light drizzle at times. Another lack lustre day here at the Ark - nothing yet to enthuse about. Lull before the storm ? - roll on those Fieldfares !!!

Howard Creber

Caldene Fields, Low Moor... woodies begin to stir 26-10-2009

Caldene Fields, Bradford (W Yorks, England)
Monday 26 October 2009
Counting period: 6:30-10:30
Weather: A dry morning with a decreasing W wind from F2/3 to F1, Temperature 10c and 90% high patchy white cloud. Around 08.30 drizzle and low mist came in from the S/E reducing excellent visibility at 07,00 from 10 miles to around 5 miles.
Observers: Martyn Priestley

Moving birds:
Shelduck 2 -
Meadow Pipit 12 + 3
Jackdaw 26 -
Mallard 3 -
alba wagtail sp. 14 + 3
Carrion Crow 40 -
Black-headed Gull 105 -
Blackbird - 4
Starling 136 -
Common Gull 5 -
Fieldfare 26 + 3
Chaffinch 29 -
Stock Dove 4 -
Song Thrush 1 -
Goldfinch 15 -
Woodpigeon 742 -
Redwing 426 -
Lesser Redpoll 4 -
Collared Dove - 2
Mistle Thrush 5 + 6
Bullfinch 1 -

Totals: 1617 individuals, 21 species, 4:00 hours

Comments: There was some thrush movement noted today but not in any great numbers. Redwing moved to the S/S/W and a slight increase in Fieldfare and Mistle Thrush was noted. The first real push of Woodies to the S/S/W was observed on a broad band ranging roughly from Low Moor to Heckmondwike a distance of about 8 miles however, numbers were low. Corvids also moved and a good number of C Crows/Rook were noted flying low to the S at around 07.30 over the farmlands around Dewsbury and Mirfield, Due to the distance involved it was difficult to tell if these were genuine moving birds therefore they were not counted. 2 Shelduck passed through to the S/W and a few finches did move but passage stopped at around 08.30 Chaffinch moved in two direction to the W and S.

Martyn Priestley

Oxenhope Sentry... transition sets in! 26-10-2009

Oxenhope, Bradford (W Yorks, England)
Monday 26 October 2009
Counting period: 6:30-12:00
Weather: WNW F3 moderating CALM, 10degC, 100km+ Lincolnshire - reducing 5km at times, drizzle, 8/8 becoming stratus fractus / fog stratus, QNH 1011 rapid rise to 1017
Observers: Dave Barker

Moving Birds:
Cormorant 1 -
Woodpigeon 142 -
Starling - 151
Greylag Goose - 1
Skylark 5 -
Chaffinch 4 -
Golden Plover 2 -
Meadow Pipit 28 -
finch sp. 60 -
Lapwing 45 -
alba wagtail sp. 12 -
Greenfinch 6 -
Common Snipe 2 -
Fieldfare 165 -
Goldfinch 25 -
Black-headed Gull 197 -
Redwing 93 -
Lesser Redpoll 12 -
Common Gull 19 -
Mistle Thrush - 1
Reed Bunting 3 -
Lesser Black-backed Gull 2 -
Jackdaw 31 -
Great Black-backed Gull 1 -
Rook 2 -
Magpie 1 -

Totals: 1011 individuals, 26 species, 5:30 hours

Present: Lapwing 400, Dunnock 1

Comments: The main feature was the wind moderating to CALM as transitional conditions set in, combined with rapidly rising pressure and associated formation of fog stratus, a combination the birds diddent seem to like today! Always reasonable visibility but nothing much in the sky! A Dunnock on the moor at first light was very unusual. Woodpigeons were going for it initially but all were way out to our east and as usual, even that would be on the very edge of the flow... only small flocks were seen but all were going c south. Starling migration NW currently having a rest with only four squadrons seen today... back into normal "low" mode with the opposing winds. Thrush flocks ambleing about were moving in all directions initially (ready for a top up) but later on there was some more determined movement higher and all west, BS at Queensbury also noted this which could possibly relate to fresh arrivals. Three Jackdaw parties went through NW and judging from HC's flock counts at the Ark some of these may well have gone out over Lancashire this way. The best bird of the morning was undoubtably a first winter GBB Gull, picked up coming NW very high over Soil. This kept on going in constant direction and was lost heading very high towards HC still at the Ark. All in all a mediocre day. Hoping this manky air clears up for the morrow and that the rain front holds back until lunch time!!

Dave Barker

Stainburn Moor, Harrogate... 26-10-2009

Stainburn Moor, Harrogate (N Yorks, England)
Monday 26 October 2009
Counting period: 7:00-12:00
Weather: NW 3-4, N 1-2 later; mild. 6 Ok Visibility 10 miles plus (Humber bridge easily seen).
Observers: Graham Stephenson (celebrity visitor from Miles hill/Fleet), Andrew Hanby

Moving Birds:
Cormorant - 1
Great Black-backed Gull 1 -
Carrion Crow 8 -
Grey Heron 1 -
Stock Dove 11 -
Chaffinch 15 -
Greylag Goose 51 -
Woodpigeon 5708 -
finch sp. 44 -
Mallard 2 -
Collared Dove - 2
Greenfinch 7 -
Kestrel 1 -
Skylark 38 -
Goldfinch 27 -
Common Snipe 4 -
Meadow Pipit 28 -
Siskin 2 -
Curlew 1 -
Blackbird 3 -
Linnet 18 -
Black-headed Gull 10 -
Fieldfare 222 -
Lesser Redpoll 46 -
Common Gull 38 -
Redwing 903 -
Yellowhammer 3 -
Lesser Black-backed Gull 171 -
Mistle Thrush 12 -
Reed Bunting 1 -
Herring Gull 1 -
Jackdaw 47 -
Small Tortoiseshell 3 -

Totals: 7430 individuals, 33 species, 5:00 hours

Present: Red Kite 5, Sparrowhawk 3, Common Buzzard 6, Golden Plover 1200, Lapwing 600, Common Snipe 3, alba wagtail sp. 4, Dunnock 1, Magpie 1, Rook 30, Starling 7000

Comments: The Geese were going SE. The thrushes varieties of W from NW to SW. The LBBG s were going due south quite high, mostly over the Vale of York. The GBBG went WNW. Starling were moving but impossible to gauge with the large flocks that tend to build up in the day.

Andy Hanby