Pennine Skywatch: 31 Oct 2009

Saturday, October 31, 2009

Contrail Vis.... 31-10-2009

Our local "swallow" going south (c) 2009

The first day for over two weeks when conditions were right... open clear skies! Lots of interesting contrail stuff went over but concentration was on the migrations so little to report in this respect. Winter will be here soon!

Dave and Howard

Labels: aero vis

STARLING SUPREME!!.... 31-10-2009

Starling Supreme!!

Double click the images to make them bigger... and get lost in the migration!!

Again Hope You Enjoyed These as Much as We Enjoyed Counting Em!!

Dave and Howard

Oxenhope... starling supreme! 31-10-2009

Oxenhope, Bradford (W Yorks, England)
Saturday 31 October 2009
Counting period: 6:45-11:00
Weather: SW F3 /2. 12degC, 5000m increasing 35km, 4/8, QNH 1017 rising 1018
Observers: Dave Barker, Howard Creber

Moving Birds:
Greylag Goose 2 -
Stock Dove 8 -
Redwing 529 -
Golden Plover 1 -
Woodpigeon 241 -
Starling - 4265
Lapwing 68 -
Skylark 1 -
Chaffinch 11 -
Common Snipe 4 -
Meadow Pipit 10 -
Greenfinch 6 -
Lesser Black-backed Gull 2 -
alba wagtail sp. 2 -
Siskin 5 -
small gull spec. 382 -
Fieldfare 395 -
Red Admiral 1 -

Totals: 5933 individuals, 18 species, 4:15 hours

Comments: An interesting morning with fantastic skies and also a massive increase in Starling passage. All were going NW with the vast majority very low to the ground, some even passing around and over us. The largest flocks were c500 strong and the peak hour of passage was 0800 - 0900 with 2145 through, with 1462 between 0900 and 1000. An influx of Thrushes also with many more Redwings than seen in the recent past but none were way up. Initially all of the thrush movement was to the east but this changed during the morning to a westerly flow but in smaller numbers. Nothing else was remarkable.

Dave

Caldene Fields, Low Moor... starlings not thrushes! 31-10-2009

Caldene Fields, Bradford (W Yorks, England)
Saturday 31 October 2009
Counting period: 6:45-10:45
Weather: : A dry start with a rising temperature of 10c and a F1 S/E wind. 40% cloud mainly to the E/S/E and increasing visibility from 3 to 6 miles as cloud and mist gradually cleared from the E/S/E.
Observers: Martyn Priestley

Moving Birds:
Mallard - 7
alba wagtail sp. 17 -
Chaffinch 14 -
Black-headed Gull 69 -
Fieldfare 47 -
finch sp. 20 -
Common Gull 9 -
Redwing 503 -
Greenfinch 84 -
Lesser Black-backed Gull 7 -
Mistle Thrush - 1
Goldfinch 39 -
Stock Dove 6 -
Magpie 1 -
Bullfinch 5 -
Woodpigeon 166 -
Carrion Crow 25 -
Skylark 1 -
Starling 3159 -

Totals: 4180 individuals, 19 species, 4:00 hours

Comments: The expected rush of thrushes did not happen here despite hearing many over head calls the pervious night from Low Moor to Scholemoor a distance of over 8 miles. Even in the city centre of Bradford calls of Redwings were heard up to 01.00. What did come through in excellent numbers were Starlings. The movement was S/W and on a broad front however, the bulk of the birds moved over the Scholes and Wyke area and some birds were very low to the ground. The movement started around 07.10 with a single bird and lasted throughout the watch. Starling breakdown: The majority of parties were under 50 these totalled 47, between 50 x 100 = 6, Over 100 = 6, Over 200= 1 5 Bullfinch including a party of 3 moved S and a single large/ bulky Plover Sp possibly a Grey flew S

Martyn Priestley

Hunter Hill, Calderdale... 31-10-2009

Cold Edge, Halifax (W Yorks, England)
Saturday 31 October 2009
Counting period: 7:00-10:00
Weather (first period): Mist - poor visibility first thing, brightening later and cloud lifting. Wind SW F1 to F3. 10c to 12c
Observers (first period): Dave Sutcliffe

Moving Birds:
Cormorant - 1
alba wagtail sp. 1 -
finch sp. 8 -
Sparrowhawk - 2
Fieldfare 443 -
Greenfinch 1 -
Dunlin 2 -
Redwing 277 -
Goldfinch 4 -
Black-headed Gull 1 -
Mistle Thrush 4 -
Siskin - 18
Stock Dove 4 -
Jay 1 -
Linnet 2 -
Woodpigeon 293 -
Starling 1305 -
Meadow Pipit 45 -
Chaffinch 46 -

Totals: 2458 individuals, 19 species, 3:00 hours

Present: Kestrel 1, Pheasant 2, Lapwing 60, Black-headed Gull 97, Common Gull 35, Green Woodpecker 2, Wren 1, Magpie 13, Jackdaw 33, Carrion Crow 35

Dave Sutcliffe

Stainburn Moor, Harrogate... 31-10-2009

Stainburn Moor, Harrogate (N Yorks, England)
Saturday 31 October 2009
Counting period: 6:45-11:00
Weather: v mild getting cooler later. 8/8 cloud with mist at fist, 2km vis, later 4/8 cloud vis to 15k plus. Wind SW 1 later WSW, then W 2-3
Observers: Andrew Hanby and John Blacker

Moving birds:
Pink-footed Goose 11 -
Collared Dove 2 -
Starling 1106 -
Canada Goose 2 + 2
Skylark - 22
Chaffinch 33 -
Lapwing 205 -
Meadow Pipit 49 -
finch sp. 11 -
Common Snipe 10 -
alba wagtail sp. 4 -
Greenfinch 2 -
Black-headed Gull 7 -
Blackbird 5 -
Goldfinch 23 -
Common Gull 23 -
Fieldfare 259 -
Linnet 12 -
Lesser Black-backed Gull 1 + 1
Song Thrush 1 -
Lesser Redpoll 28 -
Stock Dove 2 -
Redwing 879 -
Lapland Bunting 1 -
Woodpigeon 239 -
Mistle Thrush 2 -
Reed Bunting 1 -

Totals: 2943 individuals, 27 species, 4:15 hours

Present: Red Kite 2, Common Buzzard 3, Kestrel 1, Golden Plover 600, Lapwing 450, Common Snipe 5, Black-headed Gull 80, Common Gull 20, Little Owl 1, alba wagtail sp. 2, Dunnock 1, Blackbird 4, Magpie 1, Jackdaw 426, Rook 40, Carrion Crow 25, Starling 10000

Comments: Slow but interesting with Lapland Bunting the highlight. Skylarks WNW, Finches generally S and SSW, thrushes more SW and WSW. Starling WSW and W. Late edit after Martyns post which reminded me of the vast no of starling on the deck which seem to come in from the East but sadly don't all get beyond the gourmet fields next to us!

Andy and John