Oxenhope... transitional torrent! 10-11-2009
Sunrise through the Rain...... (c) 2009
Keighley under Clagg!! (c) 2009
Fingers of Fog over the high moors! (c) 2009
Bingley under Clagg!! (c) 2009
Pinks through the pouring rain! (c) 2009
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Pinks in the pouring rain! (c) 2009
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Pinks out over the Ark! (c) 2009
Oxenhope, Bradford (W Yorks, England)
Tuesday 10 November 2009
Counting period: 7:15-10:30
Weather: W F1 becoming CALM then S F3, 4degC, 65km reducing 30km, initially a thin band of open sky to the far east then 8/8 throughout, light to moderate rain at times, QNH 1011 falling 1010
Observers: Dave Barker, Howard Creber
Moving birds:
Pink-footed Goose 70 -
Meadow Pipit 2 -
Peregrine 1 -
alba wagtail sp. 1 -
Golden Plover 1 -
Blackbird 4 -
Common Snipe 2 -
Fieldfare 5724 -
Black-headed Gull 200 -
Redwing 55 -
Common Gull 25 -
Mistle Thrush 2 -
Lesser Black-backed Gull 4 -
finch sp. 3 -
Wood Pigeon 261
Starling 40
Totals: 6395 individuals, 14 species, 3:15 hours
Comments: A phenomenal morning of Fieldfare movement almost certainly a fresh arrival. Initially only moments of a brilliant sunrise beneath a cloud shelf extending out east possibly as far as the upper Humber confirmed clear conditions out over the North Sea, then 8/8 overdraw throughout with the recently commenced light rain becoming gradually heavier. Betweeen 0730 (the first we saw) and c0900hr this am an almighty Fieldfare surge of very high birds in tight massive flocks all coming out of the NE and ENE just below cloud base level. There was no surface movement initially whatsoever and it was only when the rains became more intense and our vision reduced that a few lower flocks were noted but once below the horizon they were very difficult to see!. The light rains didn't seem to bother the birds in high flocks at all to start off with but some high parties did show uncertainty later on as they commenced to pass over the fog bound high moors to our west in the increasingly heavy rain. 51 parties were recorded. Some Redwings seen and heard along the flocks with Blackbirds also seen and heard. Unfortunately it came on to rain quite heavily just after 0900 hr which put a stop to our vision but the birds whilst uncounted probably reduced height but kept going as we did get a few flocks in this later period. Just heard that DJS at Hunter Hill, Cold Edge was also latched onto this movement during the later morning and had a phenomenal flock of c1100 Fieldfares... going through... fantastic stuff Dave! Gull and Starling movement well down this morning and conditions were not condusive to us latching onto the Woodpigeon passage. The skien of pinks came in from the north at c 1000hr and turned SW to go out over the Ark into Lancashire.
Counting period: 15:00-16:45
Weather: S F2 becoming CALM, 6degC, 10km reducing 200m, 8/8, QNH 1009
Observers: Dave Barker
Moving Birds:
Fieldfare 841 -
Totals: 841 individuals, 1 species, 1:45 hours
Present: Little Gull 1
Comments: A further visit on the strength of reports from bS of ongong Fieldfare passage during the late morning and lunchtime periods. Visibility was poor initially but cleared considerably before closing in again. A further six parties of Fieldfare moving SW were detected, the largest of which were c200, all now were low but at cloudbase level and some were coming down in the trees. A second winter Little Gull was in the roost at last light (Keith Moir).
Dave
posted by Dave Barker at
11/10/2009 07:54:00 pm
4 Comments
