Oxenhope... winter is here! 15-11-2009

Pre Sunrise... (c) 2009

Oxenhope, Bradford (W Yorks, England)
Sunday 15 November 2009
Counting period: 7:30-9:30
Weather: SSW F3/F4, 5degC, 50km haze, 3/8, QNH 999 rising 1000
Observers: Dave Barker

Moving Birds:
Greylag Goose 2 -
Woodpigeon 10 -
Common Gull 3 -
Meadow Pipit 1 -
Lesser Black-backed Gull 1 -
Starling 15 -
Herring Gull 1 -

Totals: 33 individuals, 7 species, 2:00 hours

Comments: Migration all but dried up generally. Gulls on the move almost absent this morning, with no black heads at all! Only five very small parties of Starlings NW and the advance of cirrus spissatus in the high sky from the SW in the short term bodes bad! Winter is here in the hills!

Dave

Stainburn Moor, Harrogate... 15-11-2009

Stainburn Moor, Harrogate (N Yorks, England)
Sunday 15 November 2009
Counting period: 9:05-10:30
Weather: SSW F1-2 6'C 4/8
Observers: John Blacker

Moving Birds:
Greylag Goose 5 -
Fieldfare 56 -
Woodpigeon - 455
Redwing 14 -
Skylark 1 -
finch sp. 2 -
Meadow Pipit 1 -

Totals: 534 individuals, 7 species, 1:25 hours

Present: Sparrowhawk 1, buzzard sp. 2, Golden Plover 200, Black-headed Gull 30, Common Gull 200, Starling 2000

John Blacker

Caldene Fields, Low Moor... spring like! 15-11-2009

Caldene Fields, Bradford (W Yorks, England)
Sunday 15 November 2009
Counting period: 7:00-9:00
Weather: Dry with 70% overall high patchy cloud and a temp of 5c. Excellent visibility beyond 10 miles and no wind of note.
Observers: Martyn Priestley


Moving Birds:
Anser sp. - 4
alba wagtail sp. 14 -
Starling 43 -
Black-headed Gull 13 -
Fieldfare 141 -
Chaffinch 3 -
Common Gull 5 -
Song Thrush 2 -
finch sp. 10 -
Stock Dove 4 -
Redwing - 1
Greenfinch 36 -
Woodpigeon 24 -
Jackdaw 65 -
Goldfinch 11 -
Meadow Pipit 1 -
Carrion Crow 25 -
Siskin 1 -

Totals: 403 individuals, 18 species, 2:00 hours

Comments: : An almost Spring like feel to the watch with a Mistle Thrush breaking into song. I had a record count of Jackdaws moving S over the Gomersal area here today as well as 18 local birds feeding in the fields. For me it is worth noting the success of this Corvid as in the seventies this bird was a rarity here even on passage. There was no other real movements noted here apart from a few Fieldfares and a single Siskin suggesting passage has almost ceased at this location. However even though Greenfinch numbers have slowed down, I am still getting birds moving here.

Martyn Priestley