Oxenhope... autumn hots up! 13-06-2010

A "Dark End" Bird in Poor Light!.... three images (c) 2010

Bath Time for lessers... through the fog and rain (c) 2010

Herring Gull 2s.... (c) 2010

Herring Gull 2s.... (c) 2010

W F2 becoming NW F3, 14degC, 40km reducing 60m, spots of rain becoming a downpour, QNH 1014 falling.

1230 - 1700hr

Despite the conditions a fantastic afternoon with building lessers and birds on the move with lots to see. Gulls were the most interesting with again a good turnover all leaving NW. A "dark end" lesser... almost black... was most interesting and will undoubtably end up as committee fodder. A couple of 1s commons went through as well as a 2s herring and a few black heads. Waders were on the change as well with three groups of Redshank passing straight through NW at the onset of the rain, Curlews, all long bills, "packing up" and right at the end through the pouring rain a party of six Oystercatchers also straight through NW. Several small parties of Starling, presumeably all young birds went low NW through the rain over the in-bye. Mist was down over the ridge and the cloudbase was almost at head height.

Moving birds:

LBB Gull 180 > NW incl one dark end bird.

Common Gull 1s 2 > NW

BH Gull 6 > NW

Starling 61 > NW

Redshank 9 > NW

Canada Goose 15 > N

Herring Gull 2s 1 > NW

Cuckoo calling

Oystercatcher 6 > NW

Swift 34 > NW

Other:

Curlew 15

Dave