Oxenhope.... wicked wind! 04-07-2010

Shorescape!.... (c) 2010


Shorescape and islands!... (c) 2010

SSW F6 gusting F8, 13degC, 65km, 4/8 QNH 1016 falling

0855 - 1130hr

A fall in pressure since midnight with a terrible wind springing up and increasing in strength during the morning as a atlantic low trundles NE up the western coast and out over Scotland. All of the time, dark skies in the N and NW but broken elswhere. Only the gulls moving in the sky today but still good numbers of Curlews hunkered down in the fields and in-bye.

Moving birds:

LBB Gull 156

BH Gull 64

Common Gull 1

Herring Gull 3

herring types 2

Other:

Curlew 43

Dave

PM VISIT

Blackwits x 3 on back pools.... a heavily enhanced OOF digi image! (c) 2010

WF7 gusting F9 moderating F5, 15degC, 30km haze, 2/8, QNH 1012 rising.
1745 - 2100hr

Rain visible in NW to start of with but pressure beginning to rise and generally rain breaking up out to west and remaining dry here all of the time.... sand storm blowing on back shore and spray blowing into hide!! Gulls coming in and moving through all of the time despite the conditions. Ten Oystercatchers had arrived and were sleeping on the back shore upon arrival at 1950hr five Dunlin ad together with a seperate juv were noted on the shore. At 2006hr whilst on at the far end with scope but without the right camera.... a group of three Blackwits crossed the water from the NW and eventually settled on one of the back pools, so did the best I could with a digiscope record shot in the high wind... a terrible mess but the best I could do as by the time I had got back round to my camera the birds had left to the east.... Curlews were still in the fields and a total of 54 were counted. In addition two birds still alarming with young were still on the in-bye.

Moving birds:
LBB Gull 298
BHG 21
Common Gull 1
Herring Gull 3

herring types 3
Oystercatcher 10
Dunlin 6
Blackwit 3

Other:
Curlew 54

Again this evening a night migration of Curlews with calls from birds going west over home at 2235hr.

Dave