Oxenhope.... dangerous moonlight!! 17-09-2010

Sunrise this morning.... (c) Howard Creber 2010


Up in the Blue.... (c) Howard Creber 2010


Crepuscular rays above deep cumulus over the Irish Sea at Sunset (c) 2010


Gloom descending..... (c) 2010


Shortie going through..... and seeing what there was! (c) 2010


Dangerous Moonlight... for something out there!... seen through transluciduis.... (c) 2010

Oxenhope, Bradford (W Yorks, England)
Friday 17 September 2010
Counting period: 6:30-10:30
Weather: NW F2, 3,5degC, 70km, 0/8 clear blu skies, QNH 1013 rising
Observers: Howard Creber, Gordon Holmes

Moving birds;
Cormorant - 1
Meadow Pipit 1202 -
Chaffinch - 67
Merlin 2 -
Grey Wagtail 2 -
finch sp. - 15
Black-headed Gull 52 -
alba wagtail sp. 21 -
Goldfinch 4 -
Lesser Black-backed Gull 124 -
Stonechat 1 -
Linnet 23 -
Skylark - 1
Wheatear 2 -
Swallow 44 -
Mistle Thrush - 21

Totals: 1582 individuals, 16 species, 4:00 hours

Comments: Though numbers were down on yesterday, the benefit of having a second set of eyes was clear. Gordon and his frozen legs (yes, wearing shorts and at 3degC!!) did his bit and less birds were missed than would have been the case if on my tod. However, the sun and bright blue sky made counting somewhat difficult. Alba`s put in a good show today and Chaffinches were strong once again. There was also an obvious movement of Mistle Thrushes NW. Not a spectacular day, but good enough to maintain the interest..... Mipits - 1202 W... Alba Wag - 21 W... Grey wag - 2 W... Swallow - 44 S... Mistle Thrush - 21 NW... Golden Plover - 2 NW... Wheatear - 2... Chaffinch - 67 NW... Merlin - 2 S... Linnet - 23 (one flock) W... Finch sp - 15 NW... Goldfinch - 4 W... Stonechat - 1... Skylark - 1 NW... Cormorant - 1 NW...

............................................................................
Counting period: 18:15-20:35
Weather: W F3 reducing F2, 7degC, 65km 3/8, QNH 1018 rising
Observers: Dave Barker

Moving birds;
Short-eared Owl 1 -
Meadow Pipit 73 -

Totals: 74 individuals, 2 species, 2:20 hours

Present: Goosander 36, Curlew 2, Black-headed Gull 61, Lesser Black-backed Gull 84

Comments: Open sky over last night and essentially right through the day with the execption opf the lunchtime period when 3/8.... translucidus drew over late afternoon to remain during the evening. Wind becoming W from late afternoon but with QNH rising throughout. As usual mipits resurging during the early evening west and a Short eared Owl working SE towards the in-bye was good. Not much activity from the gulls which were sitting tight! Dropping quite cool again but despite the translucidus up high the visibiliy was very clear.

See what the morrow brings!

Howard, Gordon and Dave