Oxenhope.... morose!! 23-09-2010

A bland pre sunrise sky.... (c) 2010


Laps in the Black!.... (c) 2010


Rain on the Horizon... (c) 2010

Conditions improve.... (c) 2010

calvus!!... (c) 2010

Rook South... (c) 2010

What killed our faithful friend Hare?.... with us at the watchpoint through thick and thin for well over a year now!!... RIP 21-09-2010.... (c) 2010

A Convoy of these over south yesterday morning... (c) 2010

Oxenhope, Bradford (W Yorks, England)
Thursday 23 September 2010
Counting period: 6:30-12:05
Weather: S becoming SSW F1/2 then SW F3, 13degC, 30 becoming 65km, 8/8 very low becoming 4/8, QNH 1005 falling.
Observers: Dave Barker, Howard Creber

Moving birds:
Cormorant 2 -
Swallow 55 -
Chaffinch 63 -
Mallard 4 -
Meadow Pipit 328 -
Greenfinch 45 -
Red Kite 1 -
alba wagtail sp. 30 -
Goldfinch 5 -
Sparrowhawk 1 -
Wheatear 1 -
Siskin 1 -
Kestrel 1 -
Song Thrush 2 -
Linnet 27 -
Peregrine 1 -
Mistle Thrush 11 -
Lapland Bunting 4 -
Lapwing 146 -
Willow Warbler 1 -
bunting sp. 4 -
Common Snipe 2 -
Jackdaw 12 -
Red Admiral 3 -
Black-headed Gull 54 -
Rook 1 -
Lesser Black-backed Gull 121 -
Starling - 23

Totals: 949 individuals, 28 species, 5:35 hours

Comments: Changeable overnight with periods of open sky but exceptionally heavy rain over the high tops of the Pennines spreading longitudinally up from the SW whilst almost fine just to the east. Wind always light from a southerly then westerly quarter and QNH falling throughout. Torrential showers still continuing mainly to our west but long gaps between but very black skies! My report title is going to be "morose!" a word that says it all relative to the weather this morning!!!.... ie sullen and bad tempered. but the good thing about it was that the wind was very light, absolutely serene when it was'nt raining. The laps went over in these periods of almost calm and black skies with very low ragged cloudbase, c 1300ft as the fractus was down on the higher ground just above us. They were at well spaced intervals... and none after the skies began to open.... Times were 0832, 0855, 0929 and 0958. A Red Kite was up soaring to our east, an uncommon bird here but it gradually worked its way off east in the Pudsey direction. Mipits were poor, as were Swallows but in relative terms chaffs were strong as were albas. Another couple of Song Thrush west as well as a few more Jackdaws west in two groups in typical raggeling fashion. Groups of Lapwing wer coming through west from way out to the east, some were initially picked up at range almost as far as the scope could see. A single Rook south was the bird of the day.... uncommon up here! A little group of what were considered to be bunt sp went high east at 0810 at cloudbase level there were no calls to be heard, as with the last bunt sp recorded, this is an unusual direction and mode for small pa sp at this watchpoint!

Dave and Howard

PAUL CLOUGH 23-09-2010

0700 -0900
Arrived at the Clough at the same time as the rain, during the brief dry spells I could see Mpipts flying south up the hill 110 in all,during a heavy shower I had just retired to the car when 7 Snipe came low up the Clough and over the car at no more than 15 metres high and sped up over the moor.

1115- 1245
Birds still moving out of the Clough, 15 Goldfinch 6 Greenfinch, 20+ chaffinch also 18 Swallows Through,8 Bullfinch 12 Long Tailed Tits and some Bluetits, Coaltits, Great Tits blogging around in the Clough.

Brian Vickers