Oxenhope.... winter skies! 25-09-2010

Pre sunrise.... looking east (c) 2010


Pre sunrise looking west.... (c) 2010


Sunrise.... (c) 2010


Open skies mid morning.... (c) 2010


Not over dressed!.... (c) 2010


Pinks SW.... (c) 2010

Oxenhope, Bradford (W Yorks, England)
Saturday 25 September 2010
Counting period: 6:40-11:00
Weather: NNW F1 inc F3, 2degC frost rising 9, 65km+, 0/8 inc 1/8, QNH 1018 rising
Observers: Dave Barker, Howard Creber, Rodney Procter, Chris King

Moving birds:
Cormorant 1 -
Grey Wagtail 1 -
Greenfinch 9 -
Pink-footed Goose 65 -
alba wagtail sp. 18 -
Goldfinch 7 -
Sparrowhawk 1 -
Mistle Thrush 5 -
Lapland Bunting 1 -
Common Snipe 1 -
Carrion Crow 6 -
Snow Bunting 3 -
Lesser Black-backed Gull 34 -
Starling 5 -
Reed Bunting 1 -
Skylark 9 -
Chaffinch 41 -
bunting sp. 6 -
Swallow 22 -
Brambling 1 -
Meadow Pipit 402 -
finch sp. 7 -

Totals: 646 individuals, 22 species, 4:20 hours

Present: Lapwing 169

Comments: Overnight and First Hour....Open sky and light WNW - NW wind overnight with rissing QNH throughout. Frost by dawn on car windscreen and grass also on moor. Virtually nothing before sunrise. Snow Buntings c E at 0731 and 0753 and a bunt sp SE at 0757 were the highlights.; .....Second hour.... 5 pinks SW at 0817, bunt sp at 0832 and 0840 and c 60 pinks E at 0841 were the highlights. A Grey Squirrel was on the wall.; ..... Third hour.... bunt sp E and SE at 0907, 0930 and 0953 were the rather unfulfilling highlights.; .... Forth hour.... two bird call from Lap bunt SE at 1009 and Snow bunt SE at 1032 were the highlights but all in all a fairly dismal hour. Obvious high level bunting movement E and SE today with possibly onward through movement from an arrival of Snow Bunts despite the cold made the watch of the dark blue "winter" skies today very worthwhile and I think the best on record ever for these bunt sp up here!

Dave, Howard, Chris and Rodney

PAUL CLOUGH 0700- 0900,
Cloudless and Birdless Skies at 0700, the only moving birds came out of the Clough mainly Chaffinch and a few Greenfinch, with a Tit Flock blogging around and the occasional Mpipit flying south.

Chaffinch 90, Greenfinch 6, Blackbird 5, Bullfinch 6, Goldcrest 2, Reed Bunting 2,Long Tailed Tit 12, Great Tit 10, Bluetit 14,Dunnock 2.

Brian Vickers.