Stainburn Moor, Harrogate.... 05-09-2010

Stainburn Moor, Harrogate (N Yorks, England)
Sunday 5 September 2010
Counting period: 7:00-12:00
Weather: SE 3, cloud ranging from 4/8- 8/8. Rare spots of rain ( about 3 !)
Observers: A Hanby, J Blacker


Moving birds:
Hobby 1 -
House Martin 39 -
Great Tit 4 -
Peregrine 2 -
Tree Pipit 1 -
Magpie 3 -
Lapwing 48 -
Meadow Pipit 186 -
Tree Sparrow 20 -
Common Snipe 5 -
flava wagtail sp. 21 -
Chaffinch 5 -
Black-headed Gull 48 -
Grey Wagtail 1 -
finch sp. 5 -
Common Gull 78 -
alba wagtail sp. 3 -
Greenfinch 2 -
Lesser Black-backed Gull 13 -
Dunnock 2 -
Goldfinch 20 -
Great Spotted Woodpecker 1 -
Wheatear 2 -
Linnet 28 -
Swallow 230 -
Coal Tit 2 -

Totals: 770 individuals, 26 species, 5:00 hours

Present: Mallard 11, Red Kite 11, Sparrowhawk 3, Common Buzzard 2, Kestrel 3, Lapwing 110, Curlew 11, Stock Dove 8, Woodpigeon 45, Collared Dove 1, Skylark 8, Swallow 150, House Martin 15, Meadow Pipit 45, Starling 600

Comments: In most ways today was middle of the road at best except for one thing- 21 Flava wags SW including a single flock of 16. This is a remarkable total these days even at coastal sites and truly exciting. Also good to see was an increase on Tree Sparrows with 2( 7,5 and 8) ESE. The best raptor was a Hobby SW briefly hawking as it went through. Two Peregrines went SE within minutes of each others, both were Males and included one adults directly overhead. Skylarks were up on the deck today over the last few watched. At 186 we had our best mipit count of the autumn, way down on last years numbers. suggesting they are on the move- though none actually seen to do so. One of the three albas was very clean underneath with an odd call and was almost certainly a white.

Andy and John