Oxenhope.... fieldfare phalanx!! 15-10-2010

Fieldfare Skies.... (c) Howard Creber 2010

Level Ceiling.... (c) Howard Creber 2010

Fieldfares.... the first sizeable flock! (c) Howard Creber 2010

Oxenhope, Bradford (W Yorks, England)
Friday 15 October 2010
Counting period: 7:00-14:30
Weather: W F1, 8degC, 70km, 8/8, one shower pm, QNH 1019 falling
Observers: Howard Creber, Gordon Holmes, Mark Baron

Moving birds:
Pink-footed Goose 3 -
Fieldfare - 428
Chaffinch 10 -
Lapwing 83 -
Redwing 17 - Greenfinch 7 -
Woodpigeon 12 -
Mistle Thrush 2 -
Goldfinch 13 -
Swallow 2 -
Long-tailed Tit 15 -
Siskin 3 -
Meadow Pipit 102 -
Blue Tit 2 -
alba wagtail sp. 5 -
Starling 19 -

Totals: 723 individuals, 16 species, 7:30 hours

Present: Raven 2

Comments: Broken, becoming overcast skies overnight with wind from a westerly qtr throughout. QNH falling throughout. After a very slow morning and advance notice from Dave (thankyou) that thrushes were hitting the East Coast, things picked up around 12.35 when Fieldfare flocks, quite obviously linked, started to arrive, tracking in from the West Bradford direction (as usual). Twelve well spaced pure Fieldare flocks varying from 9 to 110 flew directly West into the wind at average height - none especially high. The most interesting sighting was 15 Long Tailed Tits (definately the birds of the day) with 2 Blue Tits, traversing the moor over the watch point area and out to the West..... Redwing - 17 W.... Mistle Thrush - 2 W.... Fieldfare - 428 W.... Mipit - 102 S... Goldfinch - 13 E.... Chaffinch - 10 E... Greenfinch - 7 W... Alba Wag sp. - 5 S.... Swallow - 2 S.... Siskin - 3 S.... Long Tailed Tit - 15 W.... Blue Tit - 2 W (with LTT....).... Lapwing - 83 SW.... Woodpigs - 12 E.... PF Goose - 3 E.... Starling - 19 W....

Howard Creber

............................
PAUL CLOUGH 0710-0930

Very little moving in the Clough, just odd Fieldfare and some Long Tailed Tits, Long Tailed Tits 12, Fieldfare 46.

Nab Water Lane pm
Stonechat

Brian Vickers.
............................

Terriffic views of a ringtail harrier as it passed onward through the area!

............................