Oxenhope... more mania! 25-10-2010

Pre sunrise.... very cold!!... (c) 2010


The Long Awaited Sun!!!... and potential for warmth.. (c) 2010


The Team in ACTION!!... (c) 2010

Just BIG Blue and Open yet Again... (c) 2010

Sorry still swamped out with birds!
details to follow.....

Oxenhope, Bradford (W Yorks, England)
Monday 25 October 2010
Counting period: 7:30-16:00
Weather: W F2 becoming NW F2, -2degC frost, 65km, 0/8, QNH 1028 rising
Observers: Dave Barker, Howard Creber, Gordon Holmes, Brian Vickers, Lester Ward

Moving birds:
Cormorant 4 -
Black-headed Gull 55 -
Jackdaw 143 -
Grey Heron 2 -
Lesser Black-backed Gull 68 -
Starling - 289
Pink-footed Goose 55 -
Stock Dove - 6
Chaffinch 23 -
Goosander 4 -
Woodpigeon 4714 -
finch sp. 37 -
Goshawk 1 -
Great Spotted Woodpecker 1 -
Goldfinch 5 -
Sparrowhawk 6 -
Skylark 5 -
Siskin 7 -
Kestrel 3 -
Meadow Pipit 2 -
Reed Bunting 4 -
Merlin 4 -
Waxwing 8 -
bunting sp. 3 -
Golden Plover 10 -
Fieldfare 1287 -
Lapwing 2 -
Redwing - 23

Totals: 6771 individuals, 28 species, 8:30 hours

Comments: Open sky, wind from W qtr and QNH rising o/night and throughout. A brilliant frosty open sky morning with tremendous southward passage of woodies down the east Pennine flank flyway with in addiition a good influx from the Lancashire side. Starlings on the continental track were stronger than of late with one flock containing a very pale bird which could well have been "Rosey" but irrelevant really. Merlins were on the move, hard and fast with a magnificent four at intervals all batting south. Eight Waxwings went W at 0900 and trilling was heard in the sky from more but could not be located at 1012. Fieldfare were many fewer than yesterday but still some very high flocks in amongst appearing fresh and still all going NW. A high Goshawk was picked up high in the xxxxx, gradually acciptering south at 1050, then suddenly it plunged way down and was lost... several bunt sp contacts and a good movement of mandatory high Jackdaws west in several groups all crossing well into Lancashire and beyond before lost to view. Nearly all of pigeon movement was in the first hour and movement generally except for FF, and Starlings came to a halt well before lunch time.

Dave and Howard