Oxenhope... pinks n' pigs! 17-10-2010

First light in the east.... (c) 2010


Crossing the Terminator!! and Eight miles High!!.. (c) 2010


Inversion mist fills Airedale.... (c) 2010

The lights of Keighley... (c) 2010

CWF col at first light!... (c) 2010

Sunrise.... (c) 2010

The team today... (c) 2010

Pigs south over Ferrybridge!... (c) 2010

Pinks SE... (c) 2010

Pinks NW.... (c) 2010

More Pinks NW... Whetstone Masts!.... (c) 2010

Sutton Moor... heather burn!... (c) 2010

Oxenhope, Bradford (W Yorks, England)
Sunday 17 October 2010
Counting period: 7:00-13:45
Weather: W F1 becoming SW F3, 0.5degC strong freezing frost, 120km Humber Estuary, 1/8, QNH 1026 rising then falling
Observers: Dave Barker, Howard Creber, Chris King, Rodney Proctor

Moving birds:
Cormorant 4 -
Swallow 8 - Greenfinch 3 -
Pink-footed Goose 339 -
Meadow Pipit 72 -
Goldfinch 30 -
Teal 1 -
alba wagtail sp. 14 -
Siskin 3 -
Mallard 6 -
Fieldfare 140 -
Lesser Redpoll 2 -
Lapwing 2 -
Song Thrush 2 -
Lapland Bunting 1 -
Black-headed Gull 501 -
Redwing 107 -
Yellowhammer 1 -
Common Gull 42 -
Starling - 565
Reed Bunting 3 -
Lesser Black-backed Gull 200 -
Chaffinch 21 -
bunting sp. 3 -
Skylark 15 -
Brambling 34 -

Totals: 2119 individuals, 26 species, 6:45 hours

Comments: Scattered to open sky overnight, calm then with v light wind from W...QNH rising then ridging 1027 at 0750. A terriffic morning to be out in the hills with wondeful pre sunrise skies with views out to the sun reflecting off the Humber estuary at sunrise. Thrushes dead today with no upper sky movement and only very little surface movement. Starlings coming on strong with NNW movement in small to moderate parties throughout tthe morning and still going as we left... by far the best count of the season to date. Bramblings very strong with best party 15 passing right overhead and so close that the camera wouldnt focus!! + yet more Bramblings just heard but not seen. The first day of mass woodie movement south concurrent with high pressure and dramatically reduced temperature but only for the initial period. Pinks both SE and NW were in evidence with a total of ten skeins... all way up and very hard work to locate. By 1000 it had got very slow but pinks, starlings and bits did keep coming. A YELLOWHAMMER, the bird of the day went through south just before lunch time, with a ticking tueing Lap Bunt just after... All in all a brilliant morning.

Dave and Howard