Oxenhope... variety perfomance! 12-10-2010

Cold and Grey!!... (c)Howard Creber 2010


The BIG Moor today!... (c) Howard Creber 2010


A Cold Sun... (c) Howard Creber 2010


The Downfall... (c) Howard Creber 2010


juncus.... (c) Howard Creber 2010

Oxenhope, Bradford (W Yorks, England)
Tuesday 12 October 2010
Counting period: 7:00-15:30
Weather: W F1, 6degC, 40km, 8/8 becoming 1/8 cold and grey early improving to warm sunny skies by afternoon with good thermals. QNH 1023 steady
Observers: Howard Creber, Gordon Holmes

Moving birds:
passerine sp. - 3
Swallow 6 -
Chaffinch 73 -
Whooper Swan 2 -
Meadow Pipit 230 -
Brambling 20 -
Pink-footed Goose 50 -
alba wagtail sp. 21 -
Greenfinch 15 -
Red Kite 1 -
Ring Ouzel 1 -
Goldfinch 55 -
Hen Harrier 1 -
Fieldfare 105 -
Siskin 7 -
Common Buzzard - 2
Redwing 161 -
Linnet 1 -
Golden Plover 13 -
Mistle Thrush 3 -
Lapland Bunting 3 -
Woodpigeon 9 -
Jackdaw - 6
Reed Bunting 1 -
Skylark 7 -
Starling - 15

Totals: 811 individuals, 26 species, 8:30 hours

Comments: Broken sky overnight becoming overcast or almost so through to c lunchtime, then opening and remaining so. Almost calm overnight becoming light and variable with long periods of almost calm during the morning. QNH steady throughout. A cold, grey, uninspiring morning gave little clue to what was to transpire throughout a full day watch - such are the vagaries of vis-mig !!!. A steady procession of winter thrushes set things in motion and three flocks of attendant Brambling low over the watchpoint were warmers.Three flocks of Fieldfare (20,41 & 30) moving high in the usual direction to the west gave a strong impression of being new arrivals. Another three Lapland Buntings (07.35, 08.10 & 08.55 binned) continued the superb passage of this species this year. Mipits were on the go throughout, but in significantly reduced numbers now. A very close, virtually overhead, Ring Ouzel brought whoops of joy from my Skipton compatriot.....12.15 hrs saw two Whooper Swans passing through the Causeway Foot col into Calderdale (probably these same two were located at Warland Reservoir mid pm in SW Calderdale high on the very backbone of the country [ND] and thanks for the coordination Dave) and a skein of circa 50 pinkies were picked up at range over Keighley Moor heading west. At 13.45 hrs a Red Kite was viewed over west Bradford.... at 14.00 hrs a superb male Hen Harrier was also picked up towards west Bradford and at 14.35 hrs two Common Buzzards came in very high over the watchpoint and disappeared extremely high to the NE. Both the RK and the HH thermalled up for several minutes before flying off very high XX. So the day ended literally on a terriffic "high" and sent two very happy (though starving ) bunnies home!!!... Mipits - 230 SE.... Redwing - 161 SE.... Fieldfare - 105 (14 SE & 91 W).... Ring Ouzel - 1 E.... Mistle Thrush - 3 E... Passerine sp - 3 NW... Brambling - 20 SE... Siskin - 7 E.... Alba Wag sp - 21 S.... Chaffinch - 73 W.... Reed Bunting - 1 S... Lapland Bunting - 3 E.... Goldfinch - 55 E.... Greenfinch - 15 E.... Linnet - 1 E.... Swallow - 6 E.... Skylark - 7 E.... Jackdaw - 6 high NW.... Wood pig - 9 E.... Starling - 15 NW.... Golden Plover - 13 E.... Snipe - 1 NE... Whooper Swan - 2 SW.... Pink Footed Goose - c50 W..... Red Kite - 1 XX... Hen Harrier male - 1 XX... Buzzard - 2 NE....

Howard and Gordon
............................

PAUL CLOUGH
0710-0900
Moving birds,
Raven 2, Sparrowhawk 1, Bullfinch 10, Song Thrush 3

Brian Vickers