Oxenhope.... spring at last! 14-02-2010

The Worth Basin..... looking NW (c) 2010


Snow on Buckden Pike and Great Whernside (c) 2010


The BIG Picture (c) 2010

Edge of the Downfall (c) 2010

KLM (Netherlands) MD11 30025ft 479kn 283deg (c) 2010

MartinAir (Netherlands) B763 29975ft 462kn 282deg (c) 2010

0800 - 1100hr

N F1 becoming NNE F2, -1degC, 65km, 1 ok, QNH 1017 falling.

A brilliant spring like morning albeit below freezing for an hour or so. Birds on the move together with contrails... although short lived... made for an action packed visit. Meadow Pipits... largest group six were going north in very small numbers and Skylarks were once again cherrup ing over mostly west... oh for more mornings like this at this time of year. Gulls were moving N and NW and Golden Plovers were prominent in the sky.... and a Merlin powered high N. A small skein of pinks went very high west at 1055hr... the last birds of the visit.

Moving Birds:

Skylark 19

Meadow Pipit 21

Pinks 14

Golden Plover 36

BH Gull 45

Common Gull 21

Herring Gull 31

LBB Gull 1

Goldfinch 2

Merlin 1

Dave

Stainburn Moor, Harrogate... 14-02-2010

Stainburn Moor, Harrogate (N Yorks, England)
Sunday 14 February 2010
Counting period: 8:00-11:10
Weather: N 3 veering NNE 3. 1 oktas early- 4 later. 1 celsius at first rising to 5. ground frost first thing. Visiility v good to south but haze to E and NE.
Observers: A Hanby, J Blacker

Moving birds;
Cormorant - 1
Great Black-backed Gull - 13
Pink-footed Goose - 35
Woodpigeon - 37
Canada Goose - 12
Skylark - 18
Shelduck - 1
Meadow Pipit - 7
Lapwing - 35
Fieldfare - 1
Curlew - 1
finch sp. - 6
Lesser Black-backed Gull - 4
Goldfinch - 26
Herring Gull - 470

Totals: 667 individuals, 15 species, 3:10 hours

Present: Red Kite 10, Sparrowhawk 2, Common Buzzard 6, Black-headed Gull 15, Common Gull 400, Stock Dove 3, Great Spotted Woodpecker 1, Skylark 7, Dunnock 1, Mistle Thrush 1, Magpie 2, Jackdaw 25, Rook 90, Carrion Crow 2, Starling 45, Chaffinch 3

Comments: Interesting day with record Herring gull movement , with a few other large gulls thrown in. The gulls seemed to be coming from the SW with some splitting to go towards the Humber and a lesser number heading up the Vale of york. Overall vector ENE. A Shelduck was a nice first for our new 'sweet spt' site. Goldfinches also going for it today.

John and Andy

Stainburn Moor, Harrogate... 13-02-2010

Five pinks going east (c) John Blacker 2010

Stainburn Moor, Harrogate (N Yorks, England)
Saturday 13 February 2010
Counting period: 7:30-11:00
Weather: 6 oktas first thing down to 4 later. NW 3 visibility 20+ miles dry but snow showers to NE over N Yorks moors and N vale of York. 2 celsius rising to 4 later.
Observers: Andy Hanby, John Blacker

Moving Birds:
Cormorant 8 -
Woodpigeon - 159
Pink-footed Goose - 5
Skylark - 25
Greylag Goose 9 + 9
Fieldfare - 1
Anser sp. 4 -
Starling - 239
Kestrel - 1
finch sp. - 17
Lapwing 120 -
Siskin - 4
Herring Gull 1 + 8
Linnet - 3

Totals: 613 individuals, 14 species, 3:30 hours

Present: Red Kite 9, Sparrowhawk 1, Common Buzzard 3, Kestrel 1, Merlin 1, Lapwing 220, Dunlin 4, Common Gull 1000, Stock Dove 5, Skylark 7, Magpie 3, Jackdaw 50, Rook 250, Carrion Crow 20, Chaffinch 8, Goldfinch 4, Yellowhammer 1

Comments: Bordering on interesting with a bit more action than of late. We expected lots of Pink feet but only meagre nos seen. The Cormorant ( 3 and 2) were all going ESE. The Merlin, a female, gave a typically spectacular masterclass in aerobatics as it chased a skylark for a prolonged period. Skylarks were very much in evidence with at least 3 singing birds plus probably 4 others on the deck as well as a decent movement N.

John and Andy