Oxenhope... gulls gulls gulls!... 24-07-2010

Wheatear surge!... (c) 2010


Wheatear... young, very young migrant!... (c) 2010


Yellow legged Gull.... (c) 2010


A dark end bird!!... (c) 2010


Yellow legged Gull.... (c) 2010


Yellow legged Gull.... (c) 2010


Gulls Gulls Gulls!.... Click to make it a bit bigger (c) 2010

0630 -0810hr

Yellow legged Gull 2
LBBGull 35
BH Gull 155
Swift 3
Common Sand 1
Wheatear 1
Sand Martin 10

Brian Vickers

WSW F3, 16degC, 65km, 4/8, QNH 1022 rising after ridging at c midnight and then falling.
0850 - 1245hr

Mipits were everywhere as I was arriving but later on not one to be seen. Wheatears were creeping through and prominent for the first time this autumn.... waders were few but gulls were prolific in the sky and moving all the time with flocks of blackheads up to c150 coming in... in addition many were scoped out over Airedale with the main direction this morning being NW... travel also noted from the N and also the NE. There were good numbers of dark end lessers within the mix. A Succession of Yellow legged Gulls throughout the day, all short stayers, was no doubt the resultant of the return of the north westerly flow. After midday as I was leaving Swallows looked as if they might be on the move with a sucession of parties there one minute but gone the next!

Moving birds:
Wheatear 15
Swift 73
Sand Martin 6
LBB Gull 241 + 295 + 104 (hour counts)
BH Gull 670 + 950 + 300 (hour counts)
Common Gull 15
Herring Gull 3
Yellow legged Gull 1
Common Sand 3
Dunlin 1
Swallow... no count

Other:
Curlew 4

Dave

1430 - 1530hr

BH Gull 478
LBB Gull 106
Common Gull 7
Herring Gull 1
Oystercatcher 1
Yellow legged Gull 1

Brian Vickers

WSW F4, 16degC, 65 becoming 5km obscured by rain, 6/8 becoming 9/8, QNH 1020 falling
1530 - 2100hr

A good start but with rain setting in at c1800, light at first but becoming quite wet... this did not stop the gulls but all had gone by 2015 when I decided to pack up. Three Ringed Plovers came in from the NE at 1940hr.

Moving birds:
BH Gull 590
LBB Gull 195
Herring Gull 1
Common Gull 6
Yellow legged Gull 1
Common Sand 1
Wheatear 1
Curlew 2
Ringed Plover 3
Swift 6

Other:
Grey Partridge pair with 10 big flying young.
Oystercatcher 1

Dave

Stainburn Moor, Harrogate... 24-07-2010

Stainburn Moor, Harrogate (N Yorks, England)
Saturday 24 July 2010
Counting period: 5:00-9:30
Weather: W-WSW F0-1 1/8-5/8 18'C 75km
Observers: J Blacker and A Hanby

Moving Birds;
Cormorant 5 + 1
Collared Dove - 3
Jay 1 -
Greylag Goose 5 -
Swift - 4
Starling - 123
Canada Goose 1 -
Skylark - 3
Tree Sparrow 2 + 2
Golden Plover 6 -
Swallow - 85
finch sp. - 19
Lapwing - 18
Meadow Pipit 20 -
Greenfinch - 16
Curlew - 4
Robin - 2
Goldfinch 4 + 25
Black-headed Gull - 125
Wheatear 1 -
Linnet - 35
Common Gull 21 -
Chiffchaff 1 -
Crossbill - 8
Lesser Black-backed Gull - 16
Blue Tit - 2
Woodpigeon - 55
Great Tit - 9

Totals: 622 individuals, 28 species, 4:30 hours

Present: Common Buzzard 1, Kestrel 4, Oystercatcher 4, Lapwing 228, Stock Dove 11, Skylark 18, Swallow 100, alba wagtail sp. 3, Blackbird 2, Jackdaw 67, Chaffinch 1, Goldfinch 3

Comments: An inspiring morning with lots of species movement from early-doors. Highlights numerous including tree sparrow, crossbill, wheatear, chiffchaff, blue and great tit, robin. Linnet, Goldfinch, Greenfinch, Mipits and Starlings all moving in 1's to 4's. Gull's and Lapwing also moving mainly in 1's to 4's. Swallows moving in small flocks but clearly against a background of those present. Few Swift about nor Sandmartin.

Andy and John

Hunter Hill, Calderdale... 23-07-2010

Cold Edge, Halifax (W Yorks, England)
Friday 23 July 2010
Counting period: 8:00-10:00
Weather: N - F2 decreasing to F1. 15c with 60% cloud cover with good visibility
Observers: David Sutcliffe

Moving Birds:
Mallard 4 -
Skylark 2 -
Black-headed Gull 4 + 1
Meadow Pipit 2 -
Lesser Black-backed Gull - 4
Goldfinch 3 -
Swift - 34

Totals: 54 individuals, 7 species, 2:00 hours

Present: Sparrowhawk 1, Kestrel 2, Pheasant 2, Stock Dove 5, Woodpigeon 7, Little Owl 1, Green Woodpecker 1, Skylark 11, Swallow 50, Meadow Pipit 50, Grey Wagtail 1, alba wagtail sp. 1, Jay 1, Magpie 2, Jackdaw 65, Rook 12, Carrion Crow 22, Starling 1, Linnet 1

Comments: On first arriving at Hunter Hill watchpoint it was evident that there was very little on the move and it remained that way. Plenty of birds around the watchpoint and in the surrounding fields

Dave Sutcliffe