Red on Black Exotica!!!....

Black Redstart....two passage birds... undisclosed site... six images (c) 2010

Dave

Oxenhope.... little volume but! 25-07-2010

Lesser black backed Gull... graellsii... This bird ringed by the North West Gull Project on Walney Isle.... Further details as soon as to hand... (c) 2010


Detail of rings on the above bird at 250m range!... (c) 2010


Yellow legged Gull.... (c) 2010


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


Same bird... vitals on view!!... (c) 2010


Wheatear.... (c) 2010


Snipe.... (c) 2010

0640 - 0750hr

Moving birds:

Ringed Plover 1
LBB Gull 130
BH Gull 46
Curlew 1

Brian Vickers

WNW F4 becoming F5, 18degC, 65km, 7/8, rain later, QNH 1016 falling
0815 - 1230hr

Some rain overnight but not much and no apparent mipit congregations today. Unlike yesterday, a day of little volume but the interest was held all of the time! A Greenshank in from high east at 0835 flew the length of the water calling and then off low west over the moor was a good sign!.... Several parties of Sand Martin went west into the wind and Swallows in small numbers were doing the same... all were low over the water. A Cormorant went west but again the gulls in much smaller numbers gave the interest again. Over the last week we have noted that a progressively increasing number of "dark end" lessers have been present within the masses... today especially interesting with the dark birds very prominant. A "graellsii" individual was sporting a North West Gull Project ring with a W prefix confirming Walney Isle... I think but I will give further details when these are to hand. It started to rain at c1115 but degernrating into drizzle in the wind before to long.

Moving birds:
Wheatear 3
Greenshank 1
LBB Gull 186+50+21 hour counts
BH Gull 31+47+10 hour counts
Yellow legged Gull 1
Herring Gull 1
Sand Martin 21
Cormorant 1
Swallow 31
Swift 3

W F5, 17degC, 65 reducing 20km, 8/8, QNH 1017 falling
1350 - 2030hr

Moving birds:
LBB Gull 297
BH Gull 270
Common Gull 3
Goosander 3
Wheatear 1
Swift 26
Ringed Plover 6
Green Sandpiper 1
Snipe 1

Dave

Stainburn Moor, Harrogate 25-07-2010

Stainburn Moor, Harrogate (N Yorks, England)
Sunday 25 July 2010
Counting period: 5:30-7:40
Weather: F2-3 W wind 8/8 cloud; mist especially to S and W 15-17C
Observers: A Hanby

Moving Birds:
Cormorant - 1
Lesser Black-backed Gull 5 -
alba wagtail sp. - 2
Grey Heron - 1
Woodpigeon - 26
Mistle Thrush - 6
Peregrine 1 -
Swift 11 -
Starling - 266
Common Snipe - 2
Sand Martin 5 -
finch sp. - 15
Black-headed Gull - 62
Swallow - 73
Goldfinch - 19
Common Gull 4 -
Meadow Pipit 2 -
Linnet - 4

Totals: 505 individuals, 18 species, 2:10 hours

Present: Kestrel 2, Golden Plover 19, Lapwing 950, Stock Dove 10, Woodpigeon 45, Skylark 8, Blackbird 2, Greenfinch 4, Goldfinch 6, Linnet 4

Comments: Interesting in parts. Most 'N' is WMW in fact; most 'S' WSW. A huge increase in Lapwing numbers with a flock of nearly 1000 and the first moving Snipe of the season. The Peregrine, a bird of the year attacked everything in sight without success and headed ESE.

Andy