Sunday, August 29, 2010

Oxenhope.... driving rain... then in the blue! 29-08-2010



The very best it got!.... (c) 2010

Oxenhope, Bradford (W Yorks, England)
Sunday 29 August 2010
Counting period: 6:12-8:12
Weather (first period): W F4 gusting W F6, 12degC, 200m -65km, intermittent driving rain, 8/8, QNH 1011 falling
Observers (first period): Dave Barker, Howard Creber

Moving birds;
Lesser Black-backed Gull 34 -
Meadow Pipit 22 -
Swallow 20 -

Totals: 76 individuals, 3 species, 2:00 hours

Comments: Period One...Open sky overnight but with QNH falling throughout. By 0530 low cloud had overdrawn with intermittent horizontal driving rain mass tracking down from the NW, but we were just on the very eastern edge of it as during periods when the rain had quelled we could see from the Pennines right out to the upper Humber. Birds in the sky or anywhere for that matter were very sparse with just a very few mipits heading west all things considered quite high with still no hint of movement south. Swallows were all very low and into the wind, because they were low quite possibly there were more than we could see.....; Period Two.... conditions and directions similar. Decided to suspend and come back later in the day with forecast conditions improving.

Dave and Howard


A "Swallow" Sky.... looking NW... (c) 2010


A "Swallow" Sky... looking E... (c) 2010



A "Swallow" Sky... looking NNE later on... (c) 2010


Cormorant... head up, wings up.... into the wind!... (c) 2010


Cormorant... head up, wings down... into the wind!... (c) 2010


The best of the Holistic Sky spots... Air New Zealand... London Heathrow- Los Angelies - Aukland (I think).... (c) 2010

Counting period: 11:45-18:00
Weather: NW F6 gusting F8 becoming N F6, 12degC, 100km, 1/8 becoming 6/8, QNH 1012 rising 1018
Observers: Dave Barker, Rod Procter. Elsie Procter. Keith Moir

Moving birds:
Cormorant 12 -
Sand Martin 16 -
Grey Heron 1 -
Swallow 657 -
Curlew 2 -
House Martin 40 -
Black-headed Gull 3 -
Meadow Pipit 85 -
Common Gull 1 -
Grey Wagtail 1 -
Lesser Black-backed Gull 114 -
alba wagtail sp. 2 -
Herring Gull 2 -
Wheatear 3 -
Stock Dove 7 -

Totals: 946 individuals, 15 species, 6:15 hours

Comments: A complete turn around from early morning with ideallic deep blue cumulus humilis skies albeit very gusty. Visibility from Humber Bridge to Bowland Fells and the North York Moors south of Teesside. Initially seemed fairly sterile with only small numbers of Swallows sneaking through west just above ground level. Then suddenly whilst scoping the contrail vis way up and out to the east the perspective opened up dramatically with masses of hirundine sp way up in the blue... they were coming through SW at differing ranges and thought to be mainly Swallows although later both House Martins and Sand Martins were noted in much smaller numbers. This went on in patches for some while, sometimes some in the scans and at other times none until the wind changed round to the north and sky clouded up after which none were seen until later in the afternoon in conjunction with and in front of deep cloud and distant showers coming in from the north when another much smaller surge came through much lower. Noteable concurrence with rapidly rising QNH and suddenly opening and drying skies. The other noteable thing about the afternoon was the continuous trickle of ones and threes of Meadow Pipits all going west, At 1745 just as I was packing up a much larger fragmented group of c47 came through again going west. Still no hint of mipits from the north but sure enough they will come before too long!! Many of the gulls were tracking NW again but still a southward flow as well. Noteable only small numbers of BHG. All in all after this morning a very fulfilling afternoon. Sadly in conditions that looked just right for waders, none were picked up.

Dave

Oxenhope.... diverse day! 28-08-2010


Pre sunrise today.... (c) 2010


First rosey glow over Airedale... (c) 2010


Snipe.... powering through WNW... (c) 2010



Snipe going through... (c) 2010


A Snipey morning... (c) 2010


Dunlin 1#2 straight through... coming off the north end weaving... twisting and away NW... a montage (c) 2010

Yellow legged Gull through N.... (c) 2010


Oxenhope, Bradford (W Yorks, England)
Saturday 28 August 2010
Counting period: 6:09-11:09
Weather (first period): W F3, 10degC, 65km, 6/8, recent drizzle, QNH 1017
Observers (first period): Dave Barker

Moving birds:
Mallard - 9
Black-headed Gull 6 -
Tree Pipit 2 -
Sparrowhawk 1 -
Common Gull 2 -
Meadow Pipit 90 -
Common Buzzard 1 -
Lesser Black-backed Gull 126 -
Grey Wagtail 1 -
Peregrine 2 -
Herring Gull 2 -
alba wagtail sp. 1 -
Oystercatcher 2 -
Short-eared Owl 1 -
Raven 1 -
Golden Plover 11 + 4
Swift 1 -
Starling 45 -
Dunlin - 2
Sand Martin 18 -
Common Snipe - 26
Swallow 106 -

Totals: 460 individuals, 22 species, 5:00 hours

Present: Teal 4, Goosander 31, Curlew 1, Lesser Black-backed Gull 73

Comments: Period One. Open sky overnight, overdrawing from west with cloud / clear interface overhead at 0600hr. QNH rising overnight with wind from a westerly quarter throughout. Some drizzle on front edge of cloud but ceasing before start time. Meadow Pipits moving well all but the first ones (north) going west... no suggestion that movement from the north has reached us here yet. Lessers going S, Snipe WNW, Tree Pip SW, Golden Plover NE, SE Owl SE, Starlings S..... Goosander roost 31 breaking 0630; Period Two....Mipits petering out with Swallows taking their place with the first Swallow at 0740. Lessers as usual at this time of year in two streams NW and S. Mipits W, Raven S, Grey Wag SW, Pegs W and S, Common Gull S......; Period Three.... brief showers at 0840 and 0901. Sphawk SE, Starling S, BH Gull S, Snipe WNW.; Period Four..... Showers close by but remaining dry til 0945 when brief heavy shower. Common Gull SW, Tree Pip SW, alba SW, Dunlin WNW, Sand Martin S, Snipe WNW, Buzzard SE.....; Period Five.....Mallard WNW, Golden Plover SE, Swift SW, Snipe WNW. Becoming very thin towards the end with heavy shower at 1028.....

Counting period: 16:00-18:00
Weather: WNW F6 gusting F8, 14degC, 65km, intermittent rain - brilliant sun, 4/8, QNH 1017
Observers: Dave Barker, Keith Moir

Moving birds:
Ringed Plover - 4
Herring Gull 3 -
Black-headed Gull 31 -
Yellow-legged Gull - 1
Lesser Black-backed Gull 59 -

Totals: 98 individuals, 5 species, 2:00 hours

Comments: No passerines in the sky whatsoever but gulls and waders still battleing. YLG arrived from SE at c1730 and left N! at 1758... there are snaps of this and some of todays vis when there is chance to process etc but time to get ready for tomorrow now.

Not Oxenhope but definately Visible Migration! Keith had a juvenile Kittiwake leaving Redcar Tarn SSE late this morning... a beautiful bird in good condition... but it didnt arrive here!

Dave

Stainburn Moor, Harrogate... 28-08-2010

Stainburn Moor, Harrogate (N Yorks, England)
Saturday 28 August 2010
Counting period: 6:00-10:16
Weather: 2/8 cloud -- 6/8 cloud NW 2-3 cold. A few spots of rain shorlty after I stopped.
Observers: A Hanby


Moving birds:
Cormorant - 1
Swallow - 235
Magpie 2 -
Grey Heron 1 -
House Martin - 1
Starling - 517
Greylag Goose 6 -
Tree Pipit 1 -
Chaffinch - 4
Common Snipe - 22
Meadow Pipit 53 -
finch sp. 4 -
Black-headed Gull - 52
flava wagtail sp. 4 -
Greenfinch - 3
Common Gull - 176
alba wagtail sp. 10 -
Goldfinch - 22
Lesser Black-backed Gull 2 -
Whinchat - 2
Linnet - 5
Stock Dove - 40
Wheatear - 2
Woodpigeon - 53
Mistle Thrush - 25

Totals: 1243 individuals, 25 species, 4:16 hours

Present: Red Kite 6, Sparrowhawk 3, Common Buzzard 3, Kestrel 1, Golden Plover 80, Lapwing 300, Curlew 7, Black-headed Gull 25, Common Gull 460, Woodpigeon 20, Collared Dove 2, Skylark 1, flava wagtail sp. 2, Dunnock 1, Jackdaw 80, Rook 100, Carrion Crow 15, Goldfinch 3

Comments: The most notable things were 1) the movements of snipe ( largest flock 14) and the bizarre unseasonable movement of Stock Doves) . Largest flocks were 4 , but mostly moving as 1s and 2s. Movement otherwise good and steady but dying pretty swiftly around 1000hrs. The majority of birds were moving pretty much West- those marginally to N of that so put in as N those marginally with a south vector put as South. The chats were moving in the same vector as the other stuff but stopped for a while on the fence lines before continuing.

Andy Hanby

Oxenhope... Common Gull influx! 27-08-2010

0730 - 0830hr
Teal 3
Ringed Plover 1 juv

BV

1415 - 1530hr
Common Gull 41 big influx here
Lapwing 1
Herring Gull 2
BH Gull 150
LBb Gull 140

BV

W F3, 13degC, 65km, 1/8, QNH1014 rising
1830 - 2100hr

Open sky overnight and right through til midday then scattered til c1700 when open again. Dry throughout with QNH rising throughout wit wind from a northerly quarter through to mid pm then gradually becoming west. Mipits moving west again befoe dusk.

Moving birds.
Ringed Plover 1 ad
LBB Gull 95
BH Gull 100
Herring Gull 2+
Meadow Pipit 34 west

Dave

Hunter Hill, Calderdale.... 27-08-2010

Cold Edge, Halifax (W Yorks, England)
Friday 27 August 2010
Counting period: 6:00-9:00
Weather (first period): Wind NW F4 -10c with clear skies and excellent visibility
Observers (first period): David Sutcliffe

Moving birds:
Black-headed Gull 4 + 22
Meadow Pipit 54 -
Lesser Black-backed Gull - 61
alba wagtail sp. 3 -
Woodpigeon 2 + 1
Great Tit 1 -
Swift 7 -
Carrion Crow - 1
Swallow 44 -
Linnet 3 -
House Martin 28 -

Totals: 231 individuals, 11 species, 3:00 hours

Present: Grey Heron 1, Mallard 2, Sparrowhawk 1, Kestrel 3, Stock Dove 6, Green Woodpecker 1, Meadow Pipit 44, Wheatear 5, Blackbird 2, Jay 2, Magpie 6, Jackdaw 32, Rook 2, Carrion Crow 22

Comments: 1st hour of 3 hours count today as unfortunately unable to do Sat and Sun of the big vis mig. Wonderful morning with the sun rising directly over Queensbury but not many moving birds.; The wind dropped slightly but still not much movement other than Lesser Black-backed Gulls and Black-headed Gulls over towards Soil Hill and looked to be heading towards Thornton Moor. 44 Meadow pipits feeding in the quarry.; Wind dropped a little again and it came abit warmer- at last - some hirundines coming through headed by 4 Swifts and 3 more following on - this was my highlight of the morning as they stayed around for several minutes then went as fast as they came! A Great Tit over was a bit of a surpise.

Dave Sutcliffe