Pennine Skywatch: 12 Sept 2010

Sunday, September 12, 2010

Oxenhope.... white "christmas" 12-09-2010

Oxenhope, Bradford (W Yorks, England)
Sunday 12 September 2010
Counting period: 6:10-13:00
Weather: W F2 rising WNW F4 then reducing considerably, 12degC, 65km, 3/8 reducing, QNH 1019 rising 1023
Observers: Dave Barker, Howard Creber

Moving birds:
Greylag Goose 25 -
Black-headed Gull 190 -
alba wagtail sp. 9 -
Mallard 10 -
Common Gull 6 -
White Wagtail 2 -
Goosander 14 -
Lesser Black-backed Gull 326 -
Mistle Thrush 4 -
Sparrowhawk 2 -
dove (Columba) sp. 1 -
Blackcap 1 -
Kestrel 4 -
Great Spotted Woodpecker 2 -
Magpie 2 -
Peregrine 5 -
Skylark 3 -
Raven 2 -
Lapwing 31 -
Sand Martin 1 -
Starling 3 -
Dunlin 4 -
Swallow 426 -
Chaffinch 55 -
Common Snipe 2 -
House Martin 50 -
Siskin 16 -
Curlew 1 -
Tree Pipit 5 -
Linnet 39 -
Common Sandpiper 1 -
Meadow Pipit 1779 -
Lapland Bunting 1 -

Totals: 3022 individuals, 33 species, 6:50 hours

Present: Lapwing 60

Comments: Open sky overnight, broken from dawn then becoming scattered. QNH rising very strongly overnight and throughout. Wind W becoming WNW and picking up before dropping off again. Dry and mainly sunny right through to 1300hr when very heavy shower from the W stopped the show. A terriffic morning with mipits moving very well initially both high south and lower west, then to quieten off but then in the latter part of the morning and over the lunchtime period to to storm through very heavily west in big fragmented groups the largest of which was c75! Every alba heard sounded zilliping white and all of the ones on the deck certainly were! a good surge of Tree Pips early doors. Chaffs were all coming through from the east, most going straight through and very much on the early side for numbers like this here. Yet more Siskins going through SW. Swallows were strange with only a few moving low down and mainly west but the main flow was exceptionally high south, detectable only by scoping... thus as we wernt doing this most of the time, most would have been missed. The same applied to House Martins... just a few moving low but much bigger distinct direct parties as Swallows way up. Ravens were going west and for here an incredible number of Pegs... some way up and some almost touchable as they passed!! A couple of Great spotted Woodpeckers flew very high west during the morning, both coming in from way out east. A snatch of Blackcap song from the wood was the only evidence of night migration and finally another Lap Bunt through SSE at 1153 coming in at eye height from the north then rising when it hit the land... calling prominently at intervals as it went through with the typical "two bird" call. Three well spaced Skylarks came through in the last hour. All in all except for a raptor sp which got away... a very fulfilling morning in the skies and well worth while the extra two hours in the field!! Interesting that Jackdaws were much more up in the sky and over the moors than over the period to date.

Dave and Howard

Stainburn Moor, Harrogate.... 12-09-2010

Stainburn Moor, Harrogate (N Yorks, England)
Sunday 12 September 2010
Counting period: 6:56-12:30
Weather: NW 2 rising to 3/4 visibility v good. Cool at first, warm later.
Observers: A Hanby

Moving birds:
Cormorant 11 -
Great Spotted Woodpecker 1 -
Chiffchaff 2 -
Grey Heron 1 -
Skylark 74 -
Goldcrest 6 -
Greylag Goose 35 + 6
Sand Martin 3 -
Coal Tit 5 -
Osprey 1 -
Swallow 178 -
Blue Tit 9 -
Peregrine 1 -
House Martin 37 -
Chaffinch 28 -
Golden Plover 6 -
Meadow Pipit 1266 -
Greenfinch 14 -
Lapwing 87 -
flava wagtail sp. 3 -
Goldfinch 19 -
Curlew 1 -
Grey Wagtail 3 -
Siskin 4 -
Black-headed Gull 75 -
alba wagtail sp. 10 -
Linnet 1 -
Common Gull 25 -
Dunnock 4 -
Reed Bunting 1 -
Lesser Black-backed Gull 9 -
Wheatear 6 -

Totals: 1932 individuals, 32 species, 5:34 hours

Present: Red Kite 9, Common Buzzard 9, Kestrel 2, Lapwing 350, Black-headed Gull 80, Stock Dove 6, Woodpigeon 45, Collared Dove 2, Swallow 350, Blackbird 2, Great Tit 6, Starling 1200

Comments: A very interesting morning again with much more variety that yesterday. The highlight was the first Osprey for the site flying along the line of the A61 at 9 55. As usual I looked through bins and though odd large gull and then the scope revealed all. I followed it south and I guess I would have flown over Eccup res. A single flock of 11 cormorant South was interesting particularly since it ties n nicely with the Black Bank observations. At 1266 Mipits had their best count of the year for this site- as usual most passed in the first two hours with frantic bursts of activity- 225 in 5 minutes was the peak. Skylarks again put in a very good showing for the date (74 S)and as many were quite high ( generally above the Mipit line) I think I probably missed a load. A potential harbinger of a bumper Autumn was in the form of 6 Goldcrests that headed down the Hedge. It is worth pointing out that this hedge runs just South of W out of a well wooded area to u were is represents the only line of bushes/cover for possibly as much as 1K on either side and thus is a funnel up from the Vale of York direction. Hirundines on the mover were well down on yesterday but loads in the general area. Three flavas South continued the excellent track record for these here and were matched by three close flyby Whites ( in the alba count). yet again Dunnocks were on the move with four ( 3 and 1 ) heading high out of the hedge and out over the Fields SW. Finally also both Redpoll and Siskin put in an appearance ( 1 and 4 respectively.

.....................................................
Counting period: 13:45-15:30
Weather: NW 3/4 4/8 cloud - cool.
Observers: A Hanby

Moving birds:
Skylark 7 -
House Martin 15 -
Swallow 230 -
Meadow Pipit 25 -

Totals: 277 individuals, 4 species, 1:45 hours

Comments: Impromptu afternoon watch - family wanted to pick blackberries - which abound at this site. Quiet except for a fairly vigorous movement of Swallows West

Andy Hanby