Wednesday, September 15, 2010

Oxenhope.... pinks ahoy!! 15-09-2010


Crepuscular Rays..... this morning (c) Howard Creber 2010


Pinks on the deck!.... (c) Brian Vickers 2010


A "pinky" sky.... (c) 2010


And finally a "pinky" moon!!.... (c) 2010

Oxenhope, Bradford (W Yorks, England)
Wednesday 15 September 2010
Counting period: 6:30-10:00
Weather: W F7 gusting more, 10degC, 15km, Dry early but heavy wind driven squally rain from 08.45 hrs. stratus throughout, QNH 1004 falling
Observers: Howard Creber

Moving birds:
Merlin 1 -
Swallow 1 -
Black-headed Gull 12 -
Meadow Pipit 5 -
Lesser Black-backed Gull 134 -

Totals: 153 individuals, 5 species, 3:30 hours

Present: Lapwing 24, Woodpigeon 3, Carrion Crow 3

Comments: Diabolical weather conditions up here on the roof of the world necessitated banishment to the confines of the 360 shelter - what a life saver !!!. Needless to say, apart from gulls moving very low from the east, there was virtually no vismig. Upon arrival at watchpoint, only a solitary LLB was evident ; upon leaving numbers had swelled. A distant Swallow early doors powering through south and 5 Mipits really struggling to make headway west into the "gale", and eliciting not a little admiration, were the sum total passerine vismig. The only other bird of note was a Merlin shooting through south into the distance. Constant scoping of the shore and pools produced no waders - Dave`s Little Stint last night had sensibly moved on. nb Gordon Holmes at Skipton Sewage Works reports 6 Curlew Sandpiper over this morning..... Meadow Pipit - 5 SW.... Merlin - 1 S .... LLB Gull - 134 - NW.... BH Gull - 12 NW.... Swallow - 1 S....

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Counting period: 14:30-16:00
Weather: WNW F5, 12dec, 40km, 8/8 becoming 3/8, QNH 1007 rising
Observers: Brian Vickers

Moving birds:
Pink-footed Goose 7 -
Arctic Tern 1 -

Totals: 8 individuals, 2 species, 1:30 hours

Present: Lapwing 40, Redshank 1, Common Sandpiper 1, Black-headed Gull 54, Lesser Black-backed Gull 192, Herring Gull 3

Comments: Pinkfeet 7, came in from the E or NE at c1500hr just as the sky was clearing... the first of the season here! They touched down briefly then off again SW low over the moor.... they looked "goosed" so to speak! and sure enough they returned c 5 minutes later.... and stayed for the rest of my visit.... they had moved on before 1900hr. Two wader sp came in across the water at c1520, did not touch down and straight on SW over the moor. At 1530 an Arctic Tern came in, landed briefly before aggression from the other birds put it up and then it left at 1537hr
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Counting period: 18:55-21:00
Weather: NW F4 moderating F3, 9degC, 65km, 1/8, QNH 1007 rising
Observers: Dave Barker


Moving birds:
Pink-footed Goose 10 -
Meadow Pipit 63 -
Curlew 21 -

Totals: 94 individuals, 3 species, 2:05 hours

Present: Goosander 61, Black-headed Gull 10, Common Gull 14, Lesser Black-backed Gull 107

Comments: Occasional showers continuing over last night but with long periods of open sky until c dawn when cloud and considerable rain advanced from the north to intensify and become static over our part of the South Pennines for most of the morning. Wind from a westerly quarter throughout, moderating for the first part of the night then picking up before dawn in conjunction with the deteriorating weather. QNH continuing to fall til c 0830 when troughing at 1003. This evening the wind speed was reducing, sky remaining open and temperature dropping.... the wind had swung from the NW. Birdwise, this afternoons pinks had gone... this afternoons Redshank had been joined by another 3 feeding in the pools.... these were heard leaving SW at c 2020hr... gulls were back to normal with little of no through movement... mipit movement was apparent west as usual.... a large skein of curlew went west.... but most importantly in the reducing winds and open skies at 2050, as I was picking my way back, a skein of pinks was heard approaching high from the NE, they came almost over head but too high to be certain of the numbers as it was just about dark with only the afterglow on the horizon NW... estimate only 10, but yes thats enough!

Howard, Dave and Brian

Caldene Fields, Low Moor.... 15-09-2010

Caldene Fields, Bradford (W Yorks, England)
Wednesday 15 September 2010
Counting period: 6:30-8:30
Weather: Dry with a F5 with gust to F6 W/S/W wind and a temp of 10c. 70% dark cloud to the S/W always clearer to the N/E.
Observers: Martyn Priestley

Moving birds:
Golden Plover 4 -
Swallow - 81
Carrion Crow 1 -
Black-headed Gull 924 -
House Martin - 1
Chaffinch 3 -
Common Gull - 2
Meadow Pipit 7 -
Greenfinch 3 -
Lesser Black-backed Gull 11 -
Grey Wagtail - 2
Goldfinch 52 -
Stock Dove 1 -
alba wagtail sp. 9 -
Woodpigeon 48 -
Jackdaw 1 -

Totals: 1150 individuals, 16 species, 2:00 hours

Comments: A good watch despite the very strong wind. The conditions suited the Gulls with nearly a thousand passing especially just after dawn. What was interesting was a good number of Swallows and Goldfinch were prepared to battle against the headwinds and not low but at a reasonable height. My first Golden Plovers of the autumn also battled through to the S/W

Martyn Priestley