Pennine Skywatch: 18 Sept 2010

Saturday, September 18, 2010

Oxenhope.... wave exhausted? 18-09-2010

Oxenhope, Bradford (W Yorks, England)
Saturday 18 September 2010
Counting period: 6:15-12:00
Weather: WNW F3, 6degC, 65km to max 200 miles!, 4/8 increasing 8/8, QNH 1018 falling
Observers: Dave Barker, Howard Creber

Moving birds:
Tufted Duck 1 -

Mistle Thrush 13 -
Golden Plover 26 -

Jay 2 -
Black-headed Gull 15 -

Starling - 4
Lesser Black-backed Gull 78 -

Chaffinch 18 -
Swallow 8 -

Greenfinch 1 -
Meadow Pipit 239 -

Lesser Redpoll 4 -
alba wagtail sp. 6 -

Lapland Bunting 1 -
Song Thrush 1 -

Squirrel 3 W and SW

Totals: 417 individuals, 15 species, 5:45 hours

Comments: Open sky overnight til dawn then deep cumulus with strato base overdrawing with several heavy showers tracking down the western side of the Pennines and eventually moving laterally over us. Open sky to the east initially rapidly over drawing from the west then mainly overcast. QNH falling throughout with wind from a NW quarter swinging SW by dusk. Rain soon after dark. Perhaps the most interesting thing about the sky this morning was its exceptional clarity out to the ENE with the tops of exceptionally deep cumulus c100 miles NE of Whitby over the North Sea (a band of rain stretching from Scotland way down to the SE as seen on the rainfall radar) clearly visible from our watchpoint... that being some 200 miles distant!! Warmer than Yday but only just! Both birds and the day felt like early October! A big let down here, with very poor movement generally possibly due to instability of the dramatic conditions but the recent mip wave did seem to be exhausted?? A Song Thrush checked out for RW west was perhaps the most unexpected bird despite the time of year as we get few ST up here and two Jays W were interesting..... Otherwise just the now, almost expected!!!! main stream Lap Bunt single through and the onset of Squirrel migration over the moors..... Wonder if we will witness the Lemming approach this year??.... Mips 239 mostly W!!! Surely not at this early date??.... Chaff 18 W.... Swallow 8 S.... T Duck sounding like a Raven!!!... Alba 6... Mistle 13 W... Song Thrush 1 W... Jay 2 W... Greenfinch 1 W... Redpol 4 S... Squirrel 3 S and W... Starling 4 NW fast and low were interesting!... Lap Bunt 1 SSE...

Dave and Howard

Stainburn Moor, Harrogate.... 18-09-2010

Stainburn Moor, Harrogate (N Yorks, England)
Saturday 18 September 2010
Counting period: 6:15-12:00
Weather: WNW 2-3 cool/cold even. 4/8 cloud- showers to the SW. Visibility generally v good
Observers: AHanby J Blacker

Moving birds:
Cormorant 2 -
Skylark 30 -
Coal Tit 8 -
Pink-footed Goose 75 -
Swallow 96 -
Blue Tit 3 -
Greylag Goose 15 -
House Martin 37 -
Nuthatch - 1
Golden Plover - 29
Meadow Pipit 516 -
Jay 4 -
Lapwing 39 -
Grey Wagtail 1 -
Chaffinch 52 -
Black-headed Gull - 59
alba wagtail sp. 14 -
Greenfinch 2 -
Common Gull 29 -
Dunnock 4 -
Goldfinch 43 -
Lesser Black-backed Gull - 6
Wheatear 2 -
Siskin 1 -
Collared Dove 4 -
Mistle Thrush 29 -
Linnet 32 -
Great Spotted Woodpecker 1 -
Chiffchaff 3 -
Reed Bunting 1 -

Totals: 1138 individuals, 30 species, 5:45 hours

Present: Red Kite 8, Sparrowhawk 2, Common Buzzard 5, Kestrel 1, Stock Dove 8, Woodpigeon 30, Meadow Pipit 50, Whinchat 1, Wheatear 1, Blackbird 1, Great Tit 4, Jackdaw 650, Starling 200

Andy and John
Comments: An interesting day with some good high point- but generally steady overall. A massive movement of Gulls N from the general direction of Eccup was not counted as presumed roost dispersal to feed; in fact I counted gulls only from 0730 onwards. Mosts stuff going generally West ( recorded as S). The Pink feet ( 33, 2, 40) were our first of the autumn and came within a 5 min period between 0840 and 0845 and headed ESE. Additional geese- up to 400 were seen v early over Eccup way and look also like Pinks but are not included in the totals. Meadow Pipits were low for the time of year (numbers not altitude!) and quite a few seem to be hanging around. I had a flock of 25 possible Redwings, but I am not wholly confident as it was early and in poor light- again not included in the totals. Coal tits continue to move West along the hedge with 8 this morning representing a new peak- some of these lifting up very hight after the gap. The star bird of the day was a Nuthatch which came along the hedge before heading off high N across the fields. I've seen coastal Nuthatches at this time of year- however I assume they represent local dispersal rather than long distance migrants. The nearest breeders would be about 2 miles away at Harlow After 11 Slow from earlier but excellent visibility made easy wattching. Another chiffchaff along the hedge then a confiding wheatear landed 3m away but was scared by a cyclist and off before I could get a photo!

Andy and John