Oxenhope.... winter skies! 25-09-2010

Pre sunrise.... looking east (c) 2010


Pre sunrise looking west.... (c) 2010


Sunrise.... (c) 2010


Open skies mid morning.... (c) 2010


Not over dressed!.... (c) 2010


Pinks SW.... (c) 2010

Oxenhope, Bradford (W Yorks, England)
Saturday 25 September 2010
Counting period: 6:40-11:00
Weather: NNW F1 inc F3, 2degC frost rising 9, 65km+, 0/8 inc 1/8, QNH 1018 rising
Observers: Dave Barker, Howard Creber, Rodney Procter, Chris King

Moving birds:
Cormorant 1 -
Grey Wagtail 1 -
Greenfinch 9 -
Pink-footed Goose 65 -
alba wagtail sp. 18 -
Goldfinch 7 -
Sparrowhawk 1 -
Mistle Thrush 5 -
Lapland Bunting 1 -
Common Snipe 1 -
Carrion Crow 6 -
Snow Bunting 3 -
Lesser Black-backed Gull 34 -
Starling 5 -
Reed Bunting 1 -
Skylark 9 -
Chaffinch 41 -
bunting sp. 6 -
Swallow 22 -
Brambling 1 -
Meadow Pipit 402 -
finch sp. 7 -

Totals: 646 individuals, 22 species, 4:20 hours

Present: Lapwing 169

Comments: Overnight and First Hour....Open sky and light WNW - NW wind overnight with rissing QNH throughout. Frost by dawn on car windscreen and grass also on moor. Virtually nothing before sunrise. Snow Buntings c E at 0731 and 0753 and a bunt sp SE at 0757 were the highlights.; .....Second hour.... 5 pinks SW at 0817, bunt sp at 0832 and 0840 and c 60 pinks E at 0841 were the highlights. A Grey Squirrel was on the wall.; ..... Third hour.... bunt sp E and SE at 0907, 0930 and 0953 were the rather unfulfilling highlights.; .... Forth hour.... two bird call from Lap bunt SE at 1009 and Snow bunt SE at 1032 were the highlights but all in all a fairly dismal hour. Obvious high level bunting movement E and SE today with possibly onward through movement from an arrival of Snow Bunts despite the cold made the watch of the dark blue "winter" skies today very worthwhile and I think the best on record ever for these bunt sp up here!

Dave, Howard, Chris and Rodney

PAUL CLOUGH 0700- 0900,
Cloudless and Birdless Skies at 0700, the only moving birds came out of the Clough mainly Chaffinch and a few Greenfinch, with a Tit Flock blogging around and the occasional Mpipit flying south.

Chaffinch 90, Greenfinch 6, Blackbird 5, Bullfinch 6, Goldcrest 2, Reed Bunting 2,Long Tailed Tit 12, Great Tit 10, Bluetit 14,Dunnock 2.

Brian Vickers.

Stainburn Moor, Harrogate.... 25-09-2010

Stainburn Moor, Harrogate (N Yorks, England)
Saturday 25 September 2010
Counting period: 6:35-10:45
Weather: 5C rising to 10C later; NNW F 3-4 = nasty wnd chill. 1/8- 3/8 cloud
Observers: A Hanby, J Blacker

Moving birds:
Cormorant 1 -
Woodpigeon 47 -
Coal Tit 7 -
Pink-footed Goose 110 -
Collared Dove 2 -
Blue Tit 6 -
Greylag Goose 73 -
Great Spotted Woodpecker - 2
Great Tit 4 -
Anser sp. 41 -
Skylark - 37
Jay 1 -
Canada Goose 13 -
Swallow - 9
Magpie 2 -
Golden Plover 172 -
House Martin - 5
Jackdaw 4 -
Lapwing 139 + 18
Meadow Pipit 127 -
Chaffinch 4 -
Common Snipe - 32
Grey Wagtail - 1
finch sp. 12 -
Black-headed Gull - 4
alba wagtail sp. - 3
Greenfinch 12 -
Common Gull - 91
Dunnock 2 -
Goldfinch - 6
Lesser Black-backed Gull - 6
Mistle Thrush 3 -
Linnet - 36

Totals: 1032 individuals, 33 species, 4:10 hours

Present: Sparrowhawk 3, Common Buzzard 10, Kestrel 2, Golden Plover 150, Lapwing 45, Swallow 30, Jackdaw 333, Rook 30, Carrion Crow 8, Starling 60

Comments: A generally slow day with a N bias to movement except for mipits which were generally S, SW or W. A lot of geese, presumed Greylags, headed east from the Harewood area ( not inc in counts). Additionally other flocks, apparently separate moving birds, headed in from the N SW, together with a few Canadas. The Pink Footed geese ( 55[08.40], 13[08.50] and 42[ 09,35]) went ESE/SE, with the two larger flocks almost certainly flying in sight of Oxenhope ( counts could be =/- 1 or 2 as some flock clumping). Snipe had a good day (32). They do have an annoying habit of pitching into fields before taking of again via the circular route before continuing. As at Hay a Park, skylarks were all heading N. All in all a v slow day with the Snipe and Pinks as the highlights.

Andy and John

Caldene Fields, Low Moor.... 25-09-2010

Caldene Fields, Bradford (W Yorks, England)
Saturday 25 September 2010
Counting period: 6:45-10:30
Weather: Dry with 20% thin cloud to the E and a F3/4 N wind reducing to F2 by 10.30. Cold temp 5c. After dawn there were open skies and an increase in temp to around 9c. Excellent visibility 20+
Observers: Martyn Priestley

Moving birds:
Cormorant 2 -
Collared Dove 2 -
Starling - 1
Pink-footed Goose 40 + 7
Swallow - 29
Chaffinch 6 + 8
Mallard - 2
Meadow Pipit 57 + 12
finch sp. 5 -
Sparrowhawk 2 -
Grey Wagtail - 1
Greenfinch 64 -
Common Buzzard 1 -
alba wagtail sp. 10 + 3
Goldfinch 229 -
Black-headed Gull 231 -
Mistle Thrush - 13
Siskin - 2
Common Gull 2 -
Magpie 1 -
Lesser Redpoll 8 -
Lesser Black-backed Gull 19 + 12
Jackdaw 3 + 7
Woodpigeon 28 -
Carrion Crow 23 5

Totals: 835 individuals, 25 species, 3:45 hours

Comments: An excellent day with Goldfinches pouring through breaking my last record of 192 ! The drop in temp also saw a marked increase in Greenfinch moving to the W/S/W. BH Gull also showed well and at 9.19 over the Tong area I picked up a drifting Common Buzzard a site first. I also picked up a small movement of Pinks to the N/W and S. Corvids were also on the move and a party 3 poorly seen large slow flying birds could well of been Ravens, my first Siskin moved to the W and a party of 8 Redpolls to the S was a good find.

Martyn