Tuesday, September 28, 2010

GANNET!! SW... Caldene Fields.... Photograph


Gannet flying SW over Caldene Fields, Low Moor (c) Martyn Priestley 2010
Record shot, cropped, resized and enhanced to show available detail....
for day report.
Martyn Priestley

Barden Bridge... Sand Martins!... 28-09-2010

A very large group of c250 Sand Martins together with a few Swallows went SE down the valley this morning at c 0930hr.

John Topham

Timble.... Lap Bunts!.... 28-09-2010

A flock of five Lapland Buntings SE over Timble late morning.

Andy Jowett

Oxenhope.... even thicker! 28-09-2010


Silence.....Deep Fog!!.... (c) 2010

Oxenhope, Bradford (W Yorks, England)
Tuesday 28 September 2010
Counting period: 6:45-16:00
Weather: E F1 becoming SE F3, 11degC, 50 - 6000m Fog and Mist, 8/8 fog stratus to 6/8 stratocumulusfractus, QNH 1016 rising
Observers: Dave Barker, Howard Creber

Moving birds:
Ringed Plover 1 -
alba wagtail sp. 68 -
Black-headed Gull 65 -
Song Thrush 3 -
Lesser Black-backed Gull 50 -
Mistle Thrush 6 -
Swallow 300 -
Reed Bunting 5 -
Meadow Pipit 243 -

Totals: 741 individuals, 9 species, 9:15 hours

Present: Robin 1

Comments: Dense fog overnight and right through to 1000hr when intermittent misty visibility returning. Calm, through E F1 rising SE F3 by mid afternoon with QNH ridging 1017 midday. Birdwise, no sign what so ever of the massive fallen continental arrival yesterday onto the east coast, just the normal trans and down Pennine movements apparent and not much of that either, The only possible indication of the continental stuff were calls from three unseen well spaced Song Thrushes over in the fogs mid morning. A surge of mipits and albas (the birds of the day) after the fogs lifted at c1000hr was impressive including a big 14 flock of albas and many moderate trains. Swallows were absent except for a very large fragmented party south in three lots just after 1300hr, In summary a lot of watching for little reward as essentially empty skies over us. Just in case things should change an early morning check of the bushes and plantation found them empty except for a single Robin which was not new.

Dave and Howard

Hunter Hill, Calderdale.... 28-09-2010

Cold Edge, Halifax (W Yorks, England)
Tuesday 28 September 2010
Counting period: 7:30-9:30
Weather: Fog and drizzle with visibility down to 100m max - not very good!
Observers: David Sutcliffe

Moving birds:
Swallow 12 -
Meadow Pipit 1 -

Totals: 13 individuals, 2 species, 2:00 hours

Present: Partridge 1, Pied Wagtail 5, Chiffchaff 1

Comments: Hunter Hill watchpoint - I gave it a try this morning but it was dead! 12 Swallows came through the mist S/W at 9.25 just before I left. 5 Pied Wagtails on the deck, a Chiff-chaff in the gap and 1 Grey Partridge calling nearby.

..............................................
Counting period: 13:45-15:30
Weather: Mist cleared from the tops compared from this morning but visibility still limited to just across the valley towards Ogden and Soil Hill. Still low cloud - with wind from E F2
Observers: David Sutcliffe

Moving birds:
Pink-footed Goose 190 -
Meadow Pipit 43 -
Common Snipe - 2
Grey Wagtail - 1
Black-headed Gull 1 -
Goldfinch 1 -
Swallow 24 -

Totals: 262 individuals, 7 species, 1:45 hours

Present: Grey Heron 1, Sparrowhawk 1, Kestrel 1, Green Woodpecker 1, Wheatear 1, Mistle Thrush 1, Jay 1, Jackdaw 22, Carrion Crow 18, Linnet 9

Comments: An improvement from this morning with a few Meadow Pipits and Swallows moving through. 2 Skeins of Pink feet came through from the east with 112 at 14:45 and 78 at 15:15, they kept disappearing in the low cloud as they went through.

David Sutcliffe