Saturday, October 09, 2010

Oxenhope.... struggle! 09-10-2010


Sky... late pm!.... (c) 2010


Redwings S in low cloudbase... (c) 2010

Oxenhope, Bradford (W Yorks, England)
Saturday 9 October 2010
Counting period: 6:10-11:00
Weather: E F4, 11degc, 30-80m with 3000m at lower altitude, 9/8 deep fogs with variable drizzle, QNH 1020 steady
Observers: Dave Barker, Howard Creber

Moving birds;
Meadow Pipit 10 -
alba wagtail sp. 2 -

Totals: 12 individuals, 2 species, 4:50 hours

Comments: Broken sky and mist for the first part of the night then becoming overcast with deep fog and drizzle initially. Wind easterly throughout and QNH steady. Both when stacking the car at 0550 and during the first 50mins of darkness at the watchpoint Redwings were frequently going over quite low but unseen in the fog in what sounded to be big numbers. By 0700 they were slackening considerably with no calls heard after c0740hr. In fact with the fogs we were seeing and hearing virtually nothing so in desperation thought we would try one of our nearby watchpoints some 300ft lower down to get below the cloudbase. No joy as the fog was just as thick. So even lower as a tryout we went, but down there at c500ft, below the cloudbase there was absolutely nothing on the move with wild spirit gone and everything tame and treebound. So abandon we did and back home for an early lunch with a view to reconvening as soon as conditions were on the clear.

...............................
Counting period: 12:00-16:45
Weather: E F5, 11degC, 2000m increasing 20km haze, 9/8 becoming 7/8 at best, QNH 1019 falling
Observers: Dave Barker, Howard Creber

Moving birds:
Golden Plover 30 -
alba wagtail sp. 6 -
Woodpigeon 6 -
Redwing 570 -
Skylark 2 -
Starling - 60
Meadow Pipit 183 -
Chaffinch 3 -

Totals: 860 individuals, 8 species, 4:45 hours

Comments: Whilst improved, until c1315 conditions were still very murky on the moor with virtually intact fast moving stratocumulusfractus cloudbase at c1500ft asl. By 1315 this was beginning to lift and break rapidly to expose a broken cloudbase above with occasional shafts of sunlight breaking through. A few quick scans through the opening lower cloudbase revealed thrush flocks, two to start off with high above the fractus and hurtling more or less south... a very unusual direction for here! More at long intervals were located all very high and most way out over the high tops often in and out of the cloudbase... but it was very hard work, almost a struggle with few thrushes seen for the effort put in. All were going more or less south. There must be better to come!!! By 1600 some flocks were beginning to drop out of the sky and into the basin far below. Mipits were strong for the time of day!

Dave and Howard

Stainburn Moor, Harrogate... redwing rukus! 09-10-2010

Stainburn Moor, Harrogate (N Yorks, England)
Saturday 9 October 2010
Counting period: 8:30-10:55
Weather: Low Cloud vis 100m increasing 500m 13C ENE-NE F2-3
Observers: J Blacker

Moving birds:
Common Snipe - 1
Swallow - 2
Chaffinch 4 -
Black-headed Gull - 1
Meadow Pipit 2 -
finch sp. 4 -
Stock Dove - 3
alba wagtail sp. - 2
Greenfinch - 2
Woodpigeon 1 + 2
Redwing 250 -
Goldfinch 2 -
Collared Dove 1 -
Mistle Thrush - 1
Siskin 9 -
Skylark 6 -
Great Tit - 4
Linnet 1 -

Totals: 298 individuals, 18 species, 2:25 hours

Present: Pheasant 1, Golden Plover 250, Lapwing 200, Dunnock 1, Robin 1, Rook 30, Carrion Crow 25, Starling 300

Comments: Despite low cloud a variety of moving birds in addition to sizeable starling, lapwing and golden plover flocks. Highlight was separate flocks of redwing high overhead appx 100 and 150 heading SW
.............................
Counting period: 11:10-15:10
Weather: as before but clearing slowly with some sun breaking through in the last hour with rising ESE wind.
Observers: AHanby J Blacker

Moving birds:
Greylag Goose - 25
Skylark 21 -
Chaffinch 35 -
Canada Goose - 10
alba wagtail sp. 3 -
finch sp. 19 -
Black-headed Gull 3 -
Song Thrush 1 -
Goldfinch 6 -
Common Gull 8 -
Redwing 3662 -
Siskin 1 -
Lesser Black-backed Gull 7 -
Mistle Thrush 2 -
Herring Gull 9 + 1
Long-tailed Tit 13 -

Totals: 3826 individuals, 16 species, 4:00 hours

Present: Sparrowhawk 1, Common Buzzard 1, Osprey 2, Merlin 1, Golden Plover 450, Lapwing 65, Collared Dove 1, Blue Tit 2, Tree Sparrow 1, Linnet 2

Comments: AH left it till the fog lifted a bit before coming out and on seeing redwings steaming through called JB for assistance. Redwings definitely birds of the day with 3662 birds in this second session including one flock of over 400; all on a fairly narrow track to N of us going ESE. No definite Fieldfare but a few Mistle thrushes. The other highlights were a flock of 13 Long Tailed tits along the hedge west, a Merlin chasing Redwings and some Herring Gulls.

Andy and John