Pennine Skywatch: 25 Oct 2010

Monday, October 25, 2010

Oxenhope... more mania! 25-10-2010

Sorry still swamped out with birds!
details to follow.....

Oxenhope, Bradford (W Yorks, England)
Monday 25 October 2010
Counting period: 7:30-16:00
Weather: W F2 becoming NW F2, -2degC frost, 65km, 0/8, QNH 1028 rising
Observers: Dave Barker, Howard Creber, Gordon Holmes, Brian Vickers, Lester Ward

Moving birds:
Cormorant 4 -
Black-headed Gull 55 -
Jackdaw 143 -
Grey Heron 2 -
Lesser Black-backed Gull 68 -
Starling - 289
Pink-footed Goose 55 -
Stock Dove - 6
Chaffinch 23 -
Goosander 4 -
Woodpigeon 4714 -
finch sp. 37 -
Goshawk 1 -
Great Spotted Woodpecker 1 -
Goldfinch 5 -
Sparrowhawk 6 -
Skylark 5 -
Siskin 7 -
Kestrel 3 -
Meadow Pipit 2 -
Reed Bunting 4 -
Merlin 4 -
Waxwing 8 -
bunting sp. 3 -
Golden Plover 10 -
Fieldfare 1287 -
Lapwing 2 -
Redwing - 23

Totals: 6771 individuals, 28 species, 8:30 hours

Comments: Open sky, wind from W qtr and QNH rising o/night and throughout. A brilliant frosty open sky morning with tremendous southward passage of woodies down the east Pennine flank flyway with in addiition a good influx from the Lancashire side. Starlings on the continental track were stronger than of late with one flock containing a very pale bird which could well have been "Rosey" but irrelevant really. Merlins were on the move, hard and fast with a magnificent four at intervals all batting south. Eight Waxwings went W at 0900 and trilling was heard in the sky from more but could not be located at 1012. Fieldfare were many fewer than yesterday but still some very high flocks in amongst appearing fresh and still all going NW. A high Goshawk was picked up high in the xxxxx, gradually acciptering south at 1050, then suddenly it plunged way down and was lost... several bunt sp contacts and a good movement of mandatory high Jackdaws west in several groups all crossing well into Lancashire and beyond before lost to view. Nearly all of pigeon movement was in the first hour and movement generally except for FF, and Starlings came to a halt well before lunch time.

Dave and Howard

Hunter Hill, Calderdale.... 25-10-2010

details to follow....
Cold Edge, Halifax (W Yorks, England)
Monday 25 October 2010
Counting period: 7:30-10:30
Weather (first period): 0.5C with F1 from the west cold and bright clear skies, good visibility
Observers (first period): David Sutcliffe

Moving birds:
Pink-footed Goose 15 -
Redwing - 20
finch sp. 32 -
Anser sp. - 2
Mistle Thrush - 7
Greenfinch 10 -
Mallard 2 -
Jackdaw - 8
Goldfinch - 5
Lesser Black-backed Gull - 12
Rook 4 -
Siskin 1 -
Woodpigeon 1405 -
Starling - 146
Linnet 38 -
Meadow Pipit - 4
Chaffinch 63 -
Bullfinch 2 -
Fieldfare - 487
Brambling - 1

Totals: 2264 individuals, 20 species, 3:00 hours

Present: Sparrowhawk 2, Kestrel 1, Black-headed Gull 48, Common Gull 8, Lesser Black-backed Gull 2, Stock Dove 6, Little Owl 1, Green Woodpecker 1, Meadow Pipit 40, Blackbird 1, Jay 1, Magpie 6, Jackdaw 26, Carrion Crow 18

Comments: Woodpigeons over towards Queensbury heading S and Fieldfares N/W. 15 Pink-feet S/E; Woodpigeons continuing over to the east going S; Continuing steady movement then most things dried up around 10 am.

David Sutcliffe

Caldene Fields, Low Moor.... 25-10-2010

Details to follow....
Caldene Fields, Bradford (W Yorks, England)
Monday 25 October 2010
Counting period: 7:30-10:45
Weather: Dry and frosty with a temp of –2c at 07.30. 10% thin high cloud with long sunny periods, no real wind noted.
Observers: Martyn Priestley

Moving birds:
Grey Heron - 1
Woodpigeon 5613 -
Chaffinch 31 -
Pink-footed Goose 186 -
Skylark - 3
Brambling 2 -
Canada Goose 7 -
alba wagtail sp. 3 + 2
finch sp. 2 -
Golden Plover - 7
Fieldfare 212 -
Greenfinch 63 -
Black-headed Gull 14 -
Redwing - 48
Goldfinch 42 -
Common Gull 2 -
Jackdaw 36 -
Siskin 2 -
Lesser Black-backed Gull 5 -
Carrion Crow 11 -
Lesser Redpoll - 4
Great Black-backed Gull 15 -
Starling 114 -

Totals: 6425 individuals, 23 species, 3:15 hours

Comments: With classic Wood pigeon conditions I wasn’t disappointed with odd birds moving pre dawn and as yesterday the first hour saw birds pooring through to the S and in general flying high and mainly E of the watch point over Bierley and Birkenshaw. 58 parties were recorded with the highest been 250 birds by 09.45 passage had all but stopped. An interesting movement of GBB Gulls (which I seem to only get in late Oct) with 3 parties to the S/W. Pinks were also moving to the E and a ‘ long blob ‘ moving also to the E over Leeds area was probably pinks. Like yesterday there was a good finch movement again but sadly due to the Woods they passed under the radar!!!

Martyn Priestley