finchy frenzy!!!... 2011-09-30

 Very first light... airport lights and Cookridge Tower.... (c) 2011

 Here we go again.... yet another open sky at sunrise!!... (c) 2011

 Some of the pinks we saw and not the ones we missed!!... (c) 2011

STILL open wall to wall at NOON.... (c) 2011

S F3 beconing S SE F3, 0ok, 14degC, 30km, QNH 1020 rising 1021
0600-1300hr DCB, HC, GH, LW, CJK

A teriffic morning of great diversity with the mip/finch interface passed and confirmation that frenzied finch migration is taking over in optimum conditions.... initially, all except the kins was low but towards mid morning things got higher and higher with even chaffs, exceptionally strong today, steaming through at skip level and above... albas were very strong with several flocks of over 10 noted. at times the sky was so busy that even five of us just could not keep up. The most exciting birds were a flock of at least 25 Long-tailedtits in from the north very high to drop down into the trees briefly before up and off south again... raptors poor again and possibly drowning in the milk.... eight Common Scoters flying just as they do at sea, interchanging between a long train and tight bunch... the pack never deviated direction, strict NW as it passed through the full extent of our angle of vision and away.

alba 118
mip 616
Wheatear 1
Chaffinch 244
Siskin 177 + 11 unseen flocks
woodpigeon 1
Swallow 314
Starling 43
finch sp 188
Goldfinch 63
LBBG 215
BHG 90
Common gull 1
house Martin 62
Redpoll 2 unseen flocks
Greylag 5
Stock Dove 8
Mistle Thrush 15
pinks 30
Crossbill 17 + one unseen flock
Merlin 1
Bullfinch 1
lapwing 20
Snipe 2
Sand Martin 20
Red Admiral 32
Skylark 2
Reed Bunting 1
Long-tailedtit
Kestrel 1
Cormorant 2
Common Scoter 8 + another possible 4
Sparrowhawk 1

Dave, Howard, Lester, Gordon and Chris