Oxenhope.... serenity! 2011-09-04

 Overnight rain making off East at Sunrise... (c) 2011

 Opening sky advancing from the West... post sunrise... (c) 2011

 Sparrowhawk in early sun... (c) 2011

 Sparrowhawk in early sun.... (c) 2011

 Rye Loaf Hill... through early fogs... (c) 2011

Small Coppers taking advantage of the Sun... (c) 2011

Oxenhope, Bradford (W Yorks, England)
Sunday 4 September 2011
Counting period: 6:20 - 10:40
Weather: cloud-cover 5/8, visibility 30000m, temperature 12 ℃, NW F1 becoming CALM, then S F1, 12degC, 5ok average, 30km, QNH 1005 rising
Observers: Dave Barker, Chris King

Vis:
Sparrowhawk 2 -
alba wagtail sp. 3 -
Merlin 1 -
Mistle Thrush 5 -
Black-headed Gull 155 -
Siskin 1 -
Lesser Black-backed Gull 114 -
Linnet 5 -
Swallow 224 -
Lesser Redpoll 1 -
Tree Pipit 1 -
Reed Bunting 1 -
Meadow Pipit 236 -

Totals: 749 individuals, 13 species, 4:20 hours

Comments: Overnight rain moving off east with gradually opening sky advancing from the west. Even at sunrise (an 8ok event), insects over the moor were up and prolific in almost calm, to calm conditions. Suspect this responsible for the relatively light movement. Initially a very light NW air dropped flat calm... you could hear a pin drop - fantastic up here at c1400ft... but very little in the sky. Bird movement was minimal in relation to yesterday but the dearth did improve after the period of calm following 0840hr. Mips were mainly low, swallows high to very high, with today only two sizeable parties, a 42 and a 90. All vis a mix between stict due S and strict due W. Yesterdays low numbers of gulls improved but the JUly and August glut as gone through now. First Siskin (0630hr) went SE and Redpoll of the year went S. One of the albas was almost certainly "white". A Willow Warbler was in the trees.

Dave