contour crawling!!... 2011-10-21

Oxenhope, Bradford (W Yorks, England)
Friday 21 October 2011
Counting period: 7:30 - 12:45 & 13:00 - 14:00
Weather (first period): wind SW5, cloud-cover 8/8, visibility 20000m, temperature 8 ℃, SW F4 increasing F5, 9 becoming 8ok, 8degC, 500m fog stratus becoming 65km, QNH 1018 falling 1017
Observers (first period): Dave Barker, Howard Creber, and Lester Ward (second period)

Cormorant 3 -
Woodpigeon 30 -
finch sp. 16 -
Goosander 2 -
alba wagtail sp. 4 -
Greenfinch 21 -
Golden Plover 16 -
Fieldfare - 1320
Goldfinch 9 -
Black-headed Gull 11 -
Song Thrush - 2
Siskin 1 -
Common Gull 24 -
Redwing - 182
Crossbill 1 -
Lesser Black-backed Gull 2 -
Starling - 334
Stock Dove 1 -
Chaffinch 5 -

Totals: 1984 individuals, 19 species, 6:15 hours

Comments: Low cloud initially with few birds and not beginning to lift til c0850hr when thrushes began to be seen. Ongoing arrival of mainly Fieldfares with a few Redwings mixed in and a couple of almost pure flocks. All were contour crawling NW in the strengthening wind only feet from the ground. Around mid morning the thrushes almost totally stopped, as did everything else, with long periods of nothing in the sky. Starlings noteably much stronger today.

Dave