Oxenhope... 2012-08-31

Thirteen Images All Copyright 2012

 

Oxenhope, Bradford (W Yorks, England)

Friday 31 August 2012
Counting period: 6:00-12:30
Weather: wind SE0, cloud-cover 0/8, visibility 65000m, temperature 2 ℃, FIRST FROST. Light air becoming CALM, ultimately NW F2 4 ok with the advance of the next weather system. Temp rising 14degC. QNH 1029 ridging then falling 1028
Observers: Dave Barker, Howard Creber, Brian Vickers, Maggie
 
Moving Birds;
Cormorant 6 -
Lesser Black-backed Gull 121 -
Meadow Pipit * 36 -
Red Kite 1 -
Swift 8 -
Grey Wagtail 2 -
Sparrowhawk 3 -
Sand Martin 16 -
alba wagtail sp. 1 -
Golden Plover 1 -
Swallow 18 -
Crossbill 7 -
Greenshank 1 -
House Martin 20 -
Red Admiral 2 -
Black-headed Gull 1 -
Tree Pipit 6 -

Totals: 250 individuals, 17 species, 6:30 hours

Comments: A real shock wakeing up the the first, very early and hard white frost of the year. Valuable time lost waiting for the windscreen to defrost but still there before sunrise. Sky birds slow with unusually more martins than Swallows. Noteable that many of the lessers now dark birds including a pure flock of 31 south. Two lots of xbills S the best birds of the morning. A high alba south was interesting. Finches more mobile than for the last few visits and maybe some movement but still not counting.

Holistic Sky report to follow!.... run out of time for now..... Some terrific stuff.... including a brace of transatlantic Lufthansa A380's in quick succession, the first, Houston, George Bush to Frankfurt, Main and pictured above, picked up over the Isle of Man travelling at 600mph, 39000ft came almost overhead.... thats eight miles high!!

Dave