Oxenhope... 2012-09-09
Oxenhope, Bradford (W Yorks, England)
Sunday 9 September 2012
Counting period: 5:50-12:45 Weather: wind South2, cloud-cover 0/8, visibility 45000m, temperature 8 ℃, becoming S F3, 0ok ultimately S F6, 6ok cirrostratus, 23degC, visibility becoming milky, QNH1011 falling 1006
Observers: Dave Barker, Howard Creber, Rodney Procter, Sue W, (Mark Doveston briefly)
Moving Birds:
Cormorant 5 -
Knot - 3
Swallow 542 -
Grey Heron 1 -
Snipe - 21
House Martin 31 -
Shelduck - 1
Curlew - 3
Tree Pipit 1 -
Wigeon - 5
Black-headed Gull 652 -
Meadow Pipit 509 -
Teal - 1
Common Gull 10 -
Grey Wagtail 1 -
Common Scoter - 15
Lesser Black-backed Gull 472 -
alba wagtail sp. 3 -
Goosander - 5
Herring Gull 1 -
Mistle Thrush 1 -
Sparrowhawk 1 -
Stock Dove 2 -
Chaffinch 3 -
Common Buzzard 2 -
Collared Dove 1 -
Greenfinch 1 -
Kestrel 1 -
Green Woodpecker 1 -
Goldfinch 18 -
Merlin 1 -
Great Spotted Woodpecker 2 -
Siskin 14 -
Ringed Plover 1 -
Skylark 1 -
Lapwing 9 -
Sand Martin 1 -
Totals: 2342 individuals, 37 species, 6:55 hours
Present: Robin 2, Wheatear 1, Willow Warbler 1
Comments: Total CALM and warm when leaving home at 0530 just a few miles east of the watchpoint and a couple of hundred feet lower. At the watchpoint under the influence of the approacing depression and cooler air associated in transition. Soon warmed up however after sunrise with birds moving with a very much front weighted watch. Mips and swallows moving strongly south, with mipits soon falling off but Swallows keeping stong and becoming high. A pronounced, by direction, trans-pennine wildfowl move with Scoters, Wigeon, a teal and goosanders all W or NW and quite soon. A Shelduck came from the high east with long decline, to land on the water mid am. Three land hugging Knot also very early on NW and an unseen calling Ringed Plover. A magnificent Snipe flock 19 strong very high over Airedale went out into Lancs over the col. G spots S and W. Siskins again on the air very strong south and throughout the watch, few were seen as again exceptionally high and again a signicant undercount. Gulls again phenomenal and all constantly streaming and broadfronting south, more than yesterday but today only counted for three hours and then we had to give up. Vast majority of adult lessers seen in good light appered to be charcoal backs. All in all a diverse and exceptionally exhilarating morning curtailed only by the strenthening wind with closing skies associated.
Dave
posted by Dave Barker at
9/09/2012 04:45:00 pm
6 Comments:
Another great blog entry Dave. A superb morning throughout. Wildfowl were the stars for me and well captured with the lense. You also did well to catch the rapidly dissipating "green flash",which is just discernable on the sunrise shot.
Cracking photos as usual Dave and a great report.
Hope the young lady with Howard was hard of hearing if he was on his usual form of technical birding terms.
Impeccable to day Bri, to the normal HIGHEST standard.... ears, even better than mine, Sue was picking siskins up as they came over Rombalds, so yet another very valuable team member..... just wait till the buntings start to come!
Good to share it with you Howard, Sue etal, and yes the fowl were the stars and in this respect, yet another morning "out of the blue"... cant wait for the next. D
Greetings from the East Coast. I was wondering if you had a juv Pintail amongst the wigeon ? The lower bird of the two "together" looks a bit Pintailish to me. Neck a bit longer, head more rounded and a white trailing edge to the secondaries, something I`m not sure Wigeon have in any plumage. Any more photos ? I coul be talking rubbish as usual tho !
Phil Cunningham
Hey up Phil, good to hear from you and great that our signal is getting way out there to Flamborough!.... Will certainly check it out as this has happened before here with a bigger flock of wigeon, some years ago, initially thought to be wigeon prior to snapping but on doing the forensics on the snaps later, a few of them were found to be pintail, but spotted them that time.... If ever over this way, get in touch and revisit HC and myself at our watchpoint... we have a new one now! it would be good to catch up....
Cheers Dave, I do keep an eye on the old spot and enjoy your excellent photos.
Phil
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