Oxenhope.... 2012-09-26

Eight Images all Copyright 2012

Oxenhope, Bradford (W Yorks, England)
Wednesday 26 September 2012    
Counting period: 6:00-9:20
Weather: wind East4, cloud-cover 8/8, precipitation rain, visibility 50m, temperature 8 ℃, , remaining similar and getting worse, ice pellets,, QNH 988 rising 991
Observers: Dave Barker, Howard Creber

Totals: 0 individuals, 0 species, 3:20 hours

Present: Meadow Pipit 1, alba wagtail sp. 1

Comments: Out especially early this am and despite the floods got there for six. Rain front cleared SW as forecast but low cloud in its wake did not... now raining heavily again as system revolves and front returns... pointless, will try again later.

Counting period: 10:50-17:25
Weather: wind East3, cloud-cover 6/8, precipitation rain, visibility 40000m, temperature 10 ℃, cloudbase seen lifting so straight back up there.... becoming NE F3 then N F3, cunim calvus and capilatus, several torrential downpours with some hail,
QNH 992 rising 997
Observers: Dave Barker, Howard Creber, (Rodney Procter, Lester Ward, both briefly)

Moving Birds:
Cormorant - 5
Golden Plover - 12
alba wagtail sp. 4 -
Whooper Swan 1 -
Lapwing - 16
Mistle Thrush - 3
Marsh Harrier 1 -
Snipe - 5
Jay - 1
Sparrowhawk 3 -
Lesser Black-backed Gull 102 -
Jackdaw 7 -
Common Buzzard - 2
Swallow 1368 -
Starling - 103
Osprey 1 -
accipiter sp
House Martin 29 -
Chaffinch 1 -
Kestrel 2 -
Meadow Pipit 302 -
Goldfinch 28 -
Peregrine 1 -
flava wagtail sp. 2 -
Linnet 4 -  

Totals: 2003 individuals, 24 species, 6:35 hours

Comments: A tremendous afternoon with urgent movement throughout.... a couple of flavas in quick succession E got us going, an osprey on approach along the regular track SW gave a stunning display as it passed before it disapeared soaring up into the clouds, frontal waves of swallows pushed W by the storms included a magnificant high massed party some 700 strong. The first whooper of the season, a single SSE and again on the usual track. A buzzard almost overhead N and low was thrilling as was another moving fast W in front of a storm, a pere and intreguing banana wing both also fast W. A marshie, the first male of the season between the storms SE, a jay N was unexpected and mips going steady throughout interesting....

Dave