Oxenhope... 2012-11-04

Oxenhope, Bradford (W Yorks, England)
Sunday 4 November 2012
Counting period: 7:05 - 12:00
Weather: wind NE0, cloud-cover 2/8, visibility 65000m, temperature -1 ℃, HARD FROST, becoming SW F1 then E F1, becoming 100000m to lakeland hills, remaining c -1degC, QNH 994 / 995 steady
Observers: Dave Barker, (Howard Creber, Chris King til 0900hr)

Moving Birds:
Whooper Swan * 14 -
Redwing 26 -
Pink-footed Goose * - 605
Mistle Thrush 2 -
Stock Dove 2 -
Rook 1 -
Woodpigeon 535 -
Starling - 26
Meadow Pipit 11 -
finch sp. 2 -
Blackbird 2 -
Goldfinch 8 -
Fieldfare 76 -

Totals: 1310 individuals, 13 species, 4:55 hours

Comments: A good morning with inversion fogs below till 0855hr. 2ok high stratus gradually over drawing 4ok from east. Otherwise clear blue open sky out to west with first snow of the season cloaking the high Dales tops. Air shift from east brought the inversion fogs upto the watchpoint briefly, but then a walk up towards top Ox, to get well above it, gave the rest of the morning in the clear, with a vast sea of fog lapping below. Pinks, again the birds of the day continued all morning with exceptionally high skeins, way above the fogs and all north west today. Initial skeins seemed to be heading for the Morecambe Bay area, but later on the more normal track. A small Whooper skein out over the sea of fog drew attention by a few contract calls, whilst heading for land, then on SE. Most pigeons very high south above the Pennine watershed route, with thrushes all south as well. Starlings never got going. All in all a very memorable morning. Gulls not realistically counted.

Dave