Seven images all Copyright 2012
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Trans-Pennine Common Tern Migration
Oxenhope, Bradford (W Yorks, England)
Saturday 18 August 2012
Counting period: 6:25-14:00
Weather: wind South4, cloud-cover 8/8, visibility 45000m, temperature 18 ℃, becoming W F5, 8ok, 100000m+, 21degC, QNH 1009 rising 1012
Observers: Dave Barker, Howard Creber, Lester Ward, Chris King
Moving Birds;
Cormorant 12 -
Common Gull 2 -
Meadow Pipit 18 -
Canada Goose 15 -
Lesser Black-backed Gull 928 -
Wheatear 3 -
Golden Plover 15 -
Herring Gull 4 -
Greenfinch 2 -
Lapwing 2 -
Yellow-legged Gull 1 -
Goldfinch 1 -
Snipe 3 -
Common Tern * 52 -
Siskin 7 -
Curlew - 15
Swift 16 -
Linnet 10 -
Black-headed Gull 358 -
Swallow 17 -
Lesser Redpoll 5 -
Totals: 1486 individuals, 21 species, 7:35 hours
Comments: Overnight rain clearing well before first light in to the Dales and Lake District leaving strato base to the north, elsewhere stratocumulus stratiformis 8ok and remaining similar. Airedale trans-Pennine tern migration at great height witnessed for the first time here on this scale (HC, DCB) with a single flock of 52 passing due east to west... forensics still to do on the many long range photographs taken! These confirm Common Tern. LBBG's exceptionally strong with the vast majority south today. Several groups of Cormorant very high west. Otherwise passerines very poor, with the exception of a couple of noteable small siskin and redpol groups south.
On Saturday 18th Aug, HC and myself had an experience never
before
encountered in these parts in our joint 90+ years birding, just
thirty
years of which has been vis related with much less than that
actually
"skywatching".
At
c 0745 HC noted a flock of birds very very high up in the sky
wayout to out
east. This sector of sky is above an area frequented by
seasonal
congregations of Lapwings and as the flock appeared
stationary and twinkling,
we initially virtually discounted it as the
regular lapwing sausage up high
in usual morning flight.... However it
didnt look quite right and we stuck on
it for a while. Suddenly the
flock took off and shifted in the sky moving
very rapidly. Very
obvious now that the birds, not lapwings were initially
coming
directly towards us in a considerable tight flock and had veered
off
slightly for whatever reason. HC still on them with his
scope,
shouted, "these are terns Dave" me straight on them again, soon
had
them in the camera with focus snapping and fireing
away.....
continuing at great height but dropping slightly, they had
obviously
changed course very slightly when the water came into view
and
appeared to be loosing hight in a very long descent to look at
it!....
this they did, coming in above the wall at the SE end. Immediately
the
flock was gaining height again going off on the same course
without
deviation in an equivalent ascent, soon becoming very high up
almost
at cloudbase level, thus they continued picking up speed very rapidly and lost to us as they headed
off
towards Lancashire.... Other team members just arriving as the
birds
were on their way out were simply transmogriphyed!
We initially
estimated c60, which when counted on the snaps equated to
an excact 52. At
that stage they were just commic, or maybe not even
all commic, who could tell
using traditional technology at c1.4km
closest range!.... however forensics
on the snaps some of which reproduced above do suggest all were
common.....
We have been aware of and looked for this tern passage for many
years as those on
either coast tell us they record flocks spireling up until lost from
view and
heading off cross country twinkling in the sky, but so far as I
am
aware the inland continuation at height over these parts at least, has
never
before been recorded....?
Sorry this posting is a bit belated as
have been having great problems
with my google blog page over recent weeks.
Dave
