Oxenhope..... 2012-09-30

Copyright 2012

Oxenhope, Bradford (W Yorks, England)
Sunday 30 September 2012
Counting period: 10:30-13:25
Weather: wind SW5, cloud-cover 8/8, visibility 100000m, temperature 11 ℃, becoming SW F6 gusting F8, 13degC, QNH 1012(0700) falling1010
Observers: Dave Barker

Moving Birds:

Cormorant 5 -
Lesser Black-backed Gull 121 -
Snipe * - 9
Meadow Pipit 5 -
Black-headed Gull 33 -
alba wagtail sp. 1 -

Totals: 174 individuals, 6 species, 2:55 hours

Comments: Adandoned early count this morning as whilst rain front was late and we were just on the very southern end of it, it was very wet by dawn with cloud down and less than c100m visibility on the tops. Rapidly improving conditions mid am suggested there might as often be some movement.... absolutely flat, with only gulls and cormorants in the sky plus a little party of snipe watched in v high from far out east to drop to the in-bye just in front. Just five mips south after yesterday was remarkable in its self! Might have stopped longer but the next front of rain was almost arrived from the NW with cloudbase dropping and drizzle in the air, a much more substantial afair than the previous.... so that was that.

Dave

Oxenhope.... 2012-09-29

Three Images all Copyright Howard Creber 2012

Oxenhope, Bradford (W Yorks, England)
Saturday 29 September 2012
Counting period: 6:30-11:45 Weather: wind West4, cloud-cover 2/8, precipitation rain, visibility 30000m, temperature 7 ℃, becoming W F4/6 gusting F7 and more, rain squalls, 6ok at times, 10000m and less for a while, 9degC, QNH 1011 rising 1015
Observers: Howard Creber, (Rod Procter, Brian Vickers, Mark Doveston & Dave Barker (other commitment), all briefly)

Moving Birds:
Cormorant - 3
House Martin 1 -
Goldfinch 13 -
Black-headed Gull 46 -
Meadow Pipit 1222 -
Siskin 3 -
Lesser Black-backed Gull 24 -
alba wagtail sp. 5 -
Linnet 2 -
Stock Dove 3 -
Mistle Thrush 4 -
Lesser Redpoll 14 -
Woodpigeon 32 -
Chaffinch 4 -
Reed Bunting 1 -
Swallow 5 -
Greenfinch 3 -

Totals: 1385 individuals, 17 species, 5:15 hours

Comments: A frenetic start from the off with 320 Meadow Pipits thro` south in the first 15 minutes. Mipits were also coming through in big numbers on the western routes but grossly undercounted due to concentration out to the east. Other routes also remained uncounted in total due to reduced manpower. Mipit passage continued strongly until 08.30 hrs when quelled significantly. At this time, wind speed went up two notches with buffeting gusts, making standing alone quite difficult. Also visibility out to the east, where the bulk of the movement had been noted, deteriorated into a milky morass, making effective observation impossible. After this time, just a few small flocks pulsed south thro` the usual col. In an adjacent clough, a very noteworthy 34 Bullfinches made their way thro` the clough and then left high over the moor in three seperate flocks. 54 Mipits, 7 Alba Wag, 2 Grey Wag,34 Chaffinch, 2 Swallow and 25 Long Tailed Tits were also noted thro (BV) . In another adjacent clough, 1 Redwing and 1 Fieldfare were seen (MD) and in yet another wooded area over the tops a Yellow browed Warbler was discovered (Halifax Birders). A little covey of Grey partridge at the watchpoint and important as "friends" to us totalling just four this year...

Howard Creber

Oxenhope.... 2021-09-28

Seven Images all Copyright 2012

Oxenhope, Bradford (W Yorks, England)
Friday 28 September 2012
Counting period: 6:25-18:00
Weather: wind SW4, cloud-cover 7/8, precipitation rain, visibility 20000m, temperature 8 ℃, becoming W F5 gusing F7 and more, many intermittent rain squalls and misting rain, shifting fog stratus then improving, 65000m, QNH 1006 ridging 1008 then falling 1007
Observers: Dave Barker, Howard Creber, (Lester Ward, Rodney Procter, Brian Vickers, Giselle Murison, all briefley)

Moving Birds:
Cormorant 5 -
Curlew - 1
Rook 5 -
Canada Goose - 20
Black-headed Gull 1 -
Starling 24+ 35
Goosander * 1 -
Lesser Black-backed Gull * 58 -
Chaffinch 3 -
Common Buzzard 1 -
Collared Dove 2 -
Greenfinch 21 -
Merlin 1 -
Skylark * 7 -
Goldfinch 20 -
Golden Plover - 2
Swallow 20 -
Siskin * 9 -
Snipe - 11
Meadow Pipit 1933 -

Totals: 2180 individuals, 20 species, 11:35 hours

Comments: A morning with much potential but masked by the conditions, thus an under representation. Urgent mipits keeping going throughout the morning but often impossible to watch due to torrential downpours and shifting fog stratus. albas strongest to date and also keeping going including an exceptional train of 13. Another buzzard shot unusually fast south across a rain squall and a merlin doing similar. Swallows almost absent today. More canadas out of Lancashire in a high single skien crossed Airedale and away to the NE. An eye-to-eye with a Tornado pilot was fantastic, as was a low and close Hercules....

Dave

Oxenhope... 2012-09-27

Five Images all Copyright 2012

Oxenhope, Bradford (W Yorks, England)
Thursday 27 September 2012
Counting period: 6:00-14:30
Weather: wind NW0, cloud-cover 2/8, precipitation rain, visibility 65000m, temperature 7 ℃, becoming NW F1, W F1, W F3 gusting F5, sky closing from the west during the morning, then breaking later, cunim visible, 12degC, QNH 1004 rising 1006
Observers: Dave Barker, Howard Creber, Lester Ward (til late am)

Moving Birds:
Cormorant * - 15
Stock Dove 3 -
Jackdaw 6+ 2
Pink-footed Goose 50 -
Woodpigeon 23 -
Rook * 5 -
Red Kite - 1
Collared Dove - 2
Carrion Crow 3 -
Sparrowhawk 3 -
Skylark 18 -
Starling 35+   39
Common Buzzard 1+ 1
Swallow 1829 -
Chaffinch 24 -
Golden Plover 25 -
House Martin 19 -
Greenfinch 22 -
Lapwing - 28
Meadow Pipit 2348 -
Goldfinch 81 -
Snipe - 18
alba wagtail sp. 15 -
Siskin 22 -
Common Gull - 1
Blackbird - 2
Linnet 2 -
Lesser Black-backed Gull 156 -
Mistle Thrush - 24
Lesser Redpoll 2 -

Totals: 4825 individuals, 30 species, 8:30 hours

Comments: A moderate day with a slow start for everything but later mips and swallows picking up rapidly with swallows again frontal driven SE in big numbers especially as the sky closed overhead. Both mips and swallows continuing through into the afternoon. Few raptors in evidence but an early buzzard south and another very rapidly N later on were interesting. Lots of siskin contacts from the roof in undetectable flocks and a couple of redpoll contacts same were counted as one contact per flock, so numbers stated in no way representative. Skylarks W (similar) Just a single pink skein detected, this morning SE, but high, so more could have easily have snook through unseen. Stronger albas, and strengthening mips possibly indicative.....

Counting period: 14:40-16:00 Weather: similar
Observers: Dave Barker
 
Moving Birds:
Swallow 212 -
Meadow Pipit 196 -

Totals: 408 individuals, 2 species, 1:20 hours Comments: Old watchpoint visited.

Dave

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