Oxenhope... 2012-10-02

Two Images Copyright 2012 Howard Creber

Oxenhope, Bradford (W Yorks, England)
Tuesday 2 October 2012
Counting period: 6:45-10:45
Weather: wind SW4, cloud-cover 4/8, visibility 30000m, temperature 8 ℃, becoming SW F4, 10degc, 65000m, QNH 1006 falling 1004
Observers: Howard Creber, (Rod Procter briefly)

Moving Birds:
Cormorant 6 -
Swallow 9 -
Starling - 8
Pink-footed Goose * 86 -
Meadow Pipit 265 -
Chaffinch 6 -
Greylag Goose * 14 -
alba wagtail sp. 5 -
Greenfinch 4 -
Golden Plover 9 -
Wheatear 1 -
Goldfinch 21 -
Lapwing 1 -
Song Thrush 1 -
Siskin 2 -
Common Gull 5 -
Mistle Thrush 20 -
Crossbill 3 -
Lesser Black-backed Gull 37 -
Jackdaw - 7

Totals: 510 individuals, 20 species, 4:00 hours 

Comments: A south westerly wind force 4 gusting 5/6 with good visibility to Drax power station. Birdwise a steady morning with an initial burst of Mipits, rapidly diminishing to a trickle. 20 Mistle Thrush, with an accompanying single Song Thrush, came through high from the east, in 5 seperate small flocks and continued high west towards Lancashire. A single Wheatear paid a short visit to the watchpoint itself before flying off SE. Three Crossbills were noteworthy. Two skeins of Pink Footed Geese flying west were seperately noted (30 RP and 56 HC). The single skein of Greylag geese came in high from the west and continued high east until lost to sight. A Squirrel on the moor top.

Howard

Oxenhope... 2012-10-01

Serven Images, all Copyright 2012

Oxenhope, Bradford (W Yorks, England)
Monday 1 October 2012
Counting period: 6:20-11:30
Weather: wind SW4, cloud-cover 2/8, visibility 20000m, temperature 10 ℃, becoming 7ok, deep haze then 65000m, 12degC, QNH 1008 falling 1006
Observers: Dave Barker, Howard Creber

Moving Birds:
Cormorant 5 -
Stock Dove 4 -
Starling 7+ 1
duck sp. 3 -
Woodpigeon 65 -
Chaffinch 25 -
Sparrowhawk 1 -
Skylark 13 -
Greenfinch 12 -
Golden Plover 1 -
Swallow 17 -
Goldfinch 48 -
Lapwing 4 -
Meadow Pipit 1616 -
Siskin * 3 -
Black-headed Gull 2 -
alba wagtail sp. 3 -
Linnet 2 -
Lesser Black-backed Gull 62 -
Mistle Thrush 16 -
Sterna spec. 1 -
Jackdaw 10 -

Totals: 1921 individuals, 22 species, 5:10 hours

Comments: Mipits moving this morning, unusually well before sunrise, very fast and high as well with a good early count. Fractus streaming out off the moor into milk soon thickened with almost complete overdraw. Initially mips kept moving but soon slackened, never to recover although continuing in small numbers throughout. Best woodpigeon count to date but albas falling back dramatically..... a sterna sp S was the most interesting bird during an otherwise pretty non-descript morning.

Dave