Oxenhope.... 2012-10-20

Snaps to follow:

Oxenhope, Bradford (W Yorks, England)
Saturday 20 October 2012
Counting period: 7:10 - 15:40
Weather: wind SW2, cloud-cover 2/8, visibility 65000m, temperature 8 ℃, becoming SW F3 then F2/CALM, inversion fogs over eastern plane far below us, mist and fractus initially, 14degC, 10000 then 80000m, QNH 1011 rising 1015
Observers: Dave Barker, Howard Creber, Chris King, Rodney Procter

Moving Birds:
Pink-footed Goose * 1460 +  319
Collared Dove 5 -
Chaffinch 15 -
Goosander 1 -
Skylark - 5
Greenfinch 10 -
Sparrowhawk 1 -
Meadow Pipit 150 -
Goldfinch 41 -
Common Buzzard 1 -
Ring Ouzel - 1
Siskin 4 -
Golden Plover 1 -
Blackbird 4 -
Linnet 3 -
Curlew - 1
Song Thrush - 6
Lesser Redpoll 2 -
Black-headed Gull 290 -
Redwing 9 -
Crossbill - 7
Common Gull 3 -
Mistle Thrush - 5
bunting sp. 1 -
Lesser Black-backed Gull 361 -
Jay - 1
Red Admiral - 2
Herring Gull 1 -
Jackdaw - 68
Silver Y - 2
Stock Dove 3 -
Raven 2 -
Woodpigeon 396 -
Starling - 122

Totals: 3303 individuals, 34 species, 8:30 hours

Present: Little Owl 1

Comments: Mist, fog stratus and fractus troublsome initially but only to SW and W, leaving a clear sunrise out over the North Sea above the extensive fogs below. A tremendous morning for us starting with small numbers of migrant thrushes dropping out +/- sunrise, again, quite good mips for the time of year but the main event for the day was again the trans-Pennine passage of pinks!.... again open both ways and with many big dramatic skeins and the best by far this year to date, including some low out of the Lancashire clag, heard coming for ages before seen, continuing right overhead making a teriffic din.... A buzzard east was the first for ages and high gull passage strong again.

Dave

Oxenhope.... 2012-10-19

Snaps to follow:

Oxenhope, Bradford (W Yorks, England)
Friday 19 October 2012
Counting period: 7:00 - 15:30
Weather: wind SW2, cloud-cover 4/8, visibility 20000m, temperature 8 ℃, becoming N less than F1, then SW F2 reducing F1, 13degC, 80000m, QNH 1006 rising and ridging 1008 the falling 1007
Observers: Dave Barker, Howard Creber, Rodney Procter, Gordon Holmes

Moving Birds;
Cormorant 6 -
Swallow 4 -
Jackdaw - 113
Pink-footed Goose * 365 +  410
Meadow Pipit 446 -
Raven 1 -
Goosander 3 -
alba wagtail sp. 4 -
Starling - 118
Sparrowhawk 1 -
Wheatear 1 -
Chaffinch 18 -
Golden Plover 5 -
Ring Ouzel * 1 -
finch sp. 44 -
Lapwing - 30
Blackbird - 2
Greenfinch 68 -
Curlew - 4
Fieldfare - 17
Goldfinch 32 -
Black-headed Gull 165 -
Song Thrush - 1
Siskin 5 -
Common Gull 9 -
Redwing 156 -
Linnet 6 -
Lesser Black-backed Gull 346 -
Mistle Thrush - 21
Twite 1 -
Woodpigeon 114 -
Long-tailed Tit - 32
Lesser Redpoll 2 -
Green Woodpecker - 1
Jay 14+ 1
Reed Bunting - 2
Skylark - 9
Magpie 5 -
Silver Y 1 -

Totals: 2584 individuals, 39 species, 8:30 hours

Comments: Deep stratus to the east for a long time. Did break up eventually to let the light through. No evidence of thrush arrivals today but a few more more Fieldfare in evidence as well as calls on several occasions from unseen bird/s overhead. Mips excellent for the time of year and trans-Pennine pinks travelling each way today in big skeins along the normal routes. Good views of a Ring Ouzel going east by its self as did a twite. Jays again today but with the majority going south. Undoubtably the best birds for us tho were two large flocks of long tailed tits west over the moor without fear! Four late swallows south were very good. Gulls up in numbers dramatically with very much high movement south. Raptors just about absent.

Dave

Oxenhope.... 2012-12-18

Snaps to follow;

Oxenhope, Bradford (W Yorks, England)
Thursday 18 October 2012
Counting period: 7:00 - 14:35
Weather: wind South1, cloud-cover 1/8, visibility 50000m, temperature 6 ℃, Inversion fogs in vallies and out over eastern plane. becoming S F4, 3ok, then 7ok, 12deg, 65000m,
QNH 996 rising 998

Observers: Dave Barker, Gordon Holmes, Rodney Procter

Moving Birds:
Cormorant - 1
Meadow Pipit 56 -
Starling 2 +  136
Golden Plover 2 -
alba wagtail sp. 6 -
Chaffinch 107 -
Lapwing - 1
Blackbird - 1
Brambling - 1
Snipe - 4
Fieldfare - 9
finch sp. - 27
Curlew - 1
Redwing - 20
Greenfinch 27 -
Black-headed Gull 3 -
Mistle Thrush - 13
Goldfinch 5 -
Lesser Black-backed Gull 29 -
Turdus sp. - 718
Siskin 1 -
Woodpigeon 7 -
Jay - 7
Reed Bunting - 2
Great Spotted Woodpecker 2 -
Jackdaw 5 + 25

Totals: 1218 individuals, 26 species, 7:35 hours

Comments: A much improved morning expecially first thing. Fieldfares a group of five NW were the first birds of the day (and apart from a single heard, the first this year) almost immediately after arrival followed by calls heard but not seen on several occasions before sunrise. Also about 20 Redwings falling out into the trees . Nothing more in that line noted til Rod picked up a large thrush flock high up NW at 1020 with a few more just after. Thought it might have been a one off but more large flocks 1130, 1157 and 1215 (a very big one, some 400 strong WNW and exceedingly high looking as midges swarming sometimes and travelling across the sky). Despite constant attention to the upper sky, no more but by this time cloud was over drawing from the south and wind picking up. Otherwise a good chaffinch count for us, Starlings getting going again, A brambling heard mid morning and a few more Jays N. Again as yday, very few gulls.

Dave 

Oxenhope.... 2012-10-17

Snaps to follow:
Oxenhope, Bradford (W Yorks, England)
Wednesday 17 October 2012
Counting period: 9:30 - 15:00
Weather: wind ESE3, cloud-cover 8/8, precipitation rain, visibility 10000m, temperature 7 ℃, becoming S F4 gusting more. soon becoming 4ok, 65000m haze, QNH 991 rising 993
Observers: Dave Barker

Moving Birds:
Sparrowhawk 1 -
Meadow Pipit 9 -
Snipe - 6
alba wagtail sp. 2 -
Curlew - 4
Crossbill - 4
Lesser Black-backed Gull 4 -
Bullfinch 2 -

Totals: 32 individuals, 8 species, 5:30 hours

Comments: Rain commencing c0430 very heavy, ceasing c0900 but very misty. Delayed start from low watchpoint initially as still murky higher up. Very little in the sky with most noteably gulls almost absent altho still plenty in the various fields.

Dave

Oxenhope.... 2012-10-16

Snaps to follow:
Oxenhope, Bradford (W Yorks, England)
Tuesday 16 October 2012
Counting period: 7:00 - 11:35
Weather: wind SW5, cloud-cover 8/8, precipitation rain, visibility 30000m, temperature 7 ℃, becoming W F6 gusting F8, 7ok, 7degC, rain and sleet, 65000m, QNH 989 rising 992
Observers: Dave Barker, (Howard Creber briefly)

Moving Birds:

Meadow Pipit 29 -
Reed Bunting - 1

Totals: 30 individuals, 2 species, 4:35 hours

Comments: Unable to stand steady and optics in danger so up to the top water, for the shelter of the wall and ultimately the shed. Meadow Pipits still trying hard and without doubt a lot more than able to see this morning tracking the shelter of the topography.

Dave