Pennine Skywatch

Listening Stations.....

2012-01-22T18:00:00.002Z

Full of Moon.... at Dead of Night! (c) 2012

The Airedale and Wharfedale nocturnal listening stations are now up and running, as and when conditions are suitable.... I hesitate to be specific as to the Oxenhope and Chevin locations, as nocturnal possibilities are such that practicalities will intervene. This together with the location of optimum site position will be the determining factors. Nothing much so far except for a few Lapwings (not unexpected in mid Jan), some good recordings of Tawney Owls, a cat fight, wind, falling rain and lots of police sirens etc.... Beset by difficulties up to press tho, hopefully soon to be overcome with wind buffeted waterlogged mics, ponding reflectors, mains hum, freezing temps and continuous rain all in the equation!.... but.... conditions will soon improve as January slips away and hopefully allowing any audiable migrant activity overhead to be recorded.

Dave and Lester

the big end!.... 2011-12-26

2011-12-26T22:00:00.000Z

Pendle Hill... the Big End with Lower Black Moss below.... two images (c) 2011

An excursion over the border to one of my old stamping grounds..... on a darkly overcast Boxing Day but exceptionally warm this year at 11degC.

Dave

MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL....

2011-12-24T16:22:00.000Z

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all visitors stopping off here.

Dave and the Oxenhope Team.

a nephological KNOCKOUT !!.... 2011-12-22

2011-12-22T21:35:00.000Z

altocumulus lenticularis... in climatic magnificence!!... (c) 2011

A nephological display of utter grandure this lunchtime over our part of West Yorkshire on this the shortest day of the year.... unavoidably obvious and jaw dropping to those outside and even inside, just like us trapped in Bradford city centre! see image above over the Bradford cityscape.... some even more dramatic snaps from the open outlook at Oxenhope to follow when electronic link to the watchpoint team restored. Lenticularis, a common cloud type over the Pennines to anyone out in the hills but not at all common here in such massive proportion and perfect formation.... The image above shows just a small part of a teriffic lenticularis convoy extending visually north but this was most likely only a small fraction of what was happening in the wider sky.... cars and wagons were pulling up to watch and folks were gawping into the sky, even those that had never given clouds a second look were fixated by this tremendous alien craft. Many thanks to Karen / Diane and their teams for initially drawing it to my attention.

Dave

PS....2011-12-24
following the interest on here, still awaiting HC's Oxenhope snaps delayed by email failure but here following some "googleing" are links to images from taken other parts of W Yorks....

BBC News
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-leeds-16302606

Paul Hudsons Weather and Climate Blog
http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/paulhudson/2011/12/fabulous-display-of-lenticular.shtml

Adam Getliff....(Above Bradford today) these are awesome!
http://homepage.mac.com/adamget/Lenticular%20Clouds/

ENJOY... but following on.....

Here are Howards Oxenhope Shots.... absolutely AWESOME.......

Whole altocumulus lenticularis in context with landscape.... (c) Howard Creber 2011

Detail with snaps joined.... double click to get this one full screen!.... (c) Howard Creber 2011

Detail in distance looking North.... (c) Howard Creber 2011

Final image!..... (c) Howard Creber 2011

and finally Lesters image to add to ours, taken from his kitchen window in Otley in Wharfedale and on his I phone shows an entirely different perspective..... fantastic stuff Lester....

altocumulus lenticularis... overhead.... (c) Lester Ward 2011

Dave

crisp, cold and blue!... 2011-12-18

2011-12-19T22:08:00.003Z

cold crisp and blue!!... (c) Lester Ward 2011

13.30-14.20hr
0 DegC
Force 2 WNW
0/8

8 Lapwing SE
3 Stock Dove NW

Crisp and snow-capped 3 peaks in distance made for a beautiful panorama, but after 50 mins finger tips were going numb so went home for a cup of tea, just as masses of roost bound gulls started to pass.
Lester Ward

minus three and worse to come!!... 2011-12-10

2011-12-10T19:05:00.001Z

the 0930hr sky.... evil affect!.... (c) 2011

Oxenhope, Bradford (W Yorks, England)
Saturday 10 December 2011
Counting period: 7:05-9:35
Weather: wind WSW3, cloud-cover 4/8, precipitation snow, visibility 40000m, temperature -3 ℃, 0 increasing 9ok, wind F5 in squalls.
Observers: Dave Barker, Lester Ward

Woodpigeon 5 S + 150 NE
Meadow Pipit 3 -

Totals: 158 individuals, 2 species, 2:30 hours

Comments: A very active snow squall before dawn was almost preventative but none of the other many cunim snow squalls visible really got us. All in all, virtually no birds but the exceptionally dramatic skies were worth every minute of discomfort!! A single big group of pigeons NE with 5 in bits going west. Mips were a single and a 2 going south.

Dave

the contrails come good!!!.... 2011-11-30

2011-11-30T11:32:00.001Z

Product of War?.... globie going back!.... (c)

Norwegian Air Shuttle out of Oslo.... (c) 2011

Oxenhope, Bradford (W Yorks, England) Wednesday 30 November 2011 Counting period: 7:30-9:30Weather: wind SSW4, cloud-cover 1/8, visibility 65000m, temperature 3 ℃, SSW F4 becoming F5, 1ok, 3degC, 65km, QNH 1015 rising 1016
Observers: Dave Barker

Woodpigeon - 16
Starling - 2
Fieldfare 2 -

Totals: 20 individuals, 3 species, 2:00 hours

Comments: A morning of brilliant blue skies but with little in them up here. Bitter cold and exceptionally raw before the sun got up. Would have stayed longer but chilled to the bone. Few pigeons NE. Thus with open blue above in long gaps of nothing, the contrails came good!... not all of these Oxenhope snaps were taken today....

Dave

NERF Review 2010... now available

2011-11-29T20:04:00.001Z

Summary:

The Review opens with reports from Paul Irving, Chair and Ian Court, Secretary. The thought provoking foreword by Richard Saunders, Ornithologist, sets the tone for the Review.

Part 1: summaries the activities undertaken by the Forum during 2010, including geographical and habitat coverage, conservation status of raptors in the NERF region and persecution data recorded by members.

Part 2: the species report, covering all 23 species of raptor, including raven, that occur in or transit through, the NERF region. Each species report includes a historical overview, population and conservation status together with threat assessments. Monitoring and productivity data from each NERF Group is presented in a tabular format followed by individual group reports.

Part 3: the following articles are presented in this section

• A Review of the RSPB Birdcrime Report 2010: Guy Shorrock, Senior Investigations Officer, RSPB

• Monitoring Raptor Demography on a National Scale: Dr Dave Leech, Senior Research Ornithologist, BTO

• Predatory Bird Monitoring Scheme: Lee Walker, PBMS, Centre for Ecology & Hydrology

• A Tale of two Ospreys, a report from Cumbria detailing the different stories of 2 chicks as they migrated from the UK to Western Africa: Phil Cheesley & Pete Davis Lake District Osprey Project

• Monitoring Nests with Cameras: Nigel Butcher, Technical Development Officer, RSPB

• National Merlin Survey 2008: Steve Ewing and Mark Eaton, RSPB

• Conservation Project for Lesser Kestrels in the Alta Murgia National Park, Italy: Pino Giglio & Marco Gustin, [translated by Gabriele Zambelli]

The Review is printed on high quality paper, in A4 format, perfect bound; c72,000 words across 112 pages, full colour throughout, including 46 photographs.

Copies can be purchased from Steve Downing for £12, including p&p.
Email throstlebower@hotmail.com

A small number of copies of the 2009 Annual Review are still available at the reduced rate of £5 per copy. £17.50 including p&p for both Reviews.

the blue land of the pinks!!... 2011-11-20

2011-11-20T18:09:00.001Z

pink profusion!! (c) 2011

Oxenhope, Bradford (W Yorks, England)
Sunday 20 November 2011
Counting period: 7:05-13:05
Weather: CALM, E F1, SE, SW F3, S F1, CALM, E F1, 9 but always with vv becoming 1ok, 6deg C becoming "hot" in sun, 100m becoming 30km, fogs soon clearing up her to give good visibility out over a blanket of deep fog in the vallies below, QNH 1018 ridging1019-1017
Observers: Dave Barker, Lester Ward

Pink-footed Goose - 260
Meadow Pipit 2 -
Greenfinch 3 -
Golden Plover 4 -
alba wagtail sp. 2 -
Goldfinch 4 -
Grey Plover - 1
Fieldfare 143 -
Reed Bunting 1 -
Lapwing 2 -
Redwing 68 -
Red Admiral 1 -
Stock Dove 13 -
Starling 13 -
Woodpigeon 35 -
Chaffinch 13 -

Totals: 565 individuals, 16 species, 6:00 hours

Present: Wren 1

Comments: Another teriffic almost calm morning up here looking out in brilliant sunshine over a sea of fog clogging all of the land and vallies below. Not a continuation of yesterday but nevertheless and most interestingly a couple of pure Redwing flocks were very different. Pigeons today hardly any and certainly no high ones that we could see with just very small numbers south. After yesterday, Starlings virtually absent but late morning trans Pennine pinks still going for it with all traveling above the fogs NW today. A Grey Plover heard calling could not be located as it went N. Again a Red Admiral going south in the HOT pre mid day sunshine! A Wren was at the watchpoint throughout. At midday the air shifted back into the east bringing the dark fogs and stench of the city up onto the moor... only briefly tho as the air shifted back south and all was clear again! Gulls not counted but again very many going south above the fogs throughout.

Dave

the big (pig) secret?.... 2011-11-19

2011-11-20T17:33:00.000Z

the Airedale fogs at dawn!....

more high balls north.... (c) 2011

Oxenhope, Bradford (W Yorks, England)
Saturday 19 November 2011
Counting period: 7:15-13:30
Weather: S F1 becoming SSE F3, 2ok reducing, inversion with 2/3degC below fogs but 6/7 degC up at watchpoint, 50km reducing, fog in vallies but watchpoint clear, QNH 1015 ridging 1016 then 1015
Observers: Dave Barker, Lester Ward

Pink-footed Goose - 436
alba wagtail sp. 2 -
buzzard sp. 2 -
Starling - 867
Golden Plover 236 -
Chaffinch 2 -
Woodpigeon - 2028
Greenfinch 3 -
Skylark 1 -
Red Admiral 6 -

Totals: 3583 individuals, 10 species, 6:15 hours

Comments: In all respects, a brilliant day for the time of year.....Report to follow! Gulls not counted but tremendous move south throughout the morning at all ranges.

Dave

a positive check!.... 2011-11-1

2011-11-20T17:07:00.000Z

sunrise today..... (c) Lester Ward 2011

Oxenhope, Bradford (W Yorks, England)
Friday 18 November 2011
Counting period: 7:15-8:00
Weather:
Observers: Lester Ward

No counts 0:45 hours

Comments: A flying pre sunrise visit to the watchpoint fitted in amongst other things. No counts but just long enough to see that migration was nowhere near finished with pigeons and thrushes especially prominant.

Lester

checking it out!.... 2011-11-17

2011-11-20T17:03:00.000Z

Oxenhope, Bradford (W Yorks, England)
Thursday 17 November 2011
Counting period: 13:00-14:00
Weather: SSW F4, 2ok, 11degC, 20km and more, QNH 1015 falling
Observers: Lester Ward

Cormorant 1 -
Snipe - 1
Goosander 2 -
Chaffinch 1 -
Lapwing 20 -
finch sp. 2 -

Totals: 27 individuals, 6 species, 1:00 hours

Comments: No more than expected

Lester

nothing doing today!.... 2011-11-13

2011-11-20T17:01:00.000Z

Oxenhope, Bradford (W Yorks, England)
Sunday 13 November 2011
Counting period: 6:55-10:10
Weather: wind East3, cloud-cover 8/8, precipitation drizzle, visibility 75m, temperature 10 ℃, E F3/4, 9ok, 10degC, 75 -100m deep fog, drizzle, QNH 1030 rising 1031
Observers: Dave Barker

Totals: 0 individuals, 0 species, 3:15 hours

Present: Teal 19

Comments: Deep fog here this morning and even at lower altitudes. No moving birds either seen or heard today but a group of Teal were grounded on the water.

Dave

mid-day shadows lengthen!... 2011-11-12

2011-11-13T14:24:00.000Z

autumn on the Big moor.... and mid-day shadows lengthen! (c) 2011

Oxenhope, Bradford (W Yorks, England)
Saturday 12 November 2011
Counting period: 7:10-14:30
Weather: wind South2, cloud-cover 3/8, visibility 45000m, temperature 7 ℃, SW F1 becoming SE F2, 4 becoming 2ok, 7degC, 45 becoming 30km, QNH 1020 rising 1026
Observers: Dave Barker, Lester Ward, Howard Creber

Cormorant 1 -
Starling - 305
Pink-footed Goose 325 -
Chaffinch 14 -
Golden Plover 4 -
finch sp. 10 -
Lapwing 57 -
Greenfinch 17 -
Woodpigeon 168 -
Goldfinch 7 -
Meadow Pipit 2 -
Reed Bunting 1 -
Blackbird 3 -
Red Admiral - 1
Fieldfare 168 -

Totals: 1083 individuals, 15 species, 7:20 hours

Comments: A much better day with trans-pennine pinks moving both east and west, most very low today, thus easier for our friends down below to see but much more difficult for us. Lapwing movement was however very high with a movement SE out of Lancashire. A Red Admiral going north at lunchtime may well be our last of the season!

Dave

at home in the fogs!!... 2011-11-11

2011-11-13T14:02:00.000Z

at home in the fogs!.... (c) 2011

Oxenhope, Bradford (W Yorks, England)
Friday 11 November 2011
Counting period: 7:05-8:40
Weather: wind East5, cloud-cover 8/8, precipitation drizzle, E F5, 9ok, 8degC, 50 - 100m fog stratus and drizzle, QNH 1016 falling
Observers: Dave Barker

Blackbird 2 -

Totals: 2 individuals, 1 species, 1:35 hours

Comments: Two Blackbirds west in the fog very first thing was all that there was. Abandoned as pointless today up here.

Dave

fog banks roll!... 2011-11-10

2011-11-13T13:58:00.000Z

Fog down below and on approach!.... (c) Lester Ward 2011

Gloom at mid day!... (c) 2011

Oxenhope, Bradford (W Yorks, England)
Thursday 10 November 2011
Counting period: 7:15-14:25
Weather: wind East1, cloud-cover 8/8, temperature 9 ℃, E F1, CALM, E F2, 9ok, 9degC, fog banks rolling in and out, 100m - 19km variable, QNH 1017 rising 1018
Observers: Dave Barker, Lester Ward

Cormorant 1 -
Chaffinch 3 -
Merlin 1 -
finch sp. 4 -
Dunnock 1 -
Greenfinch 1 -
Fieldfare 90 -
Siskin 1 -
Starling - 10
Crossbill 1 -

Totals: 113 individuals, 10 species, 7:10 hours

Comments: First half hour produced all of the few birds there were except for the merlin and comorant which came through after lunch. Tremendous rolling fog banks spoilt the mid/last part of the morning but before lunch the sky was open again but calm and absolutely void of any passerine movement. HC picked up c 75 Starling on the usual track NW at one of our lower watchpoints but hardy any up here.

Dave

winter wren!!.... 2011-11-09

2011-11-09T20:57:00.000Z

breaking skies.... (c) 2011

Oxenhope, Bradford (W Yorks, England)
Wednesday 9 November 2011
Counting period: 8:15-13:00
Weather: wind SE2, cloud-cover 8/8, visibility 5000m, temperature 8 ℃, SE F1 becoming SE F3, 9ok, 8degC, fog stratus raising slowly, 200m to 10km, QNH 1013 steady
Observers: Dave Barker, Lester Ward

Cormorant 1 -
Chaffinch 10 -
Common Buzzard 1 -
finch sp. 12 -
Lapwing - 10
Greenfinch 2 -
Woodpigeon 3 -
Goldfinch 6 -
Meadow Pipit 2 -
Crossbill 1 -
Fieldfare 740 -
Bullfinch 1 -
Redwing 10 -
Silver Y - 1
Starling - 53

Totals: 853 individuals, 15 species, 4:45 hours

Present: Wren 1

Comments: Better than yesterday but visibility still fogged with improvement only into the late morning. Nothing of real significance happening here, just Fieldfares relocating, all low strict south, biggest flocks over the lunchtime period. A Wren at the watchpoint was the most unusual bird! A Silver Y north was interesting.

Dave

another rest!.... 2011-11-08

2011-11-08T19:36:00.000Z

deep fogs in perspective!.... (c) 2011

Bradford (W Yorks, England)
Tuesday 8 November 2011
Counting period: 6:45-8:15
Weather: wind ESE3, cloud-cover 8/8, precipitation drizzle, visibility 150m, temperature 9 ℃, ESE F3/4, 9ok deep fog stratus, heavy drizzle, 9degC, 150m, QNH 1016 falling
Observers: Dave Barker, Howard Creber, Lester Ward

Fieldfare 50 -

Totals: 50 individuals, 1 species, 1:30 hours

Comments: A welcome rest for us this morning as whist this type of drift might bring fresh birds it nearly always ends up in what for us is preventative weather. So no good at all up here if you cant see em!... same but better visibility lower down today so may well try again later..... report to follow.

Dave

open window!.... 2011-11-07

2011-11-07T15:56:00.001Z

bugleing overhead!!!!..... two images....(c) 2011

Bradford (W Yorks, England)
Monday 7 November 2011
Counting period: 6:40-13:30
Weather: wind North2, cloud-cover 5/8, precipitation drizzle, visibility 40000m, temperature -2 ℃, CALM to N F1 to NE F4, 2 reducing 9ok, -2degC, 65km reducing 2000m, drizzle, QNH 1028 falling 1026
Observers: Dave Barker, Howard Creber, Lester Ward

Cormorant - 3
alba wagtail sp. 2 -
finch sp. 22 -
Whooper Swan 8 -
Blackbird 5 -
Greenfinch 20 -
Greylag Goose 1 -
Fieldfare 2309 -
Goldfinch 7 -
Marshharrrier 1 -
Redwing 410 -
Lesser Redpoll 1 -
Snipe 2 -
Mistle Thrush 6 -
Crossbill 6 -
Woodpigeon 1229 -
Jackdaw 3 -
bunting sp. 1 -
Skylark 1 -
Starling - 206
Meadow Pipit 2 -
Chaffinch 8 -

Totals: 4253 individuals, 22 species, 6:50 hours

Comments: A morning with open sky / brilliant potential spoilt by overdrawing and reducing cloudbase to end in deep fog stratus with damping drizzle. Caught unawares before sunrise with a party of bugleing low Whoopers on approach and right over our heads. However the main event of the day and more expected was a big arrival of very very high thrush balls SW from first light initially picked up along the advancing edge of the cloud shelf but continuing as it passed over below the stratocumulus stratiformis and later deep stratus behind. As the visibility reduced later in the morning they became lower and more difficult to see but passage continued right upto lunch time and beyond. Several high balls were seen to have had enough, plummeting down into woods below. Tried a lower watchpoint for the last 90 minutes to see if any better, flocks more visible but not in any big numbers this time and parties small. Pigeons a none event for us today and no improvement in starlings but passage did continue in low numbers right through the watch. Yet another Marshy picked up in the early period and travelling in the now usual direction.

Dave

palumbus gigantica!!.... 2011-11-06

2011-11-06T20:18:00.001Z

Sunrise..... (c) Howard Creber 2011

more pigs.... (c) 2011

Bradford (W Yorks, England)
Sunday 6 November 2011
Counting period: 6:40 - 13:40
Weather: wind North1, cloud-cover 0/8, visibility 65000m, temperature 2 ℃, NW F1/2 becoming N then NNE, 0 becoming 1ok, 2degC hard frost, 65km, QNH1023 rising 1027
Observers: Dave Barker, Howard Creber, Lester Ward

Cormorant 3 -
Stock Dove 5 -
Brambling 3 -
Pink-footed Goose - 415* and see below
Woodpigeon 20664 -
finch sp. 132 -
Greylag Goose - 32
Meadow Pipit 3 -
Greenfinch 20 -
Goosander 2 -
alba wagtail sp. 1 -
Goldfinch 15 -
Red Kite 2 -
Fieldfare 876 -
Siskin 1 -
Sparrowhawk 4 -
Redwing 240 -
Crossbill 7 -
Common Buzzard 7 -
Mistle Thrush 1 -
Reed Bunting 4 -
Merlin 1 -
Jackdaw 15 -
bunting sp. 1 -
Lapwing - 140
Starling - 259
Red Admiral 1 -
Snipe 1 -
Chaffinch 6 -

Totals: 22861 individuals, 29 species, 7:00 hours

Comments: Gulls not counted but nowhere near as much passage as yesterday. Ideal conditions for birds and man in conjunction with the time of year brought the awaited, expected deluge past us. Woodpigeons were their timeslot target at the expense of all else which was vastly undercounted. Even the pigeons would be undercounted as there were just so many in all directions. Most pigeon movement much much higher than normal but spot on for the conditions. Movement broad front with us with all routes open and in use from before sunrise, peaking and then with a c logrithmic decay throughout the morning with a few pigs still going after lunch. Otherwise, nothing dramatic with the thrushes. Starlings, few initially picked up NW towards the end of the morning and into the afternoon as if in conjunction with an arrival. Finches lumped together except for the closest as no time to do em. Raptors taking advantage and really going for it with a broad front wave of very high Buzzards all travelling SW in a very short time frame being exceptionally interesting. All the pinks today were travelling NW and the totals include another skein seen by Lester from another site which apparently came right over our heads at great height and unseen by us.

Dave

cygnificant morning!!.. 2011-11-05

2011-11-05T16:42:00.000Z

pinks with Ashlar Chair backdrop.... (c) 2011

Bradford (W Yorks, England)
Saturday 5 November 2011
Counting period: 6:40 - 13:15
Weather: wind North1, cloud-cover 8/8, visibility 65000m, temperature 8 ℃, NNE F1/2 becoming N then NNW, 8ok, 8degC, 65km, QNH1005 rising 1010
Observers: Dave Barker, Howard Creber

Cormorant 2 -
Meadow Pipit 5 -
finch sp. 4 -
Whooper Swan 37 -
alba wagtail sp. 5 -
Greenfinch 3 -
Pink-footed Goose 1295 -
Fieldfare 1478 -
Goldfinch 40 -
Goshaawk 1 -
Redwing 195 -
Crossbill 4 -
Golden Plover 11 -
Starling - 91
Bullfinch 2 -
Woodpigeon 1684 -
Chaffinch 8 -

Totals: 4865 individuals, 17 species, 6:35 hours

Comments: Gulls not counted but a further massive influx into and passage through the area. After a couple of days of preventative weather, a brilliant morning for us with thinly spread high thrush flocks SW from the off and throughout the morning and in difference to recent visits all looking very fresh. A large single Whooper skein, 37 strong and SSE, very much higher than the autumn norm on the direct SC route was stunning. Pinkies in big numbers and of obvious west coast immediate origin moving NE then SE on the usual track at this time of year. Then late morning a different stream from the north started appearing out to our east. A goshwk out of the NW continued straight through south east without deviation. Starlings still not strong and woodies moving broad front south in low numbers.

Dave

little action!... 2011-11-02

2011-11-02T20:24:00.000Z

pre sunrise over the fog... (c) Howard Creber 2011

lenticularis over the fog.... (c) Howard Creber 2011

sunrise at fog top level.... (c) Howard Creber 2011

wirlpool skies!!!... (c) Howard Creber 2011

Oxenhope, Bradford (W Yorks, England)
Wednesday 2 November 2011
Counting period: 7:00 - 9:30
Weather: wind SE3, cloud-cover 2/8, visibility 20000m, temperature 8 ℃, SE F3/4, 2 becoming 8ok, 8degC, 20 becoming 2km, QNH 1004 ridging 1006 falling 1005
Observers: Howard Creber

Herring Gull 1 -
Starling - 264
Woodpigeon 240 -
Chaffinch 2 -
Meadow Pipit 3 -
finch sp. 2 -
Fieldfare 44 -
Goldfinch 3 -
Redwing 2 -

Totals: 561 individuals, 9 species, 2:30 hours

Comments: Cirrocumulus undulatus ; Cirrocumulus lenticularis ; Fog stratus and Stratus fractus. For once, the fog was mainly in the valley bottom`s and the watchpoint was initially lovely and clear. However, despite the first easterly bent to the wind for sometime, still not many birds. Woodpigeon eight flocks, Starling 20 squads. Most notable were Starlings torpedoing West and following the usual tracks. Deep, insidious fog stratus later overarched the watchpoint from the moor to the south, putting paid to today`s proceedings.

Howard

upward trend!!... 2011-11-01

2011-11-02T20:11:00.000Z

Pre sunrise today... two images... (c) 2011

Oxenhope, Bradford (W Yorks, England)
Tuesday 1 November 2011
Counting period: 6:45 - 9:15
Weather: wind SW3, cloud-cover 3/8, visibility 45000m, temperature 8 ℃, WSW F2 becoming SW F3, 3ok, 8degC, 45km, QNH 1004 rising 1006
Observers: Dave Barker, Howard Creber

Sparrowhawk 1 -
Starling - 77
Stock Dove 7 -
Chaffinch 30 -
Woodpigeon 121 -
finch sp. 7 -
Meadow Pipit 3 -
Greenfinch 12 -
Fieldfare 27 -
Goldfinch 22 -
Redwing 12 -
Siskin 3 -

Totals: 322 individuals, 12 species, 2:30 hours

Comments: Upward trend, but only just!!

Dave

dismal skyscape!.... 2011-10-31

2011-10-31T19:26:00.000Z

Dismal skyscape.... two images... (c) 2011

Oxenhope, Bradford (W Yorks, England)
Monday 31 October 2011
Counting period: 6:30 - 9:15
Weather: wind South5, cloud-cover 8/8, precipitation rain, visibility 30000m, temperature 14 ℃, S F5 becoming SSW F5-6, 9 becoming 8ok, 14degC, 10 becoming 30km, QNH 1010 falling 1009
Observers: Dave Barker, Lester Ward

Stock Dove 7 -
Chaffinch 1 -
Fieldfare 106 -
finch sp. 1 -
Redwing 1 -
Greenfinch 3 -
Starling 11 -
Goldfinch 6 -

Totals: 136 individuals, 8 species, 2:45 hours

Comments: Not unexpectedly, just nothing in the sky. Gulls not counted.

Dave

winter is near!... 2011-10-30

2011-10-30T17:33:00.000Z

one of our "locals"... a Cormorant (c) 2011

Oxenhope, Bradford (W Yorks, England)
Sunday 30 October 2011
Counting period: 6:30 - 11:35
Weather: SW F3 reducing SW F2, 9 reducing 4ok, 11degC, 25 increasing 45km, QNH 1013 rising 1015
Observers: Dave Barker, Howard Creber, Lester Ward

Cormorant 1 -
Chaffinch 1 -
Stock Dove 26 -
Greenfinch 4 -
Woodpigeon 19 -
Goldfinch 9 -
alba wagtail sp. 3 -
Crossbill 3 -
Fieldfare 175 -
Reed Bunting 1 -
Starling - 28
Silver Y 1 -

Totals: 271 individuals, 12 species, 5:05 hours

Comments: Gulls not counted but an influx of Herring Gulls noted. Revert to GMT today. Very little in the sky today. Fieldfares only a very few, still going low SE and nothing else significant at all except for the almost total absence of birds.

Dave

deceptive impression!!.... 2011-10-29

2011-10-29T13:24:00.000Z

Front edge of the depression..... (c) 2011

Oxenhope, Bradford (W Yorks, England)
Saturday 29 October 2011
Counting period: 7:20 - 9:40
Weather: SSW F5/6, 4 becoming 8ok, 5degC, 50 reducing 25km, QNH 1016 falling 1014
Observers: Dave Barker, Howard Creber, Lester Ward, Chris King

Cormorant 2 -
Fieldfare 511 -
Grey Heron 1 -
Redwing 21 -
Stock Dove 7 -
Starling - 43
Woodpigeon 277 -
Chaffinch 2 -
Meadow Pipit 8 -
finch sp. 16 -
alba wagtail sp. 3 -
Goldfinch 12 -

Totals: 903 individuals, 12 species, 2:20 hours

Comments: Gulls not counted. Brilliant open sky and sunrise to the east but deep cloud and depression to the west. An amazing difference in conditions up at the watchpoint to those just 6km east and several hundred feet lower in the shadow of the Pennines where it was a calm placid pre dawn and well into the morning. Suggest this due to upper wind advancing with the next atlantic depression. Anyway whatever the cause it sluffened the vis, keeping most that there was well below our radar. Thrushes, a definate relocation SE this morning being the only noteable thing.

Dave

indifferent!!.... 2011-10-28

2011-10-28T16:02:00.000Z

Pink-footed Geese today.... six images... (c) 2011

Oxenhope, Bradford (W Yorks, England)
Friday 28 October 2011
Counting period: 7:15 - 14:35
Weather: SSE F1 becoming CALM then WSW F3, 0ok no sig, 2degC, 100 becoming 15 then 65km, QNH 1019 ridging 1022 then 1021
Observers: Dave Barker, Howard Creber, Lester Ward

Cormorant 5 -
Skylark 7 -
Chaffinch 21 -
Grey Heron 1 -
Meadow Pipit 14 -
finch sp. 59 -
Pink-footed Goose 295 -
alba wagtail sp. 2 -
Greenfinch 9 -
Goosander 1 -
Fieldfare 72 -
Goldfinch 17 -
Golden Plover 1 -
Mistle Thrush 1 -
Siskin 1 -
Stock Dove 21 -
Jackdaw 75 -
Linnet 4 -
Woodpigeon 2477 -
Raven 1 - Reed Bunting 3 -
Great Spotted Woodpecker 3 -
Starling - 165
Red Admiral 1 -

Totals: 3256 individuals, 24 species, 7:20 hours

Comments: Gulls not counted, ideallic out but only indifferent migration with no good counts of anything. Visibility initially very good but by 1020hr deep haze and fog stratus was invading over the high moor from Lancashire taking the edge off the day. Thrushes, no migration, Starlings gone right down, pinks moving east today and could have been good but wernt although a large skein coming low right overhead was exciting. Hardly a bird in the sky during the last few hours!

Dave

calm before the storm?.... 2011-10-27

2011-10-27T14:19:00.000Z

Wall of fog advancing at first light!.... visibility short lived... (c) 2011

Oxenhope, Bradford (W Yorks, England)
Thursday 27 October 2011
Counting period: 7:15 - 9:45
Weather: wind SE2, cloud-cover 8/8, precipitation drizzle, visibility 100m, temperature 7 ℃, SE F2, 9ok, 7degC, drizzle at times, 20km reducing 100m fog, QNH 1006 rising 1007
Observers: Dave Barker, Howard Creber

Fieldfare 31 -
Lesser Redpoll 2+ -
Redwing 10 -

Totals: 43 individuals, 3 species, 2:30 hours

Comments: Good visibility initially vanished beneath a wall of advancing fog well before sunrise time. Rain front tracking our way from the south was almost upon us at the end. A few random thrushes and a nice flock of Redpoll heard was all that there was.

Dave

instability!!!.... 2011-10-26

2011-10-27T13:51:00.000Z

Oxenhope, Bradford (W Yorks, England)
Wednesday 26 October 2011
Counting period: 7:15 - 15:00
Weather: wind SSE3, cloud-cover 3/8, visibility 65000m, temperature 4 ℃, S F4 becoming CALM then SSE F3, 3ok, 4degC, 65-30-65km, QNH 999 rising 1001
Observers: Dave Barker, Howard Creber, Lester Ward

Cormorant 1 -
Woodpigeon 1554 -
finch sp. 47 -
Pink-footed Goose - 100
Skylark 17 -
Greenfinch 17 -
Goosander 1 -
alba wagtail sp. 5 -
Goldfinch 29 -
Marsh Harrier 1 -
Fieldfare 333 -
Siskin 1 -
Sparrowhawk 3 -
Redwing 47 -
Crossbill 2 -
Golden Plover 4 -
Jackdaw 160 -
Bullfinch 1 -
Lapwing 15 -
Starling 1066 -
Reed Bunting 3 -
Stock Dove 13 -
Chaffinch 27 -

Totals: 3447 individuals, 23 species, 7:45 hours

Comments: Gulls not counted. A bright but very cold start with instability evidenced by deep and active cunim tops visible both mid Irish Sea and well out over the North Sea. A poor but unusually extended woodpigeon passage. Thrushes few with this migration now very old here and going any old way. Starlings few initialy, mainly low NW, picked up mid day with a resumption of high passage on exactly the same course as of previous days. Jackdaws passing very high. A very distant large raptor SE with a couple of carrions in attendance and unresolveable through scopes proved following perusal of snaps to be male marsh!

Dave

after the rain!.... 2011-10-24

2011-10-25T18:44:00.000Z

Starlings... west coast bound!.... three images (c) 2011

Oxenhope (Bradford) W Yorks 25th October 2011
SE F4, 9 reducing 4ok, 11degC, 500m increasing 25km, QNH 993 rising 995
0725 - 1100hr
Dave Barker, Howard Creber, Lester Ward

Fieldfare 190
Redwing 13
Starling 509
alba wagtail 2
Cormorant 1
Meadow Pipit 3
Siskin 5
bunting sp 1
Redpoll 1
Woodpigeon 168
Sparrowhawk 1
Goldfinch 63
Chaffinch 24
Snipe 5
Greenfinch 34
finch sp 7
Bullfinch 1
Stock Dove 2
Lapwing 10

Comments: Overnight rain band passing over to the NE and ceasing just before arrival leaving a nasty mixture of low fog stratus with driving fractus behind, all leading to a poor first couple of hours with very much reduced but variable visibilty. Despite the North Sea block, Starlings again the birds of the day with the very high WSW passage still going but to a much lesser extent, some even higher than yesterday as the sky was more open later on. The more normal NW passage was going as well. Again no real thrush migration as we like to see it just random movement but despite the general low numbers, both the birds and conditions were interesting.

Dave

strato stars!!.... 2011-10-24

2011-10-24T17:09:00.000Z

Starlings... some of the lower ones!.... three images (c) 2011

Oxenhope, Bradford (W Yorks, England)
Monday 24 October 2011
Counting period: 7:00 - 11:05
Weather: wind ESE5, cloud-cover 8/8, visibility 15000m, SE F4 becoming ESE F5/6 then F4/5, 9ok, 8degC, 40km reducing 10km, QNH 997 steady
Observers: Dave Barker, Howard Creber

Cormorant 3 -
alba wagtail sp. 2 -
Golden Plover 1 -
Magpie 1 -
Lesser Black-backed Gull 22 -
Jackdaw 2 -
Herring Gull 1 -
Starling 3229 -
Stock Dove 5 -
Chaffinch 3 -
Woodpigeon 168 -
finch sp. 18 -
Skylark 1 -
Reed Bunting 1 -
Meadow Pipit 10 -

Totals: 3467 individuals, 15 species, 4:05 hours

Comments: Massive increase in roosting gull numbers since yesterday. Brief dark view of rising sun over the open North Sea before vanishing for good above the strato cloudbase. Thrush migrants but no migration and "pig" track firmly shut but Starlings phenomenal this morning from before sunrise upto c0930hr, 99% at height, cross wind, travelling WSW in balls and ovals, big and small jetting through above and taking no account of the topography and most at strato base. Suggest the west coast roosts may well, be well stocked tonight? First argentatus Herring Gull of the season W.

Dave

surging squads!!... 2011-10-23

2011-10-23T15:45:00.000Z

Starling squads NW.... (c) 2011

Oxenhope, Bradford (W Yorks, England)
Sunday 23 October 2011
Counting period: 7:00 - 12:05
Weather: wind SSE4, cloud-cover 6/8, visibility 20000m, temperature 7 ℃, SSE F3 becoming F5 then F3, 9 becoming 3ok, 7degC, 20km, QNH 1004 falling 1003
Observers: Dave Barker, Howard Creber, Lester Ward, Chris King

Cormorant 2 -
Woodpigeon 1401 -
Starling - 1012
Merlin - 1
Great Spotted Woodpecker 1 -
Chaffinch 8 -
Golden Plover 1 -
Skylark 4 -
finch sp. 29 -
Lapwing 8 -
Meadow Pipit 40 -
Greenfinch 8 -
Snipe 5 -
alba wagtail sp. 5 -
Goldfinch 11 -
Black-headed Gull 69 -
Fieldfare - 1166
Siskin 12 -
Common Gull 24 -
Redwing - 35
Crossbill 1 -
Lesser Black-backed Gull 49 -
Mistle Thrush - 1
Reed Bunting 1 -
Stock Dove 3 -
Jackdaw 63 -
Red Admiral 1 -

Totals: 3961 individuals, 27 species, 5:05 hours

Comments: A very active first couple of hours with most noteably many more continental Starlings NW than on previous days. Probably undercounted during the "pig" period but moving from well before sunrise (a none event today) right into the afternoon. During the mid to late morning period many groups were much higher than the norm and obviously making good use of the tail wind. Otherwise continuing high movement of Fieldfare all NW and another reasonable mip count for the time of year.

Dave

ideallic to difficult!.... 2011-10-22

2011-10-22T15:25:00.000Z

The End of the Morning.... (c) 2011

Oxenhope, Bradford (W Yorks, England)
Saturday 22 October 2011
Counting period: 7:00 - 12:00
Weather: wind SSE5, cloud-cover 4/8, visibility 40m, temperature 6 ℃, CALM becoming S F4 becoming SE F5/6, 6 becoming 2ok, 6degC, 65 becoming 30km, QNH 1014 falling 1009
Observers: Dave Barker, Howard Creber, Lester Ward

Cormorant 3 -
Common Gull 42 -
Redwing - 38
Whooper Swan - 7
Lesser Black-backed Gull 6 -
Jackdaw 50 -
Goosander 3 -
Woodpigeon 1108 -
Starling - 58
Golden Plover 8 -
Skylark 1 -
Chaffinch 12 -
Snipe 3 -
Meadow Pipit 24 -
finch sp. 15 -
Curlew 3 -
alba wagtail sp. 6 -
Greenfinch 31 -
Black-headed Gull 35 -
Fieldfare - 1942
Goldfinch 8 -

Totals: 3403 individuals, 21 species, 5:00 hours

Comments: Weather on the change this morning from ideallic to difficult. Woodpigeons moderate for the first hour. A skein of seven early morning Whoopers NW was interesting. Thrushes, few initially came through in a front, high thick and fast NW for about an hour during the middle part of the morning, right on the shift of the wind to SE, seemingly a continuing arrival. Starlings poor again. Well before lunch time the sky was empty again with long periods of nothing.

Dave

contour crawling!!... 2011-10-21

2011-10-21T18:23:00.000Z

Oxenhope, Bradford (W Yorks, England)
Friday 21 October 2011
Counting period: 7:30 - 12:45 & 13:00 - 14:00
Weather (first period): wind SW5, cloud-cover 8/8, visibility 20000m, temperature 8 ℃, SW F4 increasing F5, 9 becoming 8ok, 8degC, 500m fog stratus becoming 65km, QNH 1018 falling 1017
Observers (first period): Dave Barker, Howard Creber, and Lester Ward (second period)

Cormorant 3 -
Woodpigeon 30 -
finch sp. 16 -
Goosander 2 -
alba wagtail sp. 4 -
Greenfinch 21 -
Golden Plover 16 -
Fieldfare - 1320
Goldfinch 9 -
Black-headed Gull 11 -
Song Thrush - 2
Siskin 1 -
Common Gull 24 -
Redwing - 182
Crossbill 1 -
Lesser Black-backed Gull 2 -
Starling - 334
Stock Dove 1 -
Chaffinch 5 -

Totals: 1984 individuals, 19 species, 6:15 hours

Comments: Low cloud initially with few birds and not beginning to lift til c0850hr when thrushes began to be seen. Ongoing arrival of mainly Fieldfares with a few Redwings mixed in and a couple of almost pure flocks. All were contour crawling NW in the strengthening wind only feet from the ground. Around mid morning the thrushes almost totally stopped, as did everything else, with long periods of nothing in the sky. Starlings noteably much stronger today.

Dave

lancaster skein at 12 miles range..... the images!

2011-10-21T17:45:00.000Z

Lancaster and Eurofighter (I think).... through the haze at 12 to 15 miles range... 4 images (c) 2011
Dave

lancaster skein!!.... 2011-10-20

2011-10-20T18:35:00.000Z

Oxenhope, Bradford (W Yorks, England)
Thursday 20 October 2011
Counting period: 6:50-15:50
Weather: wind West2, cloud-cover 1/8, visibility 60000m, temperature 1 ℃, CALM increasing W F3, 0 increasing 7ok, 1degC strong frost, 100 reducing 30km, QNH 1025 ridging 1026, 1025
Observers: Dave Barker, Howard Creber

Cormorant 3 -
Lesser Black-backed Gull 3 -
Raven 2 -
Whooper Swan - 3
Woodpigeon 2810 -
Starling - 57
Pink-footed Goose - 538
Meadow Pipit 202 -
Chaffinch 47 -
Sparrowhawk 2 -
alba wagtail sp. 4 -
finch sp. 45 -
Merlin 1 -
Dunnock 2 -
Greenfinch 81 -
Golden Plover 469 -
Fieldfare 1165 -
Goldfinch 55 -
Black-headed Gull 21 -
Mistle Thrush 4 -
Siskin 5 -
Common Gull 62 -
Jackdaw 35 -
Lesser Redpoll 1 -

Totals: 5617 individuals, 24 species, 9:00 hours

Comments: First really hard frost of the season with calm cloudless conditions overhead initially. Deep cumulus tops visible far out into the North Sea north of Lincolnshire. Woodpigeons moving very strongly at all ranges for the first half hour after sunrise with virtually all that were counted in this period. Mipits also moving very strongly initially and to a lesser extent throughout the day. Morning then just degenerated into quite a good finch passage all west and mips still south, with noteably thrushes absent. Then at 1123hr tight flocks of Fieldfare coming in from the east and at hill top level began to be noted, with continuing matching but strengthening passage throughout the afternoon, an obvious fresh arrival of which due to the diversity moving we probably picked up just a few. From 1215hr several large skeins of pinks at intervals passed very high NW, most on the usual track and making the usual 90deg turn over the Pennine ridge. A Lancaster bomber was first mistaken for an approaching skein of geese... snaps to follow and what looked to be a Eurofighter? a peregrine!! Whoopers, our first this season passed quite low, also NW but the afternoon was most noteable for the large numbers of Golden Plover passing south. Starlings again almost absent throughout.

Dave

winter is here!.... 20121-10-19

2011-10-19T11:34:00.000Z

The Big Moor beyond.... (c) 2011

Oxenhope, Bradford (W Yorks, England)
Wednesday 19 October 2011
Counting period: 6:55-11:10
Weather: wind WNW3, cloud-cover 1/8, visibility 65000m, temperature 3 ℃, WNW F3, 1 incereasing 4ok, 3degC, 65km, QNH 1013 rising 1017
Observers: Dave Barker, Howard Creber, Rodney Procter

Merlin 1 -
Woodpigeon 717 -
Chaffinch 16 -
Golden Plover 46 -
Meadow Pipit 136 -
finch sp. 14 -
Curlew 1 -
alba wagtail sp. 13 -
Greenfinch 9 -
Black-headed Gull 12 -
Fieldfare 32 -
Goldfinch 16 -
Common Gull 64 -
Jackdaw 7 -
Lesser Black-backed Gull 3 -
Starling - 25

Totals: 1112 individuals, 16 species, 4:15 hours

Comments: A much better morning albeit searchingly cold first thing, with winter here for the moment. The tops of yesterdays deep cumulus clearly visible and departing over the North Sea. Now with the worst of the depression over both able to watch and birds moving again. For the time of year, a very good passage of mipits, and increase in Woodpigeons but noteably hardly any Starlings. Best count of Common Gulls so far and a definate influx / movement especially during the last hour. A single Merlin batting high south was the best bird today. Just leaving at 1000hr when RHP arrived inducing a further hour of watch.

Dave

squalls!... 2011-10-18

2011-10-18T10:25:00.000Z

Oxenhope, Bradford (W Yorks, England)
Tuesday 18 October 2011
Counting period: 7:00-9:00
Weather: wind West6, cloud-cover 4/8, precipitation hail, visibility 60000m, temperature 3 ℃, W F5/6 gusting more, 9 - 1ok, 3degC, sleet and hail, cunim, 200m - 65km, QNH 1001 rising
Observers: Dave Barker, Howard Creber

Cormorant 3 -
Fieldfare 6 -
Snipe 1 -
Reed Bunting 1 -
Meadow Pipit 6 -

Totals: 17 individuals, 5 species, 2:00 hours

Comments: A tremendous morning of great spirit and variation but of little use for vis. Frequent cumim squalls with hail and sleet tracking from the west but never really getting out into the deep blue mediterranean skies to our east... on the divide! Three single Cormorants came at intervals out of the gloom going fast east into the warmth of the sun whilst an exceedingly fast snipe cut west into the teath of the hail. Otherwise, just a few mipits and that was it!

Dave

intermission!... 2011-10-17

2011-10-17T12:53:00.001Z

Dismal sterile winter skies.... (c) 2011

Oxenhope, Bradford (W Yorks, England)
Monday 17 October 2011
Counting period: 6:50-9:30
Weather: wind SW6, cloud-cover 8/8, visibility 110000m, temperature 8 ℃, SW F5/6 gusting more, 8ok, 8degC, 110km reducing 40, QNH 1013 falling1011
Observers: Dave Barker, Howard Creber

Black-headed Gull 3 -
Redwing 27 -
Lesser Black-backed Gull 2 -
Starling 22 -
Stock Dove 11 -
Chaffinch 2 -
Woodpigeon 24 -
Greenfinch 4 -
Meadow Pipit 2 -
Goldfinch 2 -
Fieldfare 35 -

Totals: 134 individuals, 11 species, 2:40 hours

Comments: A raw, birdless morning here, with intermission and waiting for the next continental top up. A deceptably good sunrise with visibility out over industrial Lincolnshire and beyond but to the west deep cumulus and rain over Lancashire. Everything well suppressed with resultant sterile skies.

Dave and Howard

chance to relax!!.... 2011-10-16

2011-10-16T16:45:00.000Z

Clearing skies.... (c) 2011

at last!... chance to relax and take a few sky shots without the pressure of birds...

Oxenhope, Bradford (W Yorks, England)
Sunday 16 October 2011
Counting period: 6:45-13:10
Weather: wind West3, cloud-cover 7/8, precipitation drizzle, visibility 20000m, temperature 9 ℃, W F3/4, 9 reducing 3ok, 9degC, 400m increasing 65km, QNH 1019 rising 1020
Observers: Dave Barker, Howard Creber

Pink-footed Goose 63 -
Meadow Pipit 9 -
finch sp. 43 -
Merlin 1 -
alba wagtail sp. 7 -
Greenfinch 29 -
Golden Plover 6 -
Wheatear 4 -
Goldfinch 3 -
Snipe 6 -
Fieldfare 61 -
Siskin 2 -
Black-headed Gull 218 -
Redwing 34 -
Lesser Redpoll 9 -
Lesser Black-backed Gull 91 -
Jackdaw 25 -
Crossbill 4 -
Herring Gull 6 -
Carrion Crow 5 -
bunting sp. 1 -
Stock Dove 13 -
Starling 114 -
Red Admiral 7 -
Woodpigeon 115 -
Chaffinch 10 -

Totals: 886 individuals, 26 species, 6:25 hours

Comments: A changeable morning starting off with a cracking pre sunrise but fractus then fog stratus from the moor soon closing in to give a prolonged period of poor visibility with damping rain. Final third of the morning quickly improving but very few moving birds in evidence except for the gulls with many more than of late. No real thrush movement apparent but a few Crossbills went SE as did a couple of small high pink skeins. All in all a relatively diverse but very poor morning.

Dave

woodies take off!!... 2011-10-15

2011-10-15T15:05:00.000Z

Oxenhope, Bradford (W Yorks, England)
Saturday 15 October 2011
Counting period: 6:30-12:00
Weather: wind South2, cloud-cover 0/8, visibility 20m, temperature 3 ℃, CALM increasing S F3, 0ok, 3degC frost, 30km rapidly reducing 10 to the east, QNH 1026 falling 1024
Observers: Dave Barker, Howard Creber, Lester Ward.

Cormorant 6 -
Swallow 2 -
Raven 1 -
Grey Heron 4 -
House Martin 2 -
Starling - 626
Pink-footed Goose 140 -
Meadow Pipit 88 -
Chaffinch 55 -
Common Buzzard 1 -
alba wagtail sp. 18 -
finch sp. 57 -
Golden Plover 23 -
Blackbird 4 -
Greenfinch 59 -
Black-headed Gull 78 -
Fieldfare 431 -
Goldfinch 71 -
Common Gull 1 -
Redwing 288 -
Siskin 9 -
Lesser Black-backed Gull 31 -
Magpie 3 -
Lesser Redpoll 2 -
Stock Dove 17 -
Jackdaw 223 -
Reed Bunting 2 -
Woodpigeon 434 -
Rook 4 -
Red Admiral 25 -
Skylark 18 -
Carrion Crow 4 -

Totals: 2727 individuals, 32 species, 5:30 hours

Comments: Very little redwing movement on call noted in the hour before sunrise. Thrush movement reduced to minimal in all directions, with no evidence of further arrival at all.... this migration has ended... so until the next time xxx. However a teriffic morning to be out. Morning noteable for the first determined Woodpigeon movement, continuing starling movement and a further increase in Jackdaw passage. A single skein of pinks picked up by chance going S very high may well just have been part of todays passage. Very active Red Admiral passage S during the latter part of the morning which is still continuing as I type.

Dave

starlings take off!!... 2011-10-14

2011-10-15T15:01:00.000Z

Massive mobile fog banks.... (c) 2011

Oxenhope, Bradford (W Yorks, England)
Friday 14 October 2011
Counting period: 6:30-15:00
Weather: wind South3, cloud-cover 7/8, precipitation drizzle, visibility 30000m, CALM increasing S F4, 9ok reducing, some drizzle, 300m to 30km, QNH 1030 falling
Observers: Dave Barker, Howard Creber, Lester Ward.

Cormorant 1 -
Woodpigeon 12 -
Jackdaw 133 -
Greylag Goose 10 -
Skylark 16 -
Starling - 883
Pintail 1 -
Swallow 7 -
Chaffinch 90 -
Sparrowhawk 2 -
House Martin 1 -
Brambling 9 -
Golden Plover 17 -
Meadow Pipit 85 -
Greenfinch 27 -
Lapwing 61 -
alba wagtail sp. 28 -
Goldfinch 25 -
Snipe 9 -
Dunnock 1 -
Siskin 31 -
Black-headed Gull 22 -
Fieldfare 1230 -
Linnet 1 -
Lesser Black-backed Gull 31 -
Redwing 3693 -
Lesser Redpoll 2 -
Herring Gull 5 -
Mistle Thrush 1 -

Totals: 6434 individuals, 29 species, 8:30 hours

Comments: On site as usual well before sunrise... and at fog top level in almost total calm, tremendous!..... near constant RW calls overhead with first visual evidence of movement between E and S but during the morning thrushes were going in all directions, all typical of second day after arrival up here. From mid morning more evidence of continuing arrival with high thrush waves from the SE but in negligable magnitude in relation to yesterday. By mid afternoon, thrush movement had almost stopped. Two more important things today though, the first big surge of continental Starlings combined with the first obvious Jackdaw passage. A single flock of Brambling passed west. Redwing movement by call in the evening after dark was almost absent relative to last night, all suggesting that this migration had just about ceased.

Dave

the darkest hour!.... 2011-10-13

2011-10-13T19:09:00.001Z

.... is just before dawn!!!

Not going to get this on trek tonight due to shear swampout and the need to get
off to bed early to thus get in on the action before dawn!

0615-c1030
An atrocious soul destroying first part of the watch with thick fog at the
watchpoint (cloud really as we were well above the cloudbase at for that
period)... certainly the darkest hour almost ever. Both Redwings and Fieldfares going over
NW with birds heard on many occasions but little seen.

C1030-1215
RHP arrived at the watchpoint at 1030 to tell of large numbers of thrushes
coming up the valley at cloudbase level some 300ft below us... as visibility at
the watchpoint was not improving we all agreed to drop down to get visibility
and check out different potential routes.... immediate score with Rodneys info
absolutely spot on. Wave after wave of thrushes for us all, sometimes appearing
sky wide in massive banana shaped broad front skeins coming straight through at
hill top level just below the rapidly lifting cloudbase. Absolutely mind
blowing for us all.

1215-late afternoon
HC, RHP etal went back up to the main watchpoint where the vast vista had opened
up and remained there all afternoon, very much overwhelmed and I went back off
to work. Details of the afternoon not fully known yet except as to say that the
total watchpoint count from HC/RHP etal was c 17000 thrushes c 30% Redwing and
70% Fieldfare + c 3000 which I counted using a slightly different route during
the 1030 – 1215 period.
Other observations on the movement were that one:
Direction of movement started off at NW and through the entire day turned
quickly through West and ended up to the South West ie a gradual directional
shift throughout the day.
Two:
Not only that but the species composition shifted quickly from about equal to
virtually all Fieldfares later on.
Three:
As the cloudbase lifted the birds went up with it until the murk cleared
Lester went off to Reva from late morning and also got very large numbers going
over there and the same with Gordon who ended up in Wharfedale. Again details
not fully known and will follow.
As I say, full details not known yet and will post most likely tomorrow now.
Dave etal
.................................................
Oxenhope,Bradford (West Yorkshire, England)

Thursday 13th October 2011

Counting Period - 06.15 to 16.30 hrs

Weather - Wind SE F2/3, 8/8 am , 4/8 pm. Visibility 20 Km.

Observers - David Barker, Howard Creber, Rod Proctor

Fieldfare - 11930 W & SW

Redwing - 5117 W & SW

Pink Footed Goose - 4 W

Swallow - 14 S

Chaffinch - 14 W

Greenfinch - 28 W

Goldfinch - 18 E

Starling - 62 W

Meadow Pipts - 56 S

Redpoll - 7 E

Alba Wagtail sp - 11 S

Lapwing - 35 W (high & fast)

Skylark - 3 E

Jay - 2 E

Golden Plover - 111 S

Goshaawk-1 S

Buzzard - 4 S

Total : 17417 individuals, 17 species, 9.5 hrs.

Comments : "Silk purse from a sow`s ear" - YOU BET !!. From a cold, grey, fogged out watchpoint with only a smidging of winter thrushes in the murk, a quick and folorn descent to lower altitudes proved the making of us. Down in the Oxenhope valley, whilst looking back at the fog shrouded hills, a small flock of Redwing followed by a similar sized Fieldfare flock proved to be precursor`s of a biblical move of winter thrushes of record breaking proportions. The next flock was a Redwing/Fieldfare mixed group of at least 700 birds.From that point on, what can only be described as a giant conveyor belt of thrushes poured West through the Worth Valley, at times reaching saturation levels. Rod P and myself literally could not keep up with the hordes filling the valley. 5062 individuals were recorded (minima with a ratio of FF/RW 50 : 50)) A speedy return to the now clear watchpoint confirmed the monumental move on a broad front, with flock after flock swarming through, this time to the South West. The largest single flock was circa 1000 individuals, with other flocks varying between 500, 300 down to 12. The afternoon movement of 11985 birds was predominantly Fieldfare , estimated at 95 % of the total. The overall day total was 17047 birds in 163 flocks in the ratio of FF/RW 70 : 30. Other moving birds took something of a back seat with our concentration being on the thrushes and therefore those recorded are minima. In both the Worth Valley and at the watchpoint , it is noteworthy that a significant number of blogging Mipits remain. Seeing Swallows passing through the "winter birds" was a great sight. A superb Goshaawk was picked up between flocks moving in the same direction in migration format.The day can be summed up in one word - EPIC.

Also note that our colleagues in Airedale and Wharfedale recorded a further 8000 thrushes in very much the same proportions as above and over the same timescale.

What a birthday !!!.

Howard Creber.

pink rain!!... 2011-10-12

2011-10-12T20:15:00.000Z

Bradford (W Yorks, England)
Wednesday 12 October 2011
Counting period: 6:30-9:00
Weather: cloud-cover 8/8, precipitation rain, visibility 2000m, temperature 7 ℃, CALM increasing NE F1, 9ok, 7degC, 5000m reducing 200m, damping becoming pink rain, QNH 1016 rising 1017
Observers: Dave Barker, Howard Creber

Meadow Pipit 27 -
Jackdaw 1 -
Redwing - 20
Lesser Redpoll 7 -

Totals: 55 individuals, 4 species, 2:30 hours

Comments: Right under the southern edge of the advancing laterally moving front to the north of us.... Calm initially, just damping but with good visibility. Best pre light Redwing migration to date with many birds heard and some seen moving NW along the front, all in all suggesting a dramatically improving situation, if not an arrival. The 20 reports recorded are not birds seen but calls in the short pre light period.The calm brought one of the rare autumn dawn chorus to the moors which was impressive in its self. Frequent checks on the rainfall radar confirmed the front to be advancing little towards us but moving SE out to sea with exceptionally heavy rain to our north, thus able to remain until pink and even red rain enveloped suddenly just after 0900hr. Wish we could have been on the north edge of this front as much potential here and following on?

Dave and Howard

potential!!..... 2011-10-11

2011-10-11T19:40:00.000Z

Prowling Rain... two images... (c) Howard Creber 2011

Bradford (W Yorks, England)
Tuesday 11 October 2011
Counting period: 12:00-14:00
Weather: wind West3, cloud-cover 8/8, precipitation drizzle, visibility 100000m, temperature 13 ℃, W F3/4, 8ok, 100km E peak, 13degC, showers, QNH 1014 rising 1015
Observers: Howard Creber

Black-headed Gull 43 -
Mistle Thrush 5 -
Great Spotted Woodpecker 1 -
Starling - 8
Skylark 1 -
Chaffinch 26 -
Swallow 6 -
Greenfinch 11 -
Meadow Pipit 121 -
Siskin 10 -
alba wagtail sp. 6 -
Crossbill 27 -
Redwing 10 -

Totals: 275 individuals, 13 species, 2:00 hours

Comments: Stratus Nebulosus breaking to heavy Stratocumulus. After another morning of persistent rain and hilltop mist, though abated wind, lunchtime brought something of a lull, with clear moorland and improving visibility out over the eastern plain. A two hour stint proved very interesting. From the off, Mipits were clearly on the move, having been held up in the last few days of atrocious conditions. There were also circa 50 Mipits blogging in the usual field (not counted in totals), which again, if repeated through lands to the north may mean Mipit movement not entirely over yet. Yet again, Crossbills in a single flock came by to the west , a handful of laggardly Swallows flew South close in at knee level and a single G S Woodpecker flew North East very high and fast. Clearly passage today indicates potential over the coming and hopefully improving weather days, not to mention winter thrushes - will there be a second Redwing push our way this time ? If not, I won`t say no to whatever may come later this week/weekend.
Howard

Counting period: 19:00-20:05
Weather: wind WNW2, WNW F2, QNH 1017 rising
Observers: Dave Barker

Redwing 2 -

Totals: 2 individuals, 1 species, 1:05 hours

Comments: A walk along the dark upland pasture lanes produced only two Redwing calls overhead tonight.... an improvement on the last two evenings, so at least they are on the move again.

Dave

just bad!... 2011-10-09

2011-10-09T08:39:00.000Z

Bradford (W Yorks, England)
Sunday 9 October 2011
Counting period: 6:30-8:35
Weather: wind West6, cloud-cover 8/8, precipitation drizzle, visibility 1000m, temperature 13 ℃, W F6 gusting F8, 9ok sheeting drizzle, 13degC, 30km - 200m variable fog stratus, QNH 1013 falling 1012
Observers: Dave Barker, Howard Creber, Lester Ward

Totals: 0 individuals, 0 species, 2:05 hours

Present: Skylark 1

Comments: An horrendous morning at this altitude with sheeting drizzle and somtimes rain, throughout after heavy overnight rain now tracking out over the east coast / N Sea interface. Visibility very variable throughout with the cloudbase often dropping to give total envelopment. Some good clear spells however and if there had been birds they would have been well seen today. but just nothing in the sky... best bird a grounded Skylark in the halflight of dawn, running almost between our legs at the watchpoint looking for food... tail and plumage in very poor condition.

Dave, Howard and Lester

westward ho!... 2011-10-09

2011-10-08T08:55:00.001Z

Oxenhope, Bradford (W Yorks, England)
Saturday 8 October 2011
Counting period: 6:25-9:00
Weather: wind West3, cloud-cover 8/8, precipitation drizzle, visibility 400m, temperature 8 ℃, W F3, 8ok becoming 9ok fog stratus, 8degC rising, 65km becoming 300m, QNH 1020 falling 1019
Observers: Dave Barker, Howard Creber, Lester Ward

Black-headed Gull 2 -
alba wagtail sp. 8 -
Stock Dove 1 -
Starling - 1
Woodpigeon 5 -
Chaffinch 2 -
Swallow 1 -
Greenfinch 24 -
Meadow Pipit 85 -
Siskin 1 -

Totals: 130 individuals, 10 species, 2:35 hours

Comments: A good pre-sunrise with open sky in the very far east being the final sign of yesterdays transition... from 0700hr however, right on cue, increasing misting drizzle set in complete with reducing cloudbase then fog stratus. Birds still actively moving through with lots of skip contacts from the cloudbase, but for us the morning was essentially "done" before sunrise... now waiting for tomorrow! In line with the advancing season, a c change in the mipit direction to west noted today and likewise continuing with the finches. Two unseen Siskin flocks went through.

Counting period: 10:50-14:00
Weather: W F3, 9ok, 9degC, 5.5km-500m, misting rain, cloudbase c 1400ft asl, QNH 1019 falling 1018
Observers: Dave Barker, Howard Creber

Pink-footed Goose - 50
Redwing - 149
Snipe 16 -
Mistle Thrush 1 -
Lesser Black-backed Gull 12 -
Starling 2 -
Skylark 6 -
Chaffinch 2 -
Meadow Pipit 43 -
Greenfinch 3 -
alba wagtail sp. 4 -
Siskin 2 -
Wheatear 1 -
Crossbill 37 -
Song Thrush 1 -

Totals: 329 individuals, 15 species, 3:10 hours

Comments: A second visit with the first Redwings of the morning logged at 1217hr small numbers excepting a single large flock of c 90... all ploughing through the low cloudbase, often vanishing from view briefly. In addition to the arrival of Redwings, quite a productive, albeit unpleasant visit owing tho the conditions. Three unseen Crossbill flocks were heard in addition to those counted and Siskins also a couple of unseen flocks heard. Conditions closed in again shortly after lunch, a pitty really as an obvious UK arrival of Redwings today with due to poor visibility only the tip of the iceburg being apparent

Counting period: 14:30-16:00
Weather: W F3, 9ok, 9degC, 5.5km, misting rain, cloudbase c 1400ft asl, QNH 1019 falling 1018
Observers: Dave Barker

Redwing - 230

Totals: 230 individuals, 1 species, 1:30 hours

Comments: A lower watchpoint after conditions closed in higher up. Two large Redwing flocks again NW at cloudbase level.

1950-c2100hr

Only a single Redwing call heard overhead.... thought there might be more tonight.

Dave etal

circus duo!... 2011-10-07

2011-10-07T19:32:00.000Z

A very cool first light... (c) Howard Creber 2011

Pre sunrise.... (c) Howard Creber

A Brilliant Rise!!.... (c) Howard Creber 2011

Bradford (W Yorks, England)
Friday 7 October 2011
Counting period: 6:30-13:00
Weather: wind West3, cloud-cover 5/8, visibility 130000m, temperature 7 ℃, Wind F3 building to F4/F5 Westerly, cloud cover 7/8 becoming 2/8 with bright sunshine. 7degC rising, Visibility 130 Km. QNH 1012 rising 1017
Observers: Howard Creber

Cormorant 5 -
Lesser Black-backed Gull 47 -
Starling 9 -
Pink-footed Goose 107 -
Stock Dove 11 -
Chaffinch 14 -
Goosander 5 -
Woodpigeon 6 -
finch sp. 6 -
Henharrierr 2 -
Skylark 4 -
Greenfinch 29 -
Peregrine 1 -
Swallow 4 -
Goldfinch 34 -
Golden Plover 10 -
Meadow Pipit 723 -
Siskin 1 -
Snipe 1 -
alba wagtail sp. 14 -
Linnet 1 -
Curlew 2 -
Jay 1 -
Crossbill 12 -
Black-headed Gull 6 -
Raven 3 -

Totals: 1058 individuals, 26 species, 6:30 hours

Present: Redwing 6

Comments: Other : Apart from the usual suspects, 6 Redwing were blogging, probably the rump end of the small influx a few days ago. Dispite extensive scanning of the skies, no fresh thrushes detected. Comments : A host of cloud species - Stratus Undulatus Translucidus,Stratus Fractus, Velum , Cumulonimbus Capillatus, Stratocumulus, Altocumulus Lenticularis. An absolutley beautiful morning to be out after yesterdays debacle. Wind much moderated and visibility so clear that could see the Humber Bridge with the naked eye not to mention the Immingham Oil Refineries! and the Three Peaks in all their glory - a span of circa 110 miles no less. First bird was a single early mipit overhead at 06.40 hrs which is always a good sign, followed by two early morning Curlews west. Mipits maintained pretty much a constant steady flow throughout the watch, but far more single birds today. It was interesting to note that from mid morning, 20 Greenfinches (various flock sizes) went west with great intent.The single Crossbill flock was good to see - have done very well for this species this year. The largest skein of Pink Footed Geese (90) came through at 09.00 hrs. A couple of flocks of Siskin were heard but not seen. Undoubtedly, the birds of the day were two Henharrierss moving straight through very high on migration - onearingtail at 09.30 hrs and a superb "silverback" at 11.35 hrs. Patience paid off once again !!!

Howard

meagre return!... 2011-10-05

2011-10-05T19:25:00.000Z

Across the eastern plane at dawn!.... (c) Howard Creber 2011

Crepuscular rays.... (c) Howard Creber 2011

Oxenhope, Bradford (W Yorks, England)
Wednesday 5 October 2011
Counting period: 6:30-10:00
Weather: wind WSW6, cloud-cover 7/8, visibility 100000m, temperature 14 ℃, WSW F5/6 strengthening, 7/8ok, 14degC, 100km, QNH 1011 falling 1009
Observers: Howard Creber

Pink-footed Goose 40 -
Meadow Pipit 221 -
Golden Plover 8 -
alba wagtail sp. 4 -
Snipe 1 -
Starling 3 -
Black-headed Gull 6 -
Chaffinch 3 -
Lesser Black-backed Gull 4 -
Goldfinch 2 -
Swallow 3 -
Siskin 5 -

Totals: 300 individuals, 12 species, 3:30 hours

Comments: Stratocumulus Stratiformis with Pannus. Visibility out to Humber Bridge - 100 Km. Much reduced passage today with first hour birdless once again. Bulk of observations between 07.30 hrs and 08.40 hrs.After that, birds quickly dwindled to a trickle and the watch was terminated early as the wind gusts picked up. Mipits were struggling in the strong wind but nevertheless made commendable headway. The skein of pinkies was picked up heading east way out beyond Harrogate. Other observations : a very close Stoat and a Weasel.

Howard

mipits surge!... 2011-10-04

2011-10-04T20:18:00.000Z

Sunrise this morning.... two images (c) Howard Creber 2011

Oxenhope, Bradford (W Yorks, England)
Tuesday 4 October 2011
Counting period: 6:30-11:00
Weather: wind WSW F5/6, cloud-cover 7/8, visibility 40000m, temperature 11 ℃, WSW F5/6, 7ok, 11degC, 60 becoming 40km, QNH 1016 ridging
Observers: Howard Creber

Golden Plover 14 -
Starling 7 -
Snipe 7 -
Chaffinch 6 -
Stock Dove 13 -
Greenfinch 4 -
Woodpigeon 1 -
Goldfinch 68 -
Meadow Pipit 1240 -
Siskin 9 -
alba wagtail sp. 13 -
Linnet 18 -
Mistle Thrush 1 -
Reed Bunting 1 -
Raven 1 -

Totals: 1403 individuals, 15 species, 4:30 hours

Comments: Passage picked up well after the first birdless hour. Mipits maintained a steady flow from 07.30 hrs (largest flock 28 birds), despite very cold windy conditions. They were flying suprisingly high, taking full advantage of the lift afforded by the WSW winds. A very distant harriersp. (not included in count), was seen moving far out high and towards the xxxxxx and quickly lost to sight - clearly a migrating bird. Two flocks of Canada Geese totalling 39 birds came in from the east and settled down in the in-bye close to the plantation. Interestingly, no hirundines observed whatsoever.

Howard Creber

slump!!.... 2011-10-03

2011-10-03T18:27:00.000Z

Stratus down.... (c) 2011

Oxenhope, Bradford (W Yorks, England)
Monday 3 October 2011
Counting period: 6:10-9:00
Weather: wind West5, cloud-cover 7/8, visibility 6000m, temperature 15 ℃, W F5/6, 6 reducing 8ok, 15degC, 30000 reducing 4500m, QNH 1015 falling 1013
Observers: Dave Barker, Howard Creber, Lester Ward

Lapwing 15 -
alba wagtail sp. 4 -
Snipe 4 -
Mistle Thrush 2 -
Black-headed Gull 2 -
Starling 8 -
Lesser Black-backed Gull 9 -
Chaffinch 5 -
Stock Dove 25 -
finch sp. 1 -
Swallow 8 -
Siskin 2 -
Meadow Pipit 284 -

Totals: 369 individuals, 13 species, 2:50 hours

Comments: A good first light, with conditions, especially visibility decreasing by sunrise. Damp with high humidity. Deep haze and powering fractus off the moor setting in reducing possibilities dramatically. Mipits trickling through throughout but a block on the finches with their road being empty today. Stock Doves the most noteable movers today!

Dave, Howard and Lester

after the transition!... 2011-10-02

2011-10-02T17:34:00.000Z

Awsome... very first light... the edge of the front! (c) Howard Creber 2011

rain advancing from the north... (c) 2011

Oxenhope, Bradford (W Yorks, England)
Sunday 2 October 2011
Counting period: 6:15-11:23
Weather: wind SW2, cloud-cover 4/8, precipitation rain, visibility 50000m, temperature 15 ℃, SW F2 rising WSW F5, 4 increasing 8ok, 15degC rising, 50km, rain spotting, QNH 1023 falling 1022
Observers: Dave Barker, Howard Creber, Chris King, Lester Ward

Cormorant 5 -
Swallow 34 -
Chaffinch 35 -
Sparrowhawk 1 -
House Martin 2 -
finch sp. 70 -
Golden Plover 1 -
Meadow Pipit 651 -
Greenfinch 42 -
Snipe 36 -
Grey Wagtail 1 -
Goldfinch 28 -
Black-headed Gull 4 -
alba wagtail sp. 29 -
Siskin 67 -
Common Gull 1 -
Redwing 32 -
Lesser Redpoll 5 -
Lesser Black-backed Gull 155 -
Mistle Thrush 1 -
Skylark 1 -
Starling 3 -

Totals: 1204 individuals, 22 species, 5:08 hours

Comments: Right on the leading edge of a longitudinal tracking front slowly inching east at dawn, negligable rain spotting continuously from 0725hr throughout. An indifferent morning after yesterdays transition, notable being an arrival of Redwings and intune with the weather an increasing passage of snipe. Interestingly during the pre sunrise period no birds recorded this morning in contrast to 134 of four species yesterday! Five flocks of siskin went through unseen and a small group of wagtail sp south, whilst not included in the totals were almost certainly flava sp.

Dave, Howard, Chris and Lester

swampout!!... 2011-10-01

2011-10-01T19:07:00.000Z

Sunrise... the big picture.... (c) 2011

Oxenhope, Bradford (W Yorks, England)
Saturday 1 October 2011
Counting period: 0615-1332hr DCB, HC, LW
Weather S F3, 4ok becoming 1ok, 17degC rising, 50km, QNH 1023-1024
Observers: Dave Barker, Howard Creber, Lester Ward

Pink-footed Goose 11 -
Skylark 4 -
finch sp. 700 -
Sparrowhawk 1 -
Swallow 31 -
Greenfinch 751 -
Common Buzzard 2 -
Meadow Pipit 1335 -
Goldfinch 107 -
Lapwing 4 -
alba wagtail sp. 68 -
Siskin 145 - + many unseen flocks
Black-headed Gull 8 -
Blackbird 1 -
Linnet 240 -
Lesser Black-backed Gull 193 -
Magpie 3 -
Lesser Redpoll * 3 -
Herring Gull 1 -
Starling 4 -
Crossbill 37 - + two unseen flocks
Woodpigeon 3 -
Chaffinch 326 -

Totals: 3978 individuals, 23 species, 7.17 hours

Comments: Exceptionally warm before first light up here and wonderfully different for early October. A tremendous morning for passerines with incessant flow and multiple large flocks of finches streaming south south east out of the valley below and over the col... never ever seen it quite like this with finches here before.... absolute swampout initially and today, to start off with, at least all strongly routed by the topography... due to concentrating on the finch stream we learned later from different sources that several large skeins of pinks had been missed and possibly much more.... but the finches were just too good to miss.

Dave, Howard and Lester

finchy frenzy!!!... 2011-09-30

2011-09-30T19:54:00.000Z

S F3 beconing S SE F3, 0ok, 14degC, 30km, QNH 1020 rising 1021
0600-1300hr DCB, HC, GH, LW, CJK

A teriffic morning of great diversity with the mip/finch interface passed and confirmation that frenzied finch migration is taking over in optimum conditions.... initially, all except the kins was low but towards mid morning things got higher and higher with even chaffs, exceptionally strong today, steaming through at skip level and above... albas were very strong with several flocks of over 10 noted. at times the sky was so busy that even five of us just could not keep up. The most exciting birds were a flock of at least 25 Long-tailedtits in from the north very high to drop down into the trees briefly before up and off south again... raptors poor again and possibly drowning in the milk.... eight Common Scoters flying just as they do at sea, interchanging between a long train and tight bunch... the pack never deviated direction, strict NW as it passed through the full extent of our angle of vision and away.

alba 118
mip 616
Wheatear 1
Chaffinch 244
Siskin 177 + 11 unseen flocks
woodpigeon 1
Swallow 314
Starling 43
finch sp 188
Goldfinch 63
LBBG 215
BHG 90
Common gull 1
house Martin 62
Redpoll 2 unseen flocks
Greylag 5
Stock Dove 8
Mistle Thrush 15
pinks 30
Crossbill 17 + one unseen flock
Merlin 1
Bullfinch 1
lapwing 20
Snipe 2
Sand Martin 20
Red Admiral 32
Skylark 2
Reed Bunting 1
Long-tailedtit
Kestrel 1
Cormorant 2
Common Scoter 8 + another possible 4
Sparrowhawk 1

Dave, Howard, Lester, Gordon and Chris

mip - finch interface!... 2011-09-29

2011-09-29T14:34:00.001Z

Yet more sour milk!!..... (c) 2011

S F2/3, 0ok, 13degC 13km, QNH 1022 rising 1023
0625 - 1200 DCB, HC, GH

To me, the most significant thing today were several migratory calls of a skylark (s) passing overhead at home in total blackness whilst stacking the car at c0600... confirming to me that this species can migrate by both night and day.... never actually heard them passing at night before! The mip finch interface today, with finches becoming dramatically prominent in the count.... yet more "sour milk" in the sky reduced visibility and bird detection substantially... but nevertheless a good morning with lots of "october" spirit in the sky.

mip 578
alba 35
Linnet 27
Goldfinch 11
Wheatear 2
starling 13
Reed Bunting 4
Siskin 142 + nine unseen flocks
Skylark 10
Swallow 343
BHG 1
Greenfinch 48
chaffinch 90
Mistle Thrush 2
Greylag 1
pink 11
LBB Gull 11
Redpoll 3 + one unseen flock
Lapwing 6
Red Admiral 20
sand Martin 1
Carrion Crow 2

Dave, Howard and Gordon.

sour milk!!.... 2011-09-28

2011-09-29T14:07:00.001Z

Just EMPTY.... (c) 2011

S F4/5, 0ok, v warm, 15km, QNH 1025 falling 1023
0630- 1145hr DCB, HC, LW

A strong warm southerly wind. A very poor morning lead to and early finish... empty and sour milky skies with no sign of yesterdays Buzzard passage.... however a call from DJS at lunchtime gave renewed hopd and induced another visit.... also negative except for a couple of Buzzards drifting south and a moderate skein of pinks.

mip 179
Wheatear 2
alba 21
Goldfinch 40
Linnet 16
Crossbill 6 + unseen flock
Song Thrush 1
Merlin 1
pink 6
Siskin 31 + 7 unseen flocks
LBBG 50
BHG 10
Chaffinch 6
Red Admiral 14
greenfinch 18
Linnet 4
Cormorant 1
Skylark 2
Swallow 2
Golden Plover 1
Starling 12

1330 - 1445hr DCB

pinks 72
Buzzard 2
Skylark 10

Dave Howard and Lester

buteo circus!!.... 2011-09-27

2011-09-29T13:29:00.000Z

SSW F1/2 becoming SW F3 4 ok, 11degC and rising, 60km, QNH 1025 rising 1027

0630-1400hr DCB, HC, LW

High pressure setting in......Another thrilling day but with fewer mips/albas but compensated with mass (for here) Buzzard influx and migration. The first definate redwing of the season was heard high overhead in the calm and blackness of pre sunrise first light.... a good sign. Mipits seemed slow in comparison to yesterday but the end count was very respectable. Raptor passage was the main event ot the day however with a unprecedented influx/passage of Buzzards (normally absent here) into and through the area. At one time a multiple kettle was noted and eleven birds were located in a short space of time as they drifted south and east... as many as sixteen could have been involved in the passage. None the previous day with all gone the next day confirmed the passage never seen before in out dale, as genuine! A rintail picked up at great height interacting with one of the Buzzards was a teriffic find... it kept on going passing straight through also at height. Red Admirals were impressive with a broad front movement in place

Redwing 1+
mip 1950
alba 49
Goldfinch 48
Redpoll two unseen flocks
LBBG 61
BHG 7
Linnet 14
Reed Bunting 2
Curlew 2
Linnet 22
Siskin five unseen flocks hear
Swallow 32
Dunnock 2
Stock Dove 1
Starling 16
finch sp 10
Chaffinch4
Jay 2
Song Thrush 1+
House Martin 5
Crossbill 2 + an unseen flock
Wheatear 4
Cormorant 1
Raven 3
pinks 50
Skylark 17
Red Admiral 20
Buzzard 11 - 16max
Sparrowhawk 6
rintail 1

Dave, Howard and Lester

avalanche!!!!.... 2011-09-26

2011-09-27T18:03:00.000Z

Buzzard migration overhead!.... (c) 2011

SW F2 becoming W F4, 4 becoming 2ok, 10degC rising, 40km becoming 60, overnight rain ceased just before dawn, QNH 1015 rising quickly 1021

0620-1345hr DCB, HC, LW

Yesterdays anticipation from pointers available fulfilled in total with an overwhelming deluge of mips all moving south, at times the big and improving "montanna" sky was full, east to west with migrating mipits... most at skip level with many above. The first were a couple at 0640 but the rush from the Dales didnt get going properly til some while after but when it did, at peak the three of us were really struggling to keep up. The mip total today (7498) smashed our previous record (6040, 2011-09-25) by almost 1500 birds, so well happy here!!! Characteristically albas were exceptionally strong today as well. By 0930 the pace had slackened considerable but birds were still coming at a more normal rate.... thus we feel there may well be yet another big day to come here. Other species were more normal in numbers but there was good late September diversity. Additional info from the Barden watchpoint told of a late Swift and a flock of c120 Golden Plovers > E. The thrush sp ( two small very high flocks) looked more like Redwings and may well have been!

Mip 7498
alba 106
BHG 43
Chaffinch 5
Linnet 47
Swallow 434
Dunnock 1
Merlin 2
Jay 2
sparrowhawk 4
siskin 20 + 8 unseen flocks
Greenfinch 20
Carrion Crow 1
Stock dove 3
Woodpigeon 1
skylark 28
Starling 13
LBBG 90
Mistle Thrush 17
Cormorant 4
Snipe 4
Lapwing 28
thrush sp 35
Golfinch 1
Great spotted Woodpecker 2
finch sp 9
Magpie 7
kestrel 1
Reed Bunting 2
bird sp 1
Raven 5
Red Admiral 5
Buzzard 2 (incl 1 as I was packing up Howard)
Goosander 1
Pink footed Goose 11

Dave, Howard and Lester

anticipation!!!!.... 2011-09-25

2011-09-27T17:25:00.002Z

Snipe.... an all day move!... (c) 2011

S F2 rising S F5 a cracking dawn but periods of drizzle setting in even before sunrise. Longitudinal front moving through NE and wer were right on its line!
0625 - 1110hr DCB, HC, GH, LW

A wonderful dawn but periods of drizzle setting in even before sunrise together with the wind picking up. Large groups of mips arriving in the top fields and congregating but refusing to pass through. They kept getting up, testing the wind and then returning and going back down again. This happend many times. Another very large congregation a bit further away was doing exactly the same.... quite possibly waiting for the "straight in the face! wind" to become more cross! Snipe were most interesting with several parties and singles tracking hard west during the mid to later part of the morning. Grey Herons and Lapwings were also the movers of the morning with chaffinches being the best to date. Otherwise the diversity was there but only in small numbers. Anticipation... as mips appear desperate here!

Mip 447
alba 6
LBBG 39
Sparrowhawk 2
Goldfinch 5
Goosander 4
Starling 3
BHG 1
Chaffinch 30
Wheatear 4
Siskin 5 + an unseen flock
Greenfinch 3
House Martin 62
Grey Heron 4
cormorant 2
stock dove 3
Lapwing 82
Reed bunting 1
Snipe 16

SSW F 5 beconing SSW F3 dropping 2.
1415 - 1900hr. DCB

Front moved through East with cloud clear interface overhead upon arrival and with brilliant sunshine. A pretty bland afternoon except for an obvious all day thin passage of Snipe still going west. Come 1730hr the mips began to move again with some quite big parties both high and low, all moving southish. Swallows also picked up late afternoon with sevearl sizeable parties just before and in conjunction with the mipits.

Swallow 327
House Martin 16
Mip 538
LBBG 29
Common Gull 1
BHG 46
Lapwing 59
Snipe 18

Dave, Howard, Gordon and Lester

another fall off!..... 2011-09-24

2011-09-27T17:25:00.001Z

Good sunrise but another fall off!.... (c) 2011

S becoming SW F4/5.... milky skies and visibility restricted... rain visible to the west throughout but never reaching us at all. Open skies to east initially but soon overdrawing 8ok.

0700-1215hr DCB, CJK, LW.

A later start after changing watchpoints. After yesterdays promise, another fall off in mip numbers.... Plenty of diversity but no bulk, with everything decaying mid morning.

In order of appearance

Meadow Pipit 507
Swallow 172
alba 17
Chaffinch 20
Crossbill 11
Chiffchaff 1 in wood all morning
Goldcrest at least 1 in wood all morning
Reed Bunting 4
Starling 2
LBBG 57
Redpoll 6
Goosander 2
Barwit 1
Stock Dove 2
Herring Gull 2
Greenfinch 3
Cormorant 3
House Martin 4
BH Gull 34
Skylark 2
Siskin 6 + 1 unseen flock
Goldfinch 6
Grey Wagtail 2
Wheatear 1

Dave Chris and Lester

improving!.... 2011-09-23

2011-09-27T17:25:00.000Z

invisible rise!.... (c) 2011

23rd Sept 0615-1030hr DCB, HC, LW.

mip 1402 increasing
siskin 4 + 2 unseen flocks
Linnet 24
Greenfinch 38
Woodpigeon 2
alba 18
goldfinch 34
Stock Dove 4
swallow 26
BH Gull 5
Starling 3
hobby 1
LBBG 7
Golden Plover 7
Redpoll 6
chaffinch 2
Wheatear 1
Skylark 2
Jay 2
Snipe 1
Cormorant 1
bunt sp 1 (the first of the season)

.............................

Most interestingly a report from Barden, in Wharfedale (one Dale north of us here) early pm re this afternoon of mipit and swallow movement picking up and becoming very obvious this afternoon.... see what the morrow brings!!

Dave, Howard and Lester

Can it be worse?.... 2011-09-22

2011-09-27T17:24:00.001Z

An evil rising!!.... (c) 2011
22nd Sept 0630-1210hr Just me

alba 13
mip 1315
Reed Bunt 2
Chaff 3
LBBG 2
Swallow 18
Siskin 4 unseen flocks
BHG 1

Dave

Raptorroundup.... more!

2011-09-27T17:24:00.000Z

More rptor passage from the 15th.... (c) 2011
Dave

Oxenhope.... greenland low! 2011-09-21

2011-09-21T13:44:00.000Z

Evil light!.... (c) 2011

Oxenhope, Bradford (W Yorks, England)
Wednesday 21 September 2011
Counting period: 6:30 - 9:35
Weather: wind West5, cloud-cover 4/8, visibility 50000m, temperature 8 ℃, W F4/6 rising W F5/7, 4ok, 8degC, 60km reducing, QNH 1012 reducing 1010
Observers: Dave Barker

Snipe 4 -
Swallow 20 -
Black-headed Gull 1 -
Meadow Pipit 219 -
Lesser Black-backed Gull 2 -
alba wagtail sp. 2 -
Skylark 1 -
Siskin 19 -

Totals: 268 individuals, 8 species, 3:05 hours

Comments: A second day of grief with the Canadian/Greenland low now well established combined with fractus down on the high moor almost throughout..... on the face of it , it appeared a better day out to the east but not to be. Again little detectable on the move, so an early finish was in order.

Dave

Oxenhope.... depression sets in! 2011-09-20

2011-09-21T13:38:00.000Z

Oxenhope, Bradford (W Yorks, England)
Tuesday 20 September 2011
Counting period: 6:30 - 10:30
Weather: wind West3, cloud-cover 8/8, precipitation drizzle, visibility 40000m, temperature 11 ℃, W F3/4, 8ok, 11degC rising, 60 reducing 20km, drizzle off moor throughout, QNH 1013 rising 1014
Observers: Dave Barker, Lester Ward

Lesser Black-backed Gull 2 -
Chaffinch 1 -
Great Spotted Woodpecker 1 -
Greenfinch 1 -
Swallow 4 -
Goldfinch 1 -
Meadow Pipit 171 -
Siskin 3 -
alba wagtail sp. 1 -

Totals: 185 individuals, 9 species, 4:00 hours

Comments: A terrible morning with conditions dramatically reducing potential. High closed cloudbase, normally good for seeing did not produce with driving drizzle almost throughout.... the mips that were on the move were in small parties, fast and direct SSE. Very little low, although our side of the hill was getting the blast and there could well have been more through the cols than we could detect. In addition to the three individuals seen, another three Siskin flocks were unseen.

Dave and Lester

Raptorroundup....

2011-09-21T12:22:00.000Z

Just some of the recent passage influx action!.... two "recordquality" montage images.... (c) 2011
Dave, Howard and Gordon

Oxenhope.... another ridge!... 2011-09-19

2011-09-19T21:24:00.000Z

Looking the other way.... downpour on approach!... (c) 2011

Oxenhope, Bradford (W Yorks, England)
Monday 19 September 2011
Counting period: 6:20 - 11:10
Weather: wind West4, cloud-cover 6/8, precipitation rain, visibility 60000m, temperature 8 ℃, W F3/5, 4 increasing 8ok, 8degC rising, 60km, frequent showers, QNH 1008 rising 1009
Observers: Dave Barker, Howard Creber, Gordon Holmes

Cormorant 3 -
Swallow 49 -
Starling - 2
Sparrowhawk 3 -
House Martin 11 -
Chaffinch 7 -
Snipe 3 -
Meadow Pipit 1365 -
finch sp. 3 -
Bar-tailed Godwit - 1
alba wagtail sp. 10 -
Greenfinch 7 -
Lesser Black-backed Gull 28 -
Mistle Thrush 6 -
Goldfinch 1 -
Stock Dove 3 -
Blue Tit 2 -
Siskin 103 -
Skylark 4 -
Raven 1 -
Linnet 16 -

Totals: 1628 individuals, 21 species, 4:50 hours

Comments: Again conditions much better out to the east, with a series of heavy showers soon arriving from the west interestingly another ridge moving east. An active but thinly spread broad front mipit move, with many low number parties. Swallows almost none existant.... Siskins well represented with seven unseen/uncounted flocks detected. A Bar-tailed Godwit was well seen on approach, flypast and departure, dropping in a long drag from on high, then gaining ht on departure NW. Again always something on the go, despite the heavy showers and adverse conditions.....

Dave, Howard and Gordon

Oxenhope.... diverse and interesting!... 2011-09-18

2011-09-18T19:51:00.000Z

As bad as it got... (c) 2011

Oxenhope, Bradford (W Yorks, England)
Sunday 18 September 2011
Counting period: 6:15 - 12:45
Weather: wind West1, cloud-cover 2/8, visibility 60000m, temperature 6 ℃, W F1 reducing CALM then NW F2, 20k, 6degC rising, 60km, QNH1000 rising 1002
Observers: Dave barker, Howard Creber, Gordon Holmes, Lester Ward

Black-headed Gull 2 -
Mistle Thrush 17 -
Cormorant 21 -
Lesser Black-backed Gull 25 -
Jay 4 -
Grey Heron 5 -
Woodpigeon 4 -
Raven 2 -
Pink-footed Goose - 6
Skylark 52 -
Starling - 29
Sparrowhawk 2 -
Swallow 777 -
Chaffinch 16 -
Common Buzzard 5 -
Meadow Pipit 1058 -
Greenfinch 2 -
Kestrel 6 -
Grey Wagtail 1 -
Siskin 38 -
Golden Plover 1 -
alba wagtail sp. 17 -
Linnet 17 -
Lapwing - 115
Dunnock 3 -
Lesser Redpoll 26 -
Snipe - 8
Wheatear 1 -
Species unknown 2 -
Crossbill - 1

Totals: 2263 individuals, 30 species, 6:30 hours

Comments: A diverse count but with only moderate numbers. An ideallic early morning with fogs laying in every hollow on the moor... deep fog in Calderdale spilling over into Airedale for a period but generally speaking good visibility for sky watching from the watchpoint throughout, becoming quite warm. Mipits going through in small numbers most prominent initially, Swallows later with some massive uncounted parties picked up at times up at very great altitude... again raptors interesting with Buzzard movement to the east but all the rest southish. Siskins, count of those seen but not included were five unseen flocks. Looks as though Jays might be on the shuffle again! The first pinks definate of the autumn went very high NW late morning. A small part of Dunnock were exceptionally interesting. A big influx of Skylark going west today. A movement of Herons westish was apparent. A couple of the accipiter sp currently unscheduled and heading south west at widely spaced intervals were noteworthy......

Dave, Howard, Gordon and Lester

Oxenhope.... instability reigns! 2011-09-16and17

2011-09-17T09:28:00.000Z

The Downfall today..... first sun... (c) 2011

Oxenhope, Bradford (W Yorks, England)
Saturday 17 September 2011
Counting period: 6:20 - 8:40
Weather: wind SW5, cloud-cover 5/8, visibility 1000000m, temperature 10 ℃, SW F5g7 increasing, 5 becoming 7ok, 10degC steady, 60000-100000m, QNH 1001 falling 999
Observers: Dave Barker, Chris King, Lester Ward

Golden Plover 5 -
alba wagtail sp. 6 -
Lesser Black-backed Gull 1 -
Starling - 2
Swallow 152 -
Chaffinch 1 -
Meadow Pipit 78 -
Reed Bunting 1 -

Totals: 246 individuals, 8 species, 2:20 hours

Comments: Instability reigns!... a terrible morning of intermittent torrential showers, gusting wind and the first "bitter" wind chill of the season.... very few birds in the sky up here over the moor, but a suggestion of potential when conditions improve with several moderate Swallow parties powering south. An especially heavy shower, with the radar showing little immediate improvement to come ended the watch.... try again later!
..................................................................

Oxenhope, Bradford (W Yorks, England)
Friday 16 September 2011
Counting period: 6:30 - 10:00
Weather: wind East, E F1 picking up E F4/5, 9ok low fog stratus throughout, 10C static, 100-4000m, QNH 1015 falling 1014
Observers: Dave Barker, Howard Creber, Lester Ward

Sparrowhawk 1 -
Meadow Pipit 64 -
Golden Plover 1 -
alba wagtail sp. 8 -
Grey Plover - 1
Mistle Thrush 5 -
Dunlin - 20
Starling - 6
Swallow 165 -
Goldfinch 1 -
House Martin 6 -
Linnet 1 -

Totals: 279 individuals, 12 species, 3:30 hours

Comments: A better morning than the forecast with no rain... the watchpoint being at cloudbase level virtually throughout. From the start it was obvious that yesterdays movement was trying to continue with dramatic low Swallows skimming the ground shooting very fast SE and E shearing through the stratus base past and to either side of us very close in. Wild groups of mipits similar but the scale of our counts will bear little resemblence to the true magnitude as visibility whilst variable was very poor. Waders, were prominent on the move today with Dunlin off NW and Grey Plover calls heard from somewhere in the cloudbase as it passed through... also a Golden Plover contact from somewhere out there. Whilst on the face of it, a very poor morning to be out, the birds and their proximity was dramatic! Very worthwhile!!

Dave, Howard, Gordon, Chris and Lester

Oxenhope.... a welcome ridge! 2011-09-15

2011-09-15T21:01:00.002Z

A"Raptor" Sky... (c) 2011

Oxenhope, Bradford (W Yorks, England)
Thursday 15 September 2011
Counting period: 5:55 - 12:05
Weather: W F1 to CALM to NE F1, No sig, 5degC Rising Swiftly, 70km, QNH 1019 rising 1021 before falling
Observers: Dave Barker, Howard Creber, Gordon Holmes, Lester Ward

Cormorant 8 -
Lesser Black-backed Gull 51 -
Raven 4 -
grey goose 20 -
Stock Dove 2 -
Starling - 28
Marsh Harrier 1 -
Woodpigeon 29 -
Chaffinch 12 -
Sparrowhawk 9 -
Skylark 16 -
Greenfinch 3 -
Common Buzzard 3 -
Swallow 2650 -
Goldfinch 52 -
Kestrel 4 -
House Martin 10 -
Siskin 223 -
Peregrine 6 -
Meadow Pipit 2503 -
Linnet 12 -
Golden Plover 6 -
Grey Wagtail 1 -
Lesser Redpoll 17 -
Redshank 1 -
alba wagtail sp. 26 -
Crossbill 1 -
Black-headed Gull 2 -
Mistle Thrush 3 -
Red Kite 2 -
Red Admiral 2 -

Totals: 5707 individuals, 31 species, 6:10 hours

Comments: A fantastic morning in all respects... a ridge of high pressure after days of dominating depressions! Mipits all SSE as skip and higher with Swallows the same.... and everything powering through broad front. At times the sky was FULL of Swallows and mips moving broad front south. Mip parties were generally many and small, whilst Swallows included some larger parties. Siskins a good count for here with over 200 counted, excluding at least 9 unseen calling flocks. Raptors were up and on the move with a good selection and noteable numbers. Two small flocks of grey geese were seen.

Dave, Howard, Gordon and Lester

Oxenhope.... mip skip gets going!... 2011-09-14

2011-09-14T21:08:00.001Z

First Sun.... (c) H Creber 2011

W F5/6, 7ok, 10degC. 60km reducing quickly, QNH 1010 rising 1014
0630 - 1030hr

Showers overnight, broken to scattered with rising temperature and QNH rising quickly throughout. Red ball sunrise through open sky to far east with better condition over that way to start with but degenerating as the western weather advanced that way. Wind speed increasing throughout brought a general improvement of mip rate, poor to start with and in small numbers to increased frequency in much larger parties before mid morning. Mostly all high through skip but all hard and fast due south south east.... a sign of things to come!!! possibly soon? Very little of anything else though. A single group of Redpoll over the village were interesting...

Mipit 848 > SSE mostly in the last part of the count
Swallow 62 > S
Kestrel 1 . S
LBB Gull 12
Golden Plover 5 > W
alba 4 > S
Starling 2 > W
Redpoll 16

Dave, Howard and Lester

Oxenhope....... somewhat sparce! 2011-09-11

2011-09-11T20:15:00.000Z

Dispursing Grey Squirrel "en vis".... middle of the Moor!!.. (c) 2011

0600-1115hr
W F5 gusting F8, 2ok, 12degC rising, 30km decreasing, QNH 998 falling

Weatherwise a much better morning than expected despite the wind which gave little trouble.... virtually all the movement was high to very high, with mipits o/head only observed with difficulty... in the mid to late part of the watch the western sky was dominated by ther dramitic skies of an obvious advancing front.... it just gave a very few spots of rain and soon passed over. Whilst there were birds on the move things were sparce but with reasonable diversity for the condition of the day, reflected by the small numbers. Two parties of Snipe were the most interesting vis but despite targeting this species for some while when we realised they were on the move, no more were seen. A Grey Squirrel mid moor was interesting.

Swallow 159 > S and W
Mipit 185 > S with just a few W
LBB Gull 7 various
House Martin 8 > S
Curlew 8 > W
alba 4 > S
Sparrowhawk 1 > S
Starling 5 > NE
Snipe 20 > W
Wheatear 10 > S
Skylark 3 > W
Rook 1 > S
Linnet (many blogging on Soil)
BHGull 1
Grey Squirrel 1
Goldfinch 1
Sand Martin 2
Merlin 1

Dave, Howard, Gordon, Lester and Chris

THE Yorkshireman..... 2011-09-11

2011-09-11T19:48:00.000Z

Jane leads the field!.... Martin follows on.... at c22 miles in (c) 2011

Dave

Oxenhope... fog stratus 2!! 2011-09-10

2011-09-10T18:20:00.000Z

Frightened Brown Hare.... on the move!! (c) 2011

Oxenhope, Bradford (W Yorks, England)
Saturday 10 September 2011
Counting period: 6:20 - 9:50
Weather: wind South1, cloud-cover 6/8, precipitation drizzle, temperature 14 ℃, S F1 increasing S F5, 6ok, 14degC rising, Very humid, drizzle becoming established, 200-5000m, QNH 1001 falling
Observers: Dave Barker

Totals: 0 individuals, 0 species, 3:30 hours

Comments: A very poor morning aat 1300ft asl with cloudbase down to almost ground level (variable). First birds were a moderate party of Siskin, appearing wild and totally disorientated in the cloudbase as it merged into the land... they gradually worked off south as the variable cloudbase lifted a bit. Seven other also moderate parties were heard going through in the cloudbase throughout the morning but none could be seen owing to terrible conditions. Mipits were few and far between this morning with only a few heard directly overhead... conditions were not clear enough for long enough to allow lateral observations. A total clearout of mip bloggers since last weekend. A nice group of 15 Redpoll came W right overhead though later in the watch and a few LBBG and BHG were braving the fogs. A Wheatear was static on the wall and A group of 6 Curlew also appearing disorientated went W as I was leaving... No count today as numbers detected are not meaningful. Party sizes could not be determined and there would have been many more than we could hear.

Dave

Oxenhope.... fog stratus!! 2011-09-09

2011-09-09T21:41:00.000Z

Got a couple of early hours in this morning for the first time this season.06.10 - 08.30 hrs.

SW F3 gusting F4, fog stratus and heavy penetrating drizzle.

An excellent passage of mips was evident though actual volume indeterminable due to our old adversary fog stratus preventing good lateral vision. Mips recorded below were those actually seen directly overhead the watchpoint. Many were also heard but not seen in the low stratus. The passage however was on a broad front as on odd occasions when visibility improved for short periods, moving birds were scoped to the east and west.

Mipits - 318 S & SE
Swallow - 12 SE
Sand Martin - 2 S
Siskin - 2 S
Redpoll - 2 S
Wheatear - 4 moving through south in stages
Goldfinch - 2 SE
Linnet - 2 SE
Chaffinch - 3 high E
Reed Bunting - 2 heard
alba wag - 5 single party SE
Grey Wag - 1 S
Skylark - 1 SE

Other - usual suspects blogging

Cheers,

Howard

Oxenhope.... serenity! 2011-09-04

2011-09-05T21:04:00.001Z

Small Coppers taking advantage of the Sun... (c) 2011

Oxenhope, Bradford (W Yorks, England)
Sunday 4 September 2011
Counting period: 6:20 - 10:40
Weather: cloud-cover 5/8, visibility 30000m, temperature 12 ℃, NW F1 becoming CALM, then S F1, 12degC, 5ok average, 30km, QNH 1005 rising
Observers: Dave Barker, Chris King

Vis:
Sparrowhawk 2 -
alba wagtail sp. 3 -
Merlin 1 -
Mistle Thrush 5 -
Black-headed Gull 155 -
Siskin 1 -
Lesser Black-backed Gull 114 -
Linnet 5 -
Swallow 224 -
Lesser Redpoll 1 -
Tree Pipit 1 -
Reed Bunting 1 -
Meadow Pipit 236 -

Totals: 749 individuals, 13 species, 4:20 hours

Comments: Overnight rain moving off east with gradually opening sky advancing from the west. Even at sunrise (an 8ok event), insects over the moor were up and prolific in almost calm, to calm conditions. Suspect this responsible for the relatively light movement. Initially a very light NW air dropped flat calm... you could hear a pin drop - fantastic up here at c1400ft... but very little in the sky. Bird movement was minimal in relation to yesterday but the dearth did improve after the period of calm following 0840hr. Mips were mainly low, swallows high to very high, with today only two sizeable parties, a 42 and a 90. All vis a mix between stict due S and strict due W. Yesterdays low numbers of gulls improved but the JUly and August glut as gone through now. First Siskin (0630hr) went SE and Redpoll of the year went S. One of the albas was almost certainly "white". A Willow Warbler was in the trees.

Dave

Oxenhope.... moderate 2011-09-03

2011-09-03T19:03:00.002Z

Buzzard.... SSE (c) 2011

0555-1100hr Oxenhope W Yorks
SW F1 increasing F5, 6 rising 14degC, 4ok, 60km increasing, QNH1006 falling.

Vis all between S and W

Mip 514 in 48 parties + 36 = 550

Lbbg 50

Common gull 22

Bh gull 58

Linnet 22

Swallow 964 in 26 main parties + 106 = 1070

Cormorant 5

Raven 1

Reed Bunt 1

Alba alba 3.... No pied

Tree Pipit 2

Spawk 2

Osprey 1

Buzzard 1

Front advancing longitudinally NE very slowly from west... Some rain over high pennines and E lancs but essentially dry and condusive here throughout. Wind picking up from virtually nothing to F5 before reducing again. Nearly all mips in first hour with 130 best party, a good move for the time of year. Swallows from 0700 with best party 260 and all bigger parties high to very high. Albas were interesting with no pied movement at all yet, just as expected, with all seen confirmed alba alba.... The wave has reached us! The first two came zilliping in, initially thought to be Greys on call but immediately reassessed when seen properly on deck. A by chance Osprey from the bottom gates induced an extra 40 min stay, a Buzzard and a few more mips and Swallows resultant..... Weather interface overhead throughout with more open skies out into the east giving good periods of bright sun..... Dark and rainbowed skies over the high Pennines and into Lancs.

Dave

Hummingbird Hawkmoth

2011-09-01T21:20:00.000Z

This little beauty in the gardens favouring Red Valarian, on and off tonight.....Thursday 1st September.... very quick and almost impossible to get on to!
Dave

A Taste of Summer....

2011-08-19T22:02:00.001Z

Can't seem to get the hang of the new way of posting snaps, so you will have to stick with me and tollerate the small versions til I can get it sussed!!.... pretty useless this and would appreciate help from anyone who knows how to change it.

Dave

Lancaster up Airedale.... 23-07-2011

2011-07-23T22:49:00.001Z

Eleven images for the Holistic Sky freaks!......Picked up out over Ferrybridge, tracked over south Leeds, south Bradford, Clayton, Bingley, Keighley.... Cononley and away NW up Airedale...... All (c) 2011

Dave

Back in action!!..... 26-06-2011

2011-06-26T15:11:00.000Z

0715-1200hr

W F3, rising to 23C and above, 3/8 becoming 1/8, 65km, QNH 1018 rising

Breeding season just about done now..... thus for me the first tranch of sky watching for some while. A cracking morning and just right for mid summer action and especially after the run of poor days. Curlews congregating c35, with some overhead westerly movement. Redshank, a couple high west were probable movers. Lapwings congregating on the in-byes are reaching c120 but with no obvious movement today. The first juv Black headed Gull of the season went south but this was one of few BHG's with the main push some way off yet. Lesser black backed Gulls still moving NW strongly with a single Herring in amongst. A few Swifts west into the wind were today probable feeders.... and then in conjunction with a Globemaster an obvious large raptor on approach NNW..... an Osprey... giving a good show as it passed overhead off the N end. Quite probably the last "spring"? migrant this year. Finally just as the camera was back in the car, with no chance to power it up, the enigmatic drone of a couple of Spitfires right over head, going somewhere north.

Dave

Dunlin Delight!.... 08-05-2011

2011-05-08T19:05:00.003Z

Dave

hide birds!... 07-05-2011

2011-05-08T04:28:00.005Z

Dave

"glareola" grand!.... 06-05-2011

2011-05-07T13:10:00.004Z

Dave

All "albas"!..... 04-05-2011

2011-05-07T12:54:00.006Z

Dave

An Afternoon at Fly.... 05-05-2011

2011-05-05T22:31:00.000Z

Dunlin, one of six present

Bar tailed Godwit present all afternoon (montage)

Bar tailed Godwit ditto (montage)

Rook.... very rare up here!

Rook

Sanderling with Redshank comparison

Sanderling (montage)

A brilliant afternoon with good birds and good company. A barwit was noted in full summer plumage at the Oxenhope end shortly after I arrived.... I was contemplating ringing DS when I noted three obvious birders at the Wainstalls end... Nick, Dave and Jen. After we had been watching the barwit for a while, Nick scanned on a bit and the next bird on was a Sanderling! and then a Rook came over..... almost as rare as either of these waders up here. During the first part of the afternoon Dunlin were prominent and fantastic to hear and see them display..... Common Sands and lots of Redshank.... will be visiting again soon as its just too good to miss up here!

Dave

Birds Burn!!....Ovenden.... 02-05-2011

2011-05-02T21:25:00.003Z

The overarching news today is of yet more fire on Ovenden Moor, mid afternoon.... not only the moor but apparently part of the plantation as well.... dense yellow, white and black smoke blotted out the sun to the north of the fire..... without doubt mass fatalities at this time of year..... nine images (c) 2011

Dave

Great Days.... highlights 29-04 to 01-05-2011

2011-05-01T20:41:00.007Z

Lots lots more but time now run out!

Dave

Greylags back on moor.....26-04-2011

2011-04-26T21:32:00.004Z

Oystercatchers settle down..... just one for the record.... (c) 2011

All apart from the bottom one (tonight) residual from this weekend. There may well be migrant Glags here as well but without doubt they are back on the moor and have been for a while... even a lone wary goose on the water on occasions..... good to have them back!... a change from the canadas here...

Dave

Big Stuff comes to Lunch!.... 24 and 25-04-2011

2011-04-25T21:32:00.006Z

Dave

Out and about and far away!.... 23-04-2011

2011-04-23T21:36:00.003Z

Northerners on the moorfield.... many trying to pretend they ar'nt there!.... cotton grass just out this week (c) 2011

Curlews coming to wash off and drink from all directions.... 31/hour.... (c) 2011

Report to follow.

Dave

Oxenhope... monticola QUEEN ! 23-04-2011

2011-04-23T12:31:00.004Z

Report to follow again on a wet day!

Dave

Out and about... a scorcher! 22-04-2011

2011-04-22T20:43:00.008Z

....... and much much more....

Report to follow on a wet day!

Dave

Oxenhope.... dusk/nocturnal! 21-04-2011

2011-04-21T21:39:00.006Z

Another Curlew off the moor feeding.... edge of dark (c) 2011

1915-2145

SE F1, still warm after a hot sunny day, 10km haze, QNH 1010 falling

A hazy placid evening with stenching air from the cities rising onto the moor. Redshank six birds looking like three pairs still present, on and off the moor / in-byes, no copulation tonight but lots of excitement.... Curlews, feeders, both from the moor, in-byes and pastures present washing off as well as feeding/drinking.... a party of c nine left to return to the moor when disturbed and several singles went that way too. Curlews, three in high alarm over the in-bye owing to the attention of a pair of carrions told a tale. Linnet, first seen on territory this time. Wheatear about six females about. Golden Plovers, a party of nine came in to the moor field off the moor to join others that I couldnt see and three left back. c 32 northerners on the in-bye fields and seemingly more rippling further over that I couldnt see. Lapwings much more settled at dark now with barely a muff. Snipe however exceeding active with an additional bird now squeezed in and drumming (5) total and as on several of the nocturnal visits this time a Woodcock roding. Goosanders, none for some evening visits recently but tonight c15 at roost including lots of skateing and excitement. Dunlin trills were echoing over the water after dark.... Oystercatchers seemingly shut down for a while now.

Dave

Oxenhope.... black of moon... early april after dark!

2011-04-18T21:13:00.011Z

Black of Moon.... early april.... (c) 2011............................ Drone on you crazy nocturnal wutherings.... !..................................................... Night draws in and the moon is black..... edge of dark thickens.... relax.... air drops calm and silence reigns with home, warmth and sleep coming near....... pipistrells brush with voice now too high and the toads clasp long in the dykes. As blackness comes the stars shine bright and the dark comes real and alive.... a Lapwing up and wuthering down, then another, another and all around.... mass keening from those on the ground. Snipe in the sky and drumming so near is joined by a few and yet no fear..... Chippering chippering sound surround brought tears to the eye, yet unseen in black sky.....perdix kerrrvicking all dotted about and a grass owl glides past glowing bright on black air. Goldies at roost begin to stir with rippling vibes running right through the pack, some up and back to the moor.... now Curlews behind en-mass in the sky disturbed by some HOB causing esturine cry......Sea pies kubeeking cross water are sleeking in low from pastures afar, to play pipe with their pals from the bay..... yet canadas come at head chopping height all a-hooking from waters below and skating fowl sneak from the rivers each side to bell soft, two tone from the black.... A Redshank pair siren out from the wet in prolonged nocturnal embrace, just making others excited and loud....and a godwit or more wit witing above, pass low on the long way back home ....... sometimes a cock comes roding around assuring its grounds to keep and the ghost of old fox screams long, loud..... and high from Gods eternal pastures above..... no wonder our flatlander friends from below have fear of the grounds up here, after what they have done to them there..... unearthly sound and things flapping around..... quick lets run and get and get out of here.......stop now!.....and thus it goes on and on...all (c) me. Had to leave the final verse out unfortunately as it was just too frightening! but do try it, go out a few times and listen for the night coming ALIVE in calm black conditions...probably have to wait till next year now as the seasons move on but a real experience in very early April and.... I bet you have trouble finding anywhere local where it really happens.... not so at one time, but now if you CAN get away from the background noise there’s just deafening silence and orange light everywhere, not even the avian ghosts of times past can be heard.... everything long dead and gone!..... here at Oxenhope at the edge of the world we are still very lucky, one of the last great local wildernesses...............................

Dave

Oxenhope.... osprey attack?? 02 to 03-04-2011

2011-04-03T21:26:00.002Z

Reports to follow....

Dave

Oxenhope.... too windy! 01-04-2011

2011-04-01T20:46:00.005Z

1755-2030

Still very windy from the SW thus most birds down and similar activity to yesterday. Redshanks feeding at the edge in the lee of the wind. Curlew roost still active but birds coming in much later, still from all directions but more from the moor... not possible to count as far too dark and far too windy. Bats active despite the wind.

Dave

Oxenhope... oystercatcher confirmed! 31-03-2011

2011-04-01T07:06:00.004Z

1430-1700hr

Strong winds from the west and essentially empty skies.... most things well down. Curlews, the exception, feeding on the moor field, grass moor and around the in-byes with frequent quartering. Lapwings in sentinal positions and at least 20 Golden Plovers in the pack on the moor field as usual trying to pretend they wernt there! In the short time the pack was under observation, a single left to drop on the moor away to the west. Carrions still watching and waiting for the chance, I wish they would go away, they tell of doom!! Ten Goosanders and a few Goldeneyes were all of importance that was noted on the water. Oystercatchers confirmed again and at one of the usual sites.... Sorry to have to disturb folks with the necessary graphic detail. Moorhens on the in-bye pools, as usual keeping a low profile as were a few canadas and mallard. A few LBB Gulls went NW.

Dave

Willow Warblers.... 30 and 31-03-2011

2011-03-31T12:26:00.002Z

Out of interest....An arrival into our area yesterday (30th) and further consolidation today with WW singing in every wood I visited this morning.... Bell Bank, Holme House, Hollin and Altar. Dave