Pennine Skywatch: 10 Apr 2010

Saturday, April 10, 2010

Stainburn Moor, Harrogate... slow and steady! 10-04-2010

Stainburn Moor, Harrogate (N Yorks, England)
Saturday 10 April 2010
Counting period: 6:20-11:20
Weather: 5c rising to 16c. 3/8 cloud haze, visibility 3 miles.
Observers: Andrew Hanby, John Blacker

Moving Birds:
Cormorant 1 -
Lesser Black-backed Gull - 3
Fieldfare 126 -
Grey Heron - 1
Woodpigeon 30 + 110
Willow Warbler - 2
Cygnus sp. - 1
Skylark - 1 Jay - 3
Goosander - 3
Sand Martin - 1
Starling - 2
Lapwing - 5
Meadow Pipit 3 + 212
finch sp. - 10
Black-headed Gull - 5
alba wagtail sp. - 2
Lesser Redpoll - 2
Common Gull 1 -
Blackbird - 1

Totals: 525 individuals, 20 species, 5:00 hours

Present: Red Kite 1, Sparrowhawk 2, Common Buzzard 6, Kestrel 1, Golden Plover 450, Lapwing 8, Stock Dove 6, Skylark 8, Swallow 3, Meadow Pipit 4, alba wagtail sp. 3, Dunnock 1, Blackbird 2, Mistle Thrush 1, Great Tit 2, Jackdaw 6, Rook 35, Carrion Crow 6, Starling 8, Chaffinch 3

Comments: Slow and steady today with the highlights being 2 Willow Warblers WNW along the hedge and 3 single Jays WNW. Mipits very slow with the biggest parties a 15and a 21 in the last hour but few birds between these parties. The Fieldfare were generally drifting ESE.

Andy and John

Common Scoter... Fly Flatts... 10-04-2010

Glad it was still there Brian and thanks for the initial info from Brian Vickers. Good record photo!
http://birderbri.blogspot.com/2010/04/common-scoter-fly-flatts.html

Dave

Oxenhope... the skies save the day! 10-04-2010

Circumzenithal Arc.... this more than made up for the dearth of birds!! (c) 2010

CALM rising E F2/3, 5degC, 20km haze, 3/8 with cirrostratus 6/8, QNH 1034 falling.

0555 - 1230hr
On the strength of yesterday, out early with GREAT expectations only to find the mips had crashed dramatically and the gulls were few and far between. Swallows however gave a good show with well spaced singles going north throughout the morning. A Grey Heron was interesting in that it was picked up exceptionally high over the Bradford region travelling direct SW, it was tracked until lost from view high above and beyond Halifax... just a bit more than a normal feeding flight I think, but why south west? Again not a single Starling in evidence!... mid morning the skies were swamped by racing pigeons hurtling north.

Moving Birds:

Canada Goose 9 > NW
Jackdaw 15 > NW
Meadow Pipit 45 > N
alba wagtail 1 > N
Carrion Crow 3 > N
Swallow 31 > 1
Linnet 2 > NW
Lapwing 1 > E
LBB Gull 11 > NW
Woodpigeon 2 > E
Grey Heron 1 > SW
Goldfinch 1 > NW

Dave