Here Comes the Sun!.....

Post Sunrise.... (c) 2010


Deep Haze at Pre Sunrise.... (c) 2010


Deep Haze persisting.... (c) 2010

Dave

Stainburn Moor, Harrogate... slow! 18-04-2010

Stainburn Moor, Harrogate (N Yorks, England)
Sunday 18 April 2010
Counting period: 6:05-11:40
Weather (first period): at first 0/8 cloud 3C and no wind; later 6/8 cloud 12C, wind 0-1 SW.
Observers (first period): Andrew Hanby, John Blacker

Moving Birds:
Cormorant 1 + 2
Herring Gull - 1
Starling - 4
Grey Heron - 1
Swallow 4 + 7
Goldfinch - 12
Golden Plover - 11
Meadow Pipit 5 + 162
Linnet - 7
Curlew - 6
Grey Wagtail - 1
redpoll sp. - 1
Black-headed Gull - 24
Willow Warbler 1 -
Lesser Black-backed Gull - 25
Jay - 2

Totals: 277 individuals, 16 species, 5:35 hours

Present: Greylag Goose 2, Mallard 2, Red Kite 8, Common Buzzard 2, Oystercatcher 3, Golden Plover 100, Lapwing 7, Curlew 8, Stock Dove 7, Collared Dove 1, Great Spotted Woodpecker 1, Skylark 12, Swallow 4, alba wagtail sp. 4, Dunnock 2, Blackbird 3, Fieldfare 139, Mistle Thrush 1, Willow Warbler 1, Blue Tit 1, Magpie 3, Jackdaw 6, Rook 70, Carrion Crow 6, Chaffinch 4, Greenfinch 1

Comments: Mostly AH solo, JB badly 'man flued'. Another Slender day, but Mips still going down the East side; hourly counts 50, 39, 16, 16, 29 (last =35 mins). A flock of 16 LBBGs made up a lot of the LBBG count; these all headed in a Pateley Bridge type direction- ? end up more N than Oxenhope birds. Still big group of Fieldfares (139) around- this bit of the East Pennine/ Vale of York interface seems to be a bit of a reservoir for them at this time of the year. Slow!

Andy and John

Fly Flatts.... 18-04-2010

See Brians Fly Flatts report at:

http://birderbri.blogspot.com/2010/04/fly-flatts.html

Dave

Oxenhope... wheatear fall! 18-04-2010

Wheatears Wheatears Everywhere!! (c) 2010


Wheatear Montage.... just a few of the closer ones... (c) 2010


More Wheatears... (c) 2010

Lapwing in the Sun... (c) 2010

Redshank > NW... (c) 2010

Sacrifice Stones.... the tourist season!... (c) 2010

Wigeon in from the West.... (c) 2010

Residual Goldeneye... (c) 2010

CALM then W F1 then N F3, 1.2degC Frost, 15 increasing 40km, 1/8 deep haze increasing 8/8, QNH 1015 falling then rising 1016.

0700 - 1215hr

Deep haze and calm conditions lead to ideal viewing in the early period both near in and out to the east. For here a good diversity of birds today. A major Wheatear fall this morning in the general area with birds starting to appear mid am. Every wall top, derelict building and stone pile producing a few. By late morning.... not one to be seen.... all had moved off north. Also major Redshank and Common Sand influx overnight. Despite a poor showing yesterday in suboptimal conditions Meadow Pipits were moving strongly during the first hour or two, then to a lesser extent later on. A flava wag, quite distant, went high NE and a Redshank went fast and loud NW. A pair of Wigeon came in from the west to land and a large group of Oystercatchers went moderate height east. Interesting that in the calm gulls were almost absent in the skies... yesterdays masses of lessers had just evapourated.

Moving Birds:

Meadow Pipit 121 > N

House Martin 1 > N

flava wagtail 1 > NE

Sand Martin 2 > N

Collared Dove 3 > E

Swallow 21 > N

Linnet 32 > NW

Redshank 1 > NW

Carrion Crow 11 > N and NE

Oystercatcher 9 > E

Starling 1 > N

Jay 1 > E

Wheatear 21 > N

LBB Gull 3 > NW

BH Gull 2 > NW

Wigeon 2 > E

Redpoll 1 > N

Other:

Common Sand 3, major Redshank arrival. Willow Warbler

Dave