Sunday, August 22, 2010

Oxenhope.... wet wet wet! 22-08-2010


Buzzard.... right overhead!... going due south (c) Brian Vickers 2010
W F3, 14degC, 40km E 10 km NW, 3/8 becoming 9/8 with rain, QNH 1013 falling throughout.
0705 - 1130hr
A big let down today with open sky overnight and for the first part of the morning til c0730... then fractus down and drizzle on and off for the rest of the morning. Thus few birds in the sky and small numbers on the shore.... but nevertheless a check of the few lessers showing their legs revealed two with Norwegian rings and a third sporting a Walney ring... none of which could be read fully owing to the attrocious conditions. Grey Wagtails going west were the birds of the day.
Moving birds:
Meadow Pipit 6
Swallow 43
BH Gull 4
Grey Wagtail 6
LBB gull 105
W F4, 19degC, 65km, 2/8, QNH 1011 falling
1440 - 1800 DCB, BV, RHP, EP.
An improving afternoon with many BH Gulls coming in from the north... many dropping in from high with some of the others on low approach... interestingly more mipits moving west this afternoon that this morning but not a Swallow moving in the sky to be seen! The bird of the day was without doubt the first Buzzard of the season going due south in level direct flight just nicely above head height at c1515hr! Another different lesser was sporting a Norwegian ring and a Lapwing went north.
BH Gull 422
LBB Gull 186
Mipit 45
Buzzard 1
Lapwing 1
Common Gull 2
Dave

Oxenhope.... mediterranean move! 21-08-2010











Mediterranean Gull (juv).... 11 images (c) 2010
Further details as soon as I get them!
SW F3, 14degC, 30km NW 60km SE, 1/8, QNH 1015 rising
0655 -1145hr DCB, CJK, BV
Becoming calm overnight with fractus down over moors first thing but soon lifting. Despite the improvement from yesterday little early vis and it was after 0900hr before the Swallows got going progressively with quite a big push in the afternoon.... but the morning count was disrupted somewhat by the arrival at c 0830 of a beautiful scaley very young juvenile Mediterranean Gull on its first migration and sporting an Irish colour ring! Nothing liked it and nothing would leave it alone, so it settled out of the way and had a sleep... it left south east along with many of the LBB Gulls, one of which was sporting a Norwegian ring (which could not be read) mid morning. A Golden Plover went SW
Moving birds:
Med Gull juv 1
LBB Gull 410
BHG 61
Goosander 7
House Martin 6
Yellow legged gull 1
Swallow 124
Mipit 3
Tree Pipit 1
Starling 26
Grey Wagtail 3
gull sp 1
Golden Plover 1
WSW F4, 19degC, 65km, 7/8, QNH 1015 steady
1345 - 1730
BH Gull 676
LBB Gull 121
Common gull 1
Common Sandpiper 1
Swift 1
Grey Wagtail 1
Swallow 196
Teal 2
Dave

Glovershaw... ten out of ten! 21-08-2010

Two more Spotted Fly today made it double figures for me with the species this week. A bird seen near Sconce Lane with another at Golcar Farm highlighted a quiet morning's walk with Stephen Lilley & Paul King. 2 Wheatears turned up at Weecher along with a Whitethroat but overall disappointing after yesterdays heavy rainfall.

Shaun Radcliffe