Sunday, September 21, 2008

Fly Flatts

A couple of hours spent this morning hoping for a decent raptor (Honey Buzzard?) only to be beaten to it by Nick this afternoon! Never mind there were

Sparrowhawk 1
Kestrel 2
Twite 27 (incl at least 13 combos determined)
Cormorant 2 South

No twite at the Midgley feeding station

An hour or so at Ringstone with Niall this afternoon produced

Pochard 1 male
Mallard 2
Lapwing 110
Pied Wagtail 1
Grey wagtail 2
Grey Heron 1 (taking small fish from the east pool)
Black headed Gull 30
Common Gull 4
Pheasant 1
Great crested Grebe 2
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5 comments:

Nick Carter said...

Also 2 Goosander on Baitings

6:06 pm
AndyC said...

There were 4 Great Crested Grebes,117 Lapwing,200 BH Gull,1 first winter Herring Gull,1Common Sand and 6 snipe on Sat

6:20 pm
AndyC said...

There were 2 Goshawks and 1 Honey Buzzard at Thornton Moor this morning,

6:44 pm
Dave Barker said...

Hi Andy etal

As many of these birds would enter Calderdale at some point here is the Oxenhope summery.

0645 - 1135hr DB/CK/HC
SW F2, 9degC rising 21, 19km Mist and Haze, 0/8 increasing 4/8 altostratus breaking altocumulus, QNH 1027 falling.

A wonderful morning to be out in all respects with lots of moving birds from pre sunrise with no gaps right through till noon. Meadow Pipits going very well initially with at least 616 > S in the first hour up to 0745hr, then slackening a bit to resurge later. The first Swallow > S was early at 0750hr then after a slow start by 0949hr large never ending parties of up to 100 were rising up out of the Worth basin and off high over the moor to the south. This continued right upto and beyond the end of the count with one very large and almost uncountable party going on for ever at 1120hr. At 0839hr a Goshawk (a first for vismig here) was picked up by HC travelling high SW above the Worth valley, no sooner had we all got onto this bird than another browner bird was located following on behind..... the two were obviously travelling together. As they moved on the birds lost hight a bit and dropped over the col, through and into Calderdale. At 1102hr another large raptor was picked up on distant approach WSW out to the North East over the Trough. It too was in level flight and as the angle of vision improved a Honey Buzzard was confirmed. It continued at medium height WSW out over the western moors, Lancashire bound. Siskin also kept on moving with several large parties of up to 26 > SE towards the end of the morning. Again several Red Admirals were on the move SE towards the end of the morning.

See:

http://vismig.blogspot.com/

for more detailed information.

Dave

PS we had a Common Buzzard coming SW into Calderdale via the same route as the Gos yesterday morning.

8:10 pm
AndyC said...

Great Stuff dave ,many thanks for that excellent account

10:32 am

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