Vis Mig - Hunter Hill

Sunrise over Queensbury this morning (digiscoped)

Cold Edge, Halifax (W Yorks, England) Hunter Hill warchpoint
Friday 30 September 2011
Counting period: 7:00 - 10:30
Weather: wind South1, cloud-cover 0/8, Very warm, little or no wind and not a cloud in the sky - unprecedented at this site!
Observers: David Sutcliffe, Martyn Hayes
All south or south west unless stated

Grey Heron 2
Lesser Black-backed Gull 31
Chaffinch 102
Greylag Goose 5 north
Woodpigeon 12 and 2 north
finch sp. 17
Mallard 1
Skylark 12
Greenfinch 14
Kestrel 1
Swallow 32
Goldfinch 33 and 3 north
Hobby 1
Meadow Pipit 366
Siskin 2
Lapwing 45
alba wagtail sp. 37
Linnet 5
Black-headed Gull 7
Jay 3
Crossbill 2
Common Gull 6
Starling 1

Totals: 742 individuals, 23 species, 3:30 hours

Present: Great Crested Grebe 1, Mallard 6, Goosander 1, Sparrowhawk 1, Kestrel 1, Partridge 2, Black-headed Gull 35, Common Gull 5, Woodpigeon 30, Little Owl 2, Meadow Pipit 60, Jay 5, Magpie 1, Jackdaw 23, Carrion Crow 15, Starling 12

Comments: Nothing moving at all until 07.30 then a continuous steady stream of movers mainly south and south west until around 10.00. The highlight was a Hobby powering south at 09.15 with 2 Crossbills about the same time. Alba wags were interesting with a group of 16 together at 07.35. A nice move of Chaffinch's and unusually 3 Jays high overhead from over the wind farm heading south east which we followed until out of site. Suspect we missed some Siskin groups high overhead. A Great Crested Grebe and 1 Goosander on Mixenden reservoir, just below the watchpoint, and Little Owls calling nearby early on, along with 2 Grey Partridge. 60 Meadow Pipits were feeding in the fields around the quarry area.