'Early doors'over Windy Bank with the Canada's heading south
Poor shot I know of this male Merlin this morning - not often seen in the top of a bush!
Tuesday 4 October 2011
Counting period: 7:00 - 11:00
Weather: wind WSW5, cloud-cover 7/8, temperature 10 ℃
Birds heading S or SW unless stated
Canada Goose 12
Black-headed Gull 15
Chaffinch 6
Goosander 1 S 3 N
Common Gull 2 S 2 N
Greenfinch 3
Sparrowhawk 1
Lesser Black-backed Gull 7
Goldfinch 2
Kestrel 1 N
Stock Dove 4
Linnet 3
Merlin 1
Woodpigeon 13 3 N
Crossbill 15
Hobby 1
Meadow Pipit 1278
Snipe 2
alba wagtail sp. 5 2 N
Totals: 1382 individuals, 19 species, 4:00 hours
Present: Great Crested Grebe 1, Mallard 6, Goosander 12, Sparrowhawk 1, Kestrel 5, Woodpigeon 60, Little Owl 1, Green Woodpecker 1, Wheatear 1, Jay 2, Magpie 2, Jackdaw 13, Carrion Crow 22, Starling 18
Comments: Hunter Hill watchpoint. I had to find a spot out of the blustery wind and it paid off. Meadow Pipits on the move from 07.30 gave a good count of 1,278 for this site. Hobby at 08.30 due south and a male Merlin at 10.00 heading north took a break for a minute in the top of a thorn bush. 15 Crossbills were heard before being seen and came right over the top of me with some stunning males showing bright red rumps as they flew on. A poor show on other finches today. Unusual was 12 Canada's heading high to the south (they usually drop in, but kept on going this time.) A decent selection of other birds around the site and on Mixenden res'r. 2 Brown Hares also together on the moor.
5 comments:
a great morning that Dave, not like mine yesterday, I take it you could actually had decent visibility
It was a great morning Martyn but needed to get out of the wind a bit lower down. Glad I did as lots of mipits were coming over high but lots were also heading over towards Mixenden plantation. It was very good vibility. Similar sort of count from Oxenhope over the same period - with mipits anyway
Hi Dave. I hope you don't mind but I've brightened your Merlin photo to see if it makes it any clearer.
Good stuff Dave, a record count for Mipits in Calderdale this year just as I thought things were slowing down.
Plenty Crossbills this autumn and the Hobbys good, a bird I need this year but looking unlikely now.
Thanks Jeff - I welcome any help. Conditions were tricky digiscoping in that wind at 200 meters and I knew it wouldn't stop long - and it didn't!
It ended up as a bit of a 'record shot'.
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