Wed Oct 21st 2009 Hutton Roof, Cumbria.
0715hrs-1115hrs
Wind: SE 5-8mph - well overcast, looked line rain at first very watery distant views, but cleared nicely from start and then had 1/2 cloud and 1/2 blue skies throughout..
Movement:
Chaffinch & Greenfinch: 98% East or South East
Redwing & Fieldfare: South East
Starling: South East
all others South unless specified different.

Today hardly any Thrushes on the move. Chaffinches have swelled today with larger count and also bigger parties and there must have been scores if not hundred plus "pinking" this morning on Hutton Roof. Also Greenfinch and Siskin more prevalent. Starling numbers still growing daily..

Starling: 4587 (30 plus parties: best parties 2000, 1000,500,500, 150 )
Chaffinch: 279 Some nice parties today eg: 7,10,7,12,8,16,6,8,10
Pied Wagtail: 4
Redwing: 125 (small parties: mainly single figures) all SE
Fieldfare: 148 (best 50,60) all SE
Siskin: 33 (all in small parties best 5 & 8) all E
Greenfinch: 65 (best parties: 25,7,8,9 - all East)
Meadow Pipit: 14
Goldfinch: 4
Common Gull: 2 E (one in company with BHG
BHG: 1
Woodpigeon: 84
Blackbird: 1
Redpoll: 4
Mistle Thrush: 1
Brambling: 2
also:
Raven 2
Blue Tits tree hopping into Hutton Roof
Green Woodpecker,
Tawny Owls hooting

If you want to check out previous Hutton Roof Vismig for this year please click on this link

[www.trektellen.nl]

Are you new to the area?If so welcome.If not,you are still welcome.
Great to see such dedicated coverage in the South Lakes area.
Oz

Oz Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Are you new to the area?If so welcome.If not,you
> are still welcome.
> Great to see such dedicated coverage in the South
> Lakes area.
> Oz


Thanks Oz, nice welcome and much appreciated. Yes I am new to the area and living in Burton (and enjoying it). Was at Haslingden, Rossendale previous and done vismig there for the past 30 years or so.. retirement means I can put more time into it.

Nice count Bryan

I kept too much faith with the weather forecast & had a lock & lie-in

I've been 'banished' to Caton Moor for two hours from dawn tomorrow!

Pete

Thr Oct 22nd 2009 - Hutton Roof, Cumbria.
0730hrs-1000hrs
Wind: E 10-12 mph, Dry, blue skies interspersed with Cloud
Movement:
Mainly East throughout
Thrushes: all South East,
Starling: South East
Chaffinch: Mainly SE
all other movement S unless stated otherwise.

Another great morning, especially highlighted with the Starlings which where continuously coming through from about 0750hrs and right up to leaving at 1000hrs with small parties of 2s,3s or 5s or bigger parties with anything up to 50s but the majority where small squadrons of say 10, 15s. The highlight had again got to be the "overnight roost" movement which has now grown by double on yesterdays count, and one big party of approx 8000 birds where seen heading SE at 0802hrs, along with further parties of 500,500 and 100 etc. Chaffinch where coming through in good numbers again, with much "in off parties" which where alighting on Hutton Roof, "pinking" calls for about 10/15 minutes and then setting off again East.

Starling 9565 38 parties: best parties: 8000 (roost party-one party) also: 500,500,100,60 plus...All South East
Chaffinch: 199 95% E and 5%W
Redwing: 101 best parties: 25,25,18,12 but mainly in single figures - everything South East.
Fieldfare: 35 (One party of 20 plus 3,6,1,5) all South East
Greenfinch: 46 all East (best party 15 & 7)
Pied Wagtail: 7 SE
Siskin: 20 (one party 10) all East
Meadow Pipit: 12
Linnet: 3 (1W)
Reed Bunting: 1
Goldfinch: 5 (3E 2W)
Woodpigeon: 60 One party SE


Bryan Yorke.

PS: Peter, thanks for your post, are these Starlings coming through at Caton..?

Split vis, Bryan, oil delivery blocking drive

99% of the birds were vis Starlings with:

0720-0820 High Tatham
920 SOUTH-WEST, therefore definitely not from the Leighton/Pine lake roost

0830-0930 Caton Moor
1,450 NORTH all incredibly low in lots of flocks of less than 30, e.g. having to rise over walls in a force 3ish south-easterly. I had to go right to the top to make sure I recorded all these so may have missed some smaller vis but only a handful (<10) of Chaffinch & Meadow Pipit heading SW & SE respectively
50+21 SOUTH-WEST at much greater height right at the end of the watch

Jean will put on Trektellan

1215ish (after the fog had cleared)-1515 STAINMORE,nr Barras
included just 2 flocks of about 30 each STARLING heading due north and a mega in the form of two TWITE heading SW

Friday October 23rd 2009 - Hutton Roof, Cumbria.
0730-1000hrs
Wind: SE 6-8mph.
Movements:
Starling: all South East (roosting & migratory)
Chaffinch: 95% East 5% West
Thrushes: Mainly East, odds West
All others South unless stated otherwise.

Today was still OK, the Starling roost party had well dropped down to 3000 (from yesterdays 8000), but they were still going over strong on regular migratory parties, right up until close of count. Blackbirds seemed to be everywhere on Hutton Roof and a few actually moving (all male birds witnessed). Other thrushes again very quite, probably stay like this until we get new influx into Country hopefully on Sunday or early next week (I hope!!). A dark phased Common Buzzard full adult going through close up at 20yd from NE to SE, looked clearly to be on the move. At the moment the Woodpigeon are purely feeders which seem to be spending most of their time on the spent maize (Slape Lane/Dalton).

Starling: 3775 (43 parties: best parties (ex roost party today 2700),300,70,70,100,60, lots of others from 2s to 50s but mainly 10-15s.. All South East
Chaffinch: 165 mainly pairs but lots of 3-7 parties. 95% South East 5% South West
Greenfinch: 46 (best parties: 15,11,6) all East
Redpoll: 16 (one party 12) all East
Blackbird: 18 (all West and all males) plus lots of Blackbirds feeding on Hutton Roof (again all males) overnight influx noted.
Redwing: 89 (6 & 20 W) otherwise all East - Small feeding up groups- unsure directions.
Brambling: 3 E
Pied Wagtail: 12 SE (one of them sounded different (possible White) very flat on the call definately different - glassed & similar to Pied)
Siskin: 10 (best: 4 party) moving through but also feeding up on Hutton Roof.
BHG/Common/LBBG moving East probably up to 50
Fieldfare: 35 (one party 30 SE) others SE
Goldfinch: 2
Common Buzzard: 1
Meadow Pipit: 15
Woodpigeon: 185 (all seemed to be maize feeders coming up at Dalton then later onward South East.
Reed Bunting: 1

also
Kestrel 1 (probably local)

PS: almost forgot, I had 4 Tree Sparrows, on passage calling into garden at Burton In Kendal, yesterday noon. Stayed for about 15 minutes then on W.

Sat Oct 24th 2009 - Hutton Roof Cumbria.
0730-1000hrs.
Wind: SE15 mph at times 20
Movement:
Starlings all South East
Thrushes 90% South East
Chaffinch: 75% East 25% West
all others South East unless stated otherwise.

Again lots of Blackbird activity on Hutton Roof, must have been influxes overnight. Starling main roost party now down to 2000 actually coming through Hutton Roof (15 minutes behind usual schedule - 0817hrs this morning, they must have decided to have a lie in and who could blame them, obviously the main roost party has now fragmented and taken on many exit corridors. Starling squadrons still coming through regular East all during count. Again Brambling East. Strong winds made counting difficult, struggling to get clear audible calls. Later threatened with rain.

Starling: 2607 (main ex roost party approx 2000) plus regular parties: 150,15,20,200,60,20,30,50,30,20,30,30,20, lots of 10s & 15s all SE
Redwing: 180 (10 parties, best parties: 30,30,20,30,20,30) all South East
Fieldfare: 20 (3 parties, 6,7,7 all South East)
Chaffinch: 56 (best parties a 7 and a 5) 75% East and 25% West
Pied Wagtail: 5 all South East
Brambling: 3 (2 & 1 E)
Goldfinch: 10 (one party 9) all E
Greenfinch: 3E
Meadow Pipit: 2 SE
Siskin: 2
also:
Mixed Gull parties of maybe 50 (BHG, Common & LBBG)

Yesterday at approx 1420hrs whilst travelling South down the M6 and probably estimating about 6-8 mile North of the Junction to the Blackpool turn off (think it is M55), there where large parties of Starlings crossing over East to West as though perhaps coming from the Lower Trough of Bowland and making to the Fylde coast, just in 5-10 minutes driving from the North I saw about 5 parties which were each of the 70+ quantity, and one party in the 300+.

Bryan Yorke.

Hello Bryan
Watch out for Great Grey Shrike in the next week or so if there is any calm weather

The Heysham migrant Blackbirds were almost all males

Pete

Monday October 26th 2009 - Hutton Roof, Cumbria.
0630-0800hrs
Wind: variable and light
Movement:
Starlings (ex Roost over Hutton East)
Thrushes: all West
Chaffinches: More West orientated for the first time with bulk going W (75%) also Brambling W

Yes it was more pronounced with the Chaffinches today that they had the majority going West today instead of East (75%W and 25%E), also Brambling again going W, possibly this marked difference may include more Continentals. Still lots of Blackbirds about on Hutton Roof. Also at first light and throughout Siskins seemed to be calling from everywhere, but just could not get on them.. but certainly around in big numbers. More regularity with the Thrushes in first hour, but still not determined move, just a sort of ambling about for food on a West.

Today saw at least 12,000 Starlings heading South across Morecambe Bay (0707hrs), in a thick wave from North to South and probably the Leighton roost dispersing. Then I thought I would get nothing at Hutton because of seeing them going South, but about one minute later (0708hrs) I had a party of approx 6000 going straight East, they where thick and as far as the eye could see in a line wave from North to South, then another party of approx 6000 again going straight East, again thick and as far as the eye could see in a N to S line, but this time much higher (very high altitude), a couple more smaller 50s, 40s parties and that was it. NO STARLINGS WHATSOEVER ON THE MIGRATION MOVE TODAY. When the roost party had gone through that was it!!

0630-0800hrs
Starling: 12000 approx roost party (2 parties of 6000 approx) all East
Redwing: 225 (11 parties, best parties: 80,50,19) all West
Fieldfare: 64 (6 parties, best party 40,10) all West
Chaffinch: 106 (majority West but 25%E)
Siskin: 17 (just odd ones I managed to see, but missed probably scores)
Meadow Pipit: 3
Pied Wagtail: 4
Redpoll: 7 (One party of 5 SW)
Brambling: 5 (one party 4) all W
Reed Bunting: 3 (1NE)
Linnet: 1
Goldfinch: 5
Greenfinch: 2W

0930-1020hrs
Greenfinch: 6
Meadow Pipit: 6
Chaffinch: 26
Siskin: 6 plus audible only parties
Starling: 5E
Woodpigeon: 11 (one party 9SW)
Redwing: 10 with 1 greenfinch)

also:
Stonechat 1 on telegraph wires.

Bryan Yorke.

Pete: I will certainly keep my eyes open for the GGS's...

Tues Oct 27th 2009 - Hutton Roof, Cumbria.
0630-1100hrs
Wind: SE 10mph and decreasing, light drizzle at first.
Movement: All Starling SE
90% of Thrushes West 10% East
Chaffinch: 50% E 50% W
All other movement South unless stated otherwise.

Starling 10,614 Ex Roost parties 10,000 (a 6,000 & 4,000) also 28 parties throughout - best parties: 100,100,100,30,30,30,30.
Redwing 306 (137W & 169E)
Fieldfare: 143 all West and South West 1,9,60,13,60)
Blackbird: 2W
Chaffinch: 105
Meadow Pipit: 53 all SE (one party 26 at 0825)
Pied Wagtail: 5
Siskin: 5
Redpoll: 2
Greenfinch:10 (1W all others E)
Woodpigeon: 34 (12W)
Goldfinch: 6
Skylark: 2 SE
Great Spotted Woodpecker: 1W
Common Buzzard: 1W




also
Snipe and Golden Plover calls.
Great Spotted Woodpecker: 1 probably local

Bryan Yorke.

PS Tomorrow (Wednesday Oct 28th) could be very good for Thrushes, there have been thousands arrive on the East Coast this morning and throughout the day.

Wednesday October 28th 2009 Hutton Roof Cumbria.
0645hrs-1100hrs
Movement:
Thrush 95% W and then N or NW
Chaffinch mix between E & W
Starling: SE
All other movement South SE or SW unless stated.

Just one Starling party moving today SE, its not because they was not there but would have been so high you simply missed them due to strong tail winds. Like the Starling ex roost this morning I just managed to see them eg: a few thousand, but they was the minutest of dots in the sky, totally unbelievable that they could have reached this altitude from leaving Leighton Moss only minutes before (a distance of approx 3 to 4 mile), just shows what happens when the wind (SW) is behind or side on.. Thrush parties where coming through decent up until 1000hrs whereby they just stopped.. that was it. the ones that did come through flanked Hutton or Farleton and I must have missed thousands that where going down the Dalton side and possibly also down the Lune Valley side, So mid morning I did check this out by having a long walk on and onto Hutton, until I could see over the horizon and down the far side and yes what I had imagined, I was only picking up a token count compared to what was going down the Dalton side. Most of the stuff going through where fighting the wind low down and literally some parties where only inches above the ground sort of wall hopping like the Starlings do..

Starlings: thousands ex roost plus: 45 (20,20,5) Little to record on account of high altitude. All South East.
Fieldfare: 3030 (43 parties, best: 200,200,100,150,150,100,160,250,280,120, most parties 20-30) all West then N or NW.
Redwing: 720 (30 parties, best: 40,40,60,50,30,50,40,50,50,50,30. all West then N or NW
Chaffinch: 113 (50% East 50% West)
Song Thrush: 1NW
Meadow Pipit: 21 SE
Blackbird: 3 SE
Greenfinch: 4
Pied Wagtail: 4
Pink Footed Goose: 104 (3 skeins: 50S at 0720 Morecambe Bay, 24E at 0725 over Hutton and 30 at 0750 Morecambe Bay).
Redpoll: 3 (1SE)
Mistle Thrush: 2 NW
Siskin: 5 E
Woodpigeon: 98 all South (best party 60)
Goldfinch: 1W
Skylark: 2
Common Snipe: 1 flushed on Hutton Roof

also Kestrel,
Gulls eg: Common BHG & LBBG.

Bryan Yorke.

Excellent thread Bryan. I've been enjoying the updates. It's probably a software restriction of this forum but it's ashame this thread has dropped onto page 2 and wondered if any mods reading this could possibly restore it to page 1, or perhaps make it a 'sticky'?

Thanks,

Karl Johnson.

Hi Karl, Thanks for your interest it is much appreciated and yes I noticed also that we were dropping behind each day without a "update refreshing" feature and thus dropping all the time. I have requested through Andy that he could look into this..

Bryan.

It looks like I didnt start watching early enough from High Tatham, Bryan, but there were hardly any thrushes from 1000hrs. I'll give Heysham Obs a good session tomorrow am. Hope you dont get low clouded-out

Pete

Thr 29th October 2009 Hutton Roof Cumbria.
0630hrs-1030hrs
Wind: SE 5mph and later SSE 5-10mph
Movement:
Thrushes: At first mainly W/NW
then after 0900hrs 75% E or SE and 25% still W or NW
Chaffinch: as usual 50%E 50%W
Starling: all SE
All others South unless stated otherwise.

No Starling roost parties counted today. It was all go with the Thrushes (mainly Fieldfare) straight from first possible light and they came heavy up until about 0720hrs then it just stopped dead. Just a few straggling parties now and again. Up to this point all Thrushes had gone West or North West. Then it was really quiet up until about 0900hrs then they kicked off again but far less frequent and this time the main move direction (75%) had turned to East or in the main South East, although 25% carried on West/North West. So at times you wernt sure whether some of these could be returning birds or new birds! I think this change over may well have had something to do with the slight wind change to SSE by then.

Fieldfare: 3170 (54 parties, best: 150,70,70,70,80,80,100, 70- with 7 Woodpigeon in party, 100,180,120,300,100,170,200,100) mainly W/NW some S/SE
Redwing: 632 (16 parties, best: 60,80,300,50) mainly W/NW some S/SE
Mistle Thrush: 1W
Chaffinch: 156 (E or W)
Brambling 13 (1W and 12 party E)
Starling: 929 all SE
Siskin: 41 (mainly pairs, one party 8 and one in Fieldfare party)
Blackbird: 3W
Woodpigeon: 134 (mainly W, some SE)
Meadow Pipit: 59 all SE
Linnet: 6
Greenfinch: 16 (like Chaffinch E & W)
Reed Bunting: 1
Goldfinch: 6 E
Pied Wagtail: 6
Redpoll 4

also
Sparrowhawk.

Also:
Yesterday evening approx 1630hrs was at Leighton Moss to see Starlings going into roost and witnessed. 9 Pink Feet heading NW and also 3 Whoopers heading straight South.


Bryan Yorke.

Friday October 30th 2009 Hutton Roof Cumbria.
0630-0930hrs
Wind: SE 20mph at times with gust.
Movement:
Thrushes: all over the place but mainly NW or SE
Chaffinches: all either W or E
Starlings: mixed today some SE some NW
all others South unless stated.

Not much doing today, a few Thrushes still going through but all this more or less ended by 0815hrs. Another Yellowhammer going through S.

Fieldfare: 738 (24 parties: best 100,70,70,130,50) Mainly W but 125 SE
Redwing: 256 (14 parties: best 30,60,40,30,50) all West.
Starling: 614 (this included a ex roost party of 400) others (17 parties: best 30,20,80,30) Mainly SE but 73 NW
Chaffinch: 86 (Either E or W)
Pied Wagtail: 4
Siskin: 9
Meadow Pipit: 9
Reed Bunting: 1
Yellowhammer: 1
Greenfinch: 8
Woodpigeon: 43
Goldfinch: 6

also:
Common Buzzard 1 (probably local)
Green Woodpecker (probably local)
Golden Plover audible but not seen.

Sat Oct 31st 2009 - Hutton Roof Cumbria.
0630hrs-0930hrs
Wind: SW 10-15mph
drizzle rain on leaving at 0930hrs otherwise thick overcast throughout.
Movement:
Thrushes: all West
Starlings: mainly SE, one party NW
Chaffinch and finches E or W

Definately had been a massive influx of male Blackbirds in night, they where everywhere on Hutton Roof and the lane going up. Also a nice 15 party on vis. Thrushes, very few.

Blackbird: 22 W (one party 15)
Redwing: 250 W (14 parties, best: 40,30,20,20,20,40,20)
Fieldfare: 162 W (13 parties, best: 40,20,30,10,10,10,10)
Chaffinch: 97 W or E (best party 10)
Brambling: 4 E
Pied Wagtail: 3
Siskin: 4
Meadow Pipit: 59 (one party at 40)
Greenfinch: 3
Woodpigeon: 26 (20E & 6W)
Goldfinch: 11 (one party 6)
Starling: 177 (plus roost party of 200 plus at 0725hrs) majority SE ( 7 parties, best: 40,30,20) but 30W
Redpoll: 1 SE
Great Spotted Woodpecker: 1W

also
Green Woodpecker (2) one calling off Hutton and one calling off Farlton side.
and Tawny Owl calling on Hutton Roof

Bryan Yorke

Monday November 2nd 2009 - Hutton Roof Cumbria.
0645-0845hrs
Wind: W 25mph
Movement:
Thrushes:
90% West
Finches:
E or W
Starlings
SE and NW
Others South unless stated otherwise.

Lots of regular small parties of Redwing (6 in a party) at first light. Several single Blackbirds coming through and lots on Hutton Roof. Everything struggling in strong winds and using all contours, valleys etc to get through, Fieldfare struggled far more that Redwing. Not much doing after 0815hours..

Redwing: 229 W (21 parties, best: 30,60,16,13,12 most 5-8 parties)
Fieldfare: 116 W (9 parties, best: 20,50,10,7,8)
Chaffinch: 38 (either W or E)
Starling: 53 (and 900 x roost 0718 & 0733hrs) 26W all others SE
Blackbird: 12
Song Thrush: 1
Brambling: 2
Siskin: 4
Goldfinch: 2
Linnet: 20 (one party)W
Pied Wagtail: 3
Woodpigeon: 20 S

also
Common Buzzard: 1

Bryan Yorke

Wednesday November 4th 2009 - Hutton Roof Cumbria.
0645hrs-0830hrs
Wind: W 3-5mph
Movement:
Thrushes: W
Starlings (all ex roost) E
Finches: all E or W
all else South unless stated otherwise.

Very thin on the ground this morning with few birds, No Starlings at all other than ex roost birds.

Starlings: No movement with Starlings this morning, but a spectacular 5,700 (ex roost party at 0719hrs).
Redwing: 26 (4,2,1,5,2,1,5,3,2,1) all West
Fieldfare: 38 (2,2,14,2,3,15) all West
Chaffinch: 80 E or W
Pied Wagtail: 3
Brambling: 12 all East (1,2,2,6,1)
Meadow Pipit: 8
Greenfinch: 6 all East
Woodpigeon: 32 (7,3,2,9,2,7,2) all SW
Linnet 3E
Goldfinch: 4W
Blackbird: 1W


Bryan Yorke.