Tuesday October 5th 2010- Hunting Hill, Nr. Shore Road, Carnforth.
0700hrs - 1030hrs.
Wind: Very Strong SSW-SSE 15-20mph
Movement: All South unless stated otherwise.
Moved over to Hunting Hill, quite close to where I normally count, but some 400 yards South East as the crow flies. Without doubt this is the place to be for mipits, I thought so yesterday when I noticed most where going over "Hunting Hill". Well today it was nicely confirmed. They where still coming in on a "broad front" and I noticed I was missing some large parties going over South across the marsh to the West of me, but never the less I am sure I was in the right place to "gather the vantage". Because of the strongish winds it was "flattening them" and making them use both sides of "Hunting Hill" rather than going directly over the top of it, as they were doing yesterday. Lots were also going down alongside the railway lines at Carnforth railway station to my East. Really good "score" parties, but by about 0910hrs it was noticeably thinning down. With just odd regular parties going through up until my close at 1030hrs. Even then there where still good occasional parties of 10 to 20 plus going through, even so late in a morning.
Starling: Lots of local birds and possibly: 19 (2,2,5,10) which could have been continentals.
Common Snipe: One flushed on approach to watchsite (possibly local)
Goosander: 2 off Estuary to East (probably local)
Pink Footed Goose: 18W one skein at 0824hrs (you could see them struggling with side winds)
Mistle Thrush: 3 (2W,1E)
Blackbird: 1S
Stock Dove: 4
Jay: 2S (both singles, one being mobbed by two Mipits)
After leaving my watch I quickly called in at Warton Crag side to see if I could see anything going over, nothing but perhaps a little windy today for Warton sides. Nice to see Tony (Riden) (Knowl Hill), busy at work with a large working party. I then went through the Yealands and across Nineteen Acre and past the garage on the A6 turning right into Moss Lane. (Moss Lane- A6 side), this would be the same alignment of the "pipit passage" we where talking about yesterday which now looks very likely that this could well be the same path as that going over "Hunting Hill". Sure enough Pipits where coming through at this point (not a lot and just singles, but regular, every few minutes) (after leaving A6 just after garage, turn on Moss Lane which leads to Burton/Holme) and I parked in the first large passing place/not a place to park on a regular basis!). You could more or less narrow the corridor down to the third telegraph pole along this road after leaving the A6. And they where all heading in the direction to the "Car Boot" field area.
-- Edited by Birderbryan on Tuesday 5th of October 2010 01:51:21 PM
If i wanted to give vis-mig a try what tips could you give me? What times, areas, wind directions etc.
Any idea when the trees at Leighton Moss turn yellow, golden and brown? Rossendale is still quite green. I was hoping to visit when the Autumn colours are at the peak.
Hello Sarfraz, Thanks for your mail and really pleased to hear that you are interested in visible migration, and if I can help in anyway I would only be too pleased, Just shout!
With regards to your suggested tips: firstly it is really essential you vismig is done within the first two hours of daylight or when the birds start moving (which can be anytime from the first light to within 20 or 30 minutes after daylight, depending on conditions.
Lighter winds are the best of course, prefereably between the 2-5mph range and from a side wind direction eg: the birds move at their best with a side wind on them, eg on a straight Southerly move, the best wind would probably be from a light North West or west or north East. Birds do not like tail winds, they would usually try and fly into a wind rather than have a strong wind behind them creating overrun. Its also very common especially with Pipits, to see them flying into a side wind and side on and it really does seem strange when you see them.
Even big birds like Pink Footed Geese are the same, only this week alone I saw them try to compensate for wind and flying side on into.
Obvious adjustments are being made to vismig every day. Its rarely the same day after day, you need to adjust you watch to look for altitudes and corridors and once you get on them you will find that most birds during that particular morning will keep to the same paths, but you will need to adjust daily to make allowances for the winds etc.
They are not keen on rain and very rarely will take flight in rain, so if its really heavy rain, do yourself a favour and dont bother.
I dont know what you have in mind, but the usual and probably the best species to work with (especially in Rossendale) is Meadow Pipits and Thrushes in particular.
For me Meadow Pipits is great to watch, I dont bother much in Spring but in Autumn, they are a delight and on the main "push" dates can come through in parties of 20 - 50 and it has been known for me to have counts of "thousands". There are several tracks or "veins" and as you already probably know maybe the best is the corridor which comes off Cribden end heading South (what I call Top O'th Slate) and I do believe a even better corridor comes down the other side of Cribden, anyware from Habergham Eaves (Burnley side) and straight down the Crawshawbooth Valley on the Cribden side. Also there is another vein which runs East to West and comes through the Grane Valley (I used to pick these up at Stoney Rake over Grane and also there is another vein further over Grane at Rushy Hill and this can be superb, both picking up the Grane birds and also birds coming down from Oswaldtwistle and Burnley. (Best Mipit dates (around the mid September to the first week in October, they can peak anytime between that period.
With regards Thrushes, the one I always watched was the usual annual one through the Grane which went on a North West routing straight through the valley and watched from Stoney Rake, but also a large proportion go through the Deep Clough at Heap Clough. (Thrushes: usually from about October 10th to November 8th) and again the Redwings will usually peak earlier eg: Mid October, and the Fieldfare Mid to late October).
Hope this helps and let us all know how you go on.
With regards the leaves, to be honest with you only this morning I was across from Warton Crag which lies to the rear to Leighton and never really noticed. But most of them at present are brown and golden (true Autumn Leaves) so I would have thought that anytime now was about the right time.
This is a lot of information to take in but over time I will learn, I hope! I am also not keen on rain! It has been a dry-ish autumn this year so far.
I have had no chance to go out and do any Vis-Mig yet. Things crop up, I get lazy. I hoep to probably go out and do some next week!
I remember seeing a moxed Thrush flock in the Blackburn Tesco car park last year at this time, I suppose beign a mixed flock they would have been migrant. They were eatign berries.
Migration is fascinating! I looked at them Thrushes and thought some days ago these very birds may have been in Northern Europe and now they are here. They manage to survive such a difficult journey. I do not know if anyone watched Autumnwatch Unsprung last week - they had footage from a boat covered in Bramblings, Chaffinches, Siskins, Thrushes, Jackdaws and even migrant birds of prey such as Kestrel, Sparrowhawk and Short-eared Owl which started eating the other birds.
The tips are very useful and some quite surprising. Thanks a lot for that! I hope to one day get out and do some!
Hi Sarfraz, Thanks for your mail and pleased to hear you will give it a go soon, dont leave it too late or there will be no birds to see!! NOWS THE TIME - OVER THE NEXT SEVEN DAYS IF YOU ARE TO CAPTURE THE SIGHTS OF THE THRUSHES. I have the Autumnwatch taped (or at least I hope it has!) so I know I will enjoy sometime this week, I have already heard lots of feedback how good the transmission is...
Hi Bryan, Been out this morning and thrushes are pooring through. Fieldfares in flocks to 300 maybe more were coming over from Water and some dropping into the top of Folly Wood with the rest heading NW, quite low aswell.. Lots of Redwing grounded and over with Fieldfare flocks. Craig
Tuesday October 5th 2010- Hunting Hill, Nr. Shore Road, Carnforth.
