Visible Bird Migration - Monday October 17th 2011.
Hutton Roof, Cumbria.
0700hrs - 1000hrs
Wind: W 25mph increasing all the time to 30mph at leaving
Movement: South unless stated.

It was a absolutely superb experience for the watcher, and must have been a incredible hard challenge for the birds, though they just kept coming during that first hour, but in small groups and fragmented because of the extreme Westerley winds hindering them. They were at times almost touching the ground, with hundreds going directly over my head within inches. I watched them come up almost to Whin Yeats Farm (Windy Gap) and then finding it difficult to climb Farleton and so would arc back and swing around to come up directly over the gap where I stood.

Fieldfare: 1346 (all North West) (best party: 120,120,70,70, mainly, 20-40 parties) 1100 in the first hour, 200 in second hour and 55 in last hour)just pairs after 0930hrs.

Redwing: 577 (all North West) (best party: 70,50,50, and lots averaging 20 to 30 (470 in first hour) 100 approx after.

Blackbird: 18 (2,5,1,1,8,1)

Chaffinch: 73 (all West or East, best parties: 5,5,4 etc)
Alba Wagtail: 4
Starling: 50 W (30,20)
Goldfinch: 3 W
Greenfinch: 8
Meadow Pipit: 1
Sparrowhawk: 1 (probably local).


(Will be offering sketch of how the Thrushes negotiated Whin Yeats etc later on this afternoon - on my blog which is at:[arnsidesilverdale.blogspot.com]