Visible Bird Migration - Chaffinch are the key players.

Showing the Swallow migration corridors (please click over to enlarge)

Friday 18th October 2013 - Visible Migration - over Slape Lane, Burton In Kendal.

0915hrs to 1015hrs. Wind Speed: 15-18mph, 10c, 100% cloud cover, 17200m visability, 1014 pressure.  All movement SE unless stated.

Chaffinch: 62 (8W 54SE), Alba Wagtail: 1SE, Meadow Pipit: 1SE, Brambling: 1SE, Fieldfare: 70N (ten minutes later came back and went down into Hutton Roof to feed up), Mistle Thrush: 2SE, Common Snipe: 3SE, Greenfinch: 2SE, Blackbird: 6SE, Woodpigeon: 12W.
Lots of singles and pairs of Thrushes coming through all the time and making to SE.

Thursday 17th October 2013 - Visible Migration - over Slape Lane, Burton In Kendal.

0730hrs to 0900hrs. Wind Speed: W 8-10mph. 10c to 11c, 75% reducing to 56%, 15000m visability increasing to 18700m. 1009mb pressure increasing to 1010mb. Very quiet again today.

Chaffinch: 114 (31W 83E), Redwing: 96 (in all directions), Blackbird: 1NW, Woodpigeon: 10SE, Starling 6W, Fieldfare: 21 (16SW, 5SE), Greylag Geese: 30S, Alba Wagtail: 1SE

Wednesday 16th October 2013 - Visible Migration - over Slape Lane, Burton In Kendal. 

0740hrs - 0930hrs. Wind Speed SE 12-15mph reducing to SE10mph. 7c increasing to 9c, 100% reducing to 50% cloud cover, 16700m reducing to 15200m. 1012mb pressure reducing to 1009mb. All movement South East unless stated.

Chaffinch: 116 (3W-113SE), Siskin: 8E (one party), Redwing: 42 (7N,5N,10N,10N,5SE,5SE), Goldfinch: 3, Starling: 5W (one party), Mistle Thrush: 4 (1W,3SE), Skylark 2


Tuesday 15th October 2013 - Visible Migration - over Slape Lane, Burton In Kendal.

0730hrs - 1030hours. Wind Speed: NE 12mph quickly decreasing to 5mph, 8-10c, 35% rising to 51% Cloud cover, 16500m rising to 18600m visability, 1010mb pressure.  All movement North unless stated. Steady flow of Redwings with a party every ten minutes or so.

Redwing: 1318 (27 parties best: 150,120,110,100) Fieldfare: 297 (8 parties: best 140,50,30,30). Chaffinch: 340 (102W- 238E) Mistle Thrush: 3, Woodpigeon: 12, Greenfinch: 1, Grey Wagtail: 2SE, Common Snipe: 2N, Starling: 15W, Skylark: 6.

A pair of Swallows were still on territory, certainly up to yesterday in Burton In Kendal. 

Sunday 13th October 2013 - Visible Migration - over Slape Lane, Burton In Kendal.

0740hrs - 0930hrs, Wind Speed: NNE 8-10mph, 9-10c, 95% rising to 96% Cloud cover, 14800m gaining to 18300m visability, 1018mb increase to 1016mb pressure.  All movement North or NNE unless stated. Very poor day with no thrush movement at all after checking at various times of the day. 

Redwing: 181,  Fieldfare: 2 Chaffinch: 43 (5W), Blackbird: 1NE, Swallow: 3E, Long TT:8 (probably local)

Saturday 12th October 2103 - Visible Migration over Slape Lane, Burton In Kendal.

0700hrs - 1000hrs, Wind Speed: NE 8-10mph, 7-11c, 37%-51% Cloud cover, 19100m vis, 1026 decreasing to 1025mb pressure. All movement although much quieter was again to the North/Nor Nor East (Thrushes)

Redwings: 438, Fieldfare: 19, Chaffinch: 75 (50% E 50%W), Song Thrus: 1N, Pink Footed Geese: 3N, Skylark: 1W, Redpoll: 1S.

Friday 11th October 2103 - Visible Migration over Tarn Lane, Burton In Kendal. 
0900hrs - 1200hrs, Wind Speed: NNE 15mph 8-10c, 64%-71% Cloud cover, 16800m gaining to 18500m vis, 1027m gaining to 1028mb pressure.  Best day so far with the thrushes, on my way back from Heysham, noticed birds (Redwings) crossing the A6 at Truckhaven and going off into the Yealands and probably ending up in the line coming out at nearby Levens Hall.  On my way back to Burton down the A6070, noticed lots of stuff passing through North at Deerslett and also some on the other side of the road, so thought best to get to Tarn Lane for a central point and it worked out OK.  But got jaded with all the binocular work so called it a day by 1200hrs.  Birds were still going through "thick" right up until about 1530hrs so these were all missed.  All thrushes went North, with most in the 50-100ft altitude range.

Redwing: 2385 (53 parties: best: 170,100,80) Fieldfare: 725 (13 parties: best: 100,100) Chaffinch: 12, Starling: 10, Peregrine Falcon: 1S, Swallow: 1N (silly direction!)

Thursday 10th October 2013 - Visible Migration over  Vicarage Lane, Burton In Kendal.

0730hrs-1000hrs, Wind speed: NW 15mph, 4c - 7c 0-22% Cloud cover, 19700 loosing to 19100m, 1022 gaining to 1024mb. All movement W-NW with Thrushes, Chaffinch both East and West.

Redwing: 219, Chaffinch 170, Meadow Pipit: 17, Starling: 2W, Woodpigeon: 42, Skylark 6NE.

Wednesday 9th October 2013 (dad's birthday) - Visible Migration over Vicarage Lane, Burton In Kendal. 

0730hrs to 0900hrs. Wind Speed WNW 13mph, Rain flecking at first, 92% cloud cover reducing to 75%, 16600m visability gaining slightlyto 16900m, and 1021mb pressure and dropping to 1019mb.  All movement to the SW unless stated.

Still disappointing counts at present and hopefully will improve soon with the impending change of wind direction to Easterlies on Friday/Saturday.  Also it does look very interesting in that a "opening" could be possible for the mighty "Redwing wave"... we shall see!

Chaffinch: 99 (75 SW/24SE), Woodpigeon: 41, Blackbird: 2W, Redwing: 9W.

Tuesday 8th October 2013 - Visible Migration over Vicarage Lane, Burton In Kendal.

0722hrs to 0757 hrs and then again 0915hrs to 1030hrs. Wind Speed SW 10-12mph, 83% Cloud cover reducing to 60% 9900m visability gaining to 16400m,1020mb gaining to 1022 mb pressure. All movement SSW/SW unless stated.

Still low passage ever since the commencement of the Westerlies. It is quite noticeable also that the Chaffinch passage does not have the same urgency, more casual with plenty of mid air "sallies" as though fighting one another - just a obvious more leisurable state. 

Chaffinch: 110 (101 SSW/SW and 9 birds SE), Goldfinch: 1 (SE) Song Thrush: 1SW, Meadow Pipit: 3SE, Skylark: 1SE, Alba Wagtail: 3 (1SW, 2SE), Redwing: 6W

Sunday 6th October 2013 - Visible Migration over Vicarage Lane Fields, Burton In Kendal.

0715hrs to 0945hrs. Wind Speed W 5mph 59% cloud 10200vis - 1021mb  11c. Never really got going just odds (Chaffinch) going through steady but with no pace, most were just sallying in mid air like they do.

Chaffinch: 207, Meadow Pipit: 9, Pink Footed Goose - sounded like a very high skein N-S but could not find them. Pintail: 2S, Linnet: 6, Swallow: 8, Alba Wagtail: 4, Grey Wagtail: 1, Skylark: 1, Goldfinch: 8 (one party) Song Thrush: 1, Woodpigeon: 17 

Saturday 5th October 2013 - Visible Migration over Vicarage Lane Fields, Burton In Kendal.

0715hrs to 1100hrs. Wind Speed W5mph. Cloudy, Blue Skies at times.  Movement all over the place mainly to the SE or to the SW or W. (Chaffinch 50%SW or W 50% SE)

Chaffinch: 419, Greenfinch 5 SE, Mistle Thrush 2E, Redwing 55 W (6,7,8,14,16,4), Song Thrush 3SE, Blackbird 12 (some E some W) Pink Footed Goose 5 SW, Woodpigeon 22 SE, Alba Wagtail: 1SE, Goldfinch: 48 SE, Skylark: 7SE, Linnet: 8SE, Reed Bunting 1 SE, Meadow Pipit: 10 SE

Also Red Admiral: 1 Large White: 1, Peacock: 1 and Small Tortoiseshell: 1

Friday 4th October 2013 - Visible Migration over Vicarage
Lane Fields, Burton In Kendal. 

0738hrs to 0757hrs. Wind Speed E 5mph. Heavy rain at start. All movement SE unless stated:
Chaffinch: 44, Meadow Pipit: 18 (one party) Skylark: 4, Swallow: 6, Woodpigeon: 1.

0900hrs to 1200hrs. Wind changed around to SW 3mph. All movement SE unless stated: Chaffinch: 248, Meadow Pipit:121, Skylark: 3, Goldfinch 18 (one party), Song Thrush 3, Mistle Thrush: 4 (one party), Redwing: 5 (one party), Starling: 17 (3.3.5.6 first continentals all W), Alba Wagtail: 22, Grey Wagtail: 1, Swallow: 60, House Martin: 2. Woodpigeon: 35

Thursday 3rd October 2013 - Visible Migration over 

Vicarage Lane Fields, Burton In Kendal. 0730hrs to 0750hrs. Wind Speed SE 10-15mph. All movement S/SE. Heavy rain showers from onset to 0730hrs then OK. Going through strong at leaving.

Chaffinch: 40 (in 15 minutes), Meadow Pipit: 1, Greenfinch: 1, Swallow: 8 (5,3), Alba Wagtail: 2 (paired) Linnet: 3.

then at 0830 to 1215hrs from Heysham Observatory.  All movement S/SE, Wind speed here dropped to 3-5mph. These are purely my counts whilst present, please go to the Heysham Blog to see also what Pete had prior to my counts.

Chaffinch: 79, Meadow Pipit: 52, Blackbird: 3, Song Thrush: 3, Alba Wagtail: 15, Grey Wagtail: 2, Goldfinch: 67, Swallow: 2, Siskin: 3, Skylark: 4, Greenfinch: 1

then from 1345 to 1445hrs back to Burton In Kendal. Wind freshened to 20/25 mph ESE. All movement S/SE

Meadow Pipit: 3, Chaffinch: 20 (still moving through regular on my leaving at 1 every 3 minutes), Red Admiral Butterfly: 1. 

Wednesday 2nd October 2013 - Visible Migration over 

Vicarage Lane Fields, Burton In Kendal. 0715hrs to 1000hrs. Wind Speed: 20mph gusting to 25 and 30mph at times. All movement S/SE. Rain at first for 45minutes then dry, but threatening rain with spots on leaving at 10.

There must have been a massive fall of Robins in the early hours, because the hedgerows this morning were absolutely full of "ticking" Robins.

Chaffinch: 79, Meadow Pipit: 4, Swallow: 52, Skylark: 3, Goldfinch: 68, Mistle Thrush: 1

Vicarage lane Fields, Burton In Kendal. 1345hrs to 1500hrs Wind Speed: 20mph and gusting to 25 and 30mph at times.  All movement S/SE.  threatening rain throughout.

Chaffinch: 18, Goldfinch: 20 (one party), Meadow Pipit: 1, Swallow: 1.

Tuesday 1st October 2013 - Visible Migration over Vicarage Lane Fields, Burton In Kendal. - 0715hrs to 0745hrs. Wind Speed East 20-25mph. All movement S/SE. 

Chaffinch: 31, Swallow: 6, Meadow Pipit: 3, Blue Tit: 1.

Afternoon Session - Burton In Kendal 1500hrs - 1630hrs Wind Speed East 20-25mph. All movement S/SE. 

Chaffinch: 31, Swallow: 28 (3,3,15,7), Meadow Pipit: 4, Mistle Thrush 1. 

from Heysham Observatory - 0830hrs to 1100hrs. Wind Speed East 12-15mph. All movement S/SE (these are purely my counts, Pete did prior to 0830hrs to check out all please go to Heysham Blog.

Meadow Pipit: 69, Chaffinch: 44, Alba Wagtail: 9, Grey Wagtail: 1, Swallow: 11, Goldfinch: 1, Pink Footed Goose: 71 (69+2).

Monday 30th September 2013 - Visible Migration over Vicarage Lane fields, Burton In Kendal - 0700hrs to 0755hrs. Wind Speed East 10-15mph. 

All movement S/SSE - although the first bird was at 0705hrs It didn't really start to about 0730hrs and then I had good numbers up to leaving:

Chaffinch: 93, Meadow Pipit: 19, Swallow: 42, Alba Wagtail: 4, Goldfinch: 38 (2,10,25,11) Sparrowhawk on the move: 1

another count at Vicarage Lane fields, Burton 1500hrs - 1630hrs. Birds still moving through, as they will have been all day long in dribs at about 1-2 per minute (Chaffinch)
Chaffinch: 30 (best 5,3), Swallow: 25 (1,4,25), Goldfinch: 12 (one party)

Counting from Red Nab, Heysham and also at Heysham Observatory (along with Andrew Cornell) 0835hrs to 1200hrs. Wind Speed East 10-15mph and variable down and up. 

Straightaway on visiting Red Nab, we found a "Black Redstart" on the fence post alongside one of the caravan gardens. It flew off after identification and was not seen again. Also a Whitethroat and a Chiffchaff.

The counts we had at both areas in Heysham were: Pink Footed Goose: 40 (1 skein), Alba Wagtail: 20, Grey Wagtail (3), Goldfinch: 35, Linnet 16, Siskin: 8, Meadow Pipit: 141. (This is only part count at Heysham) to check out the full numbers including earlier stuff with Pete check here: http://heyshamobservatory.blogspot.co.uk/

Sunday 29th September 2013 - Visible Migration over Vicarage Lane fields, Burton In Kendal - 0700hrs to 1100hrs. Wind Speed: E 9mph then swung to NE 4-5mph then down to 2-3mph then back to E 7-8mph. All movement S/SSE.

Things never really got going today, and the variable wind changes really did not help matters. There is a steady trickle of Mipit's and mainly Chaffinches going on even as I left and probably like yesterday will go on for the rest of the day.  Estimated going through at about 1-2 birds per minute.

Chaffinch: 259, Meadow Pipit: 171, Swallow: 50, House Martin 40, Alba Wagtail: 10, Grey Wagtail: 6, Goldfinch: 20, Linnet: 1, Mistle Thrush: 10, Great Spotted Woodpecker: 1S 

Saturday 28th September 2013 -Visible Migration over Vicarage Lane fields, Burton In Kendal - 0700hrs to 1030hrs. Wind Speed 15mph (F4) All movements S/SSE.  Mipits at long last!

Meadow Pipit: 793 (best parties: 26,18,15,14,14,13 and twelves - the bigger parties all more or less within the first hour, then pairs to fives after that.
Chaffinch: 126 (best: 13,13), Alba Wagtail: 18 (best: 7,4), Grey Wagtail: 4 (one party), Goldfinch: 21 (best 8,6), Greenfinch: 3 (theres plenty on the move but they are down running along the bottom (eg: Hutton Close, The Vicarage level). Linnet: 1, Swallow: 38 (best: 7,6,5,4) Merlin: 1S, Cormorant: 1S, Woodpigeon: 2, Pink Footed Goose 8W

An afternoon session - Vicarage Lane fields, Burton In Kendal 1300hrs to 1600s. All passage again S/SSE

A White "Barn" Swallow" was among the Swallows going through, just could not believe it at first, in all my years birding, I have never had one of these before.  It was going through with a flock, a "dirty white" coloured appearance with perhaps some "pinky light brown" mixed into the plumage.
I am really glad now I decided to go out again and give it another shot, because besides having this sighting, it was incredible to see so many swallows going through and they were still going through on my leaving.  They were going through fairly regular at first on a really broad front, but as the afternoon went on 95% of them seem to all come through just above "Pickles Wood" and its sides.  I wondered if it was a good line for them to get more feed from the trees!

Swallows: 376 (best: 33,30,24,20), White "leucism" Barn Swallow: 1, House Martin: 32 (7,2,18,5) Chaffinch: 74, Meadow Pipit: 39, Grey Wagtail: 7, Alba Wagtail: 1, Goldfinch: 24.

Notes:
Reports coming in that the Mipit's have also been going strong over Caton, Heysham and Sunderland Point. Yet they just have not been getting them further down in East Lancs and further East over in Bradford, it does look that for this part of the country at least that the passage is more of a Westerley thing, I suppose its even possible that with these continual Easterlies winds possibly bringing them across that we could even get more than usual this year.