Beaver Mines and Steeples, October 19

Monday, October 19 Vicki Ridge [Day 29] 0800-1850 (Peter Sherrington and Hilary Atkinson observing from the Waterton 61 wellsite on the western flank of the ridge); and Gord Petersen (1320-1830) at the western edge of Kyllo Ridge at the Waterton 68 wellsite). The temperature at 0800 was -7C that quickly rose to 1C at 0950 as the westerly flow aloft touched down and reached a high of 7C at 1200 and 1300. The temperature was then 6C to 1700 and was 4C at the end of observation. Winds were W-WSW all day, very light to 0950 then 15-20 gusting 30 km/h to 1400 after which they were 30-40 gusting 50-60 km/h for the rest of the day. Cloud cover was 100-80% stratocumulus, cumulus and altostratus to 1400 after which it gradually reduced and was 30% altocumulus and cumulus at 1850. There were occasional very light rain showers but observation conditions were good all day. There was a fairly strong and persistent raptor movement at the Waterton 61 site where 129 migrants of 6 species were seen between 0834 and 1825 that comprised 13 Bald Eagles (9a, 2sa2, 2j), 5 Sharp-shinned Hawks (1a, 4u), 1a Northern Goshawk, 1a light morph calurus Red-tailed Hawk, 5 Rough-legged Hawks (4 light, 1 dark) and 104 Golden Eagles (94a, 5sa, 4j, 1u). The highest single-hour count was 23 between 1700 and 1800, and three other hours after 1200 saw passage of at least 20 birds. At the Waterton 68 site the count was 74 birds of 6 species between 1322 and 1819 that comprised 5 Bald Eagles (3a, 2j), 6 Sharp-shinned Hawks (1a, 5u), 2 Cooper’s Hawks (1j, 1u), 1j light morph Broad-winged Hawk, 3 light morph Rough-legged Hawks and 57 Golden Eagles (41a, 4sa, 5j, 7u). The highest hourly count was 22 between 1500 and 1600. The combined site count was 203 migrants of 8 species that moved between 0834 and 1825 and comprised a season-high 18 Bald Eagles (12a, 2sa2, 4j), 11 Sharp-shinned Hawks (2a, 9u), 2 Cooper’s Hawks (1j, 1u), 1a Northern Goshawk, 1j light morph Broad-winged Hawk, 1a light morph calurus Red-tailed Hawk, 8 Rough-legged Hawks (7 light, 1 dark) and 161 Golden Eagles (135a, 9sa, 9j, 8u).  The highest combined site hourly count was 38 between 1600 and 1700 and the previous and subsequent hours saw counts of 34 and 36 birds respectively. Other birds species were a flock of 65 Snow Geese that flew high to the SE at 1321, a flock of 44 Canada Geese that flew high to the W at 1221, 10 unidentified ducks that flew south at 1335, 2u Northern Flickers (1 Yellow-shafted and 1 Red-shafted), 2 Clark’s Nutcrackers, 5 Black-billed Magpies, 26 American Crows that flew W at 1233, 96 Common Ravens, 44 American Robins and 759 Grey-crowned Rosy-Finches (200 at Waterton 68 and flocks of 250 and 300 flying south at 1420 and 1615 respectively at Waterton 61).

10.83 (299.8) BAEA 18 (104), SSHA 11 (881), COHA 2 (136), N0GO 1 (45), BWHA 1 (19), RTHA 1 (206), RLHA 8 (167), GOEA 161 (1856) TOTAL 203 (3526)

Monday, October 19 Mount Lorette [Day 30] 0820-1840 Caroline Lambert assisted by Graeme Dunlop). The observers counted 100 migrant raptors of 5 species between 0935 and 1758 that comprised 8 Bald Eagles (4a, 2sa, 2j), 1u Sharp-shinned Hawk, 2u Northern Goshawks, 3 light morph Rough-legged Hawks and 86 Golden eagles (56a, 9sa, 4j, 17u).

10.33 (336.9), BAEA 8 (101), SSHA 1 (97), NOGO 2 (53), RLHA 3 (24), GOEA 86 (2158) TOTAL 100 (2596)

Monday, October 19 Steeples (Vance Mattson). No observation (weather). Work commitments prevented Vance from observing, but low overcast conditions would have rendered that impossible anyway.