Monday, November 09 Vicki Ridge [Day 46] 0730-1730 (Peter Sherrington and Hilary Atkinson observing from the Waterton 61 wellsite on the western flank of the ridge; and Gord Petersen (1304-1705) at the western edge of Kyllo Ridge at the Waterton 68 wellsite). The temperature at 0730 was -8C, the high at 1400 was -3.5C and it was -6C at 1730. Winds were WSW-W all day 40-50 gusting 70-85 km/h that created serious blowing snow both in the valley and on the ridges all day. It was cloudless to 1100 when 10-30% cirrus developed for the rest of the day, with traces of cumulus after 1600. At Waterton 61 a total of 17 migrants of 4 species were counted between 0946 and 1638 that comprised 6 Bald Eagles (4a, 1j, 1u), 2a calurus Red-tailed Hawks (1 light, 1 dark), 8 Golden Eagles (7a, 1j) and 1 Prairie Falcon. The highest hourly count was 6 between 1000 and 1100. At Waterton 68 a total of 20 migrants of 3 species were seen between 1338 and 1658 that comprised 11 Bald Eagles (10a, 1j), 1 dark morph Rough-legged Hawk, and 8a Golden Eagles. The hourly high count was 11 (1400-1500). The combined site total was 37 migrants of 5 species seen between 0946 and 1658 that comprised 17 Bald Eagles (14a, 2j, 1u), 2a calurus Red-tailed Hawks (1 light, 1 dark), 1 dark morph Rough-legged Hawk, 16 Golden Eagles (15a, 1j) and 1 Prairie Falcon. The highest combined site hourly count was 12 between 1400 and 1500. Other bird species seen were 1 female Hairy Woodpecker, 121 Common Ravens of which 85 were seen at Waterton 68, 1 Brown Creeper, 3 female Pine Grosbeaks, 25 Grey-crowned Rosy-Finches of which 19 fed close to the Waterton 61 site, and 32 migrating Common Redpolls.

10 hours (458.9) BAEA 17 (321), RTHA 2 (214), RLHA 1 (283), GOEA 16 (2527), PRFA 1 (6) TOTAL 37 (4716)

Monday, November 09 Mount Lorette [Day 49] 0810-1715 (Caroline Lambert assisted by Graeme Dunlop). A total of 23 migrant raptors of 4 species were recorded between 0857 and 1621 that comprised 9 Bald Eagles (7a, 1sa, 1u), 1a Northern Goshawk, 1j light morph calurus Red-tailed Hawk, 1 unidentified Buteo, 10 Golden Eagles (6a, 1sa, 3j) and 1 unidentified eagle.

9.08 hours (514.5) BAEA 9 (195), NOGO 1 (67), RTHA 1 (67), UB 1 (5), GOEA 10 (2596), UE 1 (29) TOTAL 23 (3177)

Monday, November 09 Steeples (Vance Mattson) No observation because of work commitments.

Sunday, November 08 Vicki Ridge (Peter Sherrington and Hilary Atkinson). No observation (weather).  The temperature was -10C to -9C, winds were variable but generally light, and light to moderate snow fell all day with a total accumulation of around 25 cm at 1800. Clear weather is forecast for tomorrow.

Sunday, November 08 Mount Lorette [Day 48] 0800-1700 (Lori Anderson). The temperature was -10C at the start, but rose to -6.5C at the end of observation, winds were mainly moderate NNE and light snow fell all day, but the Fisher Range ridge was just visible. A total of 11 Bald Eagles (7a, 1sa, 3j) was counted, all of which migrated fairly low towards the south above the middle of the valley.

9 hours (505.4) BAEA 11 (186) TOTAL 11 (3154)

Sunday, November 08 Steeples [Day 21] 1300-1600 (Vance Mattson). Observation was from the Wolf Creek site where the temperature was 2C, winds were moderate SW and cloud cover was 100% altostratus. Only two migrant adult Bald Eagles were seen. The resident pair of Golden Eagles were also observed on several occasions including a chasing flight by one bird against a third adult Golden Eagle. One of the resident birds stooped at a low angle on the retreating intruder and as it gained ground it extended its talons before making contact. It appeared that the birds would lock talons, but the contact was brief and the intruder continued on its way while the resident returned to perch on a snag on its home cliff face. A non-migrant subadult Bald Eagle was also observed.

3 hours (65.5) BAEA 2 (48) TOTAL 2 (125)

Saturday, November 07 Vicki Ridge (Peter Sherrington and Hilary Atkinson). No observation (weather). The temperature was -1C to 1500 and then -2C, winds were light in the morning but were WNW gusting to 30 km/h in the afternoon and light snow fell all day with 8 cm of fresh snow at 1930 on top of the 6 cm that fell overnight. The winter storm warning extends throughout tomorrow.

Saturday, November 07 Mount Lorette [Day 47] 0750-1630 (Blake Weis assisted by Cliff Hansen). It was clear with light winds to 1400 after which they became NE gusting to 55km/h. Light snow began to fall at 1200 that gradually increased and obscured the ridges by 1415. Observation from the Hay Meadow site produced 10 migrants after 1034 that comprised 7 Bald Eagles (3a, 1sa1, 1sa, 2u), 1u Northern Goshawk, 1a Golden Eagle and 1 unidentified eagle. Between 1415 and 1545 observation was conducted at the Wasootch Creek site where an additional adult Northern Goshawk was seen, and when that site became obscured the observers moved to Lusk Creek which was clear but no further migrants were seen.

8 hours (496.4) BAEA 7 (175), NOGO 2 (66), GOEA 1 (2586), UE 1 (28) TOTAL 11 (3143)

Saturday, November 07 Steeples (Vance Mattson) No observation (weather). The mountains were entirely shrouded in cloud all day.

Friday, November 06 Vicki Ridge (Peter Sherrington and Hilary Atkinson). No observation (weather). The temperature was 1 to 2C, winds were light E-SSE and cloud cover was 100% stratus. Light rain fell for most of the morning and fog obscured the ridges until 1015 when it partially cleared and we went to the Waterton 61 site. By 1030, however, the ridges were again obscured and apart from some brief periods they remained so for the rest of the day. Very light snow began to fall at 1125 and steady snow fell after 1400; 30-50 cm of snow is forecast to fall over the weekend so prospects for migration are poor until Monday, November 09.

Friday, November 06 Mount Lorette [Day 46] 0750-1650 (Blake Weis assisted by Rick Robb). The Mount Lorette site proved to be just north of the Colorado low-pressure weather system that was bringing snow to SW Alberta so the Fisher Range was only intermittently draped by cloud in the afternoon and the winds were generally light SSW. A total of 4 migrant eagles were seen that comprised 3 Bald Eagles (2a, 1sa3) and 1a Golden Eagle.

8 hours (488.4) BAEA 3 (168), GOEA 1 (2585) TOTAL 4 (3132)

Friday, November 06 Steeples [Day 20] 1300-1600 (Vance Mattson). The temperature was 4C, it was calm and cloud cover was 100% altostratus and dark cumulus. No migrants were seen, but 2 resident Golden Eagles (1a, 1sa) were seen with the adult perching on a rocky ledge on the ridge for over an hour.

3 hours (62.5) TOTAL 0 (123)

Thursday, November 05 Vicki Ridge [Day 45] 0715-1530 (Peter Sherrington and Hilary Atkinson observing from the Waterton 61 wellsite on the western flank of the ridge). The temperature at 0715 was 7C, the high at 0900 was 9C and it was 6C at 1530 when the count was abandoned for the day. Winds were WSW all day 30-40 gusting 60 km/h to 1030, 30 gusting 50 km/h to 1400 and diminishing to 20-30 km/h after 1500. Cloud cover was 100% stratocumulus all day that produced continuous light to moderate rain throughout. The ridges remained clear but the only raptor seen was a large falcon that interacted briefly with a raven at the northern end of Kyllo Ridge at 1420 before flying fast to the east during a brief period of very light rain. This evening at 1812 I received an e-mail from David McIntyre that informed me that he had seen a female Peregrine Falcon perched in a roadside tree on the west side of Highway 507 about 1 km north of the Screwdriver Creek Road at 1455, that is 35 minutes after I saw a large falcon and about 4 km ENE of where I last saw it. There is a high probability that it was the same bird. The only other birds seen were 25 Common Ravens and 10 Bohemian Waxwings.

8.25 hours (448.9) (probable) PEFA 1 (9) TOTAL 1 (4679)

Thursday, November 05 Mount Lorette [Day 45] 0800-1300 (Graeme Dunlop assisted by Caroline Lambert). It rained all day and the count was abandoned at 1300. No migrant raptors were seen and a single Common Raven was the only bird recorded.

5 hours (480.4) TOTAL 0 (3128)

Thursday, November 05 Steeples (Vance Mattson). No observation. It was overcast at 1600 when Vance finished work so no observation was possible.

Wednesday, November 04 Vicki Ridge [Day 44] 0715-1745 (Peter Sherrington and Hilary Atkinson observing from the Waterton 61 wellsite on the western flank of the ridge; and Gord Petersen (1310-1715) at the western edge of Kyllo Ridge at the Waterton 68 wellsite).The temperature at 0715 was 7C, the high at 1200 and 1300 was 12C and it was 9C at 1745. Despite a continuing wind warning winds were WSW-W only 30-40 gusting 50-65 km/h all day. Steady moderate rain fell from 100% stratocumulus cloud to 0850 but by 0900 cloud cover was 70% cumulus and reached a low of 10% cumulus and altocumulus at 1000. The afternoon saw 70-100% cumulus, altocumulus and altostratus with dark stratocumulus clouds persistently to the west that produced frequent light rain showers. At Waterton 61 a total of 17 migrant raptors of 5 species moved between 0924 and 1706 and comprised 2a Bald Eagles, 2 Sharp-shinned Hawks, 2a Northern Goshawks, 4 light morph Rough-legged Hawks and 7 Golden Eagles (6a, 1j). The highest hourly counts were 4 (0900-1000 and 1200-1300).  The count at Waterton 68 of 5 species between 1327 and 1705 was 5 Bald Eagles (3a, 1sa2, 1j), 1a Sharp-shinned Hawk, 1u Cooper’s Hawk, 15 Rough-legged Hawks (12 light, 2 dark, 1u) and 1a Golden Eagle. The highest single-hour count was 11 between 1500 and 1600, an hour when no birds were seen at Waterton 61. The combined site count was 7 Bald Eagles (5a, 1sa2, 1j), 3 Sharp-shinned Hawks (2a, 1u), 1u Cooper’s Hawk, 2a Northern Goshawks, 19 Rough-legged Hawks (16 light, 2 dark, 1u) and 8 Golden Eagles (7a, 1j). Only two other bird species were seen: 192 Common Ravens of which 163 were at Waterton 68 and 55 Grey-crowned Rosy-Finches at Waterton 61.

10.5 hours (440.6) BAEA 7 (304), SSHA 3 (957), COHA 1 (149), NOGO 2 (97), RLHA 19 (282) GOEA 8 (2511), TOTAL 40 (4678)

Wednesday, November 04 Mount Lorette [Day 44] 0700-1700 Bill Wilson assisted by Sandy Graham). A total of 8 migrants of 3 species was counted between 1227 and 1532 that comprised 5a Bald Eagles, 1u Northern Goshawk and 2 Golden Eagles (1a, j).

10 hours (475.4) BAEA 5 (165), NOGO 1 (63), GOEA 2 (2584) TOTAL 8 (3128)

Wednesday, November 04 Steeples (Vance Mattson) No observation. Overcast all day.