RMERF counts, March 20

Wednesday, March 20 Mount Lorette [Day 18] 0755-1945 (Caroline Lambert, assisted by Glen Webber, Rosemary Power and Eric Langshaw). The temperature reached a season-high 17C at 1700 from a starting low of -7C and it was 5C at the end of observation. Ground winds were variable and light to 1700 after which they were SW 0-5 gusting 10 km/h and 20 km/h after 1800; ridge winds were probably light to moderate SW after 1700. It was completely cloudless all day. A total of 45 migrant raptors of 4 species was counted between 1050 and 1859 comprising 1 adult Bald Eagle, 1 juvenile Northern Goshawk, the first Red-tailed Hawk of the season which appeared to be an intermediate morph of uncertain age of the race calurus, 41 Golden Eagles (40a, 1u) and 1 indeterminate eagle. Apart from the first Golden Eagle that flew from the Fisher Range to Mount Lorette at 1050, all 35 birds up to 1600 migrated on the western route where most soared very high on the southern flank of Mount Allan with many simply disappearing into the clear blue sky. No migrants were seen between 1600 and 1800, but after 1800 the Red-tailed Hawk and 8 Golden Eagles glided high from the northern end of the Fisher Range to Mount Lorette. Resident birds were single adult Northern Goshawks seen on three occasions near the site and an adult Golden Eagle that flew south from Hummingbird Hill. The highlight of the non-raptor count was the season’s first occurrence of 2 Violet-green Swallows that appeared perfectly comfortable in the first-day-of-spring weather, but were the earliest seen at the site by 5 days. A Lapland Longspur heard in the Hay Meadow was also a first for the year. Other birds seen were 3 Canada Geese, 1 Hairy Woodpecker, 1 Pileated Woodpecker, 3 Canada Jays, 8 Common Ravens, 4 Black-capped Chickadees, 2 Mountain Chickadees, 1 Brown Creeper and 1 male Red-winged Blackbird. No finches were recorded today. Around 0800 a Grey Wolf howled east of the river, and later in the day and American Marten strolled along the path from the south to the site. Nine human visitors also made it to the site today.

12 hours (187.4) BAEA 1 (28), NOGO 1 (2), RTHA 1 (1), GOEA 41 (235) UE 1 (1) TOTAL 45 (271)

Wednesday, March 20 Beaver Mines [Day 19] 0730-1930 (Peter Sherrington, assisted by Hilary Atkinson). The temperature at 0730 was 2C and reached a season-high 16C at 1600 and 1700 and was still 10C at 1930. Winds were W-WSW 5-15 km/h to 0930 and were then calm or very light (<5 km/h) and mainly from the NE for the rest of the day, and the sky was completely cloudless all day. Clouds were not the only thing lacking in the sky as 12 hours of observation yielded not one migrant or resident raptor! Gord Petersen spent from 1350 to 1650 in the Table Mountain-Carbondale Ridge area where a few eagles were seen soaring high or perched on Table Mountain, but the only birds that appeared to be definite migrants were 2 subadult Golden Eagles that soared high over the southern peak of Table Mountain at 1603 and glided high to the NW. An unidentified eagle high over the Continental Divide to the west at 1524 may also have been a migrant. A reconnaissance in the Beauvais Lake area between 1620 and 1650 yielded no raptors at all. There may therefore have been a small but insignificant migration to the west of the site, so it is possible that the birds seen at Lorette are in fact moving north to the east of the Beaver Mines site over the low foothills and high plains. A photograph taken today and sent to me by Bob Costa of 19 Bald Eagles perched in Cottonwoods on Highway 22 east of the Livingstone Range seem to support this conjecture, and Gord plans to do a reconnaissance survey to the east tomorrow. We shall probably continue to stare into a beautiful blue void as the weather forecast is for more of the same. Other birds noted were 45 Wild Turkeys on a grassy hill to the NE with males in full display mode, 7 Rock Pigeons, 4 Downy Woodpeckers, 1 Northern Flicker, 1 Pileated Woodpecker, 5 Blue Jays, 2 Black-billed Magpie, 13 Common Ravens, 2 Black-capped Chickadees, 1 Mountain Chickadee, 1 American Robin, 7 European Starlings, 41 Evening Grosbeaks and 4 Pine Siskins.

12 hours (213.8) TOTAL 0 (182)

Wednesday, March 20 Steeples [Day 15] 1630-1900 (Vance Mattson). The temperature was 13C, it was calm and cloudless skies gave sunny conditions. Because of teaching commitments Vance couldn’t get to the site until 1630 but saw 15 migrants, including a kettle of 6 birds, by 1700. A further 5 birds moved between 1700 and 1743 giving a final count of 8 Bald Eagles (5a, 1sa, 2j) and 12 Golden Eagles (11a, 1j). Many other birds must have moved earlier. Non-migrants were 2 Golden Eagles (1a, 1j) and 1 subadult Bald Eagle.

2.5 hours (68.75) BAEA 8 (79), GOEA 12 (119) TOTAL 20 (200)