Mount Lorette, Beaver Mines and Steeples, April 7

April 7 [Day 37] (George Halmazna, assisted by Diane Stinson) 0630-1925. The temperature at 0630 was -2C, rose briefly to a high of 9C between 1700 and 1730 then fell to 5.5C at the end of observation. Ground winds were calm or very light SW to 1600, then were SW 5-18 km/h to 1900 which dropped to 2-5 km/h for the rest of the day; ridge winds were probably moderate SW for most of the day. Cloud cover was 100% stratus to 1530 and then 80% stratus and cumulus for the rest of the day. Ridges were clear to 1000 when snow fell to 1300 that turned to rain that fell to 1530 during which time all the ridges were obscured. The rest of the day saw flurries and showers which obscured the east 10-40% and the west 30-60%. Because of the weather raptor movement was limited to 6 birds that moved along the eastern route between 1522 and 1621 comprising 1u Sharp-shinned Hawk, 1u Northern Goshawk and 4 Golden Eagles (3a, 1sa). The eagles flew from the northern end of the Fisher Range to Mount Lorette and then headed to the north. Other birds recorded included 1 drumming Ruffed Grouse, 1 Northern Pygmy-Owl that vocalized for most of the day from 4 different locations starting at 0700, 2 Ruby-crowned Kinglets (the first for the year), 5 Mountain Bluebirds (4m, 1f), 29 American Robins, 3 Varied Thrushes, 3 Song Sparrows and 27 Dark-eyed Juncos. Despite the weather 5 visitors made it to the site today.

12.75 hours (416.1) SSHA 1 (5), NOGO 1 (14), GOEA 4 (2087) TOTAL 6 (2347)

Beaver Mines [Day 41] (Peter Sherrington, assisted by Hilary Atkinson) 1045-1845. Light rain fell to 1045 when the count began and the temperature was 5C which rose to a high of 8.5C at 1500 and 1600 and was 6C at the end of observation. Winds were mainly WSW all day 30-50 gusting 65 km/h but increasing to gusts of 85 km/h around 1600. Cloud cover was 100% stratocumulus to 1410 when it began to clear and from 1500 to 1600 it was 20-50% cumulus, altocumulus and cirrus, but after 1700 it was 100% stratus again. Rain fell from 1150 to 1410 which became heavy around noon, light rain fell from 1700 to 1730 and at 1830 heavy rain that turned to sleet fell for the rest of the observation period. Not surprisingly raptor movement was very sporadic with only 6 birds of 4 species recorded between 1418 and 1701 which were 1 adult Bald Eagle, 2 adult calurus Red-tailed Hawks (1 light, 1 dark), 2 subadult Golden Eagles and 1 adult Peregrine Falcon. The two resident pairs of Red-tailed Hawks hunted sporadically between the periods of rain and a hunting male Prairie Falcon flew low and fast to the SW at 1525.

8 hours (363) BAEA 1 (266), RTHA 2 (126), GOEA 2 (979), PEFA 1 (3) TOTAL 6 (1579)

Steeples (Vance Mattson) No observation [Weather]. It rained for most of the day and the ridges were mainly obscured.

MOUNT LORETTE SUMMARY COUNT (March 1 to April 22)

DAYS 37

HOURS 416.1

TURKEY VULTURE (TUVU) 0

OSPREY (OSPR) 0

BALD EAGLE (BAEA) 171

NORTHERN HARRIER (NOHA) 1

SHARP-SHINNED HAWK (SSHA) 5

COOPER’S HAWK (COHA) 1

NORTHERN GOSHAWK (NOGO) 14

Accipiter sp. (UA) 0

BROAD-WINGED HAWK (BWHA) 3

SWAINSON’S HAWK (SWHA) 0

RED-TAILED HAWK (RTHA) 20

FERRUGINOUS HAWK (FEHA) 0

ROUGH-LEGGED HAWK (RLHA) 21

Buteo sp. (UB) 3

GOLDEN EAGLE (GOEA) 2087

Eagle sp. (UE) 12

AMERICAN KESTREL (AMKE) 0

MERLIN (MERL) 2

GYRFALCON (GYRF) 1

PEREGRINE FALCON (PEFA) 3

PRAIRIE FALCON (PRFA) 1

Falco sp. (UF) 1

Unidentified Raptor (UU) 1

TOTAL 2347