Mount Lorette and Beaver Mines, April 10

April 10 [Day 40] (Blake Weis, assisted by Miles Tindal) 0700-2020. The temperature was -2C at 0700, rose to a high of 5C between 1500 and 1800 and was 2C at 2020. Ground winds were S-SW to 1500 and then S-SE for the rest of the day, generally 5-10 gusting to 20 km/h, while ridge winds were SW all day, strong to 1300, moderate to strong to 1900 and moderate at the end. There was just a trace of cumulus and altocumulus cloud at the start, but by 0900 it had increased to 20% cumulus, altocumulus, cirrus and altostratus that gradually increased to 90% at 1600 and then 100% altocumulus and cirrostratus for the rest of the day. Ridges were essentially clear all day. A total of 26 raptors of 5 species migrated between 0843 and 1748 comprising 7 Bald Eagles (5a, 1sa, 1j), 1u Sharp-shinned Hawk, 1 juvenile Northern Goshawk, 1 adult light morph calurus Red-tailed Hawk and 16 Golden Eagles (2a, 4sa, 7j, 3u). Two Bald Eagles, 3 Golden Eagles and the 3 hawk species moved on the western route, 3 Bald Eagles moved from the Fisher Range to Mount Lorette, 1 Bald Eagle moved above the east-central valley and the rest of the eagles were initially located over Mount Lorette or Mount McGillivray. Movement was steady all day and 1000-1100 was the only hour in which no migrants were seen. Resident raptors were 2 Bald Eagles (1a, 1j), 2 pairs of Red-tailed Hawks and 1 adult Golden Eagle. Other birds included 1 Killdeer, 1 Northern Pygmy-Owl that sang as the observers were leaving the site, 2 Golden-crowned Kinglets 1 Ruby-crowned Kinglet, 5 Mountain Bluebirds (4m, 1f), 25 American Robins, 3 singing Varied Thrushes, 2 American Pipits (the first of the year), 61 Dark-eyed Juncos and 1 female Red-winged Blackbird. Two Coyotes were in the meadow in the early morning, but there was no observed interaction with the 4 White-tailed Deer that were there later. Seven visitors were at the site today.

13.33 hours (456.1) BAEA 7 (203), SSHA 1 (7), NOGO 1 (17), RTHA 1 (33), GOEA 16 (2130) TOTAL 26 (2445)

Beaver Mines [Day 43] (Peter Sherrington) 0800-1930. The temperature at 0800 was 0C, rose to a high at 1400 and 1500 of 7C and was 3C at 1930. Winds were W-WSW all day 20-30 gusting 40 km/h to 1600 and then 35-45 gusting 55 km/h for the rest of the day. It was sunny with only 20% thin altostratus cloud cover at 0800, but the cloud quickly thickened producing another gloomy day with 100% altostratus and cumulus cloud cover between 0830 and 1600, after which it reduced to 90-70% which allowed 30 minutes of sunshine at the end of observation. Conditions for migration and observation were good and the first bird, a Golden Eagle appeared at 0816 that was followed at 0849 by the season’s second Osprey. Movement was then slow but steady with a good variety of species and by 1500 20 migrants had been seen, but subsequently only 4 more birds were seen, the last a Red-tailed Hawk at 1903. The final count of 24 raptors of 9 species was 1 Osprey, 3 Bald Eagles (2a, 1j), 3 Northern Harriers (1 adult male, 1 adult female, 1u), 2 Sharp-shinned Hawks (1a, 1u), 1 adult Cooper’s Hawk, 2 Northern Goshawks (1a, 1j), 2 adult light morph Broad-winged Hawks, 7 adult calurus Red-tailed Hawks (5 light, 2 dark) and 3 Golden Eagles (2a, 1j). The 2 pairs of resident Red-tailed Hawks were conspicuous for much of the day and on several occasions interacted in groups of 3 that usually ended with one bird giving a vigorous display flight. A male Northern Harrier also performed a prolonged flight display over the ridge at 1252.

11.5 hours (394.3) OSPR 1 (2), BAEA 3 (275), NOHA 3 (28), SSHA 2 (34), COHA 1 (7), NOGO 2 (53), BWHA 2 (7), RTHA 7 (146), GOEA 3 (1004) TOTAL 24 (1669)

Steeples (Vance Mattson) No observation

MOUNT LORETTE SUMMARY COUNT (March 1 to April 22)

DAYS 40

HOURS 456.1

TURKEY VULTURE (TUVU) 0

OSPREY (OSPR) 0

BALD EAGLE (BAEA) 203

NORTHERN HARRIER (NOHA) 2

SHARP-SHINNED HAWK (SSHA) 7

COOPER’S HAWK (COHA) 2

NORTHERN GOSHAWK (NOGO) 17

Accipiter sp. (UA) 0

BROAD-WINGED HAWK (BWHA) 3

SWAINSON’S HAWK (SWHA) 0

RED-TAILED HAWK (RTHA) 33

FERRUGINOUS HAWK (FEHA) 0

ROUGH-LEGGED HAWK (RLHA) 21

Buteo sp. (UB) 3

GOLDEN EAGLE (GOEA) 2130

Eagle sp. (UE) 12

AMERICAN KESTREL (AMKE) 1

MERLIN (MERL) 2

GYRFALCON (GYRF) 1

PEREGRINE FALCON (PEFA) 4

PRAIRIE FALCON (PRFA) 1

Falco sp. (UF) 1

Unidentified Raptor (UU) 2

TOTAL 2445