RMERF counts, November 9

Thursday, November 9 [Day 45] (Caroline Lambert, assisted by Rick Robb) 0800-1710. The starting temperature was -9C, the high was 1C at 1500 and it was 0C at the end of observation. Ground winds were W light, 0-5 km/h for most of the day and gusted 10 km/h only at 1700, while ridge winds were light SW all day. Cloud cover was 90-100% altostratus and cumulus all day; the east ridges were completely clear and the west was 0-20% obscured all day. A total of 18 eagles migrated between 1020 and 1623 that comprised 10 Bald Eagles (9a, 1j) and 8 Golden Eagles (5a, 1ju, 2u). Each hour between 1000 and 1700 produced at least 1 migrant and peak movement was 5 birds between 1600 and 1623. Three birds used the western route and the rest moved along the Fisher Range, the Bald Eagles mainly flapping low against the face of the range and the Golden Eagles soaring and gliding higher, often well above the ridge. Other birds seen included 1 Belted Kingfisher, 1 Northern Shrike, 5 Grey Jays, 1 male Pine Grosbeak, 2 Red Crossbills (1 male, 1 female), 8 Common Redpolls and 2 Pine Siskins. Three visitors were at the site today.

9.16 hours (479.3) BAEA 10 (172), GOEA 8 (3211) TOTAL 18 (3627)

Vicki Ridge [Day 46] (Peter Sherrington, assisted by Gord Petersen) 0900-1700 (Observation from the Waterton 61 wellsite on the western flank of the ridge). The temperature at 0900 was -9C, reached a high at 1600 of 0C and was -0.5C at 1700. Winds were variable 0-3 km/h to 1440 when a W flow became established that reached 7-14 gusting 18 km/h after 1600. Cloud cover was 100% stratus and altocumulus to 1440 after which it was 90-70% altostratus, altocumulus and lenticular that formed a spectacular Chinook Arch for the rest of the day. Light steady snow fell between 1345 and 1435. As yesterday the calm conditions produced no migrants and raptor migration only started after the moderate west winds developed when 8 birds of 3 species moved between 1506 and 1634. The count was 1 adult Northern Goshawk, 2 light morph Rough-legged Hawks, 1 undifferentiated dark morph Buteo, 3 adult Golden Eagles and 1 undifferentiated eagle. Three birds were seen between 1506 and 1600 and 5 between 1600 and 1634. Other birds recorded were 1 or 2 Trumpeter Swans heard flying high to the west at 0915, 1 male Pileated Woodpecker, 1 Grey Jay, 1 Steller’s Jay, 1 Clark’s Nutcracker, 1 Black-billed Magpie, 112 Common Ravens, most of which flew westwards to roost after 1600, and 59 Bohemian Waxwings.

8 hours (367.8) NOGO 1 (100), RLHA 2 (493), UB 1 (19), GOEA 3 (1893), UE 1 (15) TOTAL 8 (3953)

Steeples (Vance Mattson) NO OBSERVATION (Weather). It was totally overcast all day with 10-15cm of snow falling.

MOUNT LORETTE SUMMARY COUNT (September 20 to November 15)

DAYS 45

HOURS 479.3

TURKEY VULTURE (TUVU) 0

OSPREY (OSPR) 2

BALD EAGLE (BAEA) 172

NORTHERN HARRIER (NOHA) 6

SHARP-SHINNED HAWK (SSHA) 81

COOPER’S HAWK (COHA) 18

NORTHERN GOSHAWK (NOGO) 28

Accipiter sp. (UA) 3

BROAD-WINGED HAWK (BWHA) 1

SWAINSON’S HAWK (SWHA) 0

RED-TAILED HAWK (RTHA) 29

FERRUGINOUS HAWK (FEHA) 1

ROUGH-LEGGED HAWK (RLHA) 28

Buteo sp. (UB) 10

GOLDEN EAGLE (GOEA) 3211

Eagle sp. (UE) 7

AMERICAN KESTREL (AMKE) 3

MERLIN (MERL) 5

GYRFALCON (GYRF) 4

PEREGRINE FALCON (PEFA) 7

PRAIRIE FALCON (PRFA) 6

Falco sp. (UF) 3

Unidentified Raptor (UU) 2

TOTAL 3627