RMERF counts, March 26

Monday, March 26 Mount Lorette [Day 23] 0705-1915 (George Halmazna, assisted by Dan Parliament). The starting temperature was -4C and the high was 2C from 1600 to the end of observation. Ground winds were SW 10-25 gusting 30-40 km/h and ridge winds were strong SW all day. Cloud cover was 90-100% cumulus and stratus that produced snow flurries all day at the site that adversely affected viewing conditions. Snow obscured the west ridges 80-90% of the time, but the east was clear to 1500 after which snow periodically diminished visibility. Despite the conditions there was another strong raptor movement with 178 birds of 3 species migrating between 0832 and 1753, with all the eagles gliding high above the Fisher Range to Mount Lorette. The count was 3 adult Bald Eagles, 174 Golden Eagles (169a, 2sa, 3u) and the season’s first adult Peregrine Falcon that flew to the north above the eastern part of the valley at 1403. Maximum hourly movement was 1200-1300 when 1 Bald Eagle and 32 Golden Eagles were counted. Single adult resident Bald and Golden Eagles were also seen. Other birds present were 4 Canada Geese, 1 Killdeer, 21 Common Ravens, 1 Black-capped Chickadee and 1 American Robin, and there were 7 visitors today.

12.16 hours (255.7) BAEA 3 (90), GOEA 174 (1402) PEFA 1 (1) TOTAL 178 (1525)

Monday, March 26 Beaver Mines [Day 30] 0730-1930 (Peter Sherrington, assisted by Gord Petersen). The temperature at 0730 was -3C, the high was 3C at 1500 and again at 1700 and it was 0C at 1930. Winds were strong W-WSW all day 40-60 gusting up to 90 km/h. Cloud cover was initially 100% altostratus and altocumulus to 0900 but for the rest of the day varied between 50 and 100% cumulus, altostratus and altocumulus that generally gave very good observing conditions. Heavy low cloud and snow persisted up the valley to the SW all day but only occasional brief light flurries reached the site and the ridge was clear all day. There was a fairly strong and persistent raptor movement of 151 birds of a season-high 9 species that moved between 0827 and 1859. The flight comprised 3 Bald Eagles (2a, 1j), 1 adult Northern Goshawk, 3 Red-tailed Hawks (calurus light 2a and 1u dark morph of unknown race), 1 adult light morph Ferruginous Hawk, 5 light morph Rough-legged Hawks, 135 Golden Eagles (125a, 2sa, 4j, 4u), 1 adult female American Kestrel, the first for the season, 1u columbarius Merlin and 1u grey morph Gyrfalcon. The highest hourly count was 28 between 1600 and 1700 but the next hour yielded only 2 migrants and it appeared that migration was over for the day, but a further 18 Golden Eagles moved between 1814 and 1859.

12 hours (286) BAEA 3 (174), NOGO 1 (14), RTHA 3 (24), FEHA 1 (2), RLHA 5 (68), GOEA 135 (954), AMKE 1 (1), MERL 1 (4), GYRF 1 (5) TOTAL 151 (1260)

Monday, March 26 Steeples (Vance Mattson). NO OBSERVATION (Weather). The ridges were mostly obscured all day.