RMERF counts, March 28

Wednesday, March 28 Mount Lorette [Day 25] 0730-2020 (Blake Weis, assisted by Rick Robb and Cliff Hansen). The temperature at 0730 was -2C, the high 3C (1300-1800) and it was 0C when observation finished. Ground winds were NW-NE 5-10 gusting 15 km/h to 1200 and S-SW 5-10 gusting 20 km/h in the afternoon, while ridge winds were NW all day, light to moderate to 1200, moderate to 1800 after which they were again light to moderate. Cloud cover was 70-80% altocumulus, cumulus and altostratus to 1800 that gradually dwindled to 20% by the end of the day. The eastern ridges were 10-20% obscured to 1100 and were then clear, and the west was 90% obscured to 0830, 10-20% obscured to 1200 after which it was mainly clear. Raptor migration consisted entirely of eagles with 104 birds moving between 1040 and 1944: 5 Bald Eagles (4a, 1j), 98 Golden Eagles (83a, 3sa, 3j, 10u) and 1 unidentified eagle. With the exception of 3 birds the entire movement was high to very high above the Fisher Range to Mount Lorette. Only 10 birds were seen before 1500 after which the pace increased with subsequent hours yielding 11 (15-1600), 26, (16-1700), 31 (17-1800), 18 (18-1900) and 8 (1900-1944) eagles. Other birds recorded in the area were 14 Canada Geese, 3 Mallards, 1 Killdeer, 1 Hairy Woodpecker, 1 Pileated Woodpecker, 2 Grey Jays, 1 Black-billed Magpie, 1 American Crow, 16 Common Ravens, 3 Black-capped Chickadees, 4 Mountain Chickadees, 1 Red-breasted Nuthatch, 2 American Dippers, 1 Townsend’s Solitaire, 2 American Robins, 183 European Starlings, 1 Dark-eyed Junco and 1 Common Redpoll. Only 3 visitors came to the site today.

13.83 hours (281.9) BAEA 5 (100), GOEA 98 (1514), UE 1 (2) TOTAL 104 (1648)

Wednesday, March 28 Beaver Mines [Day 32] 0730-1930 (Peter Sherrington). The temperature was 1C at 0730, the high was 6C at 1100 and it was -2C at 1930. Winds were light NW-WNW to 1100 when 30-40 km/h W-WSW winds developed which changed abruptly at 1300 to E-ESE 30-40 km/h that diminished to 15 km/h after 1700. Cloud cover was 40-100% cumulus and altostratus to 1300 when 100% dark stratocumulus moved quickly from the east and briefly obscured the ridge, after which mainly uniform grey stratus persisted for the rest of the day. The first migrant Golden Eagle glided high to the NW at 0951 but the only persistent movement was 1128 to 1258, coincident with the W-WSW winds, when 26 of the day’s 29 migrants were seen. The weather disturbance at 1300 completely shut down the migration and subsequently the only eagle seen was a late-moving Bald Eagle at 1922. The final count was 1 adult Bald Eagle, 1u Sharp-shinned Hawk, 3 adult light morph calurus Red-tailed Hawks, 1 light morph Rough-legged Hawk and 23 adult Golden Eagles.

12 hours (310), BAEA 1 (175), SSHA 1 (6), RTHA 3 (27), RLHA 1 (69), GOEA 23 (996), TOTAL 29 (1312)

Wednesday, March 28 Steeples [Day 21] 1530-1730 (Vance Mattson). The temperature was 9C, winds were W light to moderate, cloud cover was 60% cumulus and the ridges were clear. Despite favourable conditions no migrant raptors were seen, but non-migrants were 1a Turkey Vulture, 3 Bald Eagles (1a, 2j), 1 adult light morph calurus Red-tailed Hawk and 2 adult Golden Eagles one of which performed a high altitude display flight.

2 hours (93) TOTAL 0 (634)