RMERF counts, April 4

Wednesday, April 4 Mount Lorette [Day 31] 0720-1810 (Blake Weis assisted by Dan Parliament and Cliff Hansen). The temperature at 0720 was -12C, the high was 2C at 1400 and 1500 and was -4C at 1800. Ground winds were SW 0-10 km/h to 1100 and then S-SW 0-10 gusting 15-20 km/h to 1700 when they switched to N-NE 10-20 gusting 40 km/h announcing the arrival of a cold front. Ridge winds were SW moderate to 1100 and moderate to strong to 1700 after which they were strong NW. Cloud cover was 40-70% altocumulus, cumulus and cirrus to 1500 which gave excellent observing conditions, but after 1700 80-90% low stratocumulus moved from the north and at 1800 completely obscured the eastern ridges that had been previously clear all day. The west ridges were variably 50-10% obscured to 1800 after which they were 90% cloud-covered. There were light snow flurries to 1700 after which steady light snow fell that became heavy as the observers left. Raptor migration consisted entire of eagles with 6 Bald Eagles (4a, 2j) and 22 Golden Eagles (13a, 1sa, 1j, 6u) moving between 0959 and 1721. With the exception of 3 birds movement was exclusively along the Fisher Range to Mount Lorette with only a few of the birds gliding high above the ridge. The pace was slow but steady with a high hourly count of 9 birds between 1400 and 1500. A resident adult Golden Eagle displayed high above Olympic summit and non-migrant single adult Bald Eagle and Red-tailed Hawk were also noted. Other birds present were 1 male Common Goldeneye, a pair of Barrow’s Goldeneyes at Lorette Ponds, 3 male Common Mergansers, 3 Grey Jays, 6 American Crows, 17 Common Ravens, 1 Black-capped Chickadee, 1 Mountain Chickadee, 1 Red-breasted Nuthatch, 1 American Dipper, 1 singing Townsend’s Solitaire, 26 American Robins, a flock of 28 Bohemian Waxwings, 2 male Red-winged Blackbirds and 1 Dark-eyed [Oregon] Junco. Only 3 visitors came to the site today.

10.83 (348.3) BAEA 6 (138), GOEA 22 (1881) TOTAL 28 (2089)

Wednesday, April 4 Beaver Mines [Day 39] 0700-1930 (Peter Sherrington). The temperature was -3C at 0700. The high was 4C (1300-1400 and 1600-1800) and after the arrival of a northern cold front around 1850 the temperature quickly fell to -3C at 1900 and by 1930 it was -7C. Winds were NW-WNW 10-15 km/h to 0900 after which they switched to favourable moderate W winds 20-30 gusting 45 km/h to 1850 when the winds in the valley became E 20-30 km/h while the warm W winds continued aloft. The mixing of the air masses created a misty haze at ridge level and finally brought light snow at 1930 when observation ended. Cloud cover was 20% altocumulus to 1000 after which it thickened to 70-100% mainly cumulus until 1900 that still allowed periods of sunshine and gave excellent observing conditions. There was a fairly strong and persistent raptor movement of 88 birds of 8 species between 0923 and 1859 with 42 of the birds occurring between 1500 and 1800. The count was 4 Bald Eagles (2a, 1sa, 1j), 1 adult Sharp-shinned Hawk, 1 adult Northern Goshawk, a season-high 9 adult Red-tailed Hawks: 8 calurus (7 light and 1 dark) and 1 dark morph harlani, 10 light morph Rough-legged Hawks, 1 unidentified dark Buteo, 59 Golden Eagles (49a, 3sa, 5j, 2u), 1 adult female columbarius Merlin and 2 adult male Peregrine Falcons. Five of the Rough-legged Hawks were seen between 1823 and 1859 with the last bird disappearing into the mist created by the clash of the cold and warm air masses.

12.5 hours (384.2) BAEA 4 (207), SSHA 1 (9), NOGO 1 (18), RTHA 9 (49), RLHA 10 (86), UB 1 (6), GOEA 59 (1229), MERL 1 (7), PEFA 2 (3) TOTAL 88 (1635)

Wednesday, April 4 Steeples [Day 26] 1545-1830 (Vance Mattson). The temperature was 7C, winds were moderate to strong S-SW and cloud cover was 60-80% cumulus that gave partially sunny conditions. A total of 10 migrant Golden Eagles (8a, 2j) moved at an even pace between 1540 and 1738, and non-migrants present were 1 Turkey Vulture, 2 Bald Eagles (12a, 1j) and 1 Red-tailed Hawk. On the way to the site 6 Bald Eagles were seen fishing at the south end of Wasa Lake, as described yesterday.

3 hours (112) GOEA 10 (534) TOTAL 10 (655)