RMERF counts March 5

Tuesday, March 5 Mount Lorette [Day 4] 0830-1745 (Blake Weis, assisted by Katherine Peterson). Most of the day was spent in the Hay Meadow but for the last half-hour observation was from the Mount Allan viewpoint. The starting temperature was -19C the high was a pleasant -2C at 1500 and it was -4C at the end of observation. Ground winds were SW 0-3 gusting 10 km/h to 1100, then variable 0-5 km/h to 1300 and finally NNW-NE 5-10 gusting to 28 km/h for the rest of the day. Ridge winds probably reflected the ground winds but were difficult to assess as the sky was again cloudless all day with traces of cirrus developing after 1500. No migrant or resident raptors were seen, but other birds present were 6 Canada Jays, 1 Black-billed Magpie, 8 Common Ravens, 2 Black-capped Chickadees, 1 Mountain Chickadee, 2 Boreal Chickadees, 2 Brown Creepers, 2 Common Redpolls and 1 Pine Siskin. Ten Bighorn Sheep were seen on Olympic Summit, and there were 9 visitors to the site.

9.25 hours (32.91) TOTAL 0 (1)

Tuesday, March 5 Beaver Mines [Day 4] 0730-1830 (Peter Sherrington, assisted by Hilary Atkinson). The temperature at 0730 was -20C the high at 1400 was -6.5C and it was -13C at 1830. Winds were generally light all day, WNW to 1300 and mainly E-SE for the rest of the day. It was cloudless in the morning after which cirrus and altostratus cloud developed to the south which gradually increased during the afternoon and reached 100% at 1700 before breaking to 70% altocumulus at 1830. Despite the excellent observing conditions the light winds again proved inimical to raptor migration and once again none were seen. An adult Bald Eagle that perched in the morning for an hour and a half on a Douglas Fir on the NE flank of the ridge was probably the same bird that was seen yesterday at 1813, and was seen again perched in a cottonwood at the SW end of Beaver Mines at 1615 before flying low to the NE at 1638. A resident adult Golden Eagle soared briefly above the Big Hill at 1112 before perching near the summit, and was not seen again. The flock of 9 American Crows today appeared from the NE at 1746 and for 14 minutes moved high above the Hill in a tight group moving repeatedly to the SW then back to the NE. This “dance” was repeated about a dozen times with each leg becoming progressively shorter until they final descended vertically to roost in trees on the summit at 1800. Other birds seen were 5 Canada Geese, the first of the season, that flew above the valley to the SW at 1744, 4 Downy Woodpeckers, 1 Hairy Woodpecker, 6 Blue Jays, 5 Black-billed Magpies, 47 Common Ravens of which 40 flew high towards the SW to roost between 1700 and 1804, 8 Black-capped Chickadees, 6 Mountain Chickadees, 12 Evening Grosbeaks, 10 Common Redpolls, 17 Pine Siskins and 5 Dark-eyed Juncos (3 hyamelis and 2 montanus).

11 hours (44) TOTAL 0 (3)

Tuesday, March 5 Steeples [Day 3] 1300-1630 (Vance Mattson). The temperature reached -2C under sunny calm conditions with 30-50% thin altostratus and altocumulus cloud cover. No migrants were seen, and an adult Golden Eagle that soared above the flank of Mount Bill Nye and which later moved to the north above the ridge was considered to be a resident.

3.5 hours (11) TOTAL 0 (0)