RMERF counts, March 17

Sunday, March 17 Mount Lorette [Day 15] 0715-2015 (Bill Wilson, assisted by Lori Anderson and Rosemary Power). The temperature at 0800 was -8C, the high between 1600 and 1800 was 8C and it was 0C at the end of observation. Ground winds were variable 0-3 km/h to 1000, SE-NE 0-12 km/h to 1400 then SW-W 10-20 km/h for the rest of the day, while ridge winds were probably light to moderate SW throughout. It was essentially cloudless with traces of altocumulus cloud all day with the exceptions of 1200 when 50% cumulus developed and 1300 when there was 30% cumulus. The count was almost exactly the same as yesterday’s with total of 37 eagles that comprised 2 Bald Eagles (1adult and 1 late subadult) and 35 Golden Eagles (29a, 3sa, 3j, 1u) that moved between 1117 and 1927. By 1700 only 8 Golden Eagles had been recorded but 11 were counted between 1700 and 1800, 8 between 1800 and 1900 and 8 between 1900 and 1927. With the exception of 1 Golden Eagle that flew high to the NW above the centre of the valley, all birds glided high from the northern end of the Fisher Range to Mount Lorette where they moved to the NW against the face of the mountain. A resident adult Golden Eagle perched and hunted on Mount Lorette, and possibly the same bird flew high from the centre of the valley to Mount Allan later in the day. A Northern Goshawk called from the nest-site near the parking area early in the morning and an adult was also seen hunting north of the site. Other birds seen were 1 Canada Goose on the river, 1 Hairy Woodpecker, 1 Pileated Woodpecker, 3 Canada Jays, 25 Common Ravens, 3 Black-capped Chickadees, 1 Mountain Chickadee, 3 Boreal Chickadees, 1 American Robin (the first of the season), 2 Common Redpolls, 20 White-winged Crossbills and 1 male Red-winged Blackbird. A season high total of 71 visitors were at the site today.

13 hours (151.6) BAEA 2 (16), GOEA 35 (112) TOTAL 37 (129)

Sunday, March 17 Beaver Mines [Day 16] 0730-1900 (Peter Sherrington, assisted by Hilary Atkinson). The temperature was 0C at 0730, dropped to -1.5C at 0800 but reached a high of 8C at 1600 and was still 4C at the end of observation. Winds were light all day, mainly NE and ESE and it was essentially cloudless with just occasional traces of altocumulus cloud. The light easterly winds produced only 2 adult Bald Eagles, 1 at 1438 and 1 at 1806 and it is probable that raptors were migrating farther to the west where the mountains were completely clear to the Continental Divide. No resident raptors were seen. Clear skies overnight led to an exodus of many of the birds that had been wintering here which produced a strangely quiet day in the sunshine. The other birds seen were 2 Canada Geese that flew to the SW at 0832, 2 Rock Pigeons, 3 Downy Woodpeckers, 1 male Northern [Red-shafted] Flicker, 6 Blue Jays, 1 Black-billed Magpie, 12 Common Ravens, 2 Black-capped Chickadees, 4 Mountain Chickadee, 5 European Starlings, 10 Evening Grosbeaks, 1 Common Redpoll, 5 Pine Siskins and 1 Dark-eyed [hyemalis] Junco.

11.5 hours (177.8) BAEA 2 (62) TOTAL 2 (175)

Sunday, March 17 Steeples [Day 12] 1145-1845 (Vance Mattson). The temperature at 1145 was 2C but rose to a high of 11C, winds were occasionally light N but mainly calm and it was cloudless all day. The conditions produced a season-high count of 38 migrants that comprised a season-high 13 Bald Eagles (6a, 2sa, 5j) and 24 Golden Eagles (19a, 4j, 1u) and 1 unidentified eagle that moved between 1328 and 1819. Six eagles were seen before 1400 then 11, 7 and 11 in each of the next three hours, and 3 between 1800 and 1819. Movement was low to 1600 after which it was very high. Also seen were 2 non-migratory adult Bald Eagles, 1 adult resident Golden Eagle and 5 sightings of the resident juvenile Golden Eagle including it perching between 1730 and 1800 on a rocky outcrop near the site.

7 hours (57.75) BAEA 13 (41), GOEA 24 (82), UE 1 (2) TOTAL 38 (125)