RMERF counts, March 18

Monday, March 18 Mount Lorette [Day 16] 0750-1950 (Blake Weis, assisted by Dan Parliament). The starting temperature was -9C, but rose to a season-high 12C at 1700 and 1800 and was still 10C at 1950. Ground winds were SW 0-5 km/h all day and ridge winds were SW, light in the morning and light to moderate in the afternoon. It was completely cloudless to 1400 after which there was 10-30% cirrus for the rest of the day. For the third successive day the count was 37 birds, that moved between 1302 and 1916 and comprised 3 adult Bald Eagles, 1 adult Northern Goshawk (the first migrant of the season) and 33 Golden Eagles (32a, 1j). The highest hourly count was 14 (1 Bald and 13 Golden Eagles) between 1600 and 1700. With the exception of 1 Golden Eagle that moved on the western route and 1 Bald Eagle that went north from the end of the Fisher Range, all birds moved from the Fisher Range to Mount Lorette at variable heights and generally after much soaring. Resident adult Golden Eagles were seen at Mount Lorette and over Hummingbird Plume Hill, and 2 resident adult Northern Goshawks flew low over the site towards the north at 0849. A non-migrant adult Bald Eagle also flew south from Hummingbird Plume Hill. No new spring arrivals were noted and other birds seen were 5 Canada Jays, 12 Common Ravens, 4 Black-capped Chickadees, 6 Mountain Chickadees, 3 Boreal Chickadees, 2 Red-breasted Nuthatches, 2 singing Brown Creepers, 1 American Dipper, 1 European Starling, 13 Bohemian Waxwings, 4 Common Redpolls, 1 White-winged Crossbill, 1 Pine Siskin and 1 Dark-eyed Junco. There were 15 visitors at the site today.

12 hours (163.6) BAEA 3 (19), NOGO 1 (1), GOEA 33 (145) TOTAL 37 (166)

Monday, March 18 Beaver Mines [Day 17] 0730-1930 (Peter Sherrington, assisted by Hilary Atkinson; Gord Petersen 1400-1730). The temperature also reached a season high of 12C at 1500 and 1600 from a starting low of -1C and was 4C at 1930. Winds were WSW 15-20 km/h in the morning, but in the afternoon they were NE 0-5 km/h or calm. There was 30-70% altostratus and cirrus cloud cover to 1100 after which the sky was completely cloudless. The conditions produced another meagre raptor count of just 4 birds between 1205 and 1752 comprising 1 juvenile Bald Eagle, 1u Northern Goshawk, the first Red-tailed Hawk of the season at 1618 that was a dark morph bird of undetermined race and age, and 1 subadult Golden Eagle. The resident pair of Golden Eagles soared above the ridge at 1155 and glided high to the SE, and a non-migrant adult Bald Eagle was seen soaring low at 1630 and then was seen perched on the ridge between 1747 and 1755. Between 1400 and 1730 Hilary and I left the site observed progressively to the west to see if birds were moving on other ridges but 3.5 hours spent at Vicki Ridge, Kyllo Ridge, Carbondale Ridge, Barnaby Ridge and Table Mountain produced not a single migrant raptor. In all cases winds were light and the sky cloudless. No new spring arrivals were noted and other birds seen at the Beaver Mines site were a flock of 40 Wild Turkeys, 4 Rock Pigeons, 2 Downy Woodpeckers, 1 male Northern [Red-shafted] Flicker, 1 Steller’s Jay, 5 Blue Jays, 1 Black-billed Magpie, 19 Common Ravens, 4 Black-capped Chickadees, 4 Mountain Chickadees, 8 European Starlings, 6 Evening Grosbeaks, 1 Common Redpoll, 3 Pine Siskins and 1 Dark-eyed [montanus] Junco.

12 hours (189.8) BAEA 1 (63), NOGO 1 (3), RTHA 1 (1), GOEA 1 (103) TOTAL 4 (179)

Monday, March 18 Steeples [Day 13] 1630-1900 (Vance Mattson). Weather conditions west of the Rockies were also similar with a temperature of 12C, calm conditions and cloudless sunny skies that produced a movement of 13 migrant raptors, 5 Bald Eagles (4a, 1j) and 8 adult Golden Eagles between 1630 and 1809. During the first 5 minutes at the site 2 adult Bald Eagles and 2 adult Golden Eagles moved north, and 8 eagles were seen between 1700 and 1800. The resident Golden Eagles were again conspicuous, especially the juvenile that again perched on its favoured rocky outcrop from 1732 to the end of observation at 1900. Four non-migrant Bald Eagles (3a, 1j) were also seen that included a pair-flight low over the south flank of Mount Bill Nye.

2.5 hours (60.25) BAEA 5 (46), GOEA 8 (90) TOTAL 13 (138)