RMERF counts, April 6

Saturday, April 6 Mount Lorette [Day 35] 0720-1945 (Blake Weis, assisted by Brian McBride, Heinz Unger and Caroline Lambert). The starting temperature was 4C, the high was 7C from 1300 to 1600 and it was 5C at the end of observation. Ground winds were S-SW all day, 5-10 gusting 30 and occasionally to 50 km/h to 1900 after which gusts dropped to 15 km/h, while ridge winds were moderate to strong SW all day. Cloud cover was 100% altocumulus, altostratus, cumulus and stratocumulus to 0900, 100% stratocumulus between 0900 and 1000 that produced snow from 0900 to 0930 and light snow flurries continued throughout the day; between 1000 and 1500 cloud cover was 60-90% altocumulus, cumulus and cirrus and after 1600 it was again 100% stratocumulus with moderate snow flurries. All ridges were 10% obscured to 0900 and 100% obscured by snow between 0900 and 0930 but by 1200 all were clear. After 1600, however, the west was 100% obscured and the east 100-30% obscured for the rest of the day. Despite these conditions there was a moderate raptor migration of 27 birds of 3 species between 1235 and 1750 that comprised 6 Bald Eagles (3a, 1sa and 2 undifferentiated immatures), 1 adult Northern Goshawk and 20 Golden Eagles (7a, 1sa, 3j, 9u). Birds moved slowly but steadily between 1235 and 1600 with maximum hourly counts of 7 (1500-1600 and 1600-1700) but after 1700 only 3 further birds were seen. All used the eastern route where eagles glided high above the Fisher Range to 1500 but as conditions deteriorated birds moved against the face of the range. All the Golden Eagles glided NW to Mount Lorette, but 5 of the 6 Bald eagles flew directly north from the northern end of the Fisher Range. Resident birds were 1 or 2 Northern Goshawks including one calling from the nest site around 1700, and two sightings of adult Golden Eagles but no display behaviour was seen. Other birds in the area were 2 Canada Geese on the river, 1 Mallard, 1 male Common Merganser, 2 Ruffed Grouse (1 drumming and 1 seen), 10 unidentified gulls that flew from the Fisher Range to Mount Lorette at 1440, 1 Hairy Woodpecker, 1 Northern Flicker, 10 Common Ravens, 2 Black-capped Chickadees, 4 Mountain Chickadees, 1 Boreal Chickadee, 1 Red-breasted Nuthatch, 1 Brown Creeper, 1 American Dipper, 2 Golden-crowned Kinglets, 1 male Mountain Bluebird, 2 singing Varied Thrushes, 9 American Robins, 1 White-winged Crossbill, 1 Pine Siskin, 1 American Tree Sparrow, 1 Song Sparrow and 9 Dark-eyed Juncos including 1 cismontanus and 1 montanus. Eight White-tailed Deer were in the meadow and one American Mink crossed the river three times as it moved to the south near the site. Thirteen visitors were also at the site today.

12.42 hours (398.6) BAEA 6 (174), NOGO 1 (10), GOEA 20 (1889) TOTAL 27 (2125)

Saturday, April 6 Beaver Mines [Day 35] 0700-2015 (Peter Sherrington, assisted by Mark Sherrington and Hilary Atkinson). The temperature at 0700 was 4C, the high at 1300 was 8C and it was 5C at 2015. Winds were strong W-WSW 30-50 gusting up to 80 km/h to 1700 after which they moderated with gusts only up the 40 km/h. Cloud cover was 20-50% mainly cumulus to 1230 after which it was 90-100% altostratus, cirrus, cumulus and altocumulus to 1800 and then cleared to 10% cumulus at the end of observation. There was a moderately strong, but again sporadic, raptor movement between 0832 and 1830 that involved 37 birds of 5 species: 7 Bald Eagles (6a, 1j), 5 Sharp-shinned Hawks (1a, 4u), 3 Northern Goshawks (2a, 1u), 4 adult calurus Red-tailed Hawks (2 light, 2 dark), 17 Golden Eagles (14a, 2sa, 1j) and 1 unidentified eagle. There was an encouraging start to the day with 7 raptors including 5 Golden Eagles moving before 0905, but it was not sustained and movement became sporadic with the only double-figure hourly count between 1500 and 1600 when 12 migrants were seen and subsequently only 2 further migrants moved. Resident birds were 1 adult Northern Goshawk, 1 adult Red-tailed Hawk and an adult Golden Eagle that displayed at 1431. Other birds seen were 4 Canada Geese, 3 Mallards, 17 Rock Pigeons, 2 Downy Woodpeckers, 2 Northern Flickers, 6 Blue Jays, 3 Black-billed Magpies, 38 American Crows, 21 Common Ravens, 2 Black-capped Chickadees, 1 Mountain Chickadee, 4 American Robins, 550 European Starlings, 35 Evening Grosbeaks, 16 Grey-crowned Rosy-Finches that flew high to the north at 0836, 10 Pine Siskins and 1 male Red-winged Blackbird.

13.25 hours (412.5) BAEA 7 (170), SSHA 5 (14), NOGO 3 (19), RTHA 4 (47), GOEA 17 (476), UE 1 (2) TOTAL 37 (771)

Saturday, April 6 Steeples [Day 31] 1130-1900 (Vance Mattson). The temperature was 8C, winds were strong S throughout and cloud cover was 100-70% altostratus and dark cumulus. Only 7 migrants, all eagles, were seen between 1315 and 1834 that comprised 2 juvenile Bald Eagles, 4 Golden Eagles (2a, 2u) and 1 unidentified eagle. Five of the birds moved very high and were mainly silhouettes against a dark grey cloud background. Non-migrants were 4 Turkey Vultures, 2 Bald Eagles (1a, 1j), 1 adult Northern Goshawk that hunted near the site, 2 adult light morph calurus Red-tailed Hawks that headed to the SW and 2 adult Golden Eagles that were seen twice including soaring together over the ridge at the end of the day.

7.5 hours (156.5) BAEA 2 (209), GOEA 4 (453), UE 1 (7) TOTAL 7 (685)