RMERF counts, April 11

Thursday, April 11 Mount Lorette [Day 40] 0745-1500 (Cliff Hansen, assisted by Rachel MacKay). The starting temperature was -1C, the high at 1100 and 1300 was only 3C and it was 2C when the count was abandoned for the day at 1500. Ground winds were very light (<5 km/h) and variable to 1100 then NE 5-10 gusting 15 km/h for the rest of the observation period. Ridge winds were light to moderate W to 1100 and NW-NNE to 1300, then moderate NNE to 1500. Very light snow fell at 0800 and there were snow showers from 1000 to 1200, but at 1400 steady snowfall began that became heavy at 1500. All ridges were initially 100% obscured but between 0900 and 1200 the east was 80-50% clear and the west 40-20% clear that gave the possibility of  raptor movement, but after 1200 all ridges were again completely obscured. No migrant or resident raptors were seen, but other birds recorded were 3 Canada Geese, a pair of Mallards and a pair of Common Mergansers on the river, 2 drumming Ruffed Grouse, 1 Wilson’s Snipe, 1 Hairy Woodpecker, 2 Northern Flickers, 2 Canada Jays, only 1 Common Raven, 2 Black-capped Chickadees, 4 Mountain Chickadees, 1 Red-breasted Nuthatch, 1 American Dipper, 1 male Mountain Bluebird, 5 singing Varied Thrushes, 8 American Robins, 1 Song Sparrow and 12 Dark-eyed Juncos. Five White-tailed Deer were on the Stoney Trail in the morning and a party of 23 staff and students from Dr. E. P. Scarlett High School in Calgary visited the site and learned, amongst many other things, the value of gathering contextual negative data!

7.52 hours (454.5) TOTAL 0 (2265)

Thursday, April 11 Beaver Mines [Day 40] 0700-2015 (Peter Sherrington assisted by Hilary Atkinson). The starting temperature was 2C, the high at 1600 was 10C and it was 3C at 2015 when observation ceased. Winds were moderate and variable SSW-NNW 15-25 gusting to 35 km/h to 1700 after which they were N-E 15-25 km/h. Cloud cover was 90-70% altostratus, altocumulus and cumulus in the morning and 80-20% cumulus that gave mainly sunny conditions to 1800, after which 100% stratocumulus developed that brought light rain at 2015 which an hour later turned to heavy wet snow. There was a fairly strong raptor movement with 34 birds of 4 species seen between 0844 and 1938 that comprised 4 Bald Eagles (3a, 1j) 1 adult Northern Goshawk, 9 adult calurus Red-tailed Hawks (8 light, 1 dark), I unidentified Buteo and 19 Golden Eagles (9a, 6sa, 3j, 1u). By 1400 28 birds had been counted and it appeared that a fairly substantial count was in the offing, but the next five hours only produced 3 further migrants and the last 3 birds moved between 1924 and 1938. Resident Red-tailed Hawks were conspicuous between 0948 and 1808 and there are now probably 2 pairs present, and a single adult resident Golden Eagle glided high to the south at 1058. Other birds recorded were 1 Mallard, 19 Rock Pigeons, 4 Downy Woodpeckers, 1 Hairy Woodpecker, 1 Northern Flicker, 3 Blue Jays, 43 Common Ravens, 1 Black-capped Chickadee, 2 Mountain Chickadees, 1 Red-breasted Nuthatch, 4 American Robins, 79 European Starlings, 23 Evening Grosbeaks, 10  Pine Siskins, 1 cismontanus Dark-eyed Junco and 3 male Red-winged Blackbirds.

13.25 hours (477) BAEA 4 (180), NOGO 1 (22), RTHA 9 (67), UB 1 (3), GOEA 19 (513) TOTAL 34 (853)

Thursday, April 11 Steeples [Day 34] 1300-1815 (Vance Mattson). The temperature was 10C and conditions were calm and sunny with a cloud cover of 50-70% cumulus. The only migrants seen were 3 juvenile Bald Eagles: 2 at 1402 and 1 at 1515. Non-migrants were 4 Turkey Vultures, 2 Bald Eagles (1sa, 1j), 4 sightings of adult Red-tailed Hawks that included a pair-flight over the site with both birds vocalising and 1 sighting of a resident adult Golden Eagle.

6.25 hours (167.8) BAEA 3 (212) TOTAL 3 (688)