RMERF counts, April 21

Sunday, April 21 Mount Lorette [Day 50] 0615-2115 (Bill Wilson, assisted by Lori Anderson). The temperature at 0615 was -3C, the high from 1600 to 1800 was 13C and it was 4C at 2115. Ground winds were SW-SSE all day, 0-6 km/h to 1000, 5-10 gusting to 28 km/h to 1800 and then 2-5 km/h for the rest of the day; ridge winds were SW all day, light to moderate to 1100 and then then moderate to the end of observation. It was cloudless to 1300 when 40-100% thin to moderate altostratus developed that gave excellent viewing conditions for the rest of the day. The ridges were completely clear. There was a strong raptor movement for so late in the season with a total of 56 birds of 6 species moving between 1053 and 2032 that comprised 4 Bald Eagles (2a, 1 late subadult and 1 undifferentiated immature bird), a season-high 4 Sharp-shinned Hawks (1j, 3u), 1u Cooper’s Hawk that was the first of the season, 3 Northern Goshawks (1a, 2u), 3 adult light morph calurus Red-tailed Hawks and 41 Golden Eagles (5a, 2sa, 11j, 23u). Both the combined species and the Golden Eagle counts are the highest since April 8. The first Golden Eagle was not seen until 1423, 15 moved between 1500 and 1600, 11 between 1900 and 2000 and 4 between 2000 and 2032.Most movement was on the western route to 1800 after which the birds glided high from the Fisher range to Mount Lorette. Four non-migrant Bald Eagles (2a, 2sa) moved to the south, single adult Northern Goshawks were seen on 2 occasions, at least 2 resident Red-tailed hawks were present and there were 4 sightings of single resident Golden Eagles including 3 display flights between 1700 and 1900, and the pair performed a talon-clasping fall to the south of Olympic Summit at 1830. Other birds recorded in the area were 3 Canada Geese on the river and a flock of 25 that flew high to the NE at 1740, 6 Mallards, a pair of Common Goldeneyes, 1 male Common Merganser, 5 Ruffed Grouse of which 4 were drumming, 1 Great Horned Owl that called east of the site at 0755, 1 female American Three-toed Woodpecker, 1 Northern Flicker, 1 American Crow, 40 Common Ravens, 1 Tree Swallow, 2 Violet-green Swallows, 4 unidentified swallows, 1 Red-breasted Nuthatch, 2 Golden-crowned Kinglets, 1 singing  Ruby-crowned Kinglet, 1 Mountain Bluebird, 2 singing Varied Thrushes, 4 American Robins, 2 Pine Siskins, 1 singing Fox Sparrow, 1 singing Song Sparrow, 2 Dark-eyed Juncos, 1 of which was cismontanus, and 1 male Rusty Blackbird. Six White-tailed Deer fed in the meadow late in the evening, and there were 45 visitors to the site today including 10 from the Edmonton Nature Club that unfortunately left just before the influx of Golden Eagles.

15 hours (581.2) BAEA 4 (209), SSHA 4 (9), COHA 1 (1), NOGO 3 (18), RTHA 3 (16), GOEA 41 (2132) TOTAL 56 (2452)

Sunday, April 21 Beaver Mines [Day 50] 0630-2100 (Peter Sherrington assisted by Hilary Atkinson).  The temperature at 0630 was 0C the high at 1500 and again at 1700 and 1800 was 15C and it was still 10C at 2100. Winds were W 5-15 km/h to 0830, ESE-SSE 10-15 km/h to 1630 and then SSW-WSW 15-20 gusting 30 km/h for the rest of the day. It was cloudless to 1000, and then variably 20-50% cumulus to 1815 after which it was again cloudless for the rest of the day. There was a persistent and varied raptor movement involving 38 birds of 12 species between 1019 and 1955 that comprised 6 Bald Eagles (2a, 4j), 1 adult female Northern Harrier, 3u Sharp-shinned Hawks, 1a Cooper’s Hawk, 1a Northern Goshawk, 2u light morph Swainson’s Hawks that were the first for the season, 6 calurus Red-tailed Hawks (5 light morphs: 4a, 1j, and 1 adult dark morph), 1 adult light morph Ferruginous Hawk, 3 light morph Rough-legged Hawks, 1 unidentified Buteo, 11 Golden Eagles (1a, 2sa, 6j, 2u), 1 female American Kestrel and 1 male columbarius Merlin. Maximum hourly passage was 7 between 1300 and 1400. The resident male Northern Harrier displayed at 1131 and there were numerous sightings of up to 6 resident Red-tailed Hawks between 0941 and 1967. Other birds seen were a pair of Canada Geese, 1 pair of Wood Ducks, 5 Mallards, 10 Rock Pigeons, 1 pair of Downy Woodpeckers, 1 Hairy Woodpecker, 1 male Northern Flicker, 2 Blue Jays, 5 Black-billed Magpies,  12 American Crows, 25 Common Ravens, 10 Tree Swallows, 1 Red-breasted Nuthatch, 4 American Robins, 40 European Starlings, 21 Evening Grosbeaks, 1 female Cassin’s Finch, 10 Pine Siskins and 5 Red-winged Blackbirds (3 males and 2 females).

14.5 hours (616.3) BAEA 6 (220), NOHA 1 (29), SSHA 3 (37), COHA 1 (5), NOGO 1 (29), SWHA 2 (2), RTHA 6 (116), FEHA 1 (5), RLHA 3 (29), UB 1 (7), GOEA 11 (610), AMKE 1 (6), MERL 1 (15) TOTAL 38 (1137)

Sunday, April 21 Steeples [Day 41] 1300-1730 (Vance Mattson). The temperature was 15C, conditions were calm and cloud cover of 10-20% cumulus and cirrus gave continuous sunshine. Only two migrants were seen: 1 juvenile Bald Eagle at 1528, and 1 juvenile Golden Eagle at 1423 that was the first migrant bird of the species seen at the site since April 6. Non-migrants were 20 Turkey Vultures that included a kettle of 7 birds, 1 adult Bald Eagle, 1u Northern Goshawk and 3 sightings of single Red-tailed Hawks.

4.5 hours (200) BAEA 1 (218), GOEA 1 (454) TOTAL 2 (697)

[NOTE: tomorrow will be the last day of the spring 2019 count at all three sites.]