Monday, September 23 Vicki Ridge [Day 4]

Monday, September 23 Vicki Ridge [Day 4] 0815-1900 (Peter Sherrington and Hilary Atkinson observing from the Waterton 61 wellsite on the western flank of the ridge assisted by Raymond Toal, and Gord Petersen at the western edge of Kyllo Ridge at the Waterton 68 wellsite, 1405-1745). The temperature at 0815 was 10C, the high at 1400 and again at 1600 was 13C and it was 11C at the end of observation. Winds were strong W-WSW all day, 35-45 gusting to over 70 km/h and cloud cover was 100% mainly dark stratocumulus and altocumulus all day that produced light and occasionally moderate rain showers throughout. Despite these unpromising conditions there was a sporadic raptor movement between 0815 and 1826 involving 46 birds of 8 species seen at both sites. The combined count was 1 juvenile male Northern Harrier, 16 Sharp-shinned Hawks (2a, 1j, 13u), 1 juvenile Cooper’s Hawk, 1 juvenile light morph Swainson’s Hawk, 13 Red-tailed Hawks (calurus light 8a, 1u, calurus dark 1a, borealis 1 juvenile, harlani 1 dark adult and 1 bird of unknown race, morph or age), 1 indeterminate dark Buteo, 10 Golden Eagles (2a, 5sa, 2j, 1u), 1 female American Kestrel and 2 Merlins (1 adult male richardsonii and 1 adult female columbarius). The total includes 21 birds seen by Gord between 1405 and 1730 at the western edge of the ridge system: 9 Sharp-shinned Hawks (1a, 8u), 4 adult calurus Red-tailed Hawks (3 light, 1 dark), 7 Golden Eagles (1a, 3sa, 2j, 1u) and the female Kestrel. He commented that it was so windy there that it was hard to hold his binoculars steady even though he was observing from inside his vehicle! The highest hourly count was 22 between 1400 and 1500. Other bird species recorded were 1 Northern Pygmy-Owl, 1 Northern (Red-shafted) Flicker, 2 Clark’s Nutcrackers, 9 Black-billed Magpies, 18 Common Ravens, 1 female Western Bluebird, 30 Mountain Bluebirds, 1 Townsend ’s Solitaire, 142 American Robins, 43 Cedar Waxwings and 1 Pine Siskin.

NOHA 1 (5), SSHA 16 (116), COHA 1 (17), SWHA 1 (2), RTHA 13 (31), UB 1 (4), GOEA 10 (72), AMKE 1 (9), MERL 2 (3) TOTAL 46 (286)

Monday, September 23 Steeples (Vance Mattson). No observation.