Vicki Ridge and Steeples October 16 (with corrections) and October 17

Wednesday, October 16 Vicki Ridge [Day 24] 0830-1910 (Peter Sherrington and Hilary Atkinson assisted by Doug and Teresa Dolmen, observing from the Waterton 61 wellsite on the western flank of Vicki Ridge, and Gord Petersen (1250-1845) observing at the western edge of Kyllo Ridge at the Waterton 68 wellsite). The temperature at 0830 was 7C, the high at 1400 was 15C and it was still 12C at 1910. Winds were W 8-20 km/h to 1130 after which they increased to 30 gusting 50 km/h and after 1420 they were strong WNW 40-50 gusting 70 km/h which moderated to gusts of 30-40 km/h after 1700. Cloud cover was an ever-changing kaleidoscope of altostratus, altocumulus, cirrus and lenticular that was 60-70% to 1000, rapidly varied between 0 and 50% to 1800 and was finally 70-90% altostratus at the end of the day. The count from the Waterton 61 wellsite was 280 birds of 9 species between 0842 and 1824 that comprised 10 Bald Eagles (5a, 2sa, 3j), 9 Sharp-shinned Hawks (5a, 4u), 2a Cooper’s Hawks, 1a Northern Goshawk, 1a light morph Broad-winged Hawk, 4a Red-tailed Hawks (3 light calurus and 1 dark harlani), 6 light morph Rough-legged Hawks, 246 Golden Eagles (200a, 14sa, 28j, 4u) and 1u columbarius Merlin. Sixteen Golden Eagles moved before 0900 and the next 4 hours saw passage of 50, 52, 51 and 33 birds respectively but hourly numbers then reduced significantly and only 7 birds were seen after 1600. At the western edge of Kyllo Ridge between 1251 and 1845 Gord counted 125 birds of 6 species that comprised 13 Bald Eagles (5a, 4sa, 4j), 17 Sharp-shinned Hawks (6a, 11u), 2u Cooper’s Hawks, 1a dark morph calurus Red-tailed Hawk, 12 Rough-legged Hawks (10 light, 1 dark, 1u) and 80 Golden Eagles (42a, 20sa, 9j, 9u). The total movement observed across the ridge system between 0842 and 1845 was 405 migrants of 9 species that comprised 23 Bald Eagles (10a, 6sa, 7j), 26 Sharp-shinned Hawks (11a, 15u), 4 Cooper’s Hawks (2a, 2u), 1a Northern Goshawk, 1a light morph Broad-winged Hawk, 5a Red-tailed Hawks (3 light, 1 dark calurusand 1 dark harlani, 18 Rough-legged Hawks (16 light, 1 dark, 1u), 326 Golden Eagles (242a, 34sa, 37j, 13u) and 1u columbarius Merlin. Other birds recorded were 1 Northern Pygmy-Owl that sang close to the site at 1648 but could not be located, 1 Steller’s Jay, 1 Clark’s Nutcracker, 4 Black-billed Magpies, 34 Common Ravens and 580 Grey-crowned Rosy-Finches. Single Mourning Cloak and Zephyr Comma butterflies were also present, and to round-out an already splendid day a Long-eared Bat flew low at the site against a spectacular sunset sky at 1849.

10.67 hours (227.7) BAEA 23 (131), SSHA 26 (405), COHA 4 (69), NOGO 1 (22), BWHA 1 (10), RTHA 5 (122), RLHA 18 (133), GOEA 326 (1883), MERL 1 (12) TOTAL 405 (2866)

Wednesday, October 16 Steeples [Day 16] 1645-1745 (Vance Mattson). The temperature was 11C, it was calm and cloud cover was 100% altostratus. Vance went to the site after work but saw no migrants or residents.

1 hour (69) TOTAL 0 (281)

Thursday, October 17 Vicki Ridge [Day 25] 0830-1845 (Peter Sherrington and Hilary Atkinson observing from the Waterton 61 wellsite on the western flank of Vicki Ridge, and Gord Petersen (1510-1820) observing at the western edge of Kyllo Ridge at the Waterton 68 wellsite). The temperature was 8C at 0830, reached a high at 1300 and 1600 of 10C but fell to 8C at 1400 and 1500, and was 6C at and after 1700. Winds were strong W-WSW all day 35-45 gusting 50-60 km/h with peak gusts of 70 km/h around 1600. Cloud cover was 100-80% altostratus and cumulus to 1100 when it began to clear from the west and was then variable 20-70% mainly cumulus to 1800 with dark cumulus to the west that periodically produced short very light rain showers. After 1730 80% dark cumulus prevailed. The count from the Waterton 61 wellsite was 178 birds of 7 species between 0911 and 1820 that comprised 9 Bald Eagles (5a, 4j), 10 Sharp-shinned Hawks (4a, 6u), 4 Northern Goshawks (3a, 1j), 2a light morph calurus Red-tailed Hawks, 27 Rough-legged Hawks (25 light, 2 dark), 125 Golden Eagles (98a, 8sa, 19j) and 1a male Peregrine Falcon. At the western edge of Kyllo Ridge between 1512 and 1814 Gord counted 47 birds of 5 species that comprised 2 Bald Eagles (1a, 1sa), 9 Sharp-shinned Hawks (1j, 8u), 3 Cooper’s Hawks (2j, 1u), 14 Rough-legged Hawks (11 light, 3 dark) and 19 Golden Eagles (11a, 2sa, 5j, 1u). The total movement observed across the ridge system between 0911 and 1820 was 225 migrants of 8 species that comprised 11 Bald Eagles (6a, 1sa, 4j), 19 Sharp-shinned Hawks (4a, 1j, 14u), 3 Cooper’s Hawks (2j, 1u), 3 Northern Goshawks (3a, 1j), 2a light morph calurus Red-tailed Hawks, 41 Rough-legged Hawks (36 light, 5 dark), 144 Golden Eagles (109a, 10sa, 24j, 1u) and 1a male Peregrine Falcon. The highest single hour count at the WT 61 site was 30 between 1200 and 1300, and the highest combined site count was 46 between 1500 and 1600. Other birds seen were 3 Black-billed Magpies, 18 Common Ravens, 1 American Robin and 550 Grey-crowned Rosy-Finches.

10.25 hours (237.9), BAEA 11 (142), SSHA 19 (424), COHA 3 (72), NOGO 4 (26), RTHA 2 (124), RLHA 41 (174), GOEA 144 (2027), PEFA 1 (5) TOTAL 225 (3091)

Thursday, October 17 Steeples [Day 17] 1345-1730 (Vance Mattson). The temperature was 10C, winds were moderate SW and cloud cover was 60-100% altostratus, altocumulus and cumulus. No migrants were seen, but single resident adult Golden Eagles were seen on four occasions.

3.75 hours (72.75) TOTAL 0 (281)