Vicki Ridge and Steeples, October 21

Monday, October 21 Vicki Ridge [Day 29] 0830-1745 (Peter Sherrington and Hilary Atkinson, assisted by Trevor Lewis observing from the Waterton 61 wellsite on the western flank of Vicki Ridge, and Gord Petersen assisted by Peter Hodgkinson (1225-1700) observing at the western edge of Kyllo Ridge at the Waterton 68 wellsite). The temperature at 0830 was 0C, the high at 1200 and 1300 was 5C and it was 4C at the end of observation at 1745. Winds were W all day, 15-20 km/h to 0900 after which they were 20-40 gusting to 55 km/h for the rest of the day. Cloud cover was initially 70-100% thin cirrostratus and altostratus that quickly thickened to 100% uniform grey stratus and dark cumulus that gave gloomy conditions for the rest of the day. Raptor movement was slow and sporadic at both sites to 1600 after which it almost completely ceased. The count from the Waterton 61 wellsite was 58 birds of 7 species between 0849 and 1734 that comprised 1a Bald Eagle, 10u Sharp-shinned Hawks, 4a Northern Goshawks, 1a light morph Broad-winged Hawk, 7 light morph Rough-legged Hawks, 36 Golden Eagles (27a, 4sa, 2j, 3u), 1 unidentified eagle and 1u male Peregrine Falcon. At the western edge of Kyllo Ridge between 1335 and 1827 Gord and Peter counted 33 birds of 5 species between 1229 and 1557 that comprised 3 Bald Eagles (2a, 1j), 3u Sharp-shinned Hawks, 1u Cooper’s Hawk, 1a Northern Goshawk, 13 light Rough-legged Hawks and 22 Golden Eagles (13a, 9j). The total movement observed across the ridge system between 0849 and 1734 was 91 migrants of 8 species that comprised 4 Bald Eagles (3a, 1j), 10u Sharp-shinned Hawks, 1u Cooper’s Hawk, 5a Northern Goshawks, 1 light morph Broad-winged Hawk, 10 light morph Rough-legged Hawks, 58 Golden Eagles (40a, 4sa, 11j, 3u) and 1u male Peregrine Falcon. The highest combined-site hourly count was 19 between 1400 and 1500. Other birds identified were 1 male Downy Woodpecker, 1 high-flying unidentified woodpecker, 1 Clark’s Nutcracker, 3 Black-billed Magpies, 14 Common Ravens, 2 male Mountain Bluebirds, 4 American Robins, 50 Bohemian Waxwings, 4 female Pine Grosbeaks and 470 Grey-crowned Rosy-Finches.

9.25 hours (278.2) BAEA 4 (198), SSHA 10 (493), COHA 1 (79), NOGO 5 (48), BWHA 1 (14), RLHA 10 (321), GOEA 58 (2406), UE 1 (17), PEFA 1 (10) TOTAL 91 (3795)

Monday, October 21 Steeples (Vance Mattson). No observation because of teaching commitments.