Beaver Mines and Steeples, March 11

Wednesday, March 11 Beaver Mines [Day 18] 0745-2000 (Peter Sherrington and Hilary Atkinson). The temperature was 2C at 0745, the high was 5C at 1300, was 3C at 1400, was -2C at 1500 and was -3C at 2000. Winds were W 30-40 gusting 50 km/h to 1315 when they switched to NE winds of 15-20 km/h that brought periods of snow that was sometimes heavy and obscured the ridge, which alternated with SE-SSE winds 12-20 km/h that brought clear conditions. Cloud cover was 100% thin cirrostratus and cumulus to 0900, then 10-70% cumulus to 1315, which was followed by 100% low dark stratus and cumulus, or 50-90% light cumulus depending on the wind direction. A total of 7 cm of snow fell in the afternoon. A total of 14 migrant raptors were seen comprising 4 Bald Eagles (3a, 1u), 1 light morph Rough-legged Hawk and 9 adult Golden Eagles. All the eagles were seen between 0755 and 1356, and the Rough-legged Hawk moved low to the north during a break in the snow at 1710. Other birds seen were 16 Canada Geese, 1 Rock Pigeon, 1 Eurasian Collared Dove, 2 Downy Woodpeckers, 2 Steller’s Jays, 2 Blue Jays, 6 Black-billed Magpies, 8 American Crows, 47 Common Ravens, 8 Black-capped Chickadees, 18 Mountain Chickadees, 1 Red-breasted Nuthatch, 1 White-breasted Nuthatch, 18 European Starlings, 22 Evening Grosbeaks, 45 Pine Grosbeaks, a flock of 25 Grey-crowned Rosy-Finches that flew high to the NNW at 1152, 1 American Tree Sparrow and 26 Dark-eyed Juncos (1 cismontanus and 25 montanus).

12.25 hours (191.5) BAEA 4 (92), RLHA 1 (34), GOEA 9 (183) TOTAL 14 (322).

Wednesday, March 11 Steeples [Day 9] 1530-1830 (Vance Mattson). The temperature was 6C, winds were moderate and variable, and cloud cover was 40% cumulus that gave sunny conditions. . Six migrants were seen: 1 adult Bald Eagle and 5 adult Golden Eagles, 4 of which moved between 1742 and 1758. Non-migrants were an adult and a juvenile resident Golden Eagles that exhibited no agonistic behaviour.

3 hours (24.75) BAEA 1 (15), GOEA 5 (28) TOTAL 6 (44)