Beaver Mines and Steeples, March 23

Monday, March 23 Beaver Mines [Day 28] 0710-2020 (Peter Sherrington and Hilary Atkinson). The temperature at 0710 was 3C, the high at 1200 to 1400 was 8C and it was 3C at 2020. Winds were SW to 1700, 40-50 gusting 60 km/h, and 70 km/h at 1400 and 1500, and SSW-WSW 30-50 km/h after 1700. Cloud cover was 30-100% thin cirrostratus, altostratus and cumulus in the morning that thickened in the afternoon to 70-100% lenticular, cumulus and stratus that at times threatened rain or snow but only produced occasional light flurries or very light drizzle. Yesterday’s late movement continued into early morning with 9 birds, 2 Bald Eagles, 1 Sharp-shinned Hawk and 6 Golden Eagles, seen between 0751 and 0828 but the 10^th bird did not appear until 1048 and subsequent movement was persistent but slow and sporadic. A total of 37 birds of 7 species were counted that comprised 10 Bald Eagles (6a, 2sa, 1j, 1u), 1u Sharp-shinned Hawk, 1 adult Northern Goshawk, 1 light morph calurus Red-tailed Hawk, 1 light morph Rough-legged Hawk, 21 Golden Eagles (18a, 2sa, 1j) and 2 adult Peregrine Falcons that were the first of the season. The first peregrine, a probable female, flew north at 1215 and the second, a male, flew north at 1949 and was the last migrant of the day. At Mount Lorette Blake Weis reported a count of 66 eagles in 12 hours that comprised 5 Bald Eagles (1a, 2sa, and 1j), 57 Golden Eagles (37a, 2sa, 18u) and 4 unidentified eagles. Other birds seen at Beaver Mines were 11 Canada Geese, 4 American Wigeons, 10 Mallards 6 Rock Pigeons, 1 Eurasian Collared Dove, 1 Common Loon that flew very high to the NNE at 1158 and was a first March record for the area, 1 Downy Woodpecker, 1 female Red-shafted Flicker, 2 Steller’s Jays, 10 American Crows, 34 Common Ravens, 6 Black-capped Chickadees, 6 Mountain Chickadees, 1 American Robin, 35 European Starlings, 10 Evening Grosbeaks, 28 Pine Grosbeaks and 30 Dark-eyed [montanus] Juncos. Phil Hazelton also reported a pair of Mountain Bluebirds that were a first record for this area this year, although David McIntyre saw his first up the Burmis Road on March 6, and on March 21 7 male birds were present.

13.16 hours (318.5) BAEA 10 (153), SSHA 1 (2), NOGO 1 (15), RTHA 1 (7), RLHA 1 (49), GOEA 21 (404), PEFA 2 (2) TOTAL 37 (639)

Monday, March 23 [Day 18] 1230-1900 (Vance Mattson). The temperature reached a high of 11C but again moderate to strong S winds made it feel much colder, Cloud cover was 60-100% altostratus and cumulus which increasingly grew darker and the top of the highest ridges were obscured from 1630 to 1700 and again from 1825 to 1900 when light flurries began. The first migrant was not seen until 1445 and the total count was 1 adult Bald Eagle and 9 Golden Eagles (7a, 2u), 5 of which were seen after 1800 that gave hope of a significant late movement that failed to materialize. This date last year saw the passage of 152 migrants including 126 Golden Eagles.

6.5 hours (90.75) BAEA 1 (87), GOEA 9 (259) TOTAL 10 (354)