Beaver Mines and Steeples, April 2

Thursday, April 02 Beaver Mines [Day 38] 0615-2030 (Peter Sherrington and Hilary Atkinson). The temperature at 0645 was -16C, the high at 1500 and 1700 was -9C and it was  -14C at 2030. Winds were mainly light NE-NNE 0-12 km/h all day although there was a high gentle SW flow above the ridge that was discernible after 1000. Cloud cover was 100% stratus and stratocumulus to 1400 and light snow fell to 1045 (0.5 cm) that partially obscured the ridge. After 1400 cloud cover was 80-30% cumulus and the ridge was clear apart from 1600-1730 when an ice-crystal haze developed that made observation difficult. A total of 24 raptors of 4 species were counted between 0925 and 1754 that comprised 4 Bald Eagles (3a, 1sa3), 2 adult Sharp-shinned Hawks, 3 adult dark morph Red-tailed Hawks (2 calurus and 1 harlani), 1 light morph unidentified Buteo that disappeared into the crystal haze above the ridge and 14 Golden Eagles (12a, 2sa). Twelve of the Golden Eagles moved between 1316 and 1433 and the 3 Red-tailed Hawks were seen between 1457 and 1513. At Mount Lorette Joel Duncan reported 58 migrants in 12.25 hours of observation that comprised 4 Bald Eagles (3a, 1j), 1 adult light morph calurus Red-tailed Hawk, 52 Golden Eagles (33a, 2sa, 2j, 15u) and 1 unidentified eagle.  Other birds seen at Beaver Mines were 2 Canada Geese, 4 Mallards, 10 Rock Pigeons, 2 Killdeer, 4 Blue Jays, 2 Black-billed Magpies, 71 American Crows, 24 Common Ravens, 6 Black-capped Chickadees, 7 Mountain Chickadees, 1 European Starling, 2 Bohemian Waxwings, 10 Evening Grosbeaks, 17 Pine Grosbeaks and 36 Dark-eyed Juncos (1 hyamalis, 5 cismontanus, 30 montanus).

13.75 hours (452) BAEA 4 (229), SSHA 2 (25), RTHA 3 (31), UB1 (2), GOEA 14 (919) TOTAL 24 (1315)

Thursday, April 02 Steeples [Day 27] 1315-1915 (Vance Mattson). The mountains were completely shrouded in cloud to 1300 but were fully clear by 1500. The temperature at 1315 was -4C that rose to a high of -1C, it was calm alternating with light variable winds and 100% altostratus and stratus cloud cover gave way to 10% cumulus and cirrus that provided sunny conditions. The final clearing of the ridges did not result in the hoped for “bottleneck effect” and just 7 migrant Bald Eagles (5a, 1sa, 1j) were counted. The resident pair of Golden Eagles were seen several times throughout the observation period.

6 hours (142.3) BAEA 7 (105) TOTAL 7 (420)