Beaver Mines and Steeples, April 21

Tuesday, April 21 Beaver Mines [Day 57] 0615-2045 (Peter Sherrington and Hilary Atkinson). The temperature at 0615 was 8C, the high at 1500 and again at 1700 was 16C and it was 12C at 2045. Winds were WSW-W all day 30-45 gusting to 70 km/h and it was cloudless to 1600 except for between 1230 and 1415 when up to 10% cumulus developed and after 1600 it was 80-100% altostratus, cirrus and cumulus. A total of 55 migrant raptors of 11 species were recorded between 0851 and 1921 that comprised 3 Ospreys, 2 adult Bald Eagles, 4 Northern Harriers (2 juvenile females and 1j and 1u males), 11 Sharp-shinned Hawks (4a, 1j, 6u), 2 Cooper’s Hawks (1a, 1u), 2 Northern Goshawks (1j, 1u), 4 light morph Broad-winged Hawks (3a, 1j) that included a small high-soaring kettle of 3 birds at 1915, 10 light morph calurus Red-tailed Hawks (9a, 1u), 1 adult light morph Ferruginous Hawk, 14 Golden Eagles (2a, 1sa, 10j, 1u) and 2 columbarius Merlins (1 male, 1u). Movement was initially slow with only 3 birds seen before 1100 but subsequently migration was steady and peaked at 10 birds between 1700 and 1800. Resident birds were a pair of Northern Harriers and a single adult male that were conspicuous between 0705 and 1856, and 2 or 3 pairs of Red-tailed Hawks the last sighting of which was a hunting bird high above the ridge at 2036. At Mount Lorette Dan Parliament reported 34 migrants of 5 species in 13.92 hours of observation that comprised 6 Bald Eagles (4a, 2sa), 1u Northern Harrier, 1u Sharp-shinned Hawk, 1u Northern Goshawk, and 25 Golden Eagles (4a, 5sa, 4j, 12u). Most birds were flying very high across the valley from the northern end of the Fisher Range to Mount Lorette and they were difficult to locate and age. Other birds seen at Beaver Mines were 8 Canada Geese, 5 Mallards, 4 Green-winged Teal, 1 male Barrow’s Goldeneye, 6 Rock Pigeons, 1 pair of resident Sandhill Cranes and 2 migrants that flew high to the NNW at 1329, 1 Downy Woodpecker, 1 Red-shafted Flicker, 2 Steller’s Jays, 1 Blue Jay, 1 Black-billed Magpie, 35 American Crows, 16 Common Ravens, 4 Tree Swallows 4 Black-capped Chickadees, 4 Mountain Chickadees, 2 Ruby-crowned Kinglets that were new for the year, 6 American Robins, 10 European Starlings, 20 Evening Grosbeaks, 11 Pine Grosbeaks, 80 Grey-crowned Rosy-Finches that flew high to the NNW at 1738, 7 Dark-eyed Juncos (1 cismontanus and 6 montanus), 6 male Red-winged Blackbirds, and 2 male and 1 female Common Grackles that were also new for the year.

Tomorrow will be the last day of the spring 2020 count at all three sites.

14.5 hours (716.2) OSPR 3 (4), BAEA 2 (350), NOHA 4 (35), SSHA 11 (79), COHA 2 (14), NOGO 2 (43), BWHA 4 (8), RTHA 10 (258), FEHA 1 (4), GOEA 14 (1105), MERL 2 (22) TOTAL 55 (2026)

Tuesday, April 21 Steeples [Day 44] 1300-1600 (Vance Mattson). The temperature reached 19C, winds were strong SW and it was cloudless. No migrants were seen and resident birds were 15 Turkey Vultures and a pair of Red-tailed Hawks one of which performed a display flight. Vultures and hawks were constantly seen in the air during the observation period.

3 hours (229.3) TOTAL 0 (489)