Beaver Mines and Steeples, September 22

Tuesday, September 22 Vicki Ridge [Day 3] 0845-1900 (Peter Sherrington and Hilary Atkinson observing from the Waterton 61 wellsite on the western flank of the ridge). The temperature at 0845 was 9C, the high at 1700 was 13.5C and it was 11C at 1900. It was calm for much of the day with occasional winds variably from the E to the south that were generally light (5-9 km/h) but occasionally reached 15 km/h in the late afternoon. Cloud cover was 100% cumulus, altostratus and cirrostratus to 1200 when it became a blanket of uniform grey stratus that began to break at 1600 after which it gradually dwindled to 10% altocumulus by 1900 and gave welcome sunny conditions after 1700. The calm conditions were not conducive to migration and only 13 migrants of 6 species were seen between 1230 (a Merlin) and 1737 (the day’s only Golden Eagle). Birds seen up to 1600 were silhouetted against the uniform grey stratus cloud and aging was impossible. The count was 4 Sharp-shinned Hawks (1a, 3u), 3u Cooper’s Hawks, 1u Northern Goshawk, 3a calurus Red-tailed Hawks that soared high and glided high to the south in bright sunshine at 1636 and 1729, 1a Golden Eagle and 1u columbarius Merlin. Other bird species seen were 1 Red-naped Sapsucker, 4 Northern Flickers, 9 Clark’s Nutcrackers, 2 Black-billed Magpies, 23 Common Ravens, 1 Mountain Chickadee, 2 Red-breasted Nuthatches, 2 Mountain Bluebirds, 1 Townsend’s Solitaire, 148 American Robins, 17 Pine Siskins and 5 Yellow-rumped Warblers.

10.25 hours (32.75) SSHA 4 (75), COHA 3 (26), NOGO 1 (2), RTHA 3 (43), GOEA 1 (60), MERL 1 (3) TOTAL 13 (238)

Tuesday,, September 22 Mount Lorette [Day 3] 0740-2000 (George Halmazna assisted by Dan Parliament). Osprey 1, Bald Eagle 6 (3a, 1sa, 2j), Northern Harrier 3 (1a male, 2ju), Sharp-shinned Hawk 33 (3a, 30u), Cooper’s Hawk 3u, Northern Goshawk 1a, Red-tailed Hawk 5 (3a, 2j), Golden Eagle 20 (11a, 2sa, 7j), Peregrine Falcon 4u, Prairie Falcon 1: total 77 migrant raptors of 10 species.

12.33 hours (37.58) OSPR 1 (3), BAEA 6 (9), NOHA 3 (4), SSHA 33 (42), COHA 3 (4), NOGO 1 (7), RTHA 5 (8), GOEA 20 (101), PEFA 4 (4), PRFA 1 (1) TOTAL 77 (189)

Tuesday,, September 22 Steeples (Vance Mattson).  No observation.