Beaver Mines and Steeples, October 9

Friday, October 09 Vicki Ridge [Day 20] 0800-1900 (Peter Sherrington and Hilary Atkinson, assisted by Doug and Teresa Dolmen (1015-1615) and Trevor Lewis (1600-1715), observing from the Waterton 61 wellsite on the western flank of the ridge; and Gord Petersen at the western edge of Kyllo Ridge at the Waterton 68 wellsite, 1240-1830). The temperature at 0800 was 1C (which is the lowest temperature recorded so far this season), the high from 1300 to 1700 was 16C and it was 13C at 1900. It was calm to 1000 but subsequently winds were WSW-W for the rest of the day, 20-30 gusting 45 km/h to 1230, 40-50 gusting 60 km/h to 1600 and moderating to 20 km/h after 1720. At the Waterton 61site observers counted 73 migrant raptors of 9 species between 1012 and 1725 that comprised 1a Bald Eagle, 27 Sharp-shinned Hawks (7a, 20u), 1u Cooper’s Hawk, 3a Northern Goshawks, 1 unidentified small Accipiter, 5a calurus Red-tailed Hawks, 1a light morph Ferruginous Hawk, 4 Rough-legged Hawks (3 light, 1u), 29 Golden Eagles (23a, 1sa, 1j, 4u) and 1a female columbarius Merlin. The highest hourly count was 20 between 1300 and 1400. At the Waterton 68 site 75 migrants of 6 species moved between 1241 and 1801 that comprised 2a male Northern Harriers, 40 Sharp-shinned Hawks (3a, 37u), 7u Cooper’s Hawks, 3 Red-tailed Hawks (1j intermediate morph calurus and 2a harlani (1 dark and 1 intermediate), 4 Rough-legged Hawks (3 light, 1 dark) and 19 Golden Eagles (3a, 7j, 9u). The highest single-hour count was 23 between 1300 and 1400. ). The combined speciescount was 148 migrant raptors of 10 species that moved between 1002 and 1801 and comprised 1a Bald Eagle, 2a male Northern Harriers, 67 Sharp-shinned Hawks (10a, 57u), 8u Cooper’s Hawks, 3a Northern Goshawks, 1 unidentified small Accipiter, 8 Red-tailed Hawks (calurus 6: 4a light morphs, 1j intermediate morph and 1a dark morph; and 2a harlani (1 dark and 1 intermediate morph), 1a light morph Ferruginous Hawk, 8 Rough-legged Hawks (6 light, 1 dark, 1u), 48 Golden Eagles (26a, 1sa, 8j, 13u) and 1a female columbariusMerlin. The highest single-hour count was 43 between 1300 and 1400 and 30 migrants were recorded during the following hour. Other bird species noted were 1 Northern Flicker, 1 Canada Jay, 1 Clark’s Nutcracker, 10 Black-billed Magpies, 42 Common Ravens, 20 American Robins, 1j White-crowned Sparrow, 3 Dark-eyed Juncos (1 hyemalis and 2u) and 1 Yellow-rumped Warbler.

11 hours (220) BAEA 1 (47), NOHA 2 (20), SSHA 67 (754), COHA 8 (119), NOGO 3 (22), UA 1 (7), RTHA 8 (189), FEHA 1 (2), RLHA 8 (46), GOEA 48 (1004), MERL 1 (24) TOTAL 148 (2300)

Friday, October 09 Mount Lorette [Day 20] 0815-1900 (Joel Duncan assisted by Rick Robb). Observers recorded a total of 52 migrant raptors of 5 species that comprised 1 late subadult Bald Eagle, 1u Northern Harrier, 2 Sharp-shinned Hawks (1a, 1u), 1j dark morph calurus Red-tailed Hawk, 45 Golden Eagles (27a, 2sa, 1j, 15u) and 2 unidentified eagles.

10.75 hours (240.8) BAEA 1 (69), NOHA 1 (9), SSHA 2 (94), RTHA 1 (55), GOEA 45 (1596), UE 2 (11) TOTAL 52 (1951)

Friday, October 09 Steeples [Day 5] 1230-1700 (Vance Mattson). The temperature was 18C, winds were moderate S and cloud cover was 100-60% cumulus, altostratus and lenticular, but despite these promising conditions no migrant raptors were seen and the only raptor recorded was a non-migrant juvenile Bald Eagle.

4.5 hours (12.25) TOTAL 0 (6)