Beaver Mines and Steeples, November 3

Tuesday, November 03 Vicki Ridge [Day 43] 0715-1745 (Peter Sherrington and Hilary Atkinson observing from the Waterton 61 wellsite on the western flank of the ridge; and Gord Petersen (1300-1715) at the western edge of Kyllo Ridge at the Waterton 68 wellsite). The temperature at 0715 was 10C, the high at 1300 and 1400 was 16C and it was 12C at 1745. Winds were strong W-WSW all day 30-40 gusting 50-70 km/h in the morning and 40-60 gusting 70-90 and occasionally 100 km/h throughout the afternoon. Cloud cover was 90-30% altostratus that formed a Chinook Arch to the E and SE to 1330, and 30-10% altostratus, altocumulus and lenticular that gave sunny conditions for much of the rest of the day. At Waterton 61 there was a meagre count of 6 birds of 3 species between 0833 and 1243 that comprised 2 light morph Rough-legged Hawks, 3 Golden Eagles (2a. 1j) and 1a female Peregrine Falcon. At Waterton 68, by contrast, there was a steady movement of 20 migrants of 6 species between 1355 and 1705 that comprised 8 Bald Eagles (4a, 1sa3, 1sa2, 2j), 1u Sharp-shinned Hawk, 2 Northern Goshawks (1a, 1j), 1 dark morph Rough-legged Hawk, 7 Golden Eagles (3a, 1j, 3a) and 1 probable male Prairie Falcon. Eight of the birds were seen between 1600 and 1700. The combined site count was 26 birds of 7 species that were seen between 0833 and 1705 and comprised 8 Bald Eagles (4a, 1sa3, 1sa2, 2j), 1u Sharp-shinned Hawk, 2 Northern Goshawks (1a, 1j), 3 Rough-legged Hawks (2 light, 1 dark), 10 Golden Eagles (5a, 2j, 3a), 1a female Peregrine Falcon and 1 probable male Prairie Falcon. Only three other bird species were seen: 1 Clark’s Nutcracker, 90 Common Ravens of which 71 were at Waterton 68 and 15 Grey-crowned Rosy-Finches. The unseasonably warm weather also produced a single flying Mourning Cloak butterfly at the Waterton 61 site.

10.5 hours (430.1) BAEA 8 (297), SSHA 1 (954), NOGO 2 (95), RLHA 3 (263), GOEA 10 (2503), PEFA 1 (8), PRFA 1 (5) TOTAL 26 (4638)

Tuesday, November 03 Mount Lorette [Day 43] 0715-1705 (George Halmazna assisted by Dan Parliament). The temperature reached 15C, but ridge winds gusting up to 165 km/h produced only 3u migrating Golden Eagles between 1206 and 1430.

9.83 hours (465.4) GOEA 3 (2582) TOTAL 3 (3120)

Tuesday, November 03 Steeples (Vance Mattson) No observation. It was clear for most of the day but when Vance finished work at 1600 it was overcast and raining and no observation was possible.