Beaver Mines and Steeples, April 13

Monday, April 13 Beaver Mines [Day 49] 0630-2030 (Peter Sherrington and Hilary Atkinson). The temperature at 0630 was -15C, the high from 1600 to 1900 was 4C and it was 1C at 2030. Winds were ENE 5-15 km/h to 1430 when they shifted to SW-WSW for the rest of the day, 15-30 occasionally gusting to 40 km/h. Cloud cover was 0-40% cumulus and altocumulus to 1600 after which it was cloudless for the rest of the day. A total of 23 migrant raptors of 7 species was seen between 1130 and 1733 that comprised 2 Bald Eagles (1a, 1j), 1 adult Cooper’s Hawk, 1u light morph Broad-winged Hawk, 9 calurus Red-tailed Hawks (6 light morphs (5a, 1u) and 3 adult dark morphs), 1 adult dark morph Ferruginous Hawk, 2 Rough-legged Hawks (1 light, 1 dark) and 7 Golden Eagles (1a, 1sa, 5j). Eighteen of the birds moved between 1456 and 1733 and it is probable that earlier in the day birds were moving on ridges to the SW of the site as the favourable westerly flow started earlier there. Up to 3 adult male Sharp-shinned Hawks hunted at the site at 0910. 1223 and 1755 and 3 pairs of Red-tailed Hawks were conspicuous over the ridge between 1419 and 1622, with a pair copulated atop a large Douglas Fir high on the ridge at 1445. At Mount Lorette Blake Weis reported 44 migrants of 8 species that comprised 9 Bald Eagles (4a, 4sa and 1 undifferentiated immature bird), 1 adult female Northern Harrier, 4 Sharp-shinned Hawks (1a, 3u), 1 adult Cooper’s Hawk, 5 Northern Goshawks (4a, 1u), 2 small unidentified Accipiters, 2 Red-tailed Hawks (1 adult light morph calurus and 1 bird of unknown race, morph or age), 18 Golden Eagles (3a, 3sa, 7j, 5u), 1u American Kestrel and 1 medium-sized unidentified raptor. Other birds seen at Beaver Mines were 14 Canada Geese, 24 Mallards, 30 Green-winged Teal, 30 Rock Pigeons, a pair of Sandhill Cranes, 1 Killdeer, 2 Great Blue Herons, 2 Downy Woodpecker, 3 Red-shafted Flickers, 1 Northern Shrike, 3 Blue Jays, 12 American Crows, 12 Common Ravens, 2 Black-capped Chickadees, 2 Mountain Chickadees, 1 American Robin, 37 European Starlings, 18 Evening Grosbeaks, 24 Pine Grosbeaks, 24 Grey-crowned Rosy-Finches, 1 American Tree Sparrow and 70 Dark-eyed Juncos (4 hyemalis, 6 cismontanus and 60 montanus).

14 hours (602) BAEA 2 (319), COHA 1 (8), BWHA 1 (2), RTHA 9 (177), FEHA 1 (3), RLHA 2 (60), GOEA 7 (1951) TOTAL 23 (1757)

Monday, April 13 Steeples [Day 37] 1230-1800 (Vance Mattson). The temperature rose to 8C from a starting temperature of 4C and it was calm and cloudless throughout. A total of 7 migrants of 3 species were seen that comprised 3 Bald Eagles (2a, 1j), 2 adult Sharp-shinned Hawks and 2 adult light morph calurus Red-tailed Hawks. Five of the migrants occurred between 1346 and 1436. Non migrants were 7 Turkey Vultures, 4 adult Bald Eagles that at one time perched together on a prominent fir on the ridge, and three sightings of single Red-tailed Hawks including one that soared over the site with prey in its talons before descending to its nest located west of the site.

5.5 hours (198.5) BAEA 3 (132), SSHA 2 (3), RTHA 2 (9) TOTAL 7 (482)