Beaver Mines and Steeples, April 5

Sunday, April 05 Beaver Mines [Day 41] 0645-2015 (Peter Sherrington and Hilary Atkinson). The temperature at 0645 was -7C, the high at 1500 and 1600 was 0C and it was -2C at 2015. Winds were ENE-NE 3-15 km/h to 1600 when they switched to WSW 10 km/h that gusted to 25 km/h at 2000. The day started with dense fog that persisted to 0725 then a cloud cover of 100% stratus, cumulus and stratocumulus produced light to very light snow that mainly obscured the ridge to 1300 but left only 0.5 cm on the ground. The sky began to clear at 1300 and cloud cover was 70-90% cumulus and stratocumulus to 1800 when cirrus cloud started to develop with the cumulus and at 2015 increased to 100% cirrostratus. There was hazy sunshine for much of the afternoon and observation conditions were very good once the snow stopped. A total of 40 migrant raptors of 6 species were seen between 1221 and 1906 which is our highest count since March 29. The flight was 8 Bald Eagles (6a, 1sa2, 1j), 1 adult Sharp-shinned Hawk, 1 adult Northern Goshawk, a season-high 13 adult calurus Red-tailed Hawks (10 light, 1 rufous, 2 dark), 1 light morph Rough-legged Hawk and 16 Golden Eagles (13a, 1sa, 2u). Movement was very sporadic and exclusively to the east of the ridge to 1600 when the wind change switched the movement to the west of the ridge which peaked at 10 birds between 1700 and 1800 and 14 birds between 1800 and 1900. Many of the late-moving birds glided very high. At Mount Lorette Lori Anderson reported 25 migrants in 11 hours of observation that was shortened by heavy snow. The total comprised 2 Bald Eagles (1a, 1sa), 1u Northern Goshawk, 1 adult rufous morph calurus Red-tailed Hawk, 20 Golden Eagles (12a, 4sa, 1j, 3u) and 1 large indeterminate raptor. Other birds seen at Beaver Mines were 6 Canada Geese, 6 Mallards, 17 Rock Pigeons, 1 Killdeer, 1 Great Blue Heron that flew high to the SW above the valley at 1950, 1 Hairy Woodpecker, 5 Blue Jays, 2 Black-billed Magpies, 14 American Crows, 38 Common Ravens, 5 Black-capped Chickadees, 4 Mountain Chickadees, 4 American Robins, 24 European Starlings, 7 Pine Grosbeaks, 25 Grey-crowned Rosy-Finches of which 5 were the race littoralis, 1 American Tree Sparrow and 41 Dark-eyed Juncos (2 hyemalis, 4cismontanus, 35 montanus). Two adult Sharp-shinned Hawks, a male and a female, were frequently seen at the site this morning between 0828 and 1145 where they often perched close to each other and once they appeared to hunt cooperatively. The only prey species seen being eaten was a European Starling.

13.5 hours (492.2) BAEA 8 (238), SSHA 1 (30), NOGO 1 (34), RTHA 13 (48), RLHA 1 (51), GOEA 16 (946) TOTAL 40 (1378)

Sunday, April 05 Steeples [Day 30] 1530-1800 (Vance Mattson). The temperature was 3C, it was calm and cloud cover was 100% altostratus and stratus that entirely shrouded the ridges to 1500. After 1500 the ridges partially cleared but no migrant or resident raptors were seen.

2.5 hours (155.8) TOTAL 0 (422)