Beaver Mines and Steeples, April 9

Thursday, April 09 Beaver Mines [Day 45] 0640-2040 (Peter Sherrington and Hilary Atkinson). The temperature at 0640 was -4C, the high at 1500 and 1700 was a very pleasant 15C and it was still 11C at 2040. The wind was light (5 km/h) E-NNE to 0815 when it changed to SW-WSW 30-40 gusting to 55 km/h to 1830 after which it moderated to 20-25 km/h. Cloud cover was 100% altostratus, altocumulus and cumulus to 1200 after which it was mainly 100-70% thin altostratus, cirrus and cumulus that gave sunshine or hazy sunshine and very good observing conditions for the rest of the day. A total of 104 migrant raptors of 10 species were seen between 0825 and 1918 that comprised 24 Bald Eagles (20a, 1sa2, 3j), 4 male Northern Harriers (3a, 1u), 5 Sharp-shinned Hawks (1a, 4u), 2 Cooper’s Hawks (1a, 1u), 1 adult light morph Broad-winged Hawk that was the first for the season, a season-high 41 Red-tailed Hawks (39 calurus: 30a, 1j, 2u light morphs and 6a dark morphs, and 2a dark harlani). 4 Rough-legged Hawks (2 light, 2 dark), 20 Golden Eagles (12a, 3sa, 5j), 2 male columbarius Merlins and 1 female grey morph Gyrfalcon. Movement was slow and intermittent until 1600-1700 and 1700-1800 when 30 and 26 birds were seen respectively after which only 8 more birds moved. Resident birds were a displaying male Northern Harrier and 3 pairs of Red-tailed Hawks that were conspicuous for much of the day hunting, interacting and occasionally making display flights. At Mount Lorette Graeme Dunlop reported 40 migrants of 6 species in 13 hours of observation which comprised 8 Bald Eagles (7a, 1j), 1 adult male Northern Harrier (the first for the season), 1 adult Cooper’s Hawk (also a first for the season), 4 adult light morph calurus Red-tailed Hawks, 24 Golden Eagles (5a, 5sa, 5j, 9u), 1 Prairie Falcon and 1 large unidentified falcon. Other birds seen at Beaver Mines were 22 Canada Geese, a pair of Northern Shoveler, a pair of American Wigeon, 29 Mallards, 12 Green-winged Teal, 3 male Common Mergansers, 14 Wild Turkeys, 4 Rock Pigeons, 2 Eurasian Collared Doves, a pair of Sandhill Cranes and 1 Great Blue Heron that fed in the pond near the creek, 3 Downy Woodpeckers, 1 Red-shafted Flicker, 1 Blue Jay, 20 American Crows, 11 Common Ravens, the first Tree Swallow of the year at 1807, 4 Black-capped Chickadees, 4 Mountain Chickadees, 8 American Robins, 6 European Starlings, 10 Evening Grosbeaks, 23 Pine Grosbeaks, 1 female Purple Finch that was erroneously identified as a Cassin’s Finch yesterday, and 58 Dark-eyed Juncos (1 hyemalis, 6 cismontanus, 25 montanus and 1 mearnsi (“Pink-sided Junco”)).

14 hours (547.5) BAEA 24 (313), NOHA 4 (20), SSHA 5 (44), COHA 2 (6), BWHA 1 (1), RTHA 41 (155), RLHA 4 (58), GOEA 20 (1038), MERL 2 (11), GYRF 1 (4) TOTAL 104 (1705)

Thursday, April 09 Steeples [Day 34] 1130-1800 (Vance Mattson). The temperature reached a high of 17C, it was calm and cloud cover was up to 20% altostratus, cumulus and lenticular cloud that gave sunny conditions. A total of 13 migrants moved between 1341 and 1720 that consisted of 7 Bald Eagles (6a, 1j), 5 Golden Eagles (3a, 1sa, 1j) and 1u Merlin that was the first for the season. Most birds soared at length as they moved north including the last 4 eagles, 2 Bald and 2 Golden, at 1720. Non-migrants were 9 Turkey Vultures, 3 Bald Eagles (2a, 1j) and 2 adult Golden Eagles.

6.5 hours (181.8) BAEA 7 (122), GOEA 5 (323), MERL 1 (1) TOTAL 13 (459)