Beaver Mines and Steeples, March 19

Thursday, March 19 Beaver Mines [Day 24] 0720-2010 (Peter Sherrington and Hilary Atkinson). The temperature at 0720 was -10C, the high at 1400 was -6C and it was again -10C at 2010. Winds were NE-ENE all day 7-16 km/h and cloud cover was 100% stratus all day with the exception of 1400-1640 when it was 80-90% cumulus. Light snow fell all day that completely or partially obscured the ridge with the exception of 1540 to 1640 when the snow stopped with 4 cm fresh on the ground, and the ridge completely cleared. After six days of zero or poor movement today produced 25 migrants comprising 1 adult Bald Eagle, 1 light morph Rough-legged Hawk and 23 Golden Eagles (21a, 1sa, 1u) between 1336 and 1639. The first birds started moving when persistent light snow was still falling and included 6 adult Golden Eagles that soared high together at 1351 before gliding high to the north. The movement ceased as soon as the snow resumed and although the ridge partially cleared again after 1900 no further birds were seen. There was a similar result at Mount Lorette where Cliff Hansen reported a count of 26 birds that included 23 Golden Eagles and first seasonal occurrences of a Sharp-shinned Hawk and 2 adult light morph calurus Red-tailed Hawks. Other birds seen at Beaver Mines were 2 Canada Geese, 8 Rock Pigeons, 1 Eurasian Collared Dove, 2 Downy Woodpeckers, 1 Hairy Woodpecker, 1 male Red-shafted Flicker, 1 Northern Shrike, 1 Black-billed Magpie, 5 Common Ravens, 8 Black-capped Chickadees, 14 Mountain Chickadees, 2 Red-breasted Nuthatches, 9 European Starlings, 14 Bohemian Waxwings, 25 Evening Grosbeaks, 47 Pine Grosbeaks and 37 Dark-eyed Juncos (1 hyemalis, 1 cismontanus and 35 montanus).

12.83 hours (266.3) BAEA 1 (108), RLHA 1 (38), GOEA 23 (304) TOTAL 25 (464)

Thursday, March 19 [Day 15] 1200-1915 (Vance Mattson). The temperature ranged from 2C to 5C, winds were moderate SE between 1630 and 1700 but it was otherwise calm, and cloud cover was 70% thin to moderate altostratus, cumulus, cirrus and altocumulus that gave partly sunny conditions. There was another fairly strong raptor movement of 30 birds up to 1847 that comprised 8 Bald Eagles (5a, 3j), 1 adult light morph calurus Red-tailed Hawk and 21 Golden Eagles (18a, 2j, 1u). Thirteen migrants were seen before 1400 but subsequently movement became more sporadic with only 2 birds moving between 1600 and 1800 and 6 after. The last bird was a Bald Eagle that flapped north in the calm conditions. Non-migrants were 4 Bald Eagles (1a, 3j), the resident pair of Red-tailed Hawks, one of which again soared low over the site and single adult resident Golden Eagles that were seen on three occasions.

7.25 hours (60.5) BAEA 8 (48), RTHA 1 (2), GOEA 21 (220) TOTAL 30 (273)