Beaver Mines and Steeples, March 22

Sunday, March 22 Beaver Mines [Day 27] 0710-2010 (Peter Sherrington and Hilary Atkinson).The temperature at 0710 was -9C and there was 5 cm of overnight snow on the ground; the high at 1700 and 1800 was 7C and it was 5C at 2010. Winds were SW and occasionally WSW all day at a remarkably constant velocity of 30-40 gusting 50 km/h to 1830 after which they dropped below 20 km/h. It was cloudless to 1130 when 20% very thin altocumulus developed and 30-80% thin altocumulus and altostratus then persisted to 1700 after which it was 100% altostratus for the rest of the day. Observing conditions after 1130 were excellent. Presumed high-level border negotiations last night resulted in migrant raptors again being rightly placed in the “essential” category and today produced a season-high total of 104 migrants of a season-high 9 species that moved between 1002 and 1942. The flight comprised a season-high 25 Bald Eagles (16a, 4sa, 5j), 1 adult male Northern Harrier, 1 adult Sharp-shinned Hawk that was the first for the season, 3 Red-tailed Hawks (1u light morph calurus and 2a harlani: 1 dark and 1 light), 1 adult light morph Ferruginous Hawk that was also a first migrant for the season, 6 Rough-legged Hawks (4 light, 2 dark), 63 Golden Eagles (56a, 4sa, 3j) and 1 adult female columbarius Merlin. Nine migrants were seen between 1000 and 1100 but only 7 more moved up to 1400 after which migration was steady with the next three hours producing 20, 19 and 12 birds respectively. 1700 to 1800 saw 5 birds and 1800-1900 4 birds and it appeared that the movement was winding-down for the day, but then a surprising 28 birds, that included 14 Bald Eagles, moved between 1900 and 1942. At Mount Lorette Lori Anderson reported a season-high count of 189 birds of 5 species in 12.83 hours that comprised 9 Bald Eagles (6a, 1sa3, 1 undifferentiated immature and 1u). 3 Northern Goshawks (2a, 1j), 3 light morphcalurus Red-tailed Hawks (2a, 1j), 1 light morph Rough-legged Hawk, 1 unidentified Buteo, 168 Golden Eagles (103a, 7sa, 1j, 57u), 3 unidentified eagles and 1 small unidentified raptor. It is probable that a high number of these Golden Eagles moved on ridges to the west of Beaver Mines today. Other birds seen at Beaver Mines were 20 Canada Geese, 7 Rock Pigeons, 1 Eurasian Collared Dove, 2 Downy Woodpeckers, 1male Red-shafted Flicker, 1 Steller’s Jay, 4 Blue Jays, 2 American Crows, 34 Common Ravens, 6 Black-capped Chickadees, 6 Mountain Chickadees, 1 Red-breasted Nuthatch, 3 American Robins, 23 European Starlings, 4 Evening Grosbeaks, 18 Pine Grosbeaks and 32 Dark-eyed Juncos (2 cismontanus and 30 montanus).

13 hours (305.3) BAEA 25 (143), NOHA 1 (3), SSHA 1 (1), NOGO 3 (14), RTHA 3 (6), FEHA 1 (1), RLHA 6 (48), GOEA 63 (383), MERL 1 (2) TOTAL 104 (602)

Sunday, March 22 [Day 18] 1045-1845 (Vance Mattson). The temperature at the start of observation was -2C and it rose to a high of 9C, but winds that were originally light SW became moderate to strong S and later W that made it feel much colder. It was cloudless to 1430 when 60% cumulus and altocumulus formed that became 100% stratus by 1730. After a week of fairly strong movement today saw only 8 migrants, 5 Bald Eagles (1a, 1sa, 3j) and 3 adult Golden Eagles, which moved as single birds between 1254 and 1759. Non-migrant birds were 9 Bald Eagles (6a, 3j) and 3 resident Golden Eagles (1a, 2j). Both of the juvenile Golden Eagles were seen hunting.

8 hours (84.25) BAEA 5 (86), GOEA 3 (250) TOTAL 8 (344)