Beaver Mines and Steeples, March 25

Wednesday, March 25 Beaver Mines [Day 30] 0710-2020 (Peter Sherrington and Hilary Atkinson). The temperature at 0710 was -5C, the high at 1700 was -1C and it was -4C at 2020. It was calm to 0900 then NNE-ENE 5-18 km/h to 1700, SW-WSW 20-30 km/h to 1800 and then light N-NE for the rest of the day. Cloud cover was 100% stratus to 1720 that brought periods of light snow and often obscured the ridge in low cloud or fog for periods up to an hour. From 1720 to 1930 there was 60-80% cumulus cover that dwindled to 10% at 2000 and it was cloudless at 2020. The ridge was completely clear after 1500 but there were occasional light flurries for the rest of the day. The mixed conditions produced a disappointing count of 14 migrants that comprised 1 adult male Sharp-shinned Hawk, a season-high 5 adult light morph calurus Red-tailed Hawks and 8 adult Golden Eagles that were seen between 1041 and 1808. A SW flow was observed above the ridge at 1140 and it is likely that favourable migration conditions were established on the higher ridges to the west at this time and carried the significant Golden Eagle movement that was seen at Mount Lorette today. At Mount Lorette Bill Wilson counted 149 migrants that comprised 5 Bald Eagles (3a, 1sa, 1u) and 144 Golden Eagles (82a, 5sa, 11j, 46u) in 13.33 hours of observation. Most of the birds moved after 1500 and the busiest hour was 1900-2000 when 37 birds were counted. Other birds seen at Beaver Mines were 24 Canada Geese, 4 Mallards, 4 Green-winged Teal, 9 Rock Pigeons, 1 Eurasian Collared Dove, 1 Great Blue Heron perched on a fence post near the creek, 1 Downy Woodpecker, 2 Northern Flickers (1u Yellow-shafted and 1male Red-shafted), 1 male Pileated Woodpecker,  2 Steller’s Jays, 2 Blue Jays, 2 Black-billed Magpies, 21 Common Ravens, 5 Black-capped Chickadees, 6 Mountain Chickadees, 16 European Starlings, 5 Pine Grosbeaks, 1 American Tree Sparrow and 61 Dark-eyed Juncos (1 cismontanus and 60 montanus).

13.16 hours (344.7) SSHA 1 (5), RTHA 5 (12), GOEA 8 (415) TOTAL 14 (659)

Wednesday, March 25 [Day 21] 1145-1915 (Vance Mattson). The temperature was 6C, cloud cover was 30-60% cumulus that gave mainly sunny conditions and it was mainly calm. A total of 30 migrant eagles were seen between 1219 and 1846 that comprised 7 Bald Eagles (2a, 1sa, 4j) and 23 Golden Eagles (19a, 1sa, 1j, 2u). Six birds moved before 1400, 4 between 1400 and 1500 and the highest hourly count was 15 between 1500 and 1600. Non-migrants were 23 Bald Eagles, including 19 adults that were seen throughout the day. They were often in groups of two to four and frequently interacted including some very spirited chases and exchanges. The most amusing display was an adult bird that carried a stick south along the ridge, and repeatedly struggled to transfer it from its talons to its beak. It soared while attempting to do this for a long while thrice dropping the stick but quickly diving to recover it.  The fourth time, however, the eagle could not recover the prized possession and reluctantly continued south without it after scanning the territory below several times in an attempt to relocate the stick. A total of six adults moved south along the ridge after 1830.

7.5 hours (104.8) BAEA 7 (94), GOEA 23 (285), TOTAL 30 (387)