Beaver Mines and Steeples, March 26

Thursday, March 26 Beaver Mines [Day 31] 070-2015 (Peter Sherrington and Hilary Atkinson). The temperature at 0700 was -2C, the high at 1500 was 5C and it was 0C at 2015. Winds were SW-WSW 40-50 gusting 70-80 km/h all day. It was mainly cloudless to 1300 after which 20-70% thin altocumulus variously developed to 1730 that thickened to 80-90% altostratus and altocumulus to 2000 when it was 100% stratus. The conditions produced a long steady migration of a season-high 127 raptors of 6 species between 0714 and 1906 that comprised 11 Bald Eagles (10a, 1j), 2u Sharp-shinned Hawks, 3 Northern Goshawks (2a, 1j), 5 adult light morph calurus Red-tailed Hawks, a season-high 103 Golden Eagles (88a, 3sa, 8j, 4u) and 3 Prairie Falcons that were the first for the season. Ten Golden Eagles moved before 0800 and the highest hourly count was 24, which included 20 Golden Eagles, between 1500 and 1600.At Mount Lorette Joel Duncan reported 68 migrants that comprised 2 Bald Eagles (1a, 1sa), 1 unidentified Buteo, 61 Golden Eagles (41a, 2sa, 1j, 17u), 3 unidentified eagles and 1 Prairie Falcon in 13 hours of observation. Other birds seen at Beaver Mines were 52 Canada Geese, 3 Mallards, 6 male Common Mergansers, 1 Rock Pigeon, 2 Downy Woodpeckers, 1male Red-shafted Flicker, 2 Black-billed Magpies, 29 American Crows, 27 Common Ravens, 3 Black-capped Chickadees, 4 Mountain Chickadees, 2 American Robins, 12 European Starlings, 18 Evening Grosbeaks, 6 Pine Grosbeaks, 1perched Grey-crowned Rosy Finch of the race littoralis and a flock of 15 of undetermined race that flew high to the NW at 0958, and 71 Dark-eyed Juncos (1 cismontanus and 70 montanus).

13.25 (357.9) BAEA 11 (164), SSHA 2 (7), NOGO 3 (17), GOEA 103 (518), PRFA 3 (3) TOTAL 127 (786)

Thursday, March 26 [Day 22] 1200-1900 (Vance Mattson). The temperature was 6C, 20-60% cumulus, altocumulus and altostratus cloud cover allowed mainly sunny conditions and strong S winds became moderate W later in the day. A total of 9 migrants moved between 1459 and 1720 consisting of 4 Bald Eagles (2a, 2j), 1 light morph Rough-legged Hawk that was the first for the season, and 4 Bald Eagles (2a, 2j). Several of the migrants glided high and fast west of the ridge and directly over the observation site. Non-migrants were 12 Bald Eagles (7a, 5j) and 2 resident Golden Eagles (1a, 1j). The adult Golden Eagle briefly performed a courtship display that was the first seen this season.

7 hours (111.8) BAEA 4 (98), RLHA 1 (1), GOEA 4 (289) TOTAL 9 (396)