Beaver Mines and Steeples, October 2

Friday, October 02 Vicki Ridge [Day 10] 0800-1920 (Peter Sherrington and Hilary Atkinson observing from the Waterton 61 wellsite on the western flank of the ridge, with Doug and Teresa Dolmen, Denise Cocciolone-Amatto, Raymond Toal  and John Kinnear on the ridge-top; and Gord Petersen and Cathy Scrimshaw at the western edge of Kyllo Ridge at the Waterton 68 wellsite, 1345-1855). The temperature at 0800 was 6C, the high at 1500 and 1600 was 20C and it was 15C at 1910. Winds were variable ENE- SE all day, mainly light but occasionally gusting to 20 km/h in the late afternoon. It was cloudless all day with a persistent very light smoke haze that did not affect the viewing conditions. Despite these unpromising conditions observers at Waterton 61 and on the ridgetop counted a total of 90 migrant raptors of 9 species between 1006 and 1832 that comprised 2j Northern Harriers (1 female, 1u), 11 Sharp-shinned Hawks (5a, 6u), 2a Cooper’s Hawks, 3 small unidentified Accipiters, 2 light morph Broad-winged Hawks (1a, 1j), 18 Red-tailed Hawks (16 calurus: 10 light morphs (7a, 3u) and 6 dark morphs (5a, 1u); 1a dark morph harlani; and 1 undifferentiated bird), 3 Rough-legged Hawks (1 light, 1 dark, 1u), 1 undifferentiated dark Buteo, 44 Golden Eagles (24a, 7sa, 11j, 2u), 2 American Kestrels (1 male, 1 female) and 2 Prairie Falcons. The highest hourly count was 28 birds between 1100 and 1200 that included 24 Golden Eagles and seemed to presage a significant movement, but subsequently movement gradually dwindled and only 6 migrants were counted after 1600. The count at Waterton 68 where the wind was very light throughout was only 5 birds, 1u Coopers Hawk and 4 Golden Eagles (1a, 1j, 2u between 1345 and 1855. Other birds recorded were 9 Canada Geese, 1 Northern Pygmy-Owl on the ridgetop, 4 Clark’s Nutcrackers, 5 Black-billed Magpies, 160 Common Ravens most of which flew west to roost in the late afternoon, 2 Mountain Chickadees, 5 Red-breasted Nuthatches that mobbed the pygmy-owl,  20 American Robins, 50 Pine Siskins and 1 Yellow-rumped Warbler.

11.16 hours (142.8) NOHA 2 (12), SSHA 11 (500), COHA 3 (94), UA 3 (6), BWHA 2 (14), RTHA 18 (142), RLHA 3 (21), UB 1 (7), GOEA 48 (458), AMKE 2 (13), PRFA 2 (4) TOTAL 95 (1352)

Friday, October 02 Mount Lorette [Day 12] 0730-1900 (Joel Duncan assisted by Caroline Lambert). After yesterday’s big count today’s total of 32 migrants of 5 species was disappointing and comprised 1sa Bald Eagle, 1u Sharp-shinned Hawk, 1u Cooper’s Hawk, 1u light morph calurus Red-tailed Hawk , 27 Golden Eagles (12a, 2sa, 6j 4u) and 1 small unidentified raptor.

12.5 hours (159.5) BAEA 1 (50), SSHA 1 (75), COHA 1 (12), RTHA 1 (41), GOEA 27 (608), UU 1 (2) TOTAL 32 (870)

Friday, October 02 Steeples [Day 1] 1300-1500 (Vance Mattson). The temperature was 16C, and it was calm and cloudless with a slight smoke haze. One adult Sharp-shinned Hawk, 1a light calurus Red-tailed Hawk and 1 female American Kestrel were the only migrants noted.

2 hours SSHA 1, RTHA 1, AMKE 1 TOTAL 3