Beaver Mines and Steeples, October 28

Wednesday, October 28 Vicki Ridge [Day 37] 0815-1835 (Peter Sherrington and Hilary Atkinson observing from the Waterton 61 wellsite on the western flank of the ridge; and Gord Petersen (1253-1703) at the western edge of Kyllo Ridge at the Waterton 68 wellsite). The temperature at 0815 was 3C, the high at 1100 and 1200 was 7C and it was 5C at 1835. Winds were W 15-20 gusting 30-45 km/h to 1400, WSW 30-40 gusting 50 km/h to 1700 after which they became light for the rest of the day. Cloud cover was 100% stratocumulus, cirrostratus and altocumulus to 1000, 60-80% Cu and altostratus to 1230 that produced the day’s only extended sunshine, and then 80-100% dark stratocumulus that gave gloomy conditions for the rest of the day. The count at Waterton 61 was 49 migrants of 6 species that were seen between 0846 and 1726 and comprised 16 Bald Eagles (10a, 2sa2, 3j, 1u), 8 Sharp-shinned Hawks (4a, 1j, 3u), 1u Cooper’s Hawk, 1 light morph Rough-legged Hawk, 21 Golden Eagles (17a, 4sa), 1 unidentified eagle and 1 female American Kestrel that flew high to the south above the ridge at 1640. Only 10 birds moved before 1200 and the highest single-hour count was 12 between 1600 and 1700. At Waterton 68 50 migrants of 6 species moved between 1257 and 1659 comprising 9 Bald Eagles (6a, 1sa, 1j, 1u), 6 Sharp-shinned Hawks (2a, 4u), 2 Cooper’s Hawks (1j, 1u), 2a Northern Goshawks, 5 Rough-legged Hawks (4 light, 1 dark), 25 Golden Eagles (14a, 1j, 10u) and 1 unidentified eagle. The highest hourly counts were 16 (1500-1600) and 17 (1600-1700). The combined site count was 99 migrants of 7 species that moved between 0846 and 1726 that comprised 25 Bald Eagles (16a, 2sa2, 1sa, 4j, 2u), 14 Sharp-shinned Hawks (6a, 1j, 7u), 3 Cooper’s Hawks (1j, 2u), 6 Rough-legged Hawks (5 light, 1 dark), 46 Golden Eagles (31a, 4sa, 1j, 10u), 2 unidentified eagles and 1 female American Kestrel. The highest combined site hourly count was 29 between 1600 and 1700. Other birds seen were 9 Black-billed Magpies, 260 Common Ravens (156 at Waterton 61 and 104 at Waterton 68), 243 Grey-crowned Rosy-Finches (218 at Waterton 61) and 41 Pine Siskins.

10.33 hours (367.6) BAEA 25 (194), SSHA 14 (928), COHA 3 (144), NOGO 2 (67), RLHA 6 (193), GOEA 46 (2347), UE 2 (12), AMKE 1 (16) TOTAL 99 (4224)

Wednesday, October 28 Mount Lorette [Day 37] 0810-1840 (Bill Wilson assisted by Glenn Webber). Despite apparently good migration and observing conditions only 14 migrants of 3 species were seen between 1250 and 1750 that comprised 3 Bald Eagles (2a, 1j), 1u Northern Goshawk and 10 Golden Eagles (6a, 3j, 1u).

10.5 hours (408.4) BAEA 3 (141), NOGO 1 (59), GOEA 10 (2475) TOTAL 14 (2976)

Wednesday, October 28 Steeples [Day 15] 1500-1700 (Vance Mattson). Two hours of observation at the Wolf Creek site produced no migrant raptors. The temperature was 6C, it was calm and 100% altostratus and stratus cloud cover obscured the higher ridges. Three non-migrant Golden Eagles, an adult, a subadult and a juvenile, were conspicuous in the area with one or two birds seen in the air for about half the time spent at the site.

2 hours (49) TOTAL 0 (113)