Beaver Mines and Steeples, October 31

Saturday, October 31 Vicki Ridge [Day 40] 0810-1840 (Peter Sherrington and Hilary Atkinson, assisted by Phil Nicholas (1145-1720), observing from the Waterton 61 wellsite on the western flank of the ridge; and Gord Petersen (1322-1816) at the western edge of Kyllo Ridge at the Waterton 68 wellsite). The temperature at 0810 was 1C, the high at 1500 was 9C and it was 5C at 1840, and the wind was W 10-20 gusting 30 km/h to 1100 then WSW 30-40 gusting 50-60 km/h for the rest of the day. It was cloudless with occasional traces of altocumulus to 1300 when 10% altocumulus developed and after 1330 cloud cover was 50-60% altocumulus and lenticular for the rest of the day. At Waterton 61 a total of 86 migrant raptors of 6 species was seen between 0839 and 1750 that comprised 15 Bald Eagles (11a, 2sa2, 1sa1, 1j), 3 Sharp-shinned Hawks (2a, 1u), 1a Cooper’s Hawk, 6a Northern Goshawks, 17 light morph Rough-legged Hawks and 44 Golden Eagles (39a, 3sa, 2j). Movement was steady to 1536 and peaked at 33 birds between 1200 and 1300. Only four more migrants and no eagles were seen after 1536. After 1400 the main movement moved to the westernmost ridge as the wind velocity increased and at the Waterton 68 site a total of 41 migrants of 5 species were seen between 1328 and 1812 with a high single hour count of 13 between 1400 and 1500. The count there was 4 Bald Eagles (2a, 1j, 1u), 5u Sharp-shinned Hawks, 6 Northern Goshawks (5a, 1u), 8 light morph Rough-legged Hawks, 16 Golden Eagles (8a, 2j, 5u) and 2 unidentified eagles. The combined sites count was 127 birds of 6 species that moved between 0839 and 1812 and comprised 19 Bald Eagles (13a, 2sa2, 1sa1, 2j, 1u), 8 Sharp-shinned Hawks (2a, 6u), 1a Cooper’s Hawk, 12 Northern Goshawks (11a, 1u), 25 light morph Rough-legged Hawks, 60 Golden Eagles (47a, 3sa, 4j, 6u) and 2 unidentified eagles. Other birds seen were 1 Clark’s Nutcracker, 5 Black-billed Magpies, 253 Common Ravens (172 at Waterton 68), 50 Bohemian Waxwings at Waterton 61 and 662 Grey-crowned Rosy-Finches of which 400 were at Waterton 68.

10.5 hours (398.6) BAEA 19 (271), SSHA 8 (949), COHA 1 (146), NOGO 12 (86), RLHA 25 (234), GOEA 60 (2453), UE 2 (31) TOTAL 127 (4513)

October summary with variance compared to the 2017-2019 three-year average. (New high counts for the month in bold). 29 days (=), 278 hours (+6.4%) TUVU 0,  OSPR 2 (-14.3%), BAEA 240 (-1.9%), NOHA 18 (+200%), SSHA 490 (+43.4%), COHA 63 (+45%), NOGO 78 (+13.6%), BWHA 7 (-53.3%), SWHA 0, RTHA 90 (-22.9%), FEHA 1 (-70.0%), RLHA 220 (-48.3%), GOEA 2062 (-4.2%), AMKE 6 (+28.6%), MERL 12 (+24.1%), GYRF 1 (-70%), PEFA 2 (-28.6%), PRFA 2 (-33.3%), UA 4 (-7.7%), UB 2 (-85.7%), UE 29(+155.9%), UF 0, UU 1 (-25%) TOTAL 3333 (-4.2%).

Saturday, October 31 Mount Lorette [Day 40] 0835-1845 (Blake Weis assisted by Annie Finch). A total of 24 migrant raptors of 5 species moved between 1040 and 1742 that comprised 5 Bald Eagles (3a, 1sa2 and 1 undifferentiated immature bird), 1a male Northern Harrier, 2 Sharp-shinned Hawks (1a, 1u), 2 Northern Goshawks (1a, 1j) and 14 Golden Eagles (5a, 3sa, 2j, 4u).

10.16 hours (436.3) BAEA 5 (152), NOHA 1 (13), SSHA 2 (102), NOGO 2 (63), GOEA 14 (2542) TOTAL 24 (3068)

October summary with variance compared to the 1993-2019 (excluding 1997, 2002, 2006, 2007 and 2008) 22-year average. (New high counts for the month in bold). 29 days (-2.9%). 301.3 hours (-5.4%) TUVU 0, OSPR 3 (+450%), BAEA 126 (-4.9%), NOHA 5 (+0.9%), SSHA 34 (-50.5%), COHA 13 (+31.8%), NOGO 38 (+39.8%), BWHA 0, SWHA 0,RTHA 39 (+175.9%), FEHA 0, RLHA 21 (-46.3%), GOEA 2120 (-22%), AMKE 1 (+10%), MERL 4 (-7.4%), GYRF 2 (+33.3%), PEFA 0, PRFA 3 (+106.3%), UA 2 (-42.9%), UB 2 (-25.4%), UE 23 (+368.5%), UF 6 (+325.6%) UU 2 (-13.7%) TOTAL 2444 (-19.8%).

Saturday, October 31 Steeples (Vance Mattson). No observation. Vance decided to check out the Purcell Mountains today where he found what seems to be a new Golden Eagle territory, which would be the third so far for his study area.

October summary. 17 days (53 hours) BAEA 46, SSHA 11, NOGO 1, RTHA 4, GOEA 51, UE 2, AMKE 1 TOTAL 116