Beaver Mines and Steeples, October 8

Thursday, October 08 Vicki Ridge [Day 19] 0750-1905 (Peter Sherrington and Hilary Atkinson, assisted by Phil Nicholas (1100-1745), observing from the Waterton 61 wellsite on the western flank of the ridge; and Gord Petersen at the western edge of Kyllo Ridge at the Waterton 68 wellsite, 0905-1710). The temperature at 0750 was 14C, the high at 1400 and again at 1600 was 20C and it was 15C at 1905. Winds were again strong WSW-W all day 30-40 gusting 60 km/h. Cloud cover was 10-20% cumulus to 0930 and then increased to 40-90% cumulus, altostratus altocumulus and cirrus to 1730 after which 70-100% dark cumulus moved from the west and threatened the rain that began to fall around 2000. The thin smoke haze that has persisted for the last several days became noticeably thicker after 1330. At the Waterton 61 site observers counted a total of 172 migrant raptors of 8 species between 0824 and 1739 that comprised 3 Bald Eagles (1a, 2sa), 17 Sharp-shinned Hawks (3a, 14u), 3 Cooper’s Hawks (1a, 2u), 1a Northern Goshawk, 2 light morph calurus Red-tailed Hawks (1a, 1u), 2 light morph Rough-legged Hawks, 143 Golden Eagles (99a, 8sa, 32j, 4u) and 1u male columbarius Merlin. The highest hourly count was 45 (including 43 Golden Eagles) between 0900 and 1000 and movement was fairly steady thereafter with only a couple of 40-minute hiatuses during the day until the lowering dark cumulus cloud stopped the migration at 1739. At the Waterton 68 site Gord counted a very similar total of 174 raptors of 7 species between 0914 and 1651 that comprised 3a Bald Eagles, 30 Sharp-shinned Hawks (2a, 1j, 27u), 2u Cooper’s Hawks, 1u Northern Goshawk, 3a light morph calurus Red-tailed Hawks, 4 Rough-legged Hawks (3 light, 1 dark) and 131 Golden Eagles (84a, 2sa, 33j, 12u). The highest hourly counts were 30 (0900-1000) and 35 (1400-1500). The combined species count was a season high 346 migrants of 8 species that moved between 0824 and 1739 and comprised 6 Bald Eagles (4a, 2sa), 47 Sharp-shinned Hawks (5a, 1j, 41u), 5 Cooper’s Hawks (1a, 4u), 2 Northern Goshawks (1a, 1u), 5 light morph calurus Red-tailed Hawks (4a, 1u), 6 Rough-legged Hawks (5 light, 1 dark), a season-high 274 Golden Eagles (183a, 10sa, 65j, 16u) and 1u male columbarius Merlin. The highest combined-site hourly count was 75 between 0900 and 1000 and the second highest was 57 between 1400 and 1500.  Only four other bird species were noted: 8 Black-billed Magpies, 9 Common Ravens, 7 American Robins and 8 Pine Siskins.

11.25 hours (209) BAEA 6 (46), SSHA 47 (687), COHA 5 (111), NOGO 2 (19), RTHA 5 (181), RLHA 6 (38), GOEA 274 (956), MERL 1 (23) TOTAL 346 (2152)

Thursday, October 08 Mount Lorette [Day 19] 0745-1900 (Graeme Dunlop assisted by Joel Duncan). When 46 Golden Eagles were counted between 1000 and 1100 the observers envisaged a very high count but progressively deteriorating weather through the afternoon produced a final count of 167 migrant raptors of 7 species which, although a good total, failed to meet early expectations. The count of 7 species was 6 Bald Eagles (2a, 2sa, 1j, 1u), 1u Sharp-shinned Hawk, 1a Cooper’s Hawk, 5a Northern Goshawks, 152 Golden Eagles (62a, 13sa, 3j, 74u), 1u American Kestrel and 1 unidentified large falcon.

11.25 hours (230) BAEA 6 (68), SSHA 1 (92), COHA 1 (16), NOGO 5 (41), GOEA 152 (1551), AMKE 1 (2) UF 1 (6) TOTAL 167 (1899)

Thursday, October 08 Steeples (Vance Mattson).  No observation (weather). When Vance was finally free to go to the site at 1600 it began to rain, with heavy cloud developing to the north!