Beaver Mines and Steeples, September 24

Thursday, September 24 Vicki Ridge [Day 5] 0815-1900 (Peter Sherrington and Hilary Atkinson observing from the Waterton 61 wellsite on the western flank of the ridge, and Gord Petersen and Cathy Scrimshaw at the western edge of Kyllo Ridge at the Waterton 68 wellsite, 1320-1850). The temperature at 0815 was 10.5C, the high at 1300 was 14C and it was 8C at 1900. Winds were WSW-WNW all day, 40-50 gusting 60-70 km/h to 1500, 60-70 gusting 90-100 km/h to 1830 that finally dropped to 30-40 gusting 60 by 1900. Cloud cover was again very variable and fast changing with 40-60% cumulus, altocumulus and stratocumulus with frequent rain showers to 1100 and 100-80% cumulus and stratocumulus to the north and west to 1530 that again brought periods of rain. After 1530 the skies cleared with 10% cumulus allowing sunny conditions with occasional incursions of stratus cloud sweeping down from the west that brought yet more showers. At Waterton 61 only 10 migrants were seen between 0848 and 1806 with only 2 birds moving after 1402. The count was 1a Bald Eagle, 4 Sharp-shinned Hawks (1a, 2j, 1u), 1a dark morph calurus Red-tailed Hawk and 4 Golden Eagles (3a, 1j). At the Waterton 68 site no migrants were seen until 1342 but subsequently there was a steady movement of 61 birds to 1900 that comprised 2j Bald Eagles, 4 Sharp-shinned Hawks (1j, 3u), 3 Cooper’s Hawks (1j, 2u), 1j Northern Goshawk, 3a Red-tailed Hawks (1 light, 1 intermediate and 1 dark), 47 Golden Eagles (21a, 3sa, 23j) and 1 unidentified eagle. The combined total of 71 birds of 6 species counted between 0848 and 1900 was 3 Bald Eagles (1a, 2j), 8 Sharp-shinned Hawks (1a, 3j, 4u), 3 Cooper’s Hawks (1j, 2u), 1j Northern Goshawk, 4a Red-tailed Hawks (1 light, 1 intermediate and 2 dark), 51 Golden Eagles (24a, 3sa, 24j) and 1 unidentified eagle. The only other birds seen were 1 Northern Flicker, 1 Black-billed Magpie, 39 Common Ravens, 26 American Robins and 1 Yellow-rumped Warbler.

10.75 hours (54.75) BAEA 3 (13), SSHA 8 (140), COHA 3 (37), NOGO 1 (4), RTHA4 (62), GOEA 51 (171) UE 1 (1) TOTAL 71 (468)

Thursday, September 24 Mount Lorette [Day 5] 0715-1930 (Graeme Dunlop, assisted by Rick Robb). A total of 33 birds of 7 species were counted that comprised 1 subadult Bald Eagle, 3 Sharp-shinned Hawks (2a, 1u), 1u Cooper’s Hawk, 3 adult Northern Goshawks, 23 Golden Eagles (17a, 1sa, 2j, 3u), 1 female American Kestrel and 1u richardsonii Merlin.

12.25 hours (62.41) BAEA 1 (12), SSHA 3 (47), COHA 1 (5), NOGO 3 (12), GOEA 23 (189), AMKE 1 (1), MERL 1 (1) TOTAL 33 (294)

Thursday, September 24 Steeples (Vance Mattson).  No observation.