Beaver Mines and Steeples, September 29

Tuesday, September 29 Vicki Ridge [Day 10] 0800-1920 (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, 1310-1905). The temperature at 0800 was 13C, the high at 1630 was 23.5C, which is the highest so far this season, and it was 15C at 1920. Winds were WSW-W 30-40 gusting to 55 km/h to 1830 when it became calm for 10 minutes, and at 1840 the wind suddenly shifted to the E at 15-30 km/h where it remained for the rest of the day. Cloud cover throughout the day was 30-60% generally thin altocumulus and cirrus, with some lenticular cloud developing after 1600, which gave a sunny day and excellent observing conditions. At Waterton 61 a total of 63 migrants of 8 species were seen between 0837 and 1829 that comprised 3a Bald Eagles, 1a male Northern Harrier, 39 Sharp-shinned Hawks (25a, 14u), 2a Cooper’s Hawks, 1j Northern Goshawk, 1j dark morph Swainson’s Hawk, 5 calurus Red-tailed Hawks (2a light morphs and 2a, 1j dark morphs) and 11 Golden Eagles (7a, 3sa, 1j). Movement was very intermittent with birds appearing in clusters with long periods of inaction in between. The highest hourly counts were 11 (1000-1100) and 16 (1100-1200), and 10 from 1700 to 1800 when most of the birds seen soared high before moving to the south. At the Waterton 68 site a total of 54 migrants of 7 species moved between 1313 and 1844 which comprised 2a Bald Eagles, 38 Sharp-shinned Hawks (6a, 3j, 29u), 6 Cooper’s Hawks (3j, 3u), 1a intermediate morph calurus Red-tailed Hawk, 2 light morph Rough-legged Hawks, 4 Golden Eagles (2a, 2u) and 1u American Kestrel. Movement there was also intermittent with 20 of the birds occurring between 1313 and 1400. The combined species count was 117 birds of 10 species seen between 0837 and 1844 that comprised 5a Bald Eagles, 1a male Northern Harrier, 77 Sharp-shinned Hawks (31a, 3j, 43u), 8 Cooper’s Hawks (2a, 3j, 3u), 1j Northern Goshawk, 1j dark morph Swainson’s Hawk, 6 calurus Red-tailed Hawks (2a light morphs. 2a, 1j dark morphs, and 1a intermediate morph, 2 light morph Rough-legged Hawks, 15 Golden Eagles (9a, 3sa, 1j, 2u) and 1u American Kestrel. The highest hourly counts were 25 (1300-1400 and 22 (1700-1800). Other birds seen were 4 Clark’s Nutcrackers, 1 Black-billed Magpie, 195 Common Ravens, 49 American Robins and 101 Pine Siskins. When the wind shifted to the east at 1840 it brought in a total of 164 Canada Geese that flew high to the west and south in 5 flocks between 1856 and 1914, and a single Bonaparte’s Gull that flew high to the west at 1903.

11.33 hours (109.9) BAEA 5 (31), NOHA 1 (8), SSHA 77 (457), COHA 8 (82), NOGO 1 (6), SWHA 1 (3), RTHA 6 (121), RLHA 2 (14), GOEA 15 (389), AMKE 1 (10) TOTAL 117 (1172)

Tuesday, September 29 Mount Lorette [Day 10] 0740-1920 (George Halmazna, assisted by Dan Parliament). Observers counted 56 migrant raptors of 6 species that comprised 1u Bald Eagle, 5 Sharp-shinned Hawks (1a, 1j, 3u), 5 Northern Goshawks (4a, 1j), 6 (5a, 1j),calurus light morph Red-tailed Hawks, 35 (25a, 3j, 7u) Golden Eagles and 4u columbarius Merlins.

12.25 hours (122.7) BAEA 1 (13), SSHA 5 (63), NOGO 5 (22), RTHA 6 (22), GOEA 35 (390), MERL 4 (7) TOTAL 56 (569)

Tuesday, September 29 Steeples (Vance Mattson).  No observation.