March 28 [Day 27] (Brian McBride, assisted by Alan Hingston) 0735-1950. The temperature was 0C at 0735, rose to a high of 7C at 1700 and was 6C at 1950. Ground winds were S all day 5-10 km/h to 1100 after which it gusted 10-20km/h, while ridge winds were moderate WSW all day. Cloud cover was 50-60% cumulus and altostratus to 0900 after which it was 80-100% stratocumulus, cumulus and altostratus to 1700 then 70% to the end of observation. The ridges were clear all day with the exception of the high peaks to the west that were periodically obscured. The count was a disappointing 11 migrants that moved between 1103 and 1910 comprising 2 adult Bald Eagles, 1 unidentified Buteo and 8 Golden Eagles (6a, 1j, 1u). Four of the Golden Eagles glided from the northern end of the Fisher Range to Mount Lorette, 4 were located over Lorette and probably flew from Wasootch Creek, and the 2 Bald Eagles flew due north from the Fisher Range. Non-migrant raptors were 2 adult Bald Eagles, 1 adult Northern Goshawk and 1 or 2 adult light morph calurus Red-tailed Hawks. Other birds seen included 2 Northern Flickers, 1 Northern Shrike, 2 male Mountain Bluebirds, 5 American Robins, 1 Varied Thrush and 5 Dark-eyed [Oregon] Juncos. The 33 visitors to the site were largely disappointed by today’s meagre migration.

12.25 hours (295.3) BAEA 2 (143), UB 1 (3), GOEA 8 (1917) TOTAL 11 (2118)

Beaver Mines [Day 31] (Peter Sherrington) 0800-1930. The temperature rose to a high of 7C at 1500 and 1600 from a low at 0800 of 3C and it was 4C at the end of observation. It felt much cooler as winds were W-WSW all day, 30-40 gusting to 65 km/h to 1300, and gusting up to 85 km/h in the afternoon. Cloud cover was 70-100% stratocumulus, altostratus and cumulus to 1530 when the stratus thinned allowing hazy sunshine and after 1845 the cloud reduced to 30% cumulus and altocumulus for the rest of the day. Movement was initially very slow with the first bird recorded at 0932 and by 1300 only 4 birds had been counted. The pace subsequently quickened and when the last 2 Golden Eagles glided high to the NW at 1914 a total of 41 migrants of 8 species had been seen. The count was 4 adult Bald Eagles, 1 adult male Northern Harrier, 1 adult Sharp-shinned Hawk, 8 calurus light morph Red-tailed Hawks (7a, 1u), 2 Rough-legged Hawks (1 light, 1 dark), 23 Golden Eagles (22a, 1u), the season’s first Peregrine Falcon, an adult male that flew high to the NNW at 1734, and an adult female Prairie Falcon. A flock of 200 migrating Grey-crowned Rosy-Finches flew high overhead at 1155.

11.5 hours (264.8) BAEA 4 (202), NOHA 1 (13), SSHA 1 (15), RTHA 8 (65), RLHA 2 (52), GOEA 23 (904), PEFA 1 (1), PRFA 1 (6) TOTAL 41 (1325)

Steeples (Vance Mattson) No observation.

MOUNT LORETTE SUMMARY COUNT (March 1 to April 22)

DAYS 27

HOURS 295

TURKEY VULTURE (TUVU) 0

OSPREY (OSPR) 0

BALD EAGLE (BAEA) 143

NORTHERN HARRIER (NOHA) 1

SHARP-SHINNED HAWK (SSHA) 2

COOPER’S HAWK (COHA) 0

NORTHERN GOSHAWK (NOGO) 9

Accipiter sp. (UA) 0

BROAD-WINGED HAWK (BWHA) 0

SWAINSON’S HAWK (SWHA) 0

RED-TAILED HAWK (RTHA) 7

FERRUGINOUS HAWK (FEHA) 0

ROUGH-LEGGED HAWK (RLHA) 21

Buteo sp. (UB) 3

GOLDEN EAGLE (GOEA) 1917

Eagle sp. (UE) 9

AMERICAN KESTREL (AMKE) 0

MERLIN (MERL) 2

GYRFALCON (GYRF) 1

PEREGRINE FALCON (PEFA) 1

PRAIRIE FALCON (PRFA) 0

Falco sp. (UF) 1

Unidentified Raptor (UU) 1

TOTAL 2118

March 27 [Day 26] (Jim Davis, assisted by Alan Hingston) 0800-2000. The temperature was 0C at 0800, rose to a high of 7C at 1700 and 1800, and was 5C at 2000. Ground winds were S all day 5-15 km/h while ridge winds were light to moderate W. Cloud cover was 30% cumulus to 1100 after which it was 70% stratocumulus for the rest of the day apart from around noon when it was 100%. The ridges were clear all day but in the west the cloud hung just above the peaks. Raptor movement was steady between 0922 and 1858 with 67 birds of 5 species generally moving slowly on a broad front, most of which soared for extended periods much to the delight of the 40 visitors at the site who had gathered in anticipation of such a spectacle. About 50% of the migrants moved directly overhead, 25% were to the west and 25% used the eastern route. The flight comprised 8 Bald Eagles (2a, 2sa, 4j), 3 Northern Goshawks (2a, 1j), 4 Red-tailed Hawks (3 adult light morph calurus and 1 adult dark morph harlani), 51 Golden Eagles (33a, 2sa, 3j, 13u) and the highlight of the day, the season’s first adult Peregrine Falcon. A season high total of 25 other bird species were noted including 3 Northern Pygmy-Owls that called all day, 1 Northern Flicker, 1 Pileated Woodpecker, 12 Mountain Bluebirds (7 male and 5 female), 13 American Robins, 6 Varied Thrushes, 70 Bohemian Waxwings in 2 flocks, 4 Dark-eyed Juncos of the race cismontanus, 27 Grey-crowned Rosy-Finches, 1 White-winged Crossbill and 6 Common Redpolls. A splendid time was guaranteed for all!

12 hours (283) BAEA 8 (141), NOGO 3 (9), RTHA 4 (7), GOEA 51 (1909), PEFA 1 (1) TOTAL 67 (2107)

Beaver Mines [Day 30] (Peter Sherrington) 0800-1900. The temperature at 0800 was 5C, the high at 1600 was 9.5C and it was 6C at 1900. Winds were W-WSW 15-30 gusting to 54 km/h, and cloud cover was initially 60% altocumulus and altostratus which rapidly thickened to 100% stratus and cumulus to 1500, after which it broke up to 80-90% altocumulus, altostratus and cumulus for the rest of the day. A total of 50 raptors of 7 species moved between 1036 and 1852, 28 of which were recorded between 1300 and 1500. All birds moved high and details were often difficult to discern against the solid grey stratus background. The count was 9 Bald Eagles (5a, 1sa, 3j), a season high 5 Northern Harriers (3 adult males, 1 adult female, 1u), 2 Sharp-shinned Hawks (1a, 1u), 1 adult Northern Goshawk, a season high 21 Red-tailed Hawks (15 calurus: 13 light morphs (10a, 3u) and 2 adult dark morphs, 1 adult dark morph harlani and 5 birds of unknown race, morph or age), 3 Rough-legged Hawks (2 light, I dark) and 9 Golden Eagles (5a, 2sa, 1j, 1u). Again the two pairs of Red-tailed Hawks were conspicuous between 1046 and 1855, with many display flights seen.

11 hours (253.3) BAEA 9 (198), NOHA 5 (12), SSHA 2 (14), NOGO 1 (39), RTHA 21 (57), RLHA 3 (50), GOEA 9 (881) TOTAL 50 (1284)

Steeples (Vance Mattson) No observation.

MOUNT LORETTE SUMMARY COUNT (March 1 to April 22)

DAYS 26

HOURS 283

TURKEY VULTURE (TUVU) 0

OSPREY (OSPR) 0

BALD EAGLE (BAEA) 141

NORTHERN HARRIER (NOHA) 1

SHARP-SHINNED HAWK (SSHA) 2

COOPER’S HAWK (COHA) 0

NORTHERN GOSHAWK (NOGO) 9

Accipiter sp. (UA) 0

BROAD-WINGED HAWK (BWHA) 0

SWAINSON’S HAWK (SWHA) 0

RED-TAILED HAWK (RTHA) 7

FERRUGINOUS HAWK (FEHA) 0

ROUGH-LEGGED HAWK (RLHA) 21

Buteo sp. (UB) 2

GOLDEN EAGLE (GOEA) 1909

Eagle sp. (UE) 9

AMERICAN KESTREL (AMKE) 0

MERLIN (MERL) 2

GYRFALCON (GYRF) 1

PEREGRINE FALCON (PEFA) 1

PRAIRIE FALCON (PRFA) 0

Falco sp. (UF) 1

Unidentified Raptor (UU) 1

TOTAL 2107

March 26 [Day 25] (Blake Weis, assisted by Lori Anderson) 0720-2020. The temperature reached a high of 6C from 1600 to 1800 from a morning low of -2C, and was 3C at the end of observation. Ground winds were calm or very light to 0900 then SW 5-10 gusting up to 20 km/h for the rest of the day, while ridge winds were moderate to strong SW that became light after 1800. Cloud cover was initially 80% cumulus, altocumulus and altostratus that gradually diminished to 10% cumulus at 1500 that then slowly increased to 30% cumulus and altostratus at the end of observation. The ridges remained clear all day and observation conditions were good. There was a fairly strong and persistent raptor movement of 93 birds between 1107 and 1920 involving 9 Bald Eagles (8a, 1sa), the season’s first Northern Harrier, an adult male, 1 adult Northern Goshawk and 82 Golden Eagles (59a, 2sa, 5j, 16u). About half the day’s movement was on the western route with birds gliding high from Mount Kidd to Mount Allen and on to Mount Lorette, while the rest were initially located over Mount Lorette. Only 3 birds were seen over the Fisher Range so they were either gliding high overhead to Lorette or originating in the Wasootch Creek area. In either case they proved to be invisible against the mainly cloudless sky of the afternoon. Forty of the migrants, 3 Bald Eagles, 1 Northern Harrier and 36 Golden Eagles, moved between 1700 and 1900. Other birds seen included 13 unidentified swans that flew high to the north above Mount Lorette, 40 migrating Canada Geese, 1 Northern Pygmy-Owl, 1 Pileated Woodpecker, 7 Mountain Bluebirds, 20 American Robins, 4 Varied Thrushes, 2 Red-winged Blackbirds (male and female) and 5 Common Redpolls. A great Horned Owl was seen flying at 2020 as the observers left. The 35 visitors to the site today all enjoyed good views of the migrating eagles.

13 hours (271) BAEA 9 (133), NOHA 1 (1), NOGO 1 (6), GOEA 82 (1858) TOTAL 93 (2040)

Beaver Mines [Day 29] (Peter Sherrington, assisted by Doug and Teresa Dolman) 0800-1900. The temperature at 0800 was 1C, rose to a high of 9C from 1500 to 1700 and was 7C at 1900. Winds were WSW-W all day, 20-30 gusting to 43 km/h to 1700 after which they dropped to below 20 km/h. Cloud cover was 0-10% cumulus to 1300 after which 60-70% cirrostratus, cumulus, altocumulus and lenticular cloud quickly developed which became 100% thick altostratus and cumulus after 1600. The ridges to the SW were clear all day and may have seen most of the raptor movement because at Beaver Mines migration was very slow and sporadic and ceased completely after 1536. The count was 21 birds of 8 species comprising a season high 3 Northern Harriers (all adult males), 2 Sharp-shinned Hawks (1a, 1u), 1 adult Northern Goshawk that was the first migrant of the day at 0837, 8 Red-tailed Hawks (calurus 7: 5 light, 3a, 2u), 2 dark, 1a, 1u; and 1 adult dark harlani), 1 adult light morph Ferruginous Hawk, 1 light Rough-legged Hawk, only 4 Golden Eagles (2a, 1sa, 1j) and 1 Prairie Falcon. A Sandhill Crane soared very high above the valley at 1452, and at 1536 an adult Northern Harrier, which proved to be the last migrant of the day, put up a cloud of 60 American Crows and 300 European Starlings that had been feeding in the fields of the valley bottom. Two pairs of resident Red-tailed Hawks were conspicuous in the air for most of the day, but even they vanished after 1630.

11 hours (242.3) NOHA 3 (7), SSHA 2 (12), NOGO 1 (38), RTHA 8 (36), FEHA 1 (2), RLHA 1 (47), GOEA 4 (872), PRFA 1 (5) TOTAL 21 (1234)

Steeples (Vance Mattson) [Day 11] 1200-1830. Observation today was from the Bull Mountain site where the temperature reached 8C, cloud cover was 60-100% altostratus, cumulus and lenticular and light winds became calm after 1600 which resulted in slow high eagle flight. There was a fairly strong movement of 46 raptors of 3 species between 1312 and 1731 comprising 12 Bald Eagles (8a, 1sa, 3j), 1u Sharp-shinned Hawk, which was the first migrant of the day, 31 Golden Eagles (28a, 2sa, 1j) and 2 unidentified eagles. Twelve migrants moved between 1300 and 1400, none between 1400 and 1500 and 16 in each of the following two hours. Non-migrant birds present were 8 Bald Eagles (6a, 2j), 1 adult Sharp-shinned Hawk, and displaying resident Red-tailed Hawks and 2 adult Golden Eagles, one of which displayed high in the middle a soaring kettle of 4 migrating eagles.

6.5 hours (51) BAEA 12 (86), SSHA 1 (3), GOEA 31 (347), UE 2 (6) TOTAL 46 (445)

MOUNT LORETTE SUMMARY COUNT (March 1 to April 22)

DAYS 25

HOURS 271

TURKEY VULTURE (TUVU) 0

OSPREY (OSPR) 0

BALD EAGLE (BAEA) 133

NORTHERN HARRIER (NOHA) 1

SHARP-SHINNED HAWK (SSHA) 2

COOPER’S HAWK (COHA) 0

NORTHERN GOSHAWK (NOGO) 6

Accipiter sp. (UA) 0

BROAD-WINGED HAWK (BWHA) 0

SWAINSON’S HAWK (SWHA) 0

RED-TAILED HAWK (RTHA) 3

FERRUGINOUS HAWK (FEHA) 0

ROUGH-LEGGED HAWK (RLHA) 21

Buteo sp. (UB) 2

GOLDEN EAGLE (GOEA) 1858

Eagle sp. (UE) 9

AMERICAN KESTREL (AMKE) 0

MERLIN (MERL) 2

GYRFALCON (GYRF) 1

PEREGRINE FALCON (PEFA) 0

PRAIRIE FALCON (PRFA) 0

Falco sp. (UF) 1

Unidentified Raptor (UU) 1

TOTAL 2040

March 25 [Day 24] (Jim Davis, assisted by Chris Hunt and Cliff Hansen) 0730-2000. The temperature was -1C at 0730, reached a high of 6C at 1300 and was 3C at 2000. Ground winds were generally light occasionally gusting to 21 km/h to 1400, then SW 25 gusting 60 km/h that only moderated after 1800. Ridge winds were SW all day, initially light and moderate at the end but strong to very strong between 1000 and 1900. Cloud cover was stratocumulus and lenticular to 1000 and 50-80% to 1300 after which it was 100% stratus to 1700 which cleared to 50% cumulus by 1800 and was cloudless at the end of observation. Moderate snow fell to 1300, and at 1400 the count was moved to the Lusk Creek site where light snow continued to fall until 1715. The eastern route was 50% obscured to 1000 after which it cleared until 1300 although Mount Lorette remained obscured during most of this period. The west was 40-100% obscured throughout. At Lusk Creek the highest foothills ridge was clear. At the Hay Meadow site a total of 10 migrants were seen between 0843 and 1300 all arriving at Mount Lorette from the centre of the valley. At Lusk Creek a further 53 birds were seen of which 26 moved between 1700 and 1800 and 11 between 1800 and 1900. The final tally of 63 birds was 7 adult Bald Eagles, 1 adult Northern Goshawk and 55 Golden Eagles (32a, 2sa, 5j, 16u). Other birds recorded at the Hay Meadow site were 1 Barred Owl singing east of the river at 0904, 1 Northern Pygmy-Owl, 2 Northern Flickers, 1 Pileated Woodpecker, 3 male Mountain Bluebirds, 2 American Robins, 72 Grey-crowned Rosy-Finches and 1 Common Redpoll, while at Lusk Creek 5 unidentified gulls flew north and 30 Red Crossbills were seen. Three Grey Wolves howled from the top of the ridge just after 1800. After the strong Golden Eagle migration of the last week 25 visitors were in the Hay Meadow in the expectation of another strong movement today but unfortunately they were disappointed.

12.5 hours (258) BAEA 7 (124), NOGO 1 (5), GOEA 55 (1776) TOTAL 63 (1947)

Beaver Mines [Day 28] (Peter Sherrington, assisted by Mark and Ian Sherrington) 0800-1830. The temperature at 0800 was 3C rose briefly to a high of 11C at 1300 and was 6C at 1830. Winds again were moderate to strong W-WSW 20-40 gusting up to 60 km/h, and cloud cover was 40-90% cumulus to 1530 that brought snow flurries and one period of snow between 1452 and 1530, after which it was 30% cumulus and sunny. Raptor movement was again slow and sporadic with 38 birds of 7 species migrating between 0957 and 1824. The flight comprised 4 Bald Eagles (3a, 1sa), a season high 4 Sharp-shinned Hawks (3a, 1u), 1 adult Cooper’s Hawk, 1 adult Northern Goshawk, a season high 9 adult calurus Red-tailed Hawks (7 light, 2 dark), 17 Golden Eagles (16a, 1u) and 1 unidentified eagle. Three resident Red-tailed Hawks were conspicuous all afternoon interacting, displaying, hunting and harassing migrating Golden Eagles.

10.5 hours (231.3) BAEA 4 (189), SSHA 4 (10), COHA 1 (3), NOGO 1 (37), RTHA 9 (28), RLHA 1 (46), GOEA 17 (868), UE 1 (2) TOTAL 38 (1213)

Steeples (Vance Mattson) [Day 10] 1130-1830. Observation was again from near the Bill Nye site where the temperature reached a high of 6C, winds were strong S-SW and cloud cover was 70-40% cumulus that left the ridges mostly clear. Wet snow fell from 1430 to 1445. A total of 23 migrants of 4 species were counted comprising 6 Bald Eagles (1a, 5j), 1 adult Sharp-shinned Hawk, the season’s first migrant Red-tailed Hawk, an adult light morph calurus, and 15 Golden Eagles (14a, 1j). The highest hourly movement was 8 between 1500 and 1600, and the last bird was seen at 1814. Non-migrants were local Red-tailed Hawks, 2 Golden Eagles (1a, 1j), 6 Bald Eagles (5a, 1j) and two sightings of single Turkey Vultures.

7 hours (44.5) BAEA 6 (74), SSHA 1 (2), RTHA 1 (1), GOEA 15 (316) TOTAL 23 (399)

MOUNT LORETTE SUMMARY COUNT (March 1 to April 22)

DAYS 24

HOURS 258

TURKEY VULTURE (TUVU) 0

OSPREY (OSPR) 0

BALD EAGLE (BAEA) 124

NORTHERN HARRIER (NOHA) 0

SHARP-SHINNED HAWK (SSHA) 2

COOPER’S HAWK (COHA) 0

NORTHERN GOSHAWK (NOGO) 5

Accipiter sp. (UA) 0

BROAD-WINGED HAWK (BWHA) 0

SWAINSON’S HAWK (SWHA) 0

RED-TAILED HAWK (RTHA) 3

FERRUGINOUS HAWK (FEHA) 0

ROUGH-LEGGED HAWK (RLHA) 21

Buteo sp. (UB) 2

GOLDEN EAGLE (GOEA) 1776

Eagle sp. (UE) 9

AMERICAN KESTREL (AMKE) 0

MERLIN (MERL) 2

GYRFALCON (GYRF) 1

PEREGRINE FALCON (PEFA) 0

PRAIRIE FALCON (PRFA) 0

Falco sp. (UF) 1

Unidentified Raptor (UU) 1

TOTAL 1947

March 24 [Day 23] (Bill Wilson, assisted by Patrick Farley) 0645-2020. The temperature at 0700 was -2C, rose to a high of 7C at 1500 and was 3C at the end of observation. Ground winds were mainly south and occasionally SSW or SSE, 2-10 gusting to 29 km/h, and ridge winds were moderate SW all day. Cloud cover was initially 30% cirrus then 70-100% altostratus and cumulus for the rest of the day that gave hazy sunshine throughout. The eastern ridges were clear to 1900 after which Mounts Lorette and McGillivray developed cloud drape, and the west was clear to 1600 after which it was up to 10% obscured. There was another strong day of pure eagle movement with 11 Bald Eagles (7a, 3sa, 1u) and 257 Golden Eagles (137a, 6sa, 8j, 106u) moving between 0753 and 1925. All the birds were moving high and most were located over Mount Lorette after having presumably glided very high from the Fisher Range. Movement was steady throughout the day with high hourly counts of 47 (46 Golden Eagles) between 1300 and 1400 and 49 Golden Eagles between 1600 and 1700. Other birds present included 1 Killdeer, 1 Northern Pygmy-Owl, 1 Varied Thrush, 5 American Robins, 1 Western Meadowlark and 45 Common Redpolls. Fifteen Elk were in the meadow early in the morning, and 26 visitors to the site enjoyed the spectacular eagle migration.

13.58 hours (245.5) BAEA 11 (117), GOEA 257 (1721) TOTAL 268 (1884)

Beaver Mines [Day 27] (Peter Sherrington) 1030-1800. The temperature at 1030 was 7C, rose to a high of 10C at 1400 and 1500 and was 6C at the end of observation. Winds were moderate W-WSW throughout, 20-30 gusting to 40 km/h, and cloud cover was 100% altostratus and cumulus apart from 1400-1600 when it was 50-60% altocumulus, cumulus and cirrostratus. Movement was very slow with migrants generally soaring and gliding very high with only 34 birds of 7 species seen between 1111 and 1758, with 19 of the migrants occurring after 1600. The flight was 8 Bald Eagles (6a, 2j), 1u Northern Harrier, 1u Sharp-shinned Hawk, 1u Northern Goshawk, 5 Red-tailed Hawks (4a calurus, 3 light, 1 dark; and 1 undifferentiated dark bird), 17 Golden Eagles (15a, 1j, 1u) and 1 adult Prairie Falcon.

7.5 hours (206.5) BAEA 8 (182), NOHA 1 (4), SSHA 1 (6), NOGO 1 (26), RTHA 5 (19), GOEA 17 (831), PRFA 1 (4) TOTAL 34 (1151)

Steeples (Vance Mattson) [Day 9] 1330-1730. Vance observed from close to the Bill Nye site where the temperature was 6C, it was calm, with 100% altostratus cloud cover that partially obscured the ridges. A total of 15 raptors were seen between 1435 and 1707 comprising 5 Bald eagles (4a, 1j), the season’s first Sharp-shinned Hawk, an unaged bird, and 9 Golden Eagles (7a, 2j). The movement was slow but regular. Non-migrants consisted of 2 Golden Eagles (1a, 1j), 1 adult Bald Eagle and 3 adult calurus Red-tailed Hawks (2 light, 1 dark), all of which were seen throughout the count period.

4 hours (37.5) BAEA 5 (68), SSHA 1 (1), GOEA 9 (301) TOTAL 15 (376)

MOUNT LORETTE SUMMARY COUNT (March 1 to April 22)

DAYS 23

HOURS 245.5

TURKEY VULTURE (TUVU) 0

OSPREY (OSPR) 0

BALD EAGLE (BAEA) 117

NORTHERN HARRIER (NOHA) 0

SHARP-SHINNED HAWK (SSHA) 2

COOPER’S HAWK (COHA) 0

NORTHERN GOSHAWK (NOGO) 4

Accipiter sp. (UA) 0

BROAD-WINGED HAWK (BWHA) 0

SWAINSON’S HAWK (SWHA) 0

RED-TAILED HAWK (RTHA) 3

FERRUGINOUS HAWK (FEHA) 0

ROUGH-LEGGED HAWK (RLHA) 21

Buteo sp. (UB) 2

GOLDEN EAGLE (GOEA) 1721

Eagle sp. (UE) 9

AMERICAN KESTREL (AMKE) 0

MERLIN (MERL) 2

GYRFALCON (GYRF) 1

PEREGRINE FALCON (PEFA) 0

PRAIRIE FALCON (PRFA) 0

Falco sp. (UF) 1

Unidentified Raptor (UU) 1

TOTAL 1884

March 23 [Day 22] (Blake Weis, assisted by Caroline Lambert) 0740-2025. The starting temperature was 1C, reached a high of 5C at 1700 and 1800 and was 2C at the end of observation. Ground winds were 5-10 gusting 20 km/h, S-SW to 1100 and mainly S-SE after, while ridge winds were SW all day, moderate to 1100 and after 1600 and strong the rest of the time. Cloud cover was very variable throughout the day, 30-90% stratus, cumulus and altocumulus that brought periods of snow of up to 30 minutes to 1700. Both the east and west ridges were variably obscured 10-90% to 1600 after which they were clear for the rest of the day. Despite the conditions there was a fairly strong raptor movement involving 88 birds of 4 species that migrated between 0748 and 1951. comprising 3 Bald Eagles (2a, 1sa), 2 adult Northern Goshawks, 1 light morph Rough-legged Hawk, 1 unidentified Buteo, 80 Golden Eagles (62a, 3sa, 1j, 14u) and 1 unidentified large raptor (an eagle or Buteo) that flew high to the north in the morning gloom at 0748. Most birds glided high from the northern end of the Fisher Range to Mount Lorette, and 11 birds were initially located over Mount Lorette. Movement only became steady after 1100 and the maximum hourly count was 1 Bald Eagle and 23 Golden Eagles between 1700 and 1800. First spring bird records at the site were 1 Killdeer, a pair of Belted Kingfishers, and 2 Varied Thrushes that sang in the early morning, while other sightings included 1 Northern Pygmy-Owl, 1 male Mountain Bluebird, 5 American Robins, 260 Grey-crowned Rosy-Finches and 8 Common Redpolls. A small herd of 14 Elk fed in the meadow early in the morning, and 16 visitors made it to the site today.

12.75 hours (231.9) BAEA 3 (106), NOGO 2 (4), RLHA 1 (21), UB 1 (2), UU 1 (1) TOTAL 88 (1616)

Beaver Mines [Day 26] (Peter Sherrington, assisted by Hilary Atkinson and Denise Cocciolone-Amatto) 0800-1930. The temperature at 0800 was 3C the high was 8.5C at 1200 and 1300 and it was 5C at 1930. Winds were W-WSW 30-50 gusting 70 km/h all day, and cloud cover was 0-30% cumulus and altocumulus to 1500 after which it was 50-90% altostratus and altocumulus that produced excellent viewing conditions. After 3 days of fairly weak raptor movement there was a reasonable migration today of 112 birds of 8 species that moved between 0828 and 1911. The flight comprised 27 Bald Eagles (20a, 3sa, 4j), 1 juvenile male Northern Harrier, 1u Sharp-shinned Hawk, 2 Northern Goshawks (1a, 1u), 3 Red-tailed Hawks (2u calurus light morphs, 1a harlani dark morph), the first Ferruginous Hawk of the season, an adult light morph, 4 Rough-legged Hawks (3 light, 1 dark), 1 unidentified Buteo and 72 Golden Eagles (68a, 2sa, 2u). Most of the birds moved high to the NW or NNW in bursts of activity interspersed by periods where nothing was seen. Fifty-four birds were recorded between 1500 and 1800 and the busiest hour was 1700-1800 when 19 birds moved.

11.5 hours (213.3) BAEA 27 (177), NOHA 1 (3), SSHA 1 (5), NOGO 2 (35), RTHA 3 (14), FEHA 1 (1), RLHA 4 (45), UB 1 (4), GOEA 72 (834) TOTAL 112 (1141)

Steeples (Vance Mattson) No observation

MOUNT LORETTE SUMMARY COUNT (March 1 to April 22)

DAYS 22

HOURS 231.9

TURKEY VULTURE (TUVU) 0

OSPREY (OSPR) 0

BALD EAGLE (BAEA) 106

NORTHERN HARRIER (NOHA) 0

SHARP-SHINNED HAWK (SSHA) 2

COOPER’S HAWK (COHA) 0

NORTHERN GOSHAWK (NOGO) 4

Accipiter sp. (UA) 0

BROAD-WINGED HAWK (BWHA) 0

SWAINSON’S HAWK (SWHA) 0

RED-TAILED HAWK (RTHA) 3

FERRUGINOUS HAWK (FEHA) 0

ROUGH-LEGGED HAWK (RLHA) 21

Buteo sp. (UB) 2

GOLDEN EAGLE (GOEA) 1464

Eagle sp. (UE) 9

AMERICAN KESTREL (AMKE) 0

MERLIN (MERL) 2

GYRFALCON (GYRF) 1

PEREGRINE FALCON (PEFA) 0

PRAIRIE FALCON (PRFA) 0

Falco sp. (UF) 1

Unidentified Raptor (UU) 1

TOTAL 1616