April 6 [Day 36] (Blake Weis, assisted by Rick Robb) 0700-2030. It was another fairly pleasant day with the temperature reaching a high of 10C from a low of 5C and it was 7C at the end of observation. Ground winds were variable, light N-NW to 0900, E, SE, S, and SW after 1600 5-10 gusting to 20 km/h that became light to calm after 2000; ridge winds were SW all day, moderate to 1300 and again after 2000 and strong for the rest of the day. Cloud cover was initially 100% altostratus and after 1000 was variable 60-100% altostratus, altocumulus, cumulus and cirrus; light rain showers persisted throughout the day. The east was essentially clear but the west was 10% obscured to 1300 and 80-40% obscured to 1600 and mainly clear thereafter. A total of 28 migrant raptors of 3 species moved between 0958 and 1949 with 18 of the birds recorded after 1600. The count was 1u Sharp-shinned Hawk, 1 adult light morph calurus Red-tailed Hawk and 26 Golden Eagles (6a, 4sa, 5j, 11u). Only 1 Golden Eagle used the western route, 10 glided high from the Fisher Range to Mount Lorette and the rest were located high above Lorette or over Mount McGillivray and may have originated from Wasootch Creek. Resident raptors were 1 adult Bald Eagle, 1 adult Northern Goshawk, 1 pair of Red-tailed Hawks and 2 adult Golden Eagles one of which hunted to the west and the other to the east. Other birds present included 2 drumming Ruffed Grouse, 2 Golden-crowned Kinglets (the first for the year), 6 Mountain Bluebirds (4m, 2f), 24 American Robins, 4 singing Varied Thrushes, 22 Dark-eyed Juncos, 1 male Red-winged Blackbird and 12 Common Redpolls. Just 2 visitors made it to the site today.

13.5 hours (403.3) SSHA 1 (4), RTHA 1 (20), GOEA 26 (2083) TOTAL 28 (2341)

Beaver Mines [Day 40] (Peter Sherrington, assisted by Hilary Atkinson) 1145-1830. The temperature at 1145 was 12C, rose to a high at 1500 of 14C and was 10C at 1830. Winds were variable and light to 1400 (which is why observation didn’t begin until 1145) after which SW-W winds 20-30 gusting to 40 km/h prevailed for the rest of the day. Cloud cover was 100% altostratus and cumulus to 1300 and then 70-90% cumulus, altocumulus and cirrus for the rest of the day which provided good viewing conditions. Raptor movement was again slow and sporadic with 17 birds of 7 species moving between 1310 and 1818, 9 of which were recorded after 1700. The flight comprised 5 Bald Eagles (4a, 1j), 1 adult male Northern Harrier, 1u Northern Goshawk, 1 adult light morph calurus Red-tailed Hawk, 2 light morph Rough-legged Hawks, 2 unidentified Buteos, 4 Golden Eagles (3a, 1sa) and 1 male Prairie Falcon. The 2 pairs of resident Red-tailed Hawks were in the air between 1418 and 1804. At 1410 a flock of 5 Greater Sandhill Cranes soared high above the ridge before moving slowly off towards the SW.

6.75 hours (355) BAEA 5 (265), NOHA 1 (20), NOGO 1 (47), RTHA 1 (124), RLHA 2 (59), UB 2 (9), GOEA 4 (977), PRFA 1 (9) TOTAL 17 (1573)

Steeples (Vance Mattson) No observation.

MOUNT LORETTE SUMMARY COUNT (March 1 to April 22)

DAYS 36

HOURS 403.3

TURKEY VULTURE (TUVU) 0

OSPREY (OSPR) 0

BALD EAGLE (BAEA) 171

NORTHERN HARRIER (NOHA) 1

SHARP-SHINNED HAWK (SSHA) 4

COOPER’S HAWK (COHA) 1

NORTHERN GOSHAWK (NOGO) 13

Accipiter sp. (UA) 0

BROAD-WINGED HAWK (BWHA) 3

SWAINSON’S HAWK (SWHA) 0

RED-TAILED HAWK (RTHA) 20

FERRUGINOUS HAWK (FEHA) 0

ROUGH-LEGGED HAWK (RLHA) 21

Buteo sp. (UB) 3

GOLDEN EAGLE (GOEA) 2083

Eagle sp. (UE) 12

AMERICAN KESTREL (AMKE) 0

MERLIN (MERL) 2

GYRFALCON (GYRF) 1

PEREGRINE FALCON (PEFA) 3

PRAIRIE FALCON (PRFA) 1

Falco sp. (UF) 1

Unidentified Raptor (UU) 1

TOTAL 2341

April 5 [Day 35] (Joel Duncan, assisted by Caroline Lambert) 0800-2030. It was a warm day with the temperature reaching 12C at 1700 from a morning low of 3C and it was still 8C when observation ceased at 2030. Ground winds were SW 10-20 gusting 32 km/h in the morning and 5-10 occasionally gusting to 30 km/h in the afternoon, while ridge winds were strong SW all day. Cloud cover was 100% altostratus to 1300 and 70-100% altostratus and altocumulus for the rest of the day, and all peaks and ridges were clear. There was a sporadic migration of 12 raptors of 3 species between 1222 and 1842, 7 of which (all Golden Eagles) occurred between 1222 and 1300 which raised expectations of a sustained movement that were not to be fulfilled. The count comprised 1 adult Cooper’s Hawk, the first for the season, 9 Golden Eagles (6a, 1sa, 2u), 1 unidentified eagle and 1 adult Peregrine Falcon which flew north against the face of the Fisher Range. All other birds glided high above the Fisher Range to Mount Lorette. The resident pair of Golden Eagles were seen in talon-clasping display over the Fisher Range. Other birds seen included a flock of 8 American Crows that flew high to the north, 5 Mountain Bluebirds (4m, 1f), 14 American Robins, 1 Song Sparrow, 37 Dark-eyed Juncos (27 cismontanus, 6 montanus and 4u) and 1 male Red-winged Blackbird. Nine visitors enjoyed the spring-like weather.

12.5 hours (389.8) COHA 1 (1), GOEA 9 (2057), UE 1 (12), PEFA 1 (3) TOTAL 12 (2313)

Beaver Mines [Day 38] (Peter Sherrington, assisted by Hilary Atkinson) 0800-1900. The temperature at 0800 was 4C, rose to a high of 10.5C at 1700 and was 9C at 1900. Winds were W-WSW all day 40-60 km/h with gusts to 74 km/h around midday, and cloud cover was 100% altostratus with occasional minor cumulus apart from 1600-1700 when it reduced to 80-90%. Once again there was no early movement and the first migrant was not seen until 1102 but subsequently there was a slow but steady stream of birds of 6 species that moved until 1828. The count of 32 raptors comprised 1 Osprey, the first of the year and the earliest ever recorded on a RMERF count (the previous earliest was April 9, 1994 at Mount Lorette), 13 Bald Eagles (12a, 1j), 1u Sharp-shinned Hawk, 1 unidentified small Accipiter, 9 light morph calurus Red-tailed Hawks (8a, 1u), 1 unidentified dark morph Buteo, 4 Golden Eagles (3a, 1sa), 1 male columbarius Merlin and 1 unidentified small falcon. All 18 regularly occurring raptor species have now been seen at the site this season. The 2 pairs of resident Red-tailed Hawks were seen between 1122 and 1540 but no display flights were seen.

11 hours (348.3) OSPR 1 (1), BAEA 13 (260), SSHA 1 (27), UA 1 (1), RTHA 9 (123), UB 1 (7), GOEA 4 (973), MERL 1 (12), UF 1 (1) TOTAL 32 (1556)

Steeples (Vance Mattson) No observation.

MOUNT LORETTE SUMMARY COUNT (March 1 to April 22)

DAYS 35

HOURS 389.8

TURKEY VULTURE (TUVU) 0

OSPREY (OSPR) 0

BALD EAGLE (BAEA) 171

NORTHERN HARRIER (NOHA) 1

SHARP-SHINNED HAWK (SSHA) 3

COOPER’S HAWK (COHA) 1

NORTHERN GOSHAWK (NOGO) 13

Accipiter sp. (UA) 0

BROAD-WINGED HAWK (BWHA) 3

SWAINSON’S HAWK (SWHA) 0

RED-TAILED HAWK (RTHA) 19

FERRUGINOUS HAWK (FEHA) 0

ROUGH-LEGGED HAWK (RLHA) 21

Buteo sp. (UB) 3

GOLDEN EAGLE (GOEA) 2057

Eagle sp. (UE) 12

AMERICAN KESTREL (AMKE) 0

MERLIN (MERL) 2

GYRFALCON (GYRF) 1

PEREGRINE FALCON (PEFA) 3

PRAIRIE FALCON (PRFA) 1

Falco sp. (UF) 1

Unidentified Raptor (UU) 1

TOTAL 2313

April 4 [Day 34] (Brian McBride, assisted by Fred Bowen) 0715-1930. Clear skies allowed the temperature to fall to -8C at 0715, but it rose to a high of 8C at 1700 and was 4C at 1930. Ground winds were mainly light S except between 1200 and 1800 when they were 10-20 km/h, while ridge winds were SW all day, moderate to strong between 1000 and 1400 and otherwise moderate. It was cloudless to 1400 when thin cirrostratus began to develop reaching 80% at 1600 that persisted for the rest of the day. The ridges were clear and observing condition were good when cloud developed in the afternoon but not a single migrant raptor was seen all day. Resident birds were 1 subadult Bald eagle, 1 adult Northern Goshawk and 1 perched light adult Red-tailed Hawk. Other birds present included 1 drumming Ruffed Grouse, 1 Northern [Yellow-shafted] Flicker, 7 Mountain Bluebirds (5m, 2f), 3 American Robins and 30 Dark-eyed Juncos. Two Coyotes spooked a herd of 5 White-tailed Deer in the meadow but did not pursue them. Six visitors helped in the fruitless task of scanning the ridges for migrants.

12.25 hours (377.3) TOTAL 0 (2301)

Beaver Mines [Day 38] (Peter Sherrington, assisted by Hilary Atkinson) 0900-1900. The temperature was 3C at 0900, rose to a high of 8C at 1200 and again at 1700 and was 6C when observation ceased at 1900. Winds were W-WSW all day 25-35 gusting 50 km/h that diminished to 20-25 km/h for the last two hours. Skies were cloudless to 1400 when thin cirrostratus developed and cloud cover was then 80-100% cirrostratus and altostratus for the rest of the day that gave excellent viewing conditions. After 3 days of limited raptor movement it appeared that the trend would continue today as the first migrant was not seen until 1216 and by 1500 only 4 more birds had been recorded. After 1500, however, movement became steady and by 1830 29 migrants of 7 species had moved high to the NW. The flight was 6 Bald Eagles (5a, 1sa), 3 Sharp-shinned Hawks (1a, 2u), 1 adult light morph Broad-winged Hawk, 10 light morph calurus Red-tailed Hawks (8a, 2u), 3 light morph Rough-legged Hawks, 5 Golden Eagles (4a, 1sa) and 1 adult male Peregrine Falcon.

10 hours (337.3) BAEA 6 (247), SSHA 3 (26), BWHA 1 (4), RTHA 10 (114), RLHA 3 (57), GOEA 5 (969), PEFA 1 (2) TOTAL 29 (1524)

Steeples (Vance Mattson) No observation

MOUNT LORETTE SUMMARY COUNT (March 1 to April 22)

DAYS 34

HOURS 377.3

TURKEY VULTURE (TUVU) 0

OSPREY (OSPR) 0

BALD EAGLE (BAEA) 171

NORTHERN HARRIER (NOHA) 1

SHARP-SHINNED HAWK (SSHA) 3

COOPER’S HAWK (COHA) 0

NORTHERN GOSHAWK (NOGO) 13

Accipiter sp. (UA) 0

BROAD-WINGED HAWK (BWHA) 3

SWAINSON’S HAWK (SWHA) 0

RED-TAILED HAWK (RTHA) 19

FERRUGINOUS HAWK (FEHA) 0

ROUGH-LEGGED HAWK (RLHA) 21

Buteo sp. (UB) 3

GOLDEN EAGLE (GOEA) 2048

Eagle sp. (UE) 11

AMERICAN KESTREL (AMKE) 0

MERLIN (MERL) 2

GYRFALCON (GYRF) 1

PEREGRINE FALCON (PEFA) 2

PRAIRIE FALCON (PRFA) 1

Falco sp. (UF) 1

Unidentified Raptor (UU) 1

TOTAL 2301

April 2 [Day 32] (Bill Wilson, assisted by Lori Anderson) 0630-1925. It was the coolest day for a while with a starting temperature of 0C, a high between 1400 and 1600 of 3C and 1C at the end of observation. Ground winds were SW 2-5 km/h to 1100, then very variable 5-15 gusting to 33 km/h, while ridge winds appeared to be light to moderate SW all day. Cloud cover was 90-100% stratus all day that produced periods of light snow to 1800 generally lasting for 30-60 minutes that obscured the ridges, which were otherwise clear. Around 1800 continuous moderate snow began to fall that persisted to the end of the day. There was 3 cm of fresh snow on the ground early in the morning and a further 1 cm had fallen by 1925. Despite the conditions there was a fairly steady stream of migrating eagles with 12 Bald Eagles (7a, 3j, 1u) and 16 Golden Eagles (10a, 1sa, 4j, 1u) moving between 1255 and 1737. Two birds used the western route but the rest glided along the Fisher Range and across to Mount Lorette. Towards the end of the day there was some soaring above the Fisher Range and most birds also mixed flapping flight with the gliding that attested to the relatively light winds at ridge level. Maximum hourly movement was 10 birds between 1300 and 1400 and again from 1500 to 1600. Resident or non-migrant raptors were 5 Bald Eagles (3a, 2j), 1u Northern Goshawk and 1 or 2 adult Golden Eagles. Nineteen other bird species were recorded including 1 drumming Ruffed Grouse, 19 unidentified gulls that flew high to the north, 1 singing Northern Pygmy-Owl, 1 calling Pileated Woodpecker, 4 male Mountain Bluebirds, 74 American Robins migrating to the north, 1 singing Varied Thrush, 1 calling Song Sparrow, 83 Dark-eyed Juncos feeding in the meadow (about 60% cismontanus and 40% montanus), 60 Grey-crowned Rosy-Finches in flying flocks of 40 and 20 and 12 Common Redpolls. Only 2 visitors made it to the site today.

12.92 hours (352.6) BAEA 12 (168), GOEA 16 (2037) TOTAL 28 (2286)

Beaver Mines [Day 36] (Peter Sherrington) 0800-1830. It was warmer down south with a starting temperature of 5C that rose to a high at 1400 of 10C and was 4C at 1830. Winds were initially light W but quickly picked up around 0900 and were WSW-W 35-45 gusting 60 km/h to 1720 when the winds suddenly shifted to NE 25-50 km/h before becoming light again at the end of observation. Cloud cover was variably 10-50% cumulus, altocumulus and altostratus that gave excellent viewing conditions to 1745 when a thick bank of 100% stratocumulus cloud, that had been slowly advancing from the NE for the previous hour, finally arrived bringing steady snow that quickly obscured the ridge. It was another disappointing day of raptor migration with only 13 birds of 5 species moving between 0840 and 1713. Only 3 birds were recorded before 1300 and the highest hourly count was only 4 between 1300 and 1400. The count was 3 Bald Eagles (2a, 1sa), 1 adult male Northern Harrier, that was the first migrant of the day, 2 adult light morph calurus Red-tailed Hawks, 6 Golden Eagles (5a, 1j) and 1 male American Kestrel. The 2 resident pairs of Red-tailed Hawks were joined occasionally by an interloping fifth bird that resulted in some spectacular “sky-battles” between presumably competing males. The last sighting of a resident Red-tail was at 1810 when a bird made a vertical hunting stoop in the middle of the valley in steady falling snow.

10.5 hours (319.3) BAEA 3 (238), NOHA 1 (17), RTHA 2 (101), GOEA 6 (964), AMKE 1 (2) TOTAL 13 (1487)

Steeples [Day 14] (Vance Mattson) 1100-1630. Observation was from the Bull Mountain site where the temperature was 9C, winds were strong W and cloud cover was 60-100% altostratus, cumulus and cirrus. There were snow flurries and/or rain from 1215 to 1245 and again from 1550 to 1630 that finally obscured the ridges for the rest of the day. The only migrant raptors seen were 2 adult light morph calurus Red-tailed Hawks, the first at 1310, the second at 1450. Two non-migrant adult Bald Eagles were seen on arrival, and the resident Golden Eagle pair were seen several times including three long display flights one of which culminated in the first copulation seen this season at 1500.

5.5 hours (64.5) RTHA 2 (3) TOTAL 2 (503)

MOUNT LORETTE SUMMARY COUNT (March 1 to April 22)

DAYS 32

HOURS 352.6

TURKEY VULTURE (TUVU) 0

OSPREY (OSPR) 0

BALD EAGLE (BAEA) 168

NORTHERN HARRIER (NOHA) 1

SHARP-SHINNED HAWK (SSHA) 3

COOPER’S HAWK (COHA) 0

NORTHERN GOSHAWK (NOGO) 13

Accipiter sp. (UA) 0

BROAD-WINGED HAWK (BWHA) 3

SWAINSON’S HAWK (SWHA) 0

RED-TAILED HAWK (RTHA) 18

FERRUGINOUS HAWK (FEHA) 0

ROUGH-LEGGED HAWK (RLHA) 21

Buteo sp. (UB) 3

GOLDEN EAGLE (GOEA) 2037

Eagle sp. (UE) 11

AMERICAN KESTREL (AMKE) 0

MERLIN (MERL) 2

GYRFALCON (GYRF) 1

PEREGRINE FALCON (PEFA) 2

PRAIRIE FALCON (PRFA) 1

Falco sp. (UF) 1

Unidentified Raptor (UU) 1

TOTAL 2286

April 2 [Day 32] (Bill Wilson, assisted by Lori Anderson) 0630-1925. It was the coolest day for a while with a starting temperature of 0C, a high between 1400 and 1600 of 3C and 1C at the end of observation. Ground winds were SW 2-5 km/h to 1100, then very variable 5-15 gusting to 33 km/h, while ridge winds appeared to be light to moderate SW all day. Cloud cover was 90-100% stratus all day that produced periods of light snow to 1800 generally lasting for 30-60 minutes that obscured the ridges, which were otherwise clear. Around 1800 continuous moderate snow began to fall that persisted to the end of the day. There was 3 cm of fresh snow on the ground early in the morning and a further 1 cm had fallen by 1925. Despite the conditions there was a fairly steady stream of migrating eagles with 12 Bald Eagles (7a, 3j, 1u) and 16 Golden Eagles (10a, 1sa, 4j, 1u) moving between 1255 and 1737. Two birds used the western route but the rest glided along the Fisher Range and across to Mount Lorette. Towards the end of the day there was some soaring above the Fisher Range and most birds also mixed flapping flight with the gliding that attested to the relatively light winds at ridge level. Maximum hourly movement was 10 birds between 1300 and 1400 and again from 1500 to 1600. Resident or non-migrant raptors were 5 Bald Eagles (3a, 2j), 1u Northern Goshawk and 1 or 2 adult Golden Eagles. Nineteen other bird species were recorded including 1 drumming Ruffed Grouse, 19 unidentified gulls that flew high to the north, 1 singing Northern Pygmy-Owl, 1 calling Pileated Woodpecker, 4 male Mountain Bluebirds, 74 American Robins migrating to the north, 1 singing Varied Thrush, 1 calling Song Sparrow, 83 Dark-eyed Juncos feeding in the meadow (about 60% cismontanus and 40% montanus), 60 Grey-crowned Rosy-Finches in flying flocks of 40 and 20 and 12 Common Redpolls. Only 2 visitors made it to the site today.

12.92 hours (352.6) BAEA 12 (168), GOEA 16 (2037) TOTAL 28 (2286)

Beaver Mines [Day 36] (Peter Sherrington) 0800-1830. It was warmer down south with a starting temperature of 5C that rose to a high at 1400 of 10C and was 4C at 1830. Winds were initially light W but quickly picked up around 0900 and were WSW-W 35-45 gusting 60 km/h to 1720 when the winds suddenly shifted to NE 25-50 km/h before becoming light again at the end of observation. Cloud cover was variably 10-50% cumulus, altocumulus and altostratus that gave excellent viewing conditions to 1745 when a thick bank of 100% stratocumulus cloud, that had been slowly advancing from the NE for the previous hour, finally arrived bringing steady snow that quickly obscured the ridge. It was another disappointing day of raptor migration with only 13 birds of 5 species moving between 0840 and 1713. Only 3 birds were recorded before 1300 and the highest hourly count was only 4 between 1300 and 1400. The count was 3 Bald Eagles (2a, 1sa), 1 adult male Northern Harrier, that was the first migrant of the day, 2 adult light morph calurus Red-tailed Hawks, 6 Golden Eagles (5a, 1j) and 1 male American Kestrel. The 2 resident pairs of Red-tailed Hawks were joined occasionally by an interloping fifth bird that resulted in some spectacular “sky-battles” between presumably competing males. The last sighting of a resident Red-tail was at 1810 when a bird made a vertical hunting stoop in the middle of the valley in steady falling snow.

10.5 hours (319.3) BAEA 3 (238), NOHA 1 (17), RTHA 2 (101), GOEA 6 (964), AMKE 1 (2) TOTAL 13 (1487)

Steeples [Day 14] (Vance Mattson) 1100-1630. Observation was from the Bull Mountain site where the temperature was 9C, winds were strong W and cloud cover was 60-100% altostratus, cumulus and cirrus. There were snow flurries and/or rain from 1215 to 1245 and again from 1550 to 1630 that finally obscured the ridges for the rest of the day. The only migrant raptors seen were 2 adult light morph calurus Red-tailed Hawks, the first at 1310, the second at 1450. Two non-migrant adult Bald Eagles were seen on arrival, and the resident Golden Eagle pair were seen several times including three long display flights one of which culminated in the first copulation seen this season at 1500.

5.5 hours (64.5) RTHA 2 (3) TOTAL 2 (503)

MOUNT LORETTE SUMMARY COUNT (March 1 to April 22)

DAYS 32

HOURS 352.6

TURKEY VULTURE (TUVU) 0

OSPREY (OSPR) 0

BALD EAGLE (BAEA) 168

NORTHERN HARRIER (NOHA) 1

SHARP-SHINNED HAWK (SSHA) 3

COOPER’S HAWK (COHA) 0

NORTHERN GOSHAWK (NOGO) 13

Accipiter sp. (UA) 0

BROAD-WINGED HAWK (BWHA) 3

SWAINSON’S HAWK (SWHA) 0

RED-TAILED HAWK (RTHA) 18

FERRUGINOUS HAWK (FEHA) 0

ROUGH-LEGGED HAWK (RLHA) 21

Buteo sp. (UB) 3

GOLDEN EAGLE (GOEA) 2037

Eagle sp. (UE) 11

AMERICAN KESTREL (AMKE) 0

MERLIN (MERL) 2

GYRFALCON (GYRF) 1

PEREGRINE FALCON (PEFA) 2

PRAIRIE FALCON (PRFA) 1

Falco sp. (UF) 1

Unidentified Raptor (UU) 1

TOTAL 2286