Thursday, March 22 Mount Lorette [Day 20] (Blake Weis) NO OBSERVATION (Weather). It snowed all day and the mountains were completely obscured. Blake was at the Hay Meadow from 0745 to 1215 where he saw 2 Canada Geese, 1 Killdeer, 1 Hairy Woodpecker, 2 Common Ravens, 1 Black-capped Chickadee, 3 European Starlings and 1 male Oregon Junco; he moved to Lorette Ponds from 1225 to 1255 where he saw the season’s first Belted Kingfisher and then went to Lusk Creek at 1300 where the conditions were just as bad and decided to call it a day. The temperature was -5 at the start and was -1C at Lorette Ponds, and winds were N 0-3 km/h in the morning and gusting to 10 km/h in the afternoon

Thursday, March 22 Beaver Mines [Day 26] 0730-1600 (Peter Sherrington). The temperature was -3C at the start and -1C at 1600. Winds were light SSE-E all day and cloud cover was 100% uniform stratus. The ridge was obscured by low cloud or fog to noon but was essentially clear from 1200 to 1600 when the cloud again descended. The snow that was forecast did not finally arrive until the early evening. No raptors were seen probably as much because of the light upslope winds as the low cloud cover.

8.5 hours (237.9) TOTAL 0 (734)

Thursday, March 22 Steeples (Vance Mattson) NO OBSERVATION (Weather). It rained all day and the mountains were completely obscured.

Tuesday, March 20 Mount Lorette [Day 18] 0745-1955 (Blake Weis, assisted by Brian McBride and Fiona Boisselle). The temperature was -2C at 0800, the high was 4C between 1400 and 1600 and it was 3C at the end of observation. Ground winds were mainly SW all day, 0-10 km/h in the morning and gusting to 15 km/h in the afternoon, while ridge winds were moderate SW all day. Cloud cover was a mixture of cumulus, altocumulus and altostratus all day, 90% to 1100, 100% around noon and 70-90% throughout the afternoon. The eastern ridges were 10-20% obscured between 1000 and 1300 and the west was 80% obscured around noon. There were light snow flurries between 1000 and 1300 but otherwise observing conditions were good and produced a total of 104 eagles between 0824 and 1902. The count was 2 adult Bald Eagles, 101 Golden Eagles (88a, 1sa, 1j, 11u) and 1 unidentified eagle that was the first bird of the day. All the eagles used the eastern route from the Fisher Range to Mount Lorette and 75% of the birds glided high above the ridge. Movement was steady throughout the afternoon with a maximum hourly count of 21 Golden Eagles between 1800 and 1900. A resident adult Northern Goshawk was perched near the parking area and a single resident adult Golden Eagle moved to the south above the Fisher Range ridge. Other birds were a flock of 7 Canada Geese that flew high to the east, 1 Hairy Woodpecker, 1 Pileated Woodpecker, 2 Grey Jays, 12 Common Ravens, 1 American Robin, 1 European Starling, 20 Bohemian Waxwings and a male Red-winged Blackbird. Five visitors shared the day.

12.16 hours (195.8) BAEA 2 (62), GOEA 101 (601), UE 1 (1) TOTAL 104 (683)

Tuesday, March 20 Beaver Mines [Day 24] 0800-1900 (Peter Sherrington). The starting temperature at 0800 was -1C, the high was 6C between 1100 and 1400 and it was 2C at 1900. Winds were WSW-W all day 15-20 gusting 30 km/h in the morning and 30-40 gusting to 46 km/h in the afternoon. Cloud cover was 20-50% cumulus, altostratus and altocumulus to 1300 and then 40-80% mainly cumulus throughout the rest of the afternoon. Both migration and observing conditions were excellent and produced a season-high movement of 199 raptors of 5 species between 0907 and 1843. The count comprised a season-high 24 Bald Eagles (18a, 1sa, 5j), 2 adult Northern Goshawks, a season-high 4 Red-tailed Hawks (3 light morph calurus: 2a, 1u, and 1 adult dark morph harlani), 13 Rough-legged Hawks (11 light, 2 dark) and a season-high 156 Golden Eagles (151a, 3sa, 2j). Movement was steady throughout the afternoon with 172 of the birds occurring after 1400 with hourly counts of 28 (14-1500), 27 (15-1600), 39 (16-1700), 56 (17-1800) and 22 (1800-1843).

11 hours (218.4) BAEA 24 (119), NOGO 2 (7), RTHA 4 (7), RLHA 13 (50), GOEA 156 (424) TOTAL 199 (608)

Tuesday, March 20 Steeples [Day 16] 1515-1900 (Vance Mattson). The temperature was 8C at the start and fell to 5C at the end, winds were strong S-SW throughout and cloud cover was 80-100% altostratus and cumulus that darkened towards the end of observation. There was a steady movement of 43 raptors up to 1829 comprising 13 Bald Eagles (7a, 6j) and 30 adult Golden Eagles. Hourly counts were 10 (1515-1600), 20 (16-1700), 10 (17-1800) and 3 (1800-1829). Resident birds were 2 adult Bald Eagles and 3 Golden Eagles (2a, 1j). It was unfortunate that Vance’s teaching commitments restricted his observation time on what was probably a day of significant raptor movement.

3.75 hours (71.25) BAEA 13 (105), GOEA 30 (475) TOTAL 43 (581)

Monday, March 19 Mount Lorette [Day 17] 0715-1930 (George Halmazna, assisted by Dan and Cindy Parliament). The starting temperature was -10C, rose to a high at 1600 of 5C and was 2C at the end of observation. Ground winds were SW light (1-5 km/h) to 1500 and SW 5-10 gusting 25 km/h for the rest of the day, while ridge winds were SW moderate all day. Cloud cover was 10-40% cumulus with 20% cirrus developing late in the day and ridges were all essentially clear. The conditions produced a fairly strong raptor migration of 116 birds between 1114 and 1757 that comprised 5 Bald Eagles (4a, 1j), 1 adult Northern Goshawk and 110 Golden Eagles (107a, 3j) with peak movement of 41 birds (3 Bald Eagles and 38 Golden Eagles) between 1500 and 1600. Movement was on the western route to noon after which it switched to the east with most birds flying from the Fisher Range to Humming Bird Plume Hill where eagles soared high before gliding to the NW over Skogan Pass. Only the last 10 birds of the day flew to the NW above Mount Lorette. Other birds present were 1 Ruffed Grouse, 1 Hairy Woodpecker, 3 Grey Jays, 12 Common Ravens, 2 Black-capped Chickadees, 1 Mountain Chickadee, 1 Red-breasted Nuthatch and 1 European Starling. The 30 visitors to the site included 27 students and staff from Crescent Heights High-School in Calgary.

12.25 hours (183.7) BAEA 5 (60), NOGO 1 (6), GOEA 110 (500) TOTAL 116 (579)

Monday, March 19 Beaver Mines [Day 23] 0800-1820 (Peter Sherrington). The temperature at 0800 was -5C, rose to a high of 5C between 1400 and 1600 and was 3C at the end of observation. Winds were WSW all day, light to 1100 and then 15-30 km/h for the rest of the day, and cloud cover was initially 100% stratus that produced light snow to 0830 and quickly thinned after 1000 to 50-10% cumulus to 1600 after which it was cloudless for the rest of the day. After two weeks of mainly upslope light winds, this afternoon’s conditions were ideal for raptor migration and produced a season-high count of 159 birds of 5 species that moved between 1257 and 1810. The count was a season-high 19 adult Bald Eagles, 2 adult Northern Goshawks, 1u light morph calurus Red-tailed Hawk, 7 Rough-legged Hawks (6 light, 1 dark) and a season-high 130 Golden Eagles (127a, 2sa, 1j). Movement was very steady between 1300 and 1800 and produced hourly counts of 15, 34, 51 (1500-1600), 25 and 30, with only 3 birds seen after 1800.

10.33 hours (207.4) BAEA 19 (95), NOGO 2 (5), RTHA 1 (3), RLHA 7 (37), GOEA 130 (268) TOTAL 159 (409)

Monday, March 19 Steeples [Day 15] 1530-1900 (Vance Mattson). The temperature at 1530 was 8C which dropped to 5C by 1900. Conditions were calm and cloud cover was 80-100% cumulus, altostratus, altocumulus and stratus, and the ridges north of the site were obscured throughout. Migration was sparse with only 3 adult Bald Eagles and 5 adult Golden Eagles seen, with 5 of the birds recorded between 1730 and 1740. Resident activity, however, was again strong comprising 5 Bald Eagles (3a, 2j) that included a courtship flight, and a pair of Golden Eagles that displayed as Vance arrived at the site.

3.5 hours (67.5) BAEA 3 (92), GOEA 5 (445) TOTAL 8 (538)

Sunday, March 18 Mount Lorette [Day 16] 0730-1930 (Bill Wilson, assisted by Heinz Unger). The starting temperature was -2C, dropped to -3C between 0900 and 1100, reached a high of -1C between 1400 and 1800 and was -2C at 1930. Ground winds were NW-N 5-15 gusting 20 km/h all day and ridge winds were probably similar. Cloud cover was 100% stratus all day with moderate snow falling to 1100, light snow to 1300 and very light snow for the rest of the day. The west was 100% obscured all day and the east cleared to 80-90% in the early afternoon. Despite these conditions there was again a small movement of eagles with 6 Bald Eagles (4a, 1sa, 1j) and 4 adult Golden Eagles migrating between 1029 and 1632. Birds moved low over the central or eastern part of the valley or, when conditions allowed, along the Fisher Range ridge. Other birds seen were 1 Grey Jay, 6 Common Ravens, 8 European Starlings, 4 Snow Buntings (appropriate to the conditions!) and 2 Common Redpolls. Eight visitors made it to the site.

12 hours (171.4) BAEA 6 (55), GOEA 4 (390) TOTAL 10 (463)

Sunday, March 18 Beaver Mines [Day 22] 0800-1130, 1400-1700 (Peter Sherrington). The temperature was -2C at 0800, fell to -4C at 1100, was -3C at 1400 and fell again to -4C at 1600 where it remained for the rest of the day. Winds were NE-ESE all day, calm to light to 1000 and then 15-18 km/h for the rest of the day. Fog filled the valley and obscured the ridge to 1000 when it briefly cleared and allowed the passage of an adult Bald Eagle at 1008, which proved to be the day’s only migrant as the dense fog returned immediately afterwards. The fog was replaced by freezing rain at 1130 which gradually turned to light snow which became heavier as the afternoon progressed, and the ridge never cleared again although it remained a ghostly outline. The forecast tomorrow calls for the snow to stop around noon, with moderate W winds developing in the afternoon which should finally be favourable for raptor movement: we shall see!

5.5 hours (197.1) BAEA 1 (76) TOTAL 1 (250)

Sunday, March 18 Steeples [Day 14] 1100-1800 (Vance Mattson). The temperature was -1C at 1100 and rose to a high of 5C, winds were light NE with calm periods and cloud was 100% altostratus and stratus throughout. The ridges to the north became obscured by 1600 and by 1700 the main ridges were also obscured and observation ceased at 1800. A total of 61 migrants moved steadily between 1258 and 1654 comprising 5 Bald Eagles (3a, 2j), 1 adult Northern Goshawk, which was the first non-eagle migrant of the season, and 55 Golden Eagles (45a, 2sa, 7j, 1u). The flight was slow and involved much soaring and flapping, but was steady with hourly counts after 1300 of 19, 14, 19 and 7 with the last bird, a juvenile Golden Eagle, moving north just as the ridge was being enveloped by cloud. Two migrant Golden Eagles were seen to briefly perch during a calm period between 1400 and 1500, and a third migrant interrupted its soaring by making a vertical hunting stoop, the result of which was hidden behind a ridge.Non-migrant eagles were also conspicuous and comprised 2 juvenile Bald Eagles, one of which interacted with a juvenile Golden Eagle, and 5 Golden Eagles (3a, 2j) with one of the adults performing the first display flight seen this season.

7 hours (64) BAEA 5 (89), NOGO 1 (1), GOEA 55 (440) TOTAL 61 (530)