Tuesday, March 17 Beaver Mines [Day 22] 0730-2000 (Peter Sherrington and Hilary Atkinson). The temperature at 0730 was -1C that dropped to -3C at 0900 before reaching a high of 4C between 1300 and 1500, and it was -4C at 2000. Winds were SW-SSW 20-30 km/h to 0900 but subsequently became light to moderate NE-ENE 8-25 km/h for the rest of the day. Cloud cover was 10% cirrus at 0730 that quickly increased to 60-80% cirrus, cirrostratus and altostratus to 1000 and was then 90-100% altostratus, altocumulus, cumulus and finally stratus for the rest of the day. Light snow began to fall at 1915 which became moderate and obscured the ridge at 2000. There was another weak and very sporadic raptor moment comprising 2 adult Bald Eagles and 6 adult Golden Eagles between 0940 and 1844 with 4 of the birds seen between 1230 and 1246. A non-migrant light morph Rough-legged Hawk was seen at 1025 and resident adult Golden Eagles flew high from the ridge to the east at 0930 and 1205. The Mount Lorette count only recorded 5 Golden Eagles. Other birds seen here were 9 Rock Pigeons, 1 Eurasian Collared Dove, 1 juvenile Glaucous Gull that flew high to the north at 0756 in excellent light (a few minutes before the sun rose above the ridge that would have made the bird a large unidentified gull silhouette), 1 Downy Woodpecker, 2 Hairy Woodpeckers, 1 male Red-shafted Flicker, 4 Black-billed Magpies, 9 Common Ravens, 10 Black-capped Chickadees, 14 Mountain Chickadees, 1 Red-breasted Nuthatch, 2 White-breasted Nuthatches, 6  European Starlings, 4 Evening Grosbeaks, 20 Pine Grosbeaks, 1 American Tree Sparrow and 23 Dark-eyed Juncos (1 hyemalis, 2 cismontanus and 20 montanus).

12.5 hours (241) BAEA 2 (107), GOEA 6 (280) TOTAL 8 (438)

Tuesday, March 17 Steeples [Day 13] 1215-1730 (Vance Mattson). The temperature was initially 1C but warmed to a very pleasant 8C under sunny skies with up to 30% cumulus, altocumulus and thin altostratus, and conditions were calm throughout. A season high total of 48 migrants of 3 species were seen between 1314 and 1917 that comprised 8 Bald Eagles (5a, 2j), a season-high 39 Golden Eagles (31a, 4j, 4u) and the season’s first Gyrfalcon, an adult grey morph bird. The busiest hours were 10 birds between 1700 and 1800, and 12 between 1800 and 1900 that included a kettle of 7 eagles (6 adult Goldens and 1 adult Bald). Five Golden Eagles moved after 1500. It was also a good day for resident activity that was dominated by one juvenile Golden Eagle visible for much of the afternoon and evening, hunting, perching for an hour from 1702 to 1804, after which it resumed hunting, including three passes at a small herd of mule deer grazing high on the rocky cliffs (a couple of the deer met the eagle’s advances with aggressive counter-attacks).  Earlier in the day the eagle soared lengthily with a juvenile Bald Eagle, before dive-bombing it, causing a barrel-roll defense and a hurried retreat from the area. The same eagle also practiced hunting manoeuvers, dodged its way between trees on the ridge, and outstretched it talons to make contact with treetops. Overall, it was an interesting day.

7.25 hours (45.5) BAEA 8 (28), GOEA 39 (114), GYRF 1 (1) TOTAL 48 (145)

Sunday, March 15 Beaver Mines [Day 20] 0730-2000 (Peter Sherrington and Hilary Atkinson). The temperature at 0730 was -23C, the high at 1800 and 1900 was -12C and it was -13C at 2000. Winds were variable and calm to light (0-10 km/h) all day, and cloud cover was 100% stratus to 1000 after which it was completely cloudless for the rest of the day. The calm conditions produced a low but persistent count of 13 Golden Eagles (12a, 1j) that flapped slowly to the NNW between 1021 and 1606 after which all movement ceased. One adult bird perched on a Douglas fir on top of the ridge for over an hour before finally setting off at 1557. A late subadult non-migrant Bald Eagle was seen in the area for the third consecutive day, and an adult resident Northern Goshawk hunted on the ridge at 0806. Other birds seen were 10 Canada Geese that flew high to the SW at 1854, 1 Eurasian Collared Dove, 3 Downy Woodpeckers, 1 Hairy Woodpecker, 2 Blue Jays, 3 Black-billed Magpies, 33 Common Ravens, 8 Black-capped Chickadees, 12 Mountain Chickadees, 4 European Starlings, 3 Evening Grosbeaks, 35 Pine Grosbeaks, 1 American Tree Sparrow and 26 Dark-eyed Juncos (1 cismontanus and 25 montanus).

12.5 hours (216) GOEA 13 (272) TOTAL 13 (427)

Sunday, March 15 Steeples [Day 11] 1130-1830 (Vance Mattson). The temperature at 1130 was -8C but it warmed up to 0C, winds were initially light north but became calm after 1430 and it was cloudless all day. A total of 14 adult eagles, 2 Bald and 14 Golden, moved north between 1507 and 1645 with the last migrants being a string of 5 Golden Eagles. Single resident adult and juvenile Golden Eagles were present that perched together and were also seen hunting. A pair of resident adult Bald Eagles engaged in a spirited courtship flight, and non-migrant juvenile and subadult Bald Eagles were also seen together.

7 hours (34.75) BAEA 2 (18), GOEA 12 (57) TOTAL 14 (76)

Saturday, March 14 Beaver Mines (Peter Sherrington and Hilary Atkinson). No observation possible. The temperature at 0700 was -23C, the high from 1400 to 1800 was -19C and it was     -22C at 2100. Winds were NNW 10-18 km/h to 1400 after which they were E-ESE10-20 km/h and light snow fell all day. The ridge was obscured for most of the day but was visible for short periods in the afternoon when the snow became very light but prospects for raptor movement were zero. A total of 30 cm of snow fell over the last two days. Bird numbers were lower than yesterday and were 2 Downy Woodpeckers, 1 Hairy Woodpecker, 1 male Red-shafted Flicker, 2 Common Ravens, 6 Black-capped Chickadees, 8 Mountain Chickadees, 30 Pine Grosbeaks, 1 American Tree Sparrow and 22 Dark-eyed Juncos (2 cismontanus and 20 montanus). The snow stopped around midnight and it should be clear tomorrow.

Saturday, March 14 Beaver Mines (Vance Mattson). No observation possible. The ridges were again obscured all day.

Persistent snow again prevented any observation at Mount Lorette.

Friday, March 13 Beaver Mines (Peter Sherrington and Hilary Atkinson). No observation possible. Light to moderate snow that started at 2200 on March 12 fell all day and completely obscured the ridge, and by 2000 there was 22 cm on the ground. At 0800 the temperature was     -12C and steadily dropped all day to -20C at 2000. Winds were ESE-ENE all day, 10-15 km/h gusting to 30 km/h around noon. Birds seen were 4 Canada Geese, 1 Eurasian Collared Dove, 2 Downy Woodpeckers, 1 Hairy Woodpecker, 3 Steller’s Jays, 3 Blue Jays 6 Black-capped Chickadees, 10 Mountain Chickadees, 1 Red-breasted Nuthatch, 20 Evening Grosbeaks, 50 Pine Grosbeaks, 2 Grey-crowned Rosy-Finch of the race littoralis (“Hepburn’s Rosy-Finch”), 1 American Tree Sparrow and 32 Dark-eyed Juncos (2 cismontanus and 30 montanus). Cornell VanRyk saw a female richardsonii Merlin at his house that made two unsuccessful passes at the songbirds at his feeders.

Friday, March 13 Steeples (Vance Mattson). No observation possible. Snow started overnight and the ridges were obscured all day.

Persistent snow also prevented any observation at Mount Lorette.

Thursday, March 12 Beaver Mines [Day 19] 0730-1930 (Peter Sherrington and Hilary Atkinson). The temperature at 0730 was -12C, the high at 1600 was 2C and it was -2C at 1930. Calm conditions to 0900 were followed by light WSW winds to 1200, then NW 10-25 km/h to 1430, WNW-WSW 15-20 gusting 35 km/h that produced the peak raptor movement to 1600, after which they again became light WSW and finally very light NNE at 1900. It was cloudless to 0810 when cumulus cloud started to form and comprised 30-80% of the cover to 1500 and was then 40-80% with minor altocumulus and cirrus for the rest of the day. Observing conditions were excellent throughout and contributed to a season-high count of 92 migrants that consisted of 12 Bald Eagles (10a, 2j), 1 adult Northern Goshawk, 3 light morph Rough-legged Hawks and a season high 76 Golden Eagles (73a, 1sa, 2u). Only 4 birds were recorded between 0948 and 1300 but the migration became increasingly strong as the winds increased and peaked at 48 birds (3 Bald and 45 Golden Eagles) between 1500 and 1600 with only 2 birds seen between 1700 and 1734 as the winds again became light. Non-migrant birds were 1 late subadult Bald Eagle, an adult Northern Goshawk that hunted on the ridge and made a vertical parachute stoop (probably onto a red squirrel), which is an unusual hunting strategy for the species, and a resident adult Golden Eagle which was seen hunting on two occasions. Other birds seen were 17 Canada Geese, 18 Rock Pigeons, 1 Eurasian Collared Dove, 2 Downy Woodpeckers, 2 Hairy Woodpeckers, 3 Steller’s Jays, 3 Blue Jays, 6 Black-billed Magpies, 40 Common Ravens, 8 Black-capped Chickadees, 14 Mountain Chickadees, 45 European Starlings, 24 Evening Grosbeaks, 40 Pine Grosbeaks, 1 Grey-crowned Rosy-Finch, 1 American Tree Sparrow and 27 Dark-eyed Juncos (2 cismontanus and 25 montanus). Cornell VanRyk reported the return of an adult light morph Ferruginous Hawk near last year’s nest site, and also saw the first Killdeer for the area this year.

12 hours (203.5) BAEA 12 (104), NOGO 1 (10), RLHA 3 (37), GOEA 76 (259) TOTAL 92 (414)

Thursday, March 12 Steeples [Day 10] 1545-1845 (Vance Mattson). The temperature was 4C, winds were moderate S that became light and variable towards the end of the day and cloud cover was 80% altostratus and cumulus that reduced to 40% cumulus. There was a fairly strong raptor movement of 18 birds between 1610 and 1823 that comprised 1 adult Bald Eagle and a season-high 17 Golden Eagles (15a, 2j). The birds moved mainly in small groups: the first birds were a line of 4 adults and subsequently two groups of 3 and two of 2 were seen. A single unaged resident Golden Eagle was also recorded.

3 hours (27.75) BAEA 1 (16), GOEA 17 (45) TOTAL 18 (62)