Friday, March 06 Beaver Mines [Day 13] 0700-1730 (Peter Sherrington and Hilary Atkinson). The temperature at 0700 was 6C, the high from 1100-1400 was 10C, which equals the highest temperature this year, and it was 5C at 1730 when observation ceased because of steady light rain. Winds were WSW-W and occasionally SW or SSW all day10-20 gusting 40 km/h to 1300 then 30 gusting 50 km/h for the rest of the day. Cloud cover was thin altostratus to 1200 which gave hazy sunshine but thickened in the afternoon to 100% altostratus and altocumulus to 1400, 100% cumulus and altostratus to 1630 and finally 100% stratocumulus that produced light rain for the rest of the observation period. Although migration conditions appeared to be good only 6 migrants were seen between 0742 and 1513 comprising 1 adult Bald Eagle, 3 Northern Goshawks (1a, 2u) and 2 adult Golden Eagles. Other birds seen were 3 Canada Geese, 5 Mallards (3 male, 2 female), 9 Rock Pigeons, 1 Eurasian Collared Dove, 1 Great Blue Heron that flew low from the SW at 0932 and landed in the creek and was the earliest seen in the area by three-weeks, 2 Downy Woodpeckers, 2 Black-billed Magpies, a flock of 14 American Crows that were the first of the year, 36 Common Ravens, 10 Black-capped Chickadees, 12 Mountain Chickadees, 2 Red-breasted Nuthatches, 2 White-breasted Nuthatches, 19 European Starlings, 6 Bohemian Waxwings, 14 Evening Grosbeaks, 51 Pine Grosbeaks and the first “Oregon” Dark-eyed Junco for the site this year although they were first seen elsewhere in the study area on March 2.  The area is under a winter storm warning with heavy snow forecast to start around midnight so the prospect for observation tomorrow is not encouraging.

10.5 hours (131.8) BAEA 1 (74), NOGO 3 (7), GOEA 2 (88) TOTAL 6 (202)

Friday, March 06 Steeples [Day 6] 1300-1700 (Vance Mattson). The temperature was 9C, winds were strong SW and cloud cover was 100% altostratus. Two adult migrant Golden Eagles were seen and non-migrant birds were two sightings of single adult Golden Eagles and 7 Bald Eagles (6a, 1j) with 3 pairs seen soaring together at separate times. The forecast is calling for snow tomorrow.

4 hours (17.25) GOEA 2 (11) TOTAL 2 (16)

Thursday, March 05 Beaver Mines [Day 12] 0700-1815 (Peter Sherrington and Hilary Atkinson). The temperature at 0700 was -3C, the high at 1500 was 8.5C and it was 6C at 1815. Winds were mainly WSW all day, 20-30 gusting to 40 km/h in the morning, 30-40 gusting 65 km/h to 1700 after which gusts moderated to 45 km/h. Cloud cover was 100% altostratus and altocumulus to 1300 after which it was 80-90% altocumulus and cirrus, but the cloud was thin enough to give hazy sunshine all day and observing conditions were very good. A total of 19 migrant raptors of a season-high 5 species were seen between 0918 and 1647 that comprised 6 Bald Eagles (3a, 3j), the season’s first Northern Harrier, an adult male at 1645, which is the earliest ever for the site, 2 light morph Rough-legged Hawks, 9 adult Golden Eagles and the season’s first Merlin, an adult probable female of the race columbarius. Movement was generally sporadic but there were 2 clusters of 3 Golden Eagles between 0944 and 0951, and again between 1126 and 1129; and 2 Bald Eagles (adult and juvenile), the Northern Harrier and a Rough-legged Hawk were seen between 1645 and 1647. A non-migratory adult female Northern Goshawk also flew low to the ENE across the valley at 1101.  Other birds seen were 39 Canada Geese including a flock of 25 that flew very high to the north at 0711, 8 Rock Pigeons, 1 Eurasian Collared Dove, 2 Downy Woodpeckers, 1 Blue Jay, 2 Black-billed Magpies, 29 Common Ravens, 12 Black-capped Chickadees, 16 Mountain Chickadees, 2 Red-breasted Nuthatches, 16 European Starlings, 3 Evening Grosbeaks and 45 Pine Grosbeaks.

11.25 hours (121.3) BAEA 6 (73), NOHA 1 (1), RLHA 2 (30), GOEA 9 (86), MERL 1 (1) TOTAL 19 (196)

Thursday, March 05 Steeples [Day 5] 1530-1800 (Vance Mattson).  The temperature was 8C, cloud cover was 80% thin to moderate altostratus and cumulus and winds were moderate SE. Four migrant Golden Eagles (1a, 1j, 1u) were seen and non-migrants were a resident adult Golden Eagle (seen three times) and a juvenile Bald Eagle.

2.5 hours (13.25) GOEA 4 (9) TOTAL 4 (14)

Wednesday, March 04 Beaver Mines [Day 11] 0715-1830 (Peter Sherrington and Hilary Atkinson). Snow fell overnight and ended at 0720 leaving 3 cm of fresh snow on the ground. It also snowed heavily between 0825 and 0910 producing a further 1.5 cm on the ground, but the rest of the day was clear and mainly sunny except for extensive blowing snow in the valley between 1200 and 1500. The temperature at 0715 was -1C, the high at 1400 was 3C and it was 0C at 1830. Winds were mainly WSW all day 30-40 km/h gusting to 60 km/h in the morning, to 70 km/h to 1500 and to 50 km/h for the rest of the day. Apart from the periods of snow, for the rest of the day cumulus cloud cover ranged from 0 to 50% and varied rapidly as cloud swept to the WSW from the Continental Divide, but between 1200 and 1500 it was mainly cloudless. Raptor movement was again slow and sporadic with 10 birds of 3 species moving between 0808 and 1734 of which 6 were seen after 1511. The count was 3 Bald Eagles (2a, 1 late subadult), 2 light morph Rough-legged Hawks and 5 adult Golden Eagles. Other birds seen were 11 Canada Geese, 12 Rock Pigeons, 1 Eurasian Collared Dove, 1 Downy Woodpecker, 1 Hairy Woodpecker, 2 Steller’s Jays, 3 Blue Jays, 23 Common Ravens, 10 Black-capped Chickadees, 16 Mountain Chickadees, 4 European Starlings, 6 Evening Grosbeaks, 50 Pine Grosbeaks, a flock of 40 Grey-crowned Rosy-Finches that flew north at 1909 and 1 hyemalis Dark-eyed Junco.

11.25 hours (110) BAEA 3 (67), RLHA 2 (28), GOEA 5 (77) TOTAL 10 (177)

Wednesday, March 04 Steeples [Day 4] 1530-1745 (Vance Mattson).  The temperature was 8C, cloud cover was 40% cumulus that gave mainly sunny conditions and it was calm. Migrant raptors were 1 adult Bald Eagle, 1 adult Northern Goshawk that was the first of the season and 2 Golden Eagles (1a, 1j). An adult resident Golden Eagle was also seen,

2.25 hours (10.75) BAEA 1 (4), NOGO 1 (1), GOEA 2 (5) TOTAL 4 (10)

Tuesday, March 03 Beaver Mines [Day 10] 0720-1820 (Peter Sherrington and Hilary Atkinson). The temperature at 0720 was 3C, the high at 1300 and 1400 was 7C and it was still 5C at 1820. Winds were strong W and occasionally WSW all day, 30-40 gusting 50 km/h in the morning but increasing to 55-65 gusting to 70-90 km/h throughout the afternoon. It was cloudless to 1430 after which 70-20 % cumulus and altocumulus developed to 1630 when 90-100% altostratus, altocumulus and cumulus thickened for the rest of the day. Raptor movement was very slow all day with 12 birds of 4 species seen between 0919 and 1708 that comprised 3 Bald Eagles (1a, 2j), 3 light morph Rough-legged Hawks that all moved to the WNW between 1550 and 1559, 5 Golden Eagles (4a, 1sa) and the season’s first Gyrfalcon, an immature very light grey intermediate morph that flew to the NNW at 1311. Other birds seen were 40 Canada Geese including a flock of 30 that flew very high to the NE at 1806, 8 Rock Pigeons, 1 Eurasian Collared Dove, 2 Downy Woodpeckers, 1 Clark’s Nutcracker, 25 Common Ravens, 8 Black-capped Chickadees, 16 Mountain Chickadees, 2 Red-breasted Nuthatches, 9 European Starlings, 5 Evening Grosbeaks, 60 Pine Grosbeaks and a flock of 12 Snow Buntings that flew to the NE above the valley at 1810.

11 hours (98.75) BAEA 3 (64), RLHA 3 (26), GOEA 5 (72), GYRF 1 (1) TOTAL 12 (167)

Tuesday, March 03 Steeples [Day 3] 1530-1700 (Vance Mattson). The temperature was 9C, winds were moderate S and cloud cover was 100% thin altostratus and cumulus that gave partly sunny conditions. An undifferentiated immature Bald Eagle that glided north as Vance arrived at the site was the only migrant seen. Single non-migrant adults of each eagle species were also seen, with the Golden Eagle travelling the entire length of the ridge before perching on the southern flank of Mount Bill Nye at 1656.

1.5 hours (8.5) BAEA 1 (3) TOTAL 1 (6)

Monday, March 02 Beaver Mines [Day 9] 0730-1900 (Peter Sherrington and Hilary Atkinson). The temperature at 0730 was 0C, the high at 1500 and 1600 was 5C and it was 4C at 1800. Winds were strong WSW-W all day, 30-50 gusting 80 km/h and cloud cover was 10-30% cumulus to 1100, 50-70% cumulus and altostratus to 1500 and 80-100% cumulus, altostratus, altocumulus and cirrostratus for the rest of the day. Observing conditions were excellent all day but movement was a rather disappointing 9 birds: 6 Bald Eagles (3a, 3j) and 3 adult Golden Eagles, which were seen between 0816 and 1418. Non-migrants were an adult Northern Goshawk flying to the SW at 1444 and 2 light morph Rough-legged Hawks that perched and hunted in the valley at 1435. Other birds seen were  2 Rock Pigeons, 1 Eurasian Collared Dove, 1 Downy Woodpecker, 2 Hairy Woodpeckers, 1 Blue Jay, 20 Common Ravens, 6 Black-capped Chickadees, 14 Mountain Chickadees, 1 Red-breasted Nuthatch, 3 European Starlings, 7 Evening Grosbeaks and 48 Pine Grosbeaks.

10.5 hours (87.75) BAEA 6 (61), GOEA 3 (67) TOTAL 9 (155)

Monday, March 02 Steeples [Day 2] 1515-1715 (Vance Mattson). The temperature was 8C, cloud cover was 60% cumulus and altostratus that gave sunny conditions, winds were W light to moderate and the ridges were clear. The only migrant seen was an adult Golden Eagle at 1626, and an adult resident Golden Eagle was seen hunting that included one stoop.

2 hours (7) GOEA 1 (3) TOTAL 1 (5)