Tuesday, April 28 Beaver Mines [Day 64] 0700-2030 (Peter Sherrington and Hilary Atkinson). The temperature at 0700 was 4C, the high at 1700 was 15C and it was 12C at 2030. Yet again the winds were W-WSW all day, 35-45 gusting 55-60 km/h, and it was cloudless to 1440 after which cloud cover was 20-40% altocumulus and lenticular that gave excellent observing conditions. The conditions were also conducive for raptor migration after 1100 with a total of 33 birds moving fairly steadily between 1108 and 1930 comprising 14 species, which equals the season high species count and includes a rare “grand-slam” of all 5 falcon species. The count was 1 adult Turkey Vulture, 1 Osprey, 8 Bald Eagles (6a, 1sa2, 1 sa2), 4 Sharp-shinned Hawks (2a, 2u), 1 juvenile Cooper’s Hawk, 1 adult light morph Swainson’s Hawk, 2 adult light morph calurus Red-tailed Hawks, 1 dark morph Rough-legged Hawk, 6 juvenile Golden Eagles, 1 female American Kestrel, 2 male columbarius Merlins, 1 juvenile female grey morph Gyrfalcon that flew directly overhead at 1256, 2 adult Peregrine Falcons (1 male, 1 female) and 2 female Prairie Falcons. The highest hourly count was 8 birds between 1100 and 1200, and 3 other hours saw the passage of 5 birds. Residents were again a pair of Northern Harriers with the male seen displaying at 1711, and 2 pairs of Red-tailed Hawks seen regularly between 0903 and 1834 with males seen displaying at 1557 and 1710. Other birds were 4 Canada Geese, 3 Wood Ducks that were the first of the season, 4 Mallards, 1 pair of Northern Pintails, 8 Rock Pigeons, 2 Mourning Doves, 1 male Rufous Hummingbird that was seen by Gord Petersen across the road that was also a season’s first, 2 pairs of resident Sandhill Cranes and 1 pair that flew high to the SW at 0945, 2 Long-billed Curlews, also a season’s first,  that were seen by Troy Malish at 0750 flying in the direction of the site but which were not subsequently relocated, 1 Great Blue Heron, 2 Downy Woodpeckers, 1 Hairy Woodpecker, 1 Red-shafted Flicker, 2 Steller’s Jays, 24 American Crows, 13 Common Ravens, 3 Tree Swallows, 3 Black-capped Chickadees, 4 Mountain Chickadees, 6 American Robins, 6 European Starlings, 15 Evening Grosbeaks, flocks of 9 and 70 Grey-crowned Rosy-Finches that flew to the N at 1743 and 1854 respectively, 1 second-year male House Finch, 2 Pine Siskins, 1 female Spotted Towhee, 1 White-crowned Sparrow of the race gambelii that was a first for the site this year, 5 Dark-eyed Juncos (1 hyemalis, 2 cismontanus and 2 montanus), 8 male Red-winged Blackbirds, 2 male Common Grackles and 1 Orange-crowned Warbler.

13.5 hours (806.7) TUVU 1 (13), OSPR 1 (11), BAEA 8 (373), SSHA 4 (119), COHA 1 (23), SWHA 1 (8), RTHA 2 (276), RLHA 1 (64), GOEA 6 (1153), AMKE 1 (18), MERL 2 (30), GYRF 1 (5), PEFA 2 (16), PRFA 2 (9) TOTAL 33 (2244)

Monday, April 27 Beaver Mines [Day 63] 0730-2030 (Peter Sherrington and Hilary Atkinson). The temperature at 0730 was 7C, the high at 1100 was 11C, but fell to 8C at 1300, recovered to 10.5C at 1400 and 1500, and then fell to 5C at 1800 where it remained for the rest of the day. Winds were W-WSW all day 35-45 gusting 50-60km to 1600 with the exceptions of 1100 and 1200 when they were 60-70 gusting 80-90 km/h; after 1600 winds moderated to 20-30 km/h. Cloud cover was 100-70% altostratus, altocumulus, cumulus and stratocumulus to 1900 apart from around 0900 when it briefly reduced to 10% cumulus. After 1900 it was 20-40% cumulus that allowed continuous bright sunshine. The ridges to the SW were obscured for much of the day and after 1145 a series of rain showers were blown from the SW that became steady light to moderate rain between 1530 and 1900. Raptor movement was very poor and only 8 migrants were seen between 1059 and 1356 with 5 of these birds recorded between 1343 and 1356. The count was 3u Sharp-shinned Hawks, 2 adult light morph calurus Red-tailed Hawks, 1 juvenile Golden Eagle, 1u American Kestrel and 1 adult male columbarius Merlin. Resident birds were the pair of Northern Harriers with the male hunting at 1347 and the female at 1405, and periodic sightings of usually single hunting Red-tailed Hawks to 1834 with only a single display flight at 0750. Other birds were 2 Canada Geese, 4 Mallards, 1 pair of Northern Pintails, 12 Rock Pigeons, 3 Mourning Doves, 1 pair of Sandhill Cranes, 2 Downy Woodpeckers, 2 Hairy Woodpeckers, 2 Red-shafted Flickers, 2 Steller’s Jays, 3 Blue Jays, 2 Black-billed Magpies, 24 American Crows, 20 Common Ravens, 5 Tree Swallows, 2 Black-capped Chickadees, 4 Mountain Chickadees, 9 American Robins, 36 European Starlings, 20 Evening Grosbeaks, a flock of 40 Grey-crowned Rosy-Finches that flew to the N at 1408, 1 Dark-eyed [montanus] Junco, 12 male Red-winged Blackbirds and the first female of the season, 2 male Common Grackles and 1 Orange-crowned Warbler which was the first for the season. Yesterday I forgot to report the first butterfly of the year, a Mourning Cloak, which was on the wing at 1113.

13 hours (793.2) SSHA 3 (115), RTHA 2 (274), GOEA 1 (1147), AMKE 1 (17), MERL 1 (28) TOTAL 8 (2211)

Sunday, April 26 Beaver Mines [Day 62] 0730-2030 (Peter Sherrington and Hilary Atkinson). The temperature at 0730 was 5C, the high at 1700 was 14C and it was 10C at 2030. Winds were WSW-W all day 35-45 gusting 55 km/h that increased to gusts of 70-80 km/h between 1300 and 1600. Cloud cover was 20-100% continuously varying mixtures of altostratus, altocumulus, cirrus, cumulus and lenticular that allowed sunshine or hazy sunshine all day and gave excellent viewing conditions for the mainly high to very high flying migrants. There was a steady stream of 50 migrants of 13 species between 0909 and 2012 that comprised 1 adult Turkey Vulture, 4 Ospreys, 6 Bald Eagles (5a, 1j), 2u male Northern Harriers, 9 Sharp-shinned Hawks (2a, 7u), 4 Cooper’s Hawks (3a, 1u), 2 adult Northern Goshawks, 2 adult light morph Broad-winged Hawks, 2 light morph calurus Red-tailed Hawks (1a, 1u), 12 Golden Eagles (1a, 4sa, 6j, 1u), 3 American Kestrels (2 female, 1 male), 1u male columbarius Merlin and 2 adult Peregrine Falcons (1 male, 1 female). Thirteen birds moved before noon and the highest hourly counts were 10 (1600-1700) and 9 (1700-1800). Resident birds were a pair of Northern Harriers with the male only seen displaying at 0755, and 2 pairs of Red-tailed Hawks that were frequently seen hunting; occasional interloping single adult birds were seen with soaring pairs and which generally evinced high energy displays by the affronted males. Other birds were 4 Canada Geese, 10 Rock Pigeons, 1 Mourning Dove,  2 pairs of Sandhill Cranes, 1 Downy Woodpeckers, 1 Hairy Woodpecker, 5 Blue Jays, 19 American Crows, 15 Common Ravens, 4 Tree Swallows, 4 Mountain Chickadees, 21 American Robins, 6 European Starlings, 10 Evening Grosbeaks, a flock of 20 Pine Siskins that flew to the N at 1251 which were the first for the season, 3 Dark-eyed Juncos (1 cismontanus and 2 montanus), 6 male Red-winged Blackbirds, and 2 male Common Grackles. This afternoon Gord Petersen and Cathy Scrimshaw saw and photographed 2 Whimbrels south of the municipal land-fill site near Lundbreck: this is a new species for the study area.

13 hours (780.2) TUVU 1 (12), OSPR 4 (10), BAEA 6 (365), NOHA 2 (42), SSHA 9 (112), COHA 4 (22), NOGO 2 (50), BWHA 2 (20), RTHA 2 (272), GOEA 12 (1146), AMKE 3 (16), MERL 1 (27), PEFA 2 (14) TOTAL 50 (2203)

Friday, April 24 Beaver Mines [Day 60] 0900-2030 (Peter Sherrington and Hilary Atkinson). The temperature at 0900 was 7C, the high at 1700 was 13.5C and it was 9.5C at 2030. The wind was W in the morning, light at 0900 then 20-30 gusting 40 km/h, and throughout the afternoon it was WSW 30-40 gusting 45 km/h. Cloud cover was variable 10-70% cumulus to 1430 after which 100% thin cirrostratus quickly developed that thickened to 100% grey altostratus after 1700 that made for a gloomy end to the day. A total of 16 migrant raptors of 7 species were counted between 1029 and 1856 that comprised 1 adult Turkey Vulture, 2 Northern Harriers (1 juvenile female and 1 adult male), 4u Sharp-shinned Hawks, 1 adult light morph Broad-winged Hawk, 3 calurus Red-tailed Hawks (1a and 1j light morphs, and 1 adult dark morph), 4 Golden Eagles (1a, 3j) and 1 adult female Peregrine Falcon. Movement was generally slow with maximum hourly counts of only 4 birds between 1700 and 1800 and again between 1800 and 1900. The evening gloom was enlivened, however, by the consecutive appearances of the Turkey Vulture at 1830, the Broad-winged Hawk at 1835 and the Peregrine Falcon at 1844 and suddenly it seemed that the day was not so bad after all! Other birds were 22 Canada Geese, 5 Mallards, 5 Green-winged Teal, 9 Rock Pigeons, the first Mourning Dove of the season, 1 Vaux’s Swift that flew fairly low near the site at 1124 for a first seasonal record and a first April record for the area, 8 Sandhill Cranes that fed SE of the creek and  a pair that flew high to the SW at 1246, 1 Great Blue Heron, 1 Downy Woodpecker, 1 Red-shafted Flicker, 3 Steller’s Jays, 1 Blue Jay, 5 Black-billed Magpies, 16 American Crows, 12 Common Ravens, 3 Tree Swallows, 5 Mountain Chickadees, 11 American Robins, 6 European Starlings, 10 Evening Grosbeaks, 50 Grey-crowned Rosy-Finches that flew high to the WNW at 1402, 1 female Spotted Towhee that was a first for the season, 4 Dark-eyed Juncos (2 cismontanus and 2 montanus), 4 male Red-winged Blackbirds, and 1 male and 2 female Common Grackles.

11.5 hours (754.2) TUVU 1 (7), NOHA 2 (40), SSHA 4 (101) BWHA 1 (16), RTHA 3 (270), GOEA 4 (1126), PEFA 1 (12) TOTAL 16 (2129)

Thursday, April 23 Beaver Mines [Day 59] 0900-2030 (Peter Sherrington and Hilary Atkinson). The temperature at 0900 was 9C, the high at 1400 was 14C and it was 9C at 2030. Winds were light NW to 1030, WSW-SW 20-35 gusting to 50 km/h to 1600, WNW-NW 20-30 km/h to 2000 and light W at 2030. Cloud cover was 100-60% cumulus, stratocumulus and cirrus to 1330, 20-40% scattered cumulus to 1700 that thickened to 70-90% dark cumulus at 1800 and 1900 and produced scattered showers and brief periods of light rain that stopped at 1930, and then cleared to 20-30% cumulus and altocumulus for the rest of the day. Much of the day saw hazy sunshine, and migration and observing conditions were again very good, producing a total of 35 migrant raptors of 12 species between 1227 and 1842. The count was 1 adult Turkey Vulture, 6 Bald Eagles (3a, 3j), 1u male Northern Harrier, 4u Sharp-shinned Hawks, 1 adult Northern Goshawk, 2u light morph Broad-winged Hawks, 1 adult light morph Swainson’s Hawk, 7 calurus Red-tailed Hawks (5a, 1j light morphs and 1a dark morph), 9 Golden Eagles (1a, 2sa, 6j), 1 adult male columbarius Merlin and 1 adult female Peregrine Falcon. Movement was initially slow but gradually increased with 21 birds moving after 1600 culminating in 9 being seen between 1809 and 1842. Resident birds were a pair of Northern Harriers and a single adult male that displayed alongside the other male at 1618 (the first display by a single male was seen at 0615!), 2 pairs of Red-tailed Hawks that were mainly seen hunting and 1 adult Golden Eagle that was seen twice. Other birds were 9 Canada Geese, 4 Mallards, 8 Green-winged Teal, a pair of Barrow’s Goldeneye, a pair of Common Mergansers, 7 Rock Pigeons, 1 pair of resident Sandhill Cranes and  a pair that flew high to the NE at 1334, 2 Downy Woodpeckers, 3 Red-shafted Flickers, 3 Blue Jays, 1 Black-billed Magpie, 18 American Crows, 6 Common Ravens, 4 Tree Swallows, 1 Black-capped Chickadee, 3 Mountain Chickadees, 1 White-breasted Nuthatch, 9 American Robins, 4 European Starlings, 11 Evening Grosbeaks, 14 Pine Grosbeaks, 90 Grey-crowned Rosy-Finches that flew high to the N in 2 flocks at 1350 and 1444, 5 Dark-eyed Juncos (1 cismontanus and 4 montanus), 4 male Red-winged Blackbirds, and 2 male Common Grackles.

11.5 hours (742.7) TUVU 1 (6), BAEA 6 (357), NOHA 1 (38), SSHA 4 (97), NOGO 1 (48), BWHA 2 (15), SWHA 1 (5), RTHA 7 (267), RLHA 1 (63), GOEA 9 (1122), MERL 1 (25). PEFA 1 (11) TOTAL 35 (2113)