Friday, March 20 Beaver Mines [Day 25] 0715-2015 (Peter Sherrington and Hilary Atkinson). The temperature at 0720 was -15C the high at 1600 was 7C that dropped quickly to 0.5C at 1700 and was -4C at 2015. Winds were light N-NE to 1130 after which they were SW 20 gusting to 35 km/h to 1900 after which they were again light N-ENE. It was cloudless all day but after 1500 there was an unexpected and persistent shimmering heat haze above the ridge that made observation difficult. This probably was caused by the mixing of warm and cold air that was reflected in the sudden drop in temperature at the site after 1600. A total of 34 migrant raptors of a season-high 6 species were counted between 1046 and 1922 that comprised 10 adult Bald Eagles, 1 juvenile female Northern Harrier, 1 adult Northern Goshawk, 2 adult light morph calurus Red-tailed Hawks, 4 light morph Rough-legged Hawks and 16 Golden Eagles (15a, 1sa). Only 5 birds occurred before 1400 after which movement steadily increased and peaked at 10 birds between 1700 and 1800. At Mount Lorette Caroline Lambert reported 46 migrants in 12 hours that comprised 7 Bald Eagles (6a, 1sa), 37 Golden Eagles (35a, 2u) and 2 unidentified eagles. Other birds seen at Beaver Mines were 1 Canada Goose, 4 Rock Pigeons, 1 Eurasian Collared Dove, 1 Downy Woodpecker, 1 male Red-shafted Flicker, 1 Black-billed Magpie, 21 American Crows that flew high to the SW late in the day, 34 Common Ravens, 6 Black-capped Chickadees, 8 Mountain Chickadees, 194 European Starlings that included flocks of 100 and 60 flying high to the SW, 20 Pine Grosbeaks and 30 Dark-eyed [montanus] Juncos.

13 hours (279.3) BAEA 10 (118), NOHA 1 (2), NOGO 1 (11), RTHA 2 (3), RLHA 4 (42), GOEA 16 (320) TOTAL 34 (498)

Friday, March 20 [Day 16] 1130-1930 (Vance Mattson). It was another beautiful day with the temperature reaching 8C from a low of 1C and it was calm and cloudless. A total of 35 migrants were seen that comprised a season-high 22 Bald Eagles (14a, 2sa, 6j), 12 Golden Eagles (7a, 1sa, 4j) and 1 unidentified eagle. This is the first time this season that Bald Eagles have outnumbered Golden Eagles. Nine migrants moved before 1500 and 12 after 1600 with 1500-1600 producing 14 birds 10 of which were Bald Eagles. Non-migrants were 4 adult Bald Eagles and 2 resident Golden Eagles (1a, 1j). At Wasa Lake, on the way to the site, 6 young Bald Eagles were waiting for the ice to melt. They made several practice attempts at fish seen under the ice and one finally succeeded in catching a small fish after which it was vigorously pursued by the other eagles. In addition to the approximately 50 Canada Geese coming and going, 45 Tundra Swans were also active and included 25 that passed over Vance’s house when he returned home at 1945.

8 hours (68.6) BAEA 22 (70), GOEA 12 (232), UE 1 (2) TOTAL 35 (308)

Thursday, March 19 Beaver Mines [Day 24] 0720-2010 (Peter Sherrington and Hilary Atkinson). The temperature at 0720 was -10C, the high at 1400 was -6C and it was again -10C at 2010. Winds were NE-ENE all day 7-16 km/h and cloud cover was 100% stratus all day with the exception of 1400-1640 when it was 80-90% cumulus. Light snow fell all day that completely or partially obscured the ridge with the exception of 1540 to 1640 when the snow stopped with 4 cm fresh on the ground, and the ridge completely cleared. After six days of zero or poor movement today produced 25 migrants comprising 1 adult Bald Eagle, 1 light morph Rough-legged Hawk and 23 Golden Eagles (21a, 1sa, 1u) between 1336 and 1639. The first birds started moving when persistent light snow was still falling and included 6 adult Golden Eagles that soared high together at 1351 before gliding high to the north. The movement ceased as soon as the snow resumed and although the ridge partially cleared again after 1900 no further birds were seen. There was a similar result at Mount Lorette where Cliff Hansen reported a count of 26 birds that included 23 Golden Eagles and first seasonal occurrences of a Sharp-shinned Hawk and 2 adult light morph calurus Red-tailed Hawks. Other birds seen at Beaver Mines were 2 Canada Geese, 8 Rock Pigeons, 1 Eurasian Collared Dove, 2 Downy Woodpeckers, 1 Hairy Woodpecker, 1 male Red-shafted Flicker, 1 Northern Shrike, 1 Black-billed Magpie, 5 Common Ravens, 8 Black-capped Chickadees, 14 Mountain Chickadees, 2 Red-breasted Nuthatches, 9 European Starlings, 14 Bohemian Waxwings, 25 Evening Grosbeaks, 47 Pine Grosbeaks and 37 Dark-eyed Juncos (1 hyemalis, 1 cismontanus and 35 montanus).

12.83 hours (266.3) BAEA 1 (108), RLHA 1 (38), GOEA 23 (304) TOTAL 25 (464)

Thursday, March 19 [Day 15] 1200-1915 (Vance Mattson). The temperature ranged from 2C to 5C, winds were moderate SE between 1630 and 1700 but it was otherwise calm, and cloud cover was 70% thin to moderate altostratus, cumulus, cirrus and altocumulus that gave partly sunny conditions. There was another fairly strong raptor movement of 30 birds up to 1847 that comprised 8 Bald Eagles (5a, 3j), 1 adult light morph calurus Red-tailed Hawk and 21 Golden Eagles (18a, 2j, 1u). Thirteen migrants were seen before 1400 but subsequently movement became more sporadic with only 2 birds moving between 1600 and 1800 and 6 after. The last bird was a Bald Eagle that flapped north in the calm conditions. Non-migrants were 4 Bald Eagles (1a, 3j), the resident pair of Red-tailed Hawks, one of which again soared low over the site and single adult resident Golden Eagles that were seen on three occasions.

7.25 hours (60.5) BAEA 8 (48), RTHA 1 (2), GOEA 21 (220) TOTAL 30 (273)

Wednesday, March 18 Beaver Mines [Day 23] 0730-2000 (Peter Sherrington and Hilary Atkinson). The temperature at 0730 was -9C, the high at 1400 was -5C and it was -7C at 2000. Winds were variable and 0-18 km/h to 1100 and then unhelpful NE-ENE 7-20 km/h for the rest of the day. Cloud cover was initially 100% stratus and cumulus that produced light snow until 0830 when there was 4 cm fresh on the ground. The sky then cleared with 80% cumulus at 1000 reducing to 10% at 1200, 0% at 1300 and 1400 and 30% at 1500 but a persistent ice crystal haze combined with the bright sunshine made observation difficult and very uncomfortable. After 1600 low stratus developed for the rest of the day that occasionally obscured the top of the ridge and light snow again developed late in the day. The unfavourable winds and general conditions produced only one migrant: an adult Golden Eagle that flapped to the NW at 1745, and a non-migrant adult Bald Eagle perched and flying low in the valley was the only other raptor seen. By contrast, 13 hours of observation by Bill Wilson at Mount Lorette produced 8 Bald Eagles (7a, 1sa) and 113 Golden Eagles (78a, 1sa, 4j, 30u). It is unlikely that these birds moved on the ridges between Beaver Mines and the Continental Divide as the cloud there was even lower and the ridges appeared to be obscured all day. It appears that, as happened for much of last spring, the main eagle migration route was deflected to west of the Divide, a supposition supported by high counts at Steeples yesterday and today. Other birds seen here were 1 male Common Merganser that flew high to the NE at 1928, 15 Rock Pigeons, 1 Eurasian Collared Dove, 2 Downy Woodpeckers, 1 Hairy Woodpecker, 1 male Red-shafted Flicker, 1 Black-billed Magpie, a flock of 27 American Crows that flew high to the SW to roost at 1850, 7 Common Ravens, 6 Black-capped Chickadees, 10 Mountain Chickadees, 1 Red-breasted Nuthatch, 2 White-breasted Nuthatches, 20 Evening Grosbeaks, 31 Pine Grosbeaks, 1 American Tree Sparrow and 31 Dark-eyed Juncos (1 hyemalis and 30 montanus).

12.5 hours (253.5) GOEA 1 (281) TOTAL 1 (439)

Wednesday, March 18 Steeples [Day 14] 1145-1930 (Vance Mattson). The temperature rose to a high of 6C from a low of 2C, winds were periodically light W but mainly calm and it was cloudless with occasional traces of cumulus. The pleasant weather produced a season-high total of 98 migrants that moved between 1248 and 1859. The flight comprised a season-high 12 Bald Eagles (3a, 2sa, 7j) and a season-high 85 Golden Eagles (78a, 2sa. 3j, 2u) and 1 unidentified eagle. Movement was steady with 15 migrants seen before 1400 and the next 3 hours produced 12, 20 and 18 birds respectively before a peak hour between 1700 and 1800 saw the passage of 29 birds: only 4 birds were seen after 1800. Movement was both high and low but became increasingly high as the day progressed. Soaring kettles of 5 birds occurred once and of 4 birds twice, but movement was mainly gliding at moderate speeds. Non-migrants were 7 Bald Eagles (5a, 1sa) that included one observed pair-flight; an early-returning adult Sharp-shinned Hawk (the earliest resident bird last year was March 31); a pair of resident light morph calurus Red-tailed Hawks that soared low over the site at 1410 after which one bird undertook a long diagonal hunting stoop, and single adult resident Golden Eagles were seen on two occasions.

7.75 hours (53.25) BAEA 12 (40), GOEA 85 (199), UE 1 (1) TOTAL 98 (243)

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)

Monday, March 16 Beaver Mines [Day 21] 0730-2000 (Peter Sherrington and Hilary Atkinson). The temperature at 0730 was -12C, the high from 1400 to 1800 was 1C and it was  -3C at 2000. Winds were W-NW 10-18 km/h to 1400 after which they were variable and light (0-8 km/h) for the rest of the day. There was 40% stratus cloud cover at 0700 after which it was cloudless all day. The light winds again produced a very poor raptor movement with only 3 birds, 1 subadult Bald Eagle and 2 adult Golden Eagles recorded between 1702 and 1705. The birds soared high above the ridge before flapping to the NW. At the Frank Slide Interpretive Centre in the Crowsnest Pass, however, Trevor Lewis saw 32 eagles moving to the north along the Livingstone Ridge in 16 minutes around 1600 with the birds probably originating from the Carbondale Ridge to the west of the Beaver Mines site. A strong eagle movement also occurred at Mount Lorette where Blake Weis saw a season high 177 birds that comprised 5 Bald Eagles and 172 Golden Eagles. Other birds seen here were 8 Rock Pigeons, 1 Eurasian Collared Dove, 3 Downy Woodpeckers, 1 Hairy Woodpecker, 1 Northern Shrike, that was the first at the site this season, 1 Steller’s Jay, 4 Black-billed Magpies, 49 Common Ravens, 8 Black-capped Chickadees, 12 Mountain Chickadees, 2 Red-breasted Nuthatches, 1 White-breasted Nuthatch, 10 European Starlings, 6 Evening Grosbeaks, 25 Pine Grosbeaks, 1 American Tree Sparrow and 22 Dark-eyed Juncos (1 hyemalis, 1 cismontanus and 25 montanus). On March 15 Connie Simmons saw the area’s first Varied Thrush along the Gladstone Valley Road.

12.5 hours (228.5) BAEA 1 (105), GOEA 2 (274) TOTAL 3 (430)

Monday, March 16 Steeples [Day 12] 1530-1900 (Vance Mattson). The temperature was 4C and conditions were calm, cloudless and sunny which produced low gliding flight and offered excellent views of 21 migrants that comprised 2 Bald Eagles (1a, 1j), the season’s first migrant Red-tailed Hawk, an adult light morph of the race calurus that was the last bird seen at 1849, and a season-high 18 Golden Eagles (16a, 2j), the first of which was moving across the ridge as Vance arrived at the site. No resident birds were seen.

3.5 hours (38.25) BAEA 2 (20), RTHA 1 (1), GOEA 18 (75) TOTAL 21 (97)