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)

Wednesday, March 11 Beaver Mines [Day 18] 0745-2000 (Peter Sherrington and Hilary Atkinson). The temperature was 2C at 0745, the high was 5C at 1300, was 3C at 1400, was -2C at 1500 and was -3C at 2000. Winds were W 30-40 gusting 50 km/h to 1315 when they switched to NE winds of 15-20 km/h that brought periods of snow that was sometimes heavy and obscured the ridge, which alternated with SE-SSE winds 12-20 km/h that brought clear conditions. Cloud cover was 100% thin cirrostratus and cumulus to 0900, then 10-70% cumulus to 1315, which was followed by 100% low dark stratus and cumulus, or 50-90% light cumulus depending on the wind direction. A total of 7 cm of snow fell in the afternoon. A total of 14 migrant raptors were seen comprising 4 Bald Eagles (3a, 1u), 1 light morph Rough-legged Hawk and 9 adult Golden Eagles. All the eagles were seen between 0755 and 1356, and the Rough-legged Hawk moved low to the north during a break in the snow at 1710. Other birds seen were 16 Canada Geese, 1 Rock Pigeon, 1 Eurasian Collared Dove, 2 Downy Woodpeckers, 2 Steller’s Jays, 2 Blue Jays, 6 Black-billed Magpies, 8 American Crows, 47 Common Ravens, 8 Black-capped Chickadees, 18 Mountain Chickadees, 1 Red-breasted Nuthatch, 1 White-breasted Nuthatch, 18 European Starlings, 22 Evening Grosbeaks, 45 Pine Grosbeaks, a flock of 25 Grey-crowned Rosy-Finches that flew high to the NNW at 1152, 1 American Tree Sparrow and 26 Dark-eyed Juncos (1 cismontanus and 25 montanus).

12.25 hours (191.5) BAEA 4 (92), RLHA 1 (34), GOEA 9 (183) TOTAL 14 (322).

Wednesday, March 11 Steeples [Day 9] 1530-1830 (Vance Mattson). The temperature was 6C, winds were moderate and variable, and cloud cover was 40% cumulus that gave sunny conditions. . Six migrants were seen: 1 adult Bald Eagle and 5 adult Golden Eagles, 4 of which moved between 1742 and 1758. Non-migrants were an adult and a juvenile resident Golden Eagles that exhibited no agonistic behaviour.

3 hours (24.75) BAEA 1 (15), GOEA 5 (28) TOTAL 6 (44)

Tuesday, March 10 Beaver Mines [Day 17] 0745-1945 (Peter Sherrington and Hilary Atkinson). The temperature at 0745 was -4C, the high at 1400 and 1500 was 3C and it was 0C at 1945. Winds were SW-WSW all day 40-60 gusting 90 km/h in the morning and 30-60 gusting 70 km/h in the afternoon. Cloud cover was 100% altostratus, cumulus and stratus all day with “horizontal” snow driven by strong winds beginning at 1521 that obscured the ridge to the end of observation. Snow also fell to the SW and S of the site from 1300 when Victoria Peak and the Continental Divide became obscured. The conditions produced a weak and sporadic movement of 18 raptors between 0808 and 1521 that comprised 1 juvenile Bald Eagle, 1u Northern Goshawk and 16 Golden Eagles (15a, 1sa). Six eagles moved between 1400 and 1500. Other birds seen were 9 Rock Pigeons, 1 Eurasian Collared Dove, 1 Downy Woodpecker, 1 Black-billed Magpie, 20 Common Ravens, 6 Black-capped Chickadees, 10 Mountain Chickadees, 1 Red-breasted Nuthatch, 5 European Starlings, 5 Evening Grosbeaks, 45 Pine Grosbeaks, 1 American Tree Sparrow, the first of the year, and 26 Dark-eyed Juncos (1 cismontanus and 25 montanus).

12 hours (179.3) BAEA 1 (88), NOGO 1 (9), GOEA 16 (174) TOTAL 18 (308)

Tuesday, March 10 Steeples [Day 8] 1530-1700 (Vance Mattson). The temperature was 4C, winds were strong SE and cloud cover was 100% altostratus and low stratus that was not heavy but sufficient to obscure the ridges. After 1.5 hours no migrant or resident raptors were seen and it became apparent that the ridges were not going to clear to allow any chance of movement.

1.5 hours (21.75) TOTAL 0 (38)

Monday, March 09 Beaver Mines [Day 16] 0745-2000 (Peter Sherrington and Hilary Atkinson). The temperature at 0745 was -10C, the high from 1500 to 1700 was 0C and at 2000 it was -3C. Winds were moderate SW all day, 15-30 gusting 40 km/h, and it was completely cloudless to 1900 when 10-20% altocumulus and cumulus cloud developed. There was a fairly strong raptor movement involving a season-high total of 85 migrants of 5 species between 0831 and 1726 when the stream suddenly stopped with no apparent change in the favourable migration conditions. The flight comprised 12 Bald Eagles (10a, 1 late subadult and 1j), 1 adult Northern Goshawk, 1 adult light morph calurus Red-tailed Hawk that was the first for the season, 3 light morph Rough legged Hawks and a season-high 68 Golden Eagles (65a, 2sa, 1j). Fifty-nine birds moved between 1500 and 1726 with a high single-hour count between 1500 and 1700 of 29 birds that included 26 Golden Eagles. The count at Mount Lorette today was 5 Bald Eagles and a season-high 164 Golden Eagles which may represent the backlog of birds that had been seen here but were held up by poor weather conditions farther north. Other birds seen were 11 Rock Pigeons, 1 Eurasian Collared Dove, 3 Downy Woodpeckers, 2 Steller’s Jays, 1 Black-billed Magpie, 1 American Crow, 39 Common Ravens, 6 Black-capped Chickadees, 10 Mountain Chickadees, 1 Red-breasted Nuthatch, 1 male Eastern Bluebird that is a first spring record and only the second record for the area, 2 male Western Bluebirds, 7 European Starlings, 5 Evening Grosbeaks, 50 Pine Grosbeaks, 1 Snow Bunting and 25 Dark-eyed Juncos (1 cismontanus and 24 montanus).

12.25 hours (167.3) BAEA 12 (87), NOGO 1 (8), RTHA 1 (1), RLHA 3 (33), GOEA 68 (158) TOTAL 85 (290)

Monday, March 09 Steeples [Day 7] 1530-1830 (Vance Mattson). The temperature was 3C, condition were calm and cloud cover was 30% cirrus, cumulus and thin altostratus. A season-high total of 22 migrants were seen between 1530 and 1801 comprising 10 Bald Eagles (5a, 2sa, 3j) and 12 Golden Eagles (10a, 1sa, 1j). Eight of the eagles, of which 7 were Bald Eagles, were seen between 1530 and 1600 and it is likely that there was significant movement before 1530. In the calm conditions birds soared and moved slowly to the north usually in groups of 2 to 4. Non-migrants were 2 Bald Eagles (1a, 1j), two sightings of single resident Golden Eagles and an adult Northern Goshawk.

3 hours (20.25) BAEA 10 (14), GOEA 12 (23) TOTAL 22 (38)

NOTE CHANGE TO MOUNTAIN DAYLIGHT TIME

Sunday, March 08 Beaver Mines [Day 15] 0745-2000 (Peter Sherrington and Hilary Atkinson). The temperature at 0745 was -19C, the high at 1800 was -1.5C and it was -3C at 2000. Winds were light (<6 km/h) and very variable to 1000, light (5-10 km/h) NNE-N to 1500 and finally SSW 10-15 km/h for the remainder of the day. The 30-50 km/h SW winds forecast for the afternoon failed to materialize! Cloud cover was mainly 80-100% stratus and cumulus although there were brief periods when it reduced to 40% cumulus. Light to moderate snow showers and periods started at 1040 and persisted for the rest of the day and 6 cm had accumulated by the end of observation: the ridge was regularly obscured by snow. Not surprisingly only 3 migrant raptors were seen: adult Golden Eagles at 1352 and 1746 and a subadult Bald Eagle at 1445. Six non-migrant Bald Eagles (5a, 1j) perched in the area all day, and a juvenile Golden Eagle flew to the SE at 1721. Other birds seen were 7 Canada Geese, 1 Rock Pigeon, 1 Eurasian Collared Dove, 3 Downy Woodpeckers, 3 Hairy Woodpeckers, 1 Northern [Red-shafted] Flicker, 2 Blue Jays, 9 Black-billed Magpies, 15 Common Ravens, 10 Black-capped Chickadees, 12 Mountain Chickadees, 2 Red-breasted Nuthatches, 41 European Starlings, 31 Evening Grosbeaks, 60 Pine Grosbeaks, 1 Grey-crowned Rosy-Finch and 11 Dark-eyed Juncos (1 cismontanus and 10 montanus). Other early arrivals in the area reported by Cornell VanRyk were a Say’s Phoebe (photographed), the earliest ever recorded here and a Spotted Towhee that was first seen yesterday.

12.25 hours (155) BAEA 1 (75) GOEA 2 (90) TOTAL 3 (205)

Sunday, March 08 Steeples (Vance Mattson). No observation possible. It snowed most of the day and the ridges were totally obscured.