Wednesday, October 30 Vicki Ridge [Day 38] 0820-1820 (Peter Sherrington and Hilary Atkinson, assisted by Phil Nicholas observing from the Waterton 61 wellsite on the western flank of Vicki Ridge). The temperature at 0820 was -8C, the high at 1600 and 1700 was -1C and it was -4C at the end of observation. Winds were strong W-WSW all day, 40-50 gusting to 70-80 km/h and cloud cover was initially 100% altostratus and altocumulus that quickly thinned to 100% thin cirrostratus, cirrus and altocumulus at 1000, 50% cirrus and altocumulus at 1100 and 0-20% scattered cirrus and altostratus between 1200 and 1500 that brought welcome sunshine. At 1600 there was again 100% cirrostratus, altocumulus and lenticular that persisted for the rest of the day. The strong winds produced significant blowing snow both on the ridge tops and in the valley which, together with the high wind-chill values, made observing uncomfortable, although visually conditions were very good throughout. As yesterday there was a slow but steady movement of raptors involving 34 birds of 5 species between 1115 and 1730. The count was 7 Bald Eagles (3a, 3j, 1u), 1a Sharp-shinned Hawk, 2a Northern Goshawks, 1j light morph Broad-winged Hawk and 23 Golden Eagles (15a, 1sa, 7j). The 7 juvenile Golden Eagles were a surprise as the previous eight days at the site (October 22-29) had produced a total of only 6 juveniles. The highest single-hour count was 10 between 1400 and 1500. The only other birds seen were 1 Black-billed Magpie, 31 Common Ravens and a small flock of 5 Dark-eyed Juncos (hyemalis and cismontanus).

10 hours (356) BAEA 7 (256), SSHA 1 (507), NOGO 2 (68), BWHA 1 (19), GOEA 23 (2568) TOTAL 34 (4149)

Wednesday, October 30 Steeples (Vance Mattson). No observation because of teaching commitments.

Tuesday, October 29 Vicki Ridge [Day 37] 0830-1830 (Peter Sherrington and Hilary Atkinson, observing from the Waterton 61 wellsite on the western flank of Vicki Ridge). The temperature at 0830 was a season low -17C, the high at 1330 was briefly -3.5C and it was -8C at 1830. Winds were W-WNW 10-20 km/h to 1300, WNW 25 gusting 40 km/h at 1400 and W-WSW 20-35 gusting 45 km/h after 1500. It was cloudless all day, but there was extensive blowing snow on Vicki Ridge after 1400. There was a slow but steady movement of 33 migrant raptors of 5 species between 1024 and 1736 that comprised 9 Bald Eagles (2a, 2sa3, 3sa2, 1j, 1u), 1u male Northern Harrier, 1a light morph Broad-winged Hawk, 1 light morph Rough-legged Hawk and 21 Golden Eagles (18a, 1sa, 2j). The highest hourly count was 7 between 1300 and 1400. Other birds seen were 2 Black-billed Magpies, 31 Common Ravens, 40 Bohemian Waxwings, 2 female Pine Grosbeaks, 97 migrating Grey-crowned Rosy-Finches and a flock of 27 that fed near the site which included 2 “Hepburn’s Rosy-Finches” (L.t.littoralis), 25 Common Redpolls, and 12 Dark-eyed Juncos (hyemalis and cismontanus) that fed with the Rosy-Finches.

10 hours (346) BAEA 9 (249), NOHA 1 (13), BWHA 1 (18), RLHA 1 (401), GOEA 21 (2545) TOTAL 33 (4115)

Tuesday, October 29 Steeples [Day 27] 1300-1700 (Vance Mattson). The temperature was -6C at 1200 and -3C at 1700, and it was calm and cloudless. Despite the pleasant conditions no migrant raptors were seen, but a resident adult Golden Eagle was seen on 2 occasions.

4 hours (118.8) TOTAL 0 (435)

Monday, October 28 Vicki Ridge [Day 36] 1610-1800 (Peter Sherrington observing from the Waterton 61 wellsite on the western flank of Vicki Ridge).  Steady snow, moderate to strong NE winds and low cloud persisted to 1500 when it quickly cleared. I arrived at the site at 1610 where there was 14 cm of fresh snow and a temperature of -10C that dropped to -12C at 1800. The wind was NNE-ENE 15-30 km/h and cloud cover was 60-70% cumulus that gave mainly sunny conditions. A total of 10 migrant raptors of 2 species were counted between 1618 and 1730, all to the west of the observation site. The count was 2 light morph Rough-legged Hawks, and 8 Golden Eagles (5a, 1j, 2u). Other birds seen were 147 Canada Geese that flew W in 5 flocks between 1618 and 1734, 225 unidentified ducks that flew high to the west in 5 tight flocks between 1640 and 1740, 2 Clark’s Nutcrackers, 39 Common Ravens, 4 Bohemian Waxwings, 12 Grey-crowned Rosy-Finches and a flock of 30 Common Redpolls.

1.83 hours (336) RLHA 2 (400), GOEA 8 (2524) total 10 (4082)

Monday, October 28 Steeples (Vance Mattson). No observation because of teaching commitments. It was cloud most of the day, but when Vance drove home in the late afternoon the mountains were totally clear.

Sunday, October 27 Vicki Ridge [Day 35] 0830-1800 (Peter Sherrington and Hilary Atkinson, observing from the Waterton 61 wellsite on the western flank of Vicki Ridge).  The temperature at 0830 was -10C and there was 8cm of overnight snow on the ground, the high at 1400 was 0C and it was -3C at 1800. Winds were W-WSW all day, 10-15 km/h to 1300 after which they increased to 20-30 occasionally gusting 40-45 km/h for the rest of the day. Cloud cover was 70-80% cirrostratus, cirrus and altocumulus in the morning but throughout the afternoon there was a uniform grey blanket of stratus against which increasing amounts of altocumulus and lenticular cloud developed after 1500. Despite the gloom, observing conditions were generally good. Raptor movement was fairly strong and persistent with 68 birds of 6 species seen between 0945 and 1749 that comprised 22 Bald Eagles (11a, 2sa1, 1 transitional sa2/3, 1 sa3, 3j and 4u), 1a female Northern Harrier, 2 Sharp-shinned Hawks (1a, 1u), 4 Northern Goshawks (3a, 1u), 18 Rough-legged Hawks (17 light, 1 dark), 20a Golden Eagles and 1 unidentified eagle. The highest single hour count was 13 between 1700 and 1800. Other birds noted were 24 Tundra Swans that flew west at 1002, 402 Canada Geese that flew W or SW in 8 flocks between 0937 and 1123, a flock of 100 Northern Pintails that flew south at 1233, a flock of 40 probable Lesser Scaup that flew west at 1011, 4 merganser sp. that flew west at 1654, 1 female Hairy Woodpecker, 2 Canada Jays, 1 Clark’s Nutcracker, 4 Black-billed Magpies, 71 Common Ravens, 82 Bohemian Waxwings, 55 Grey-crowned Rosy-Finches, 7u Pine Grosbeaks and 3 Dark-eyed Juncos (1 male montanus and 1 male and 1 female cismontanus).

9.5 hours (334.2) BAEA 22 (240), NOHA 1 (12), SSHA 2 (506), NOGO 4 (66), RLHA 18 (398), GOEA 20 (2516), UE 1 (18) TOTAL 68 (4072)

Sunday, October 27 Steeples [Day 26] 1300-1730 (Vance Mattson). The temperature reached 3C from a low of 1C and at 1730 was again 1C; it was calm throughout and cloud cover was initially 100% altostratus that reduced to 80% thin altostratus and altocumulus by 1700. Despite the ridges being clear no migrant or resident raptors were seen.

4.5 hours (114.8) TOTAL 0 (435)

Saturday, October 26 Vicki Ridge [Day 34] 0830-1700 (Peter Sherrington and Hilary Atkinson, observing from the Waterton 61 wellsite on the western flank of Vicki Ridge). The temperature at 0830 was -4C, the high was 1C at 1100 and 1200, and it was again -4C when steady snow stopped the count at 1700. Winds were mainly light or light-moderate 0-10 gusting 15 km/h and varied from S to NNE, and cloud cover was 100% stratus to 1030 and again after 1400 and between it was 60-70% cumulus and stratocumulus. There were occasional brief snow flurries in the morning but after 1325 they became frequent and were persistent after 1500 and often obscured the ridges. Steady snow started at 1645 and persisted for the rest of the day and we left the site at 1700. There was a fairly strong raptor movement of 43 birds between 0928 and 1350, but a Merlin at 1500 and a Golden Eagle at 1616 were the only raptors seen subsequently. The count of 45 birds of 6 species between 0928 and 1616 comprised 10 Bald Eagles (2a, 4sa, 4j), 2a Northern Goshawks, 3a Red-tailed Hawks (2 light calurus and 1 dark harlani), 13 Rough-legged Hawks (12 light, 1 dark), 16 Golden Eagles (15a, 1j) and 1u male columbarius Merlin. Thirty-eight of the birds moved between 1104 and 1350 and the highest single-hour count was 14 between 1200 and 1300. Other birds recorded were 4 Trumpeter Swans that flew south at 1318, 60 Tundra Swans that flew south at 1435, flocks of 5 and 27 Canada Geese that flew W at 1602 and south at 1606 respectively, 1 Northern Pygmy-Owl that sang briefly at 1105, a flock of 30 unidentified ducks that flew very high to the west at 1248, 1 Canada Jay, 1 Black-billed Magpie, 22 Common Ravens, 250 Bohemian Waxwings, 265 Grey-crowned Rosy-Finches, 1 female Pine Grosbeak and 3 Common Redpolls that were the first for the season. Despite the weather it wasn’t a bad day.

8.5 hours (324.7) BAEA 10 (218), NOGO 2 (62), RTHA 3 (137), RLHA 13 (380), GOEA 16 (2496), MERL 1 (18) TOTAL 45 (4004)

Saturday, October 26 Steeples [Day 25] 1245-1800 (Vance Mattson). The temperature was 5C, it was calm and cloud cover was 80% cumulus to 1445 when E-NE winds brought snow flurries to 1545 and snow between 1545 and 1645 that obscured the ridges. After 1700 the ridges were clear with 60% cumulus cloud cover that gave mostly sunny conditions. A total of 12 migrants of 3 species were seen: 1a Bald Eagle, 1u Northern Goshawk and 10 Golden Eagles (8a, 1j, 1u). Nine birds moved before 1545 and only 3 after 1700. No resident eagles were seen today.

5.25 hours (110.3) BAEA 1 (149), NOGO 1 (4), GOEA 10 (186) TOTAL 12 (435)