Friday, October 18 Vicki Ridge [Day 26] 0830-1900 (Peter Sherrington and Hilary Atkinson observing from the Waterton 61 wellsite on the western flank of Vicki Ridge, and Gord Petersen (1525-1845) observing at the western edge of Kyllo Ridge at the Waterton 68 wellsite). The temperature at 0830 was 3C which dropped to the day’s low of 2C at 0900; the high was 8C at 1400 and it was 3C at 1900. Winds were W-WSW all day, moderate to 1000 after which they were strong 40-50 gusting to 70 km/h for the rest of the day. Cloud cover was 80-100% cumulus (that was dark to the west all day) and altostratus to 1640 when it thinned to 40% and produced the day’s only persistent sunshine, and was then 50-70% for the rest of the day. Very light snow swept from the west throughout the day that became heavier between 1530 and 1615 when snow squalls obscured Vicki Ridge for up to 10-minute periods. Despite the weather there was a steady raptor movement throughout the day and the count from the Waterton 61 wellsite was 128 birds of 7 species between 0907 and 1819 that comprised 7 Bald Eagles (5a, 1j, 1u), 10 Sharp-shinned Hawks (1a, 9u), 2a Northern Goshawks, 20 Rough-legged Hawks (17 light, 3 dark), 84 Golden Eagles (73a, 4sa, 7j), 1 unidentified eagle, 2 columbariusMerlins (1 male, 1u) and 2a Peregrine Falcons (1 male, 1 female). At the western edge of Kyllo Ridge between 1529 and 1840 Gord counted 59 birds of 5 species that comprised 10 Bald Eagles (6a, 3sa, 1j), 4u Sharp-shinned Hawks, 1a Northern Goshawk, 12 Rough-legged Hawks (11 light, 1 dark) and 32 Golden Eagles (13a, 2sa, 6j, 11u). The total movement observed across the ridge system between 0907 and 1840 was 187 migrants of 7 species that comprised 17 Bald Eagles (11a, 3sa, 2j, 1u), 14 Sharp-shinned Hawks (1a, 13u), 3a Northern Goshawks, 32 Rough-legged Hawks (28 light, 4 dark), 116 Golden Eagles (86a, 6sa, 13j, 11u), 1 unidentified eagle, 2 columbarius Merlins (1 male, 1u) and 2a Peregrine Falcons (1 male, 1 female). The highest combined site hourly count was 40 between 1700 and 1800. Other birds identified were 25 Canada Geese that flew high to the SE at 1128, 1 Ruffed Grouse, 1a Northern Shrike, 4 Clark’s Nutcrackers, 1 Black-billed Magpie, 46 Common Ravens, 20 Bohemian Waxwings, 1 female Pine Grosbeak and 630 Grey-crowned Rosy-Finches.

10.5 hours (248.4) BAEA 17 (159), SSHA 14 (438), NOGO 3 (29), RLHA 32 (206), GOEA 116 (2143), UE 1 (15), MERL 2 (14), PEFA 2 (7) TOTAL 187 (3278)

Friday, October 18 Steeples [Day 18] 1200-1830 (Vance Mattson). The temperature was 10C, winds were moderate SW-S and cloud cover was 30-90% cumulus and altostratus. The SW face of Mount Bill Nye was obscured to 1540 after which the mountains were entirely clear. The raptor migration consisted entirely of 37 eagles that moved between 1315 and 1756 and comprised 13 Bald Eagles (9a, 4j), 22 Golden Eagles (15a, 2sa, 3j, 2u) and 2 unidentified eagles. Flight was more direct than usual although some soaring occurred, and the highest hourly counts were 9 (1400-1500) and 13 (1600-1700). Resident adult Golden Eagles were seen several times throughout the day that included a prolonged mutual display flight between 1425 and 1435 which included brief perching by each bird. Several aggressive passes were also made in the same area of the ridge, possibly at a third unseen perched eagle.

6.5 hours (79.25) BAEA 13 (101), GOEA 22 (127), UE 2 (6) TOTAL 37 (318)

Wednesday, October 16 Vicki Ridge [Day 24] 0830-1910 (Peter Sherrington and Hilary Atkinson assisted by Doug and Teresa Dolmen, observing from the Waterton 61 wellsite on the western flank of Vicki Ridge, and Gord Petersen (1250-1845) observing at the western edge of Kyllo Ridge at the Waterton 68 wellsite). The temperature at 0830 was 7C, the high at 1400 was 15C and it was still 12C at 1910. Winds were W 8-20 km/h to 1130 after which they increased to 30 gusting 50 km/h and after 1420 they were strong WNW 40-50 gusting 70 km/h which moderated to gusts of 30-40 km/h after 1700. Cloud cover was an ever-changing kaleidoscope of altostratus, altocumulus, cirrus and lenticular that was 60-70% to 1000, rapidly varied between 0 and 50% to 1800 and was finally 70-90% altostratus at the end of the day. The count from the Waterton 61 wellsite was 280 birds of 9 species between 0842 and 1824 that comprised 10 Bald Eagles (5a, 2sa, 3j), 9 Sharp-shinned Hawks (5a, 4u), 2a Cooper’s Hawks, 1a Northern Goshawk, 1a light morph Broad-winged Hawk, 4a Red-tailed Hawks (3 light calurus and 1 dark harlani), 6 light morph Rough-legged Hawks, 246 Golden Eagles (200a, 14sa, 28j, 4u) and 1u columbarius Merlin. Sixteen Golden Eagles moved before 0900 and the next 4 hours saw passage of 50, 52, 51 and 33 birds respectively but hourly numbers then reduced significantly and only 7 birds were seen after 1600. At the western edge of Kyllo Ridge between 1251 and 1845 Gord counted 125 birds of 6 species that comprised 13 Bald Eagles (5a, 4sa, 4j), 17 Sharp-shinned Hawks (6a, 11u), 2u Cooper’s Hawks, 1a dark morph calurus Red-tailed Hawk, 12 Rough-legged Hawks (10 light, 1 dark, 1u) and 80 Golden Eagles (42a, 20sa, 9j, 9u). The total movement observed across the ridge system between 0842 and 1845 was 405 migrants of 9 species that comprised 23 Bald Eagles (10a, 6sa, 7j), 26 Sharp-shinned Hawks (11a, 15u), 4 Cooper’s Hawks (2a, 2u), 1a Northern Goshawk, 1a light morph Broad-winged Hawk, 5a Red-tailed Hawks (3 light, 1 dark calurusand 1 dark harlani, 18 Rough-legged Hawks (16 light, 1 dark, 1u), 326 Golden Eagles (242a, 34sa, 37j, 13u) and 1u columbarius Merlin. Other birds recorded were 1 Northern Pygmy-Owl that sang close to the site at 1648 but could not be located, 1 Steller’s Jay, 1 Clark’s Nutcracker, 4 Black-billed Magpies, 34 Common Ravens and 580 Grey-crowned Rosy-Finches. Single Mourning Cloak and Zephyr Comma butterflies were also present, and to round-out an already splendid day a Long-eared Bat flew low at the site against a spectacular sunset sky at 1849.

10.67 hours (227.7) BAEA 23 (131), SSHA 26 (405), COHA 4 (69), NOGO 1 (22), BWHA 1 (10), RTHA 5 (122), RLHA 18 (133), GOEA 326 (1883), MERL 1 (12) TOTAL 405 (2866)

Wednesday, October 16 Steeples [Day 16] 1645-1745 (Vance Mattson). The temperature was 11C, it was calm and cloud cover was 100% altostratus. Vance went to the site after work but saw no migrants or residents.

1 hour (69) TOTAL 0 (281)

Thursday, October 17 Vicki Ridge [Day 25] 0830-1845 (Peter Sherrington and Hilary Atkinson observing from the Waterton 61 wellsite on the western flank of Vicki Ridge, and Gord Petersen (1510-1820) observing at the western edge of Kyllo Ridge at the Waterton 68 wellsite). The temperature was 8C at 0830, reached a high at 1300 and 1600 of 10C but fell to 8C at 1400 and 1500, and was 6C at and after 1700. Winds were strong W-WSW all day 35-45 gusting 50-60 km/h with peak gusts of 70 km/h around 1600. Cloud cover was 100-80% altostratus and cumulus to 1100 when it began to clear from the west and was then variable 20-70% mainly cumulus to 1800 with dark cumulus to the west that periodically produced short very light rain showers. After 1730 80% dark cumulus prevailed. The count from the Waterton 61 wellsite was 178 birds of 7 species between 0911 and 1820 that comprised 9 Bald Eagles (5a, 4j), 10 Sharp-shinned Hawks (4a, 6u), 4 Northern Goshawks (3a, 1j), 2a light morph calurus Red-tailed Hawks, 27 Rough-legged Hawks (25 light, 2 dark), 125 Golden Eagles (98a, 8sa, 19j) and 1a male Peregrine Falcon. At the western edge of Kyllo Ridge between 1512 and 1814 Gord counted 47 birds of 5 species that comprised 2 Bald Eagles (1a, 1sa), 9 Sharp-shinned Hawks (1j, 8u), 3 Cooper’s Hawks (2j, 1u), 14 Rough-legged Hawks (11 light, 3 dark) and 19 Golden Eagles (11a, 2sa, 5j, 1u). The total movement observed across the ridge system between 0911 and 1820 was 225 migrants of 8 species that comprised 11 Bald Eagles (6a, 1sa, 4j), 19 Sharp-shinned Hawks (4a, 1j, 14u), 3 Cooper’s Hawks (2j, 1u), 3 Northern Goshawks (3a, 1j), 2a light morph calurus Red-tailed Hawks, 41 Rough-legged Hawks (36 light, 5 dark), 144 Golden Eagles (109a, 10sa, 24j, 1u) and 1a male Peregrine Falcon. The highest single hour count at the WT 61 site was 30 between 1200 and 1300, and the highest combined site count was 46 between 1500 and 1600. Other birds seen were 3 Black-billed Magpies, 18 Common Ravens, 1 American Robin and 550 Grey-crowned Rosy-Finches.

10.25 hours (237.9), BAEA 11 (142), SSHA 19 (424), COHA 3 (72), NOGO 4 (26), RTHA 2 (124), RLHA 41 (174), GOEA 144 (2027), PEFA 1 (5) TOTAL 225 (3091)

Thursday, October 17 Steeples [Day 17] 1345-1730 (Vance Mattson). The temperature was 10C, winds were moderate SW and cloud cover was 60-100% altostratus, altocumulus and cumulus. No migrants were seen, but single resident adult Golden Eagles were seen on four occasions.

3.75 hours (72.75) TOTAL 0 (281)

Tuesday, October 15 Vicki Ridge [Day 23] 0830-1910 (Peter Sherrington and Hilary Atkinson assisted by Marilyn and Gord Weber, observing from the Waterton 61 wellsite on the western flank of Vicki Ridge, and Gord Petersen (1410-1850) observing at the western edge of Kyllo Ridge at the Waterton 68 wellsite). The temperature at 0830 was 0C, the high was 12C at 1700 and it was still 8C at 1910. Winds were SW-W all day, 10 km/h to 0930 and then 25-40 gusting 60 km/h for the rest of the day. Cloud cover was 100% altostratus (that formed a Chinook Arch), altocumulus, and cirrostratus to 1630 when the Arch began to slip to the east leaving 50-70% altostratus, lenticular, altocumulus and cirrus cover that produced particularly spectacular sky-forms after the sun set behind Kyllo Ridge to the west. Observing conditions were very good all day. The count from the Waterton 68 wellsite was 123 birds of 5 species between 0940 and 1858 that comprised 2 Bald Eagles (1sa, 1j), 1u Sharp-shinned Hawk that was the first migrant of the day, 1a light morph calurus Red-tailed Hawk, 3 Rough-legged Hawks (2 light, 1u), 115 Golden Eagles (102a, 2sa, 8j, 1u) and 1 unidentified eagle. Movement was initially very slow with only 22 birds moving before 1400, but then Golden Eagle migration quickly picked up with 70 birds counted between 1600 and 1800. At the western edge of Kyllo Ridge between 1418 and 1848 Gord counted 105 birds of 5 species that comprised 2 Bald Eagles (1a,1j), 2u Cooper’s Hawks, 1a Northern Goshawk, 7 light morph Rough-legged Hawks and 93 Golden Eagles (76a, 10sa, 6j, 1u). The total movement observed across the ridge system between 0940 and 1858 was 228 migrants of 7 species that comprised 4 Bald Eagles (1a, 1sa, 2j), 1u Sharp-shinned Hawk, 2u Cooper’s Hawks, 1a light morph calurus Red-tailed Hawk, 10 Rough-legged Hawks (9 light, 1u), 208 Golden Eagles (178a, 12sa, 14j, 4u) ) and 1 unidentified eagle. The highest combined-site hourly count was 71 between 1700 and 1800 and 37 birds moved after 1800. Other birds seen were a flock of 50 Snow Geese that flew high to the ESE at 1602, 1a Northern Shrike, 1 Canada Jay, 2 Clark’s Nutcrackers, 1 Black-billed Magpie, 16 Common Ravens, 3 Pine Grosbeaks, 470 Grey-crowned Rosy-Finches and 2 Dark-eyed [cismontanus] Juncos.

10.67 hours (217) BAEA 4 (108), SSHA 1 (379), COHA 2 (65), NOGO 1 (21), RTHA 1 (117), RLHA 10 (115), GOEA 208 (1557), UE 1 (14) TOTAL 228 (2461)

Tuesday, October 15 Steeples [Day 15] 1300-1700 (Vance Mattson). The temperature was 11C, conditions were calm and 60-100% thin stratus cloud cover thickened as the day progressed. No migrants were seen but non-migratory birds were an adult Bald Eagle, an adult Sharp-shinned Hawk, and an adult Golden Eagle that was seen perched on the ridge for 35 minutes.

4 hours (68) TOTAL 0 (281)

Monday, October 14 Vicki Ridge [Day 22] 0830-1845 (Peter Sherrington and Hilary Atkinson assisted by Gord Petersen and Sivone Sonepaseuth observing from the Waterton 61 wellsite on the western flank of Vicki Ridge). The temperature at 0830 was 1C the high at 1100 was 6C but an un-forecasted cold front that passed at 1130 quickly reduced the temperature to 3C that slowly recovered to 5C at 1500 after which it slowly reduced to 2C at 1945. Winds to 1130 were WNW-W 10-15 gusting 20 km/h but after the passage of the front they became mainly light E 5-10 km/h for the rest of the day. Cloud cover was 30% cumulus to 1000 when dark cumulus began to appear to the north and after 1130 it was 70-100% cumulus until the end of the day that occasionally produced drizzle or very light flurries. The weather produced a count that was significantly different from yesterday’s with a total of 86 raptors of 7 species moving between 0940 and 1835 that comprised 5 Bald Eagles (3a, 2sa), 1a Cooper’s Hawk that was the only Accipiterseen, 1u dark morph Broad-winged Hawk that moved just ahead of the approaching front, 8a Red-tailed Hawks (3 calurus (2 light, 1 dark) and 5 dark morph harlani), a season high 54 Rough-legged Hawks (52 light, 2 dark), only 16 Golden Eagles (12a, 2sa, 1j, 1u) and 1a female Peregrine Falcon. After 1130 the light winds produced mainly slow high-soaring flight with kettles of up to 6 raptors forming above the valley. Despite the conditions movement was fairly steady all day and peaked at 21 birds, of which 20 were Rough-legged Hawks, between 1700 and 1800. Other birds seen were flocks of 20 and 36 Canada Geese that flew high to the west at 1206 and 1810 respectively, 1 female Pileated Woodpecker, 1a Northern Shrike, 1 Clark’s Nutcracker, 19 American Crows that flew west at 1741, 49 Common Ravens, 1 American Robin and 65 Grey-crowned Rosy-Finches.

10.25 hours (206.3) BAEA 5 (104), COHA 1 (63), BWHA 1 (9), RTHA 8 (116), RLHA 54 (105), GOEA 16 (1349), PEFA 1 (4) TOTAL 86 (2233)

Monday, October 14 Steeples [Day 14] 1300-1800 (Vance Mattson). The temperature was 9C, it was calm and 30-60% cumulus cloud cover gave mainly sunny conditions. A total of 33 migrants of 4 species moved between 1313 and 1631 that comprised 16 Bald Eagles (10a, 1sa, 5j), 2 Northern Harriers (1 adult female and 1u juvenile), 1a Sharp-shinned Hawk, 13 Golden Eagles (9a, 1sa, 2j) and 1 unidentified eagle. The hourly counts were 5 (1313-1400), 9 (1400-1500), 15 (1500-1600) and 4 (1600-1631) after which movement ceased. Most migrants appeared from behind the main ridge, soared high in front of Mount Bill Nye before gliding high to the south. Non-migrants were 4 Bald Eagles (3a, 1j) and 1a Golden Eagle.

5 hours (64) BAEA 16 (88), NOHA 2 (6), SSHA 1 (35), GOEA 13 (105), UE 1 (4) TOTAL 33 (281)

Sunday, October 13 Vicki Ridge [Day 21] 0830-1900 (Peter Sherrington and Hilary Atkinson observing from the Waterton 61 wellsite on the western flank of Vicki Ridge). The temperature at 0830 was 4.5C, the high at 1400 was 10.5C and it was 5C at 1900. Winds were W-SW all day 10-20 km/h to 1600 after which they were 20-35 km/h, and cloud cover was 90-100% altocumulus, altostratus, lenticular and cirrus which periodically allowed hazy sunshine and gave excellent observing conditions all day. There was a strong raptor movement with 216 birds of 9 species seen between 0939 and 1851 that comprised 9 Bald Eagles (5a, 4j), 13 Sharp-shinned Hawks (4a, 9u), 2 Cooper’s Hawks (1a, 1u), 3a Northern Goshawks, 3a Red-tailed Hawks (2 light calurus and 1 dark harlani), 9 light Rough-legged Hawks, 173 Golden Eagles (151a, 6sa, 16j), 1u American Kestrel and 3 columbarius Merlins (2 males, 1 female). Despite the high numbers movement was sporadic with extended periods when no birds were seen. The highest single hour count was 60 between 1500 and 1600 that included 54 Golden Eagles. Other birds seen were 1 male Hairy Woodpecker, 1a Northern Shrike, 1 Clark’s Nutcracker, 2 Black-billed Magpies, 40 Common Ravens, 20 American Robins, 4 female Pine Grosbeaks and 170 Grey-crowned Rosy-Finches.

10.5 hours (196.1) BAEA 9 (99), SSHA 13 (378), COHA 2 (62), NOGO 3 (20), RTHA 3 (108), RLHA 9 (51), GOEA 173 (1333), AMKE 1 (18), MERL 3 (11) TOTAL 216 (2147)

Sunday, October 13 Steeples [Day 13] 1200-1700 (Vance Mattson, assisted by John and Doreen Mattson, and Kahulani Keeling). The temperature was 7C, conditions were calm, and cloud cover was 100% stratus that brought rain between 1330 and 1335 and completely covered the ridges at 1700. The only raptor seen was a non-migrant Merlin that perched briefly at the site.

5 hours (59) TOTAL 0 (248)