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.

Saturday, March 07 Beaver Mines [Day 14] 0700-1800 (Peter Sherrington and Hilary Atkinson). The temperature high was -7C between 0700 and 0900 after which it gradually fell and was -10C between 1600 and 1800. Winds were SE-SSE all day mainly 10-15 km/h but occasionally gusting to 30 km/h and cloud cover was 100% low stratus that produced light to moderate snow all day. At 0700 6 cm had already fallen and by 1800 the cumulative snowfall was 20 cm. The ridge was obscured for most of the day but periodically cleared for short periods when the snow became very light but no raptors were seen. Other birds seen were 1 Eurasian Collared Dove, 3 Downy Woodpeckers, 1 Hairy Woodpecker, 9 Common Ravens, 12 Black-capped Chickadees, 14 Mountain Chickadees, 1 Red-breasted Nuthatch, 1 American Robin, 2 European Starlings, 40 Evening Grosbeaks, 65 Pine Grosbeaks and 16 Dark-eyed Juncos ( 3 hyemalis, 1 cismontanus and 12 montanus). Conditions should improve tomorrow at all sites.

11 hours (142.8) TOTAL 0 (202)

Saturday, March 07 Steeples (Vance Mattson). No observation possible. It rained then snowed to 1400 but the mountains remained obscured. They cleared slightly at 1530 but were obscured again 15 minutes later.

Mount Lorette was snowed-in for the second consecutive day and again no observation was possible.

Friday, March 06 Beaver Mines [Day 13] 0700-1730 (Peter Sherrington and Hilary Atkinson). The temperature at 0700 was 6C, the high from 1100-1400 was 10C, which equals the highest temperature this year, and it was 5C at 1730 when observation ceased because of steady light rain. Winds were WSW-W and occasionally SW or SSW all day10-20 gusting 40 km/h to 1300 then 30 gusting 50 km/h for the rest of the day. Cloud cover was thin altostratus to 1200 which gave hazy sunshine but thickened in the afternoon to 100% altostratus and altocumulus to 1400, 100% cumulus and altostratus to 1630 and finally 100% stratocumulus that produced light rain for the rest of the observation period. Although migration conditions appeared to be good only 6 migrants were seen between 0742 and 1513 comprising 1 adult Bald Eagle, 3 Northern Goshawks (1a, 2u) and 2 adult Golden Eagles. Other birds seen were 3 Canada Geese, 5 Mallards (3 male, 2 female), 9 Rock Pigeons, 1 Eurasian Collared Dove, 1 Great Blue Heron that flew low from the SW at 0932 and landed in the creek and was the earliest seen in the area by three-weeks, 2 Downy Woodpeckers, 2 Black-billed Magpies, a flock of 14 American Crows that were the first of the year, 36 Common Ravens, 10 Black-capped Chickadees, 12 Mountain Chickadees, 2 Red-breasted Nuthatches, 2 White-breasted Nuthatches, 19 European Starlings, 6 Bohemian Waxwings, 14 Evening Grosbeaks, 51 Pine Grosbeaks and the first “Oregon” Dark-eyed Junco for the site this year although they were first seen elsewhere in the study area on March 2.  The area is under a winter storm warning with heavy snow forecast to start around midnight so the prospect for observation tomorrow is not encouraging.

10.5 hours (131.8) BAEA 1 (74), NOGO 3 (7), GOEA 2 (88) TOTAL 6 (202)

Friday, March 06 Steeples [Day 6] 1300-1700 (Vance Mattson). The temperature was 9C, winds were strong SW and cloud cover was 100% altostratus. Two adult migrant Golden Eagles were seen and non-migrant birds were two sightings of single adult Golden Eagles and 7 Bald Eagles (6a, 1j) with 3 pairs seen soaring together at separate times. The forecast is calling for snow tomorrow.

4 hours (17.25) GOEA 2 (11) TOTAL 2 (16)

Thursday, March 05 Beaver Mines [Day 12] 0700-1815 (Peter Sherrington and Hilary Atkinson). The temperature at 0700 was -3C, the high at 1500 was 8.5C and it was 6C at 1815. Winds were mainly WSW all day, 20-30 gusting to 40 km/h in the morning, 30-40 gusting 65 km/h to 1700 after which gusts moderated to 45 km/h. Cloud cover was 100% altostratus and altocumulus to 1300 after which it was 80-90% altocumulus and cirrus, but the cloud was thin enough to give hazy sunshine all day and observing conditions were very good. A total of 19 migrant raptors of a season-high 5 species were seen between 0918 and 1647 that comprised 6 Bald Eagles (3a, 3j), the season’s first Northern Harrier, an adult male at 1645, which is the earliest ever for the site, 2 light morph Rough-legged Hawks, 9 adult Golden Eagles and the season’s first Merlin, an adult probable female of the race columbarius. Movement was generally sporadic but there were 2 clusters of 3 Golden Eagles between 0944 and 0951, and again between 1126 and 1129; and 2 Bald Eagles (adult and juvenile), the Northern Harrier and a Rough-legged Hawk were seen between 1645 and 1647. A non-migratory adult female Northern Goshawk also flew low to the ENE across the valley at 1101.  Other birds seen were 39 Canada Geese including a flock of 25 that flew very high to the north at 0711, 8 Rock Pigeons, 1 Eurasian Collared Dove, 2 Downy Woodpeckers, 1 Blue Jay, 2 Black-billed Magpies, 29 Common Ravens, 12 Black-capped Chickadees, 16 Mountain Chickadees, 2 Red-breasted Nuthatches, 16 European Starlings, 3 Evening Grosbeaks and 45 Pine Grosbeaks.

11.25 hours (121.3) BAEA 6 (73), NOHA 1 (1), RLHA 2 (30), GOEA 9 (86), MERL 1 (1) TOTAL 19 (196)

Thursday, March 05 Steeples [Day 5] 1530-1800 (Vance Mattson).  The temperature was 8C, cloud cover was 80% thin to moderate altostratus and cumulus and winds were moderate SE. Four migrant Golden Eagles (1a, 1j, 1u) were seen and non-migrants were a resident adult Golden Eagle (seen three times) and a juvenile Bald Eagle.

2.5 hours (13.25) GOEA 4 (9) TOTAL 4 (14)