Thursday, April 5 Mount Lorette [Day 32] 0725-1900 (Blake Weis assisted by Rosemary). The starting temperature was -12C, the high at 1300-1700 was -7C and it was -8C at the end of observation. Ground winds were N-NE, 5-10 km/h to 1000, 15-20 km/h to 1400 and 10-20 gusting to 40 km/h to 1700, and ridge winds were moderate NW to 1300 after which they were strong. Cloud cover was 70-90% stratocumulus, cumulus, altostratus and altocumulus to 1600, after which it was 100%. The eastern ridges were 40-90% occluded to 1600 when they were completely obscured and the west was 100% obscured to 1200, then 80-100% for the rest of the day. Light snow fell to 1000, restarted at 1400 and became moderate to heavy after 1600. Despite these unpromising conditions there was a movement of 32 raptors of 3 species between 1217 and 1527 that comprised 1 adult Bald Eagle, 1 high-soaring unidentified Buteo, 28 Golden Eagles (13a, 1sa, 14u) and 2 large unidentified raptors. Two Golden Eagles flew from the Fisher Range to Mount Lorette, and the Bald Eagle flew from the eastern valley to Mount Lorette, but all the other birds were located to the west, either on Olympic Summit or gliding low beneath the clouds against Mount Collembola from where they moved to the NW over Skogan Pass. The hourly counts were 7 (1217-1300), 11 (1300-1400), 9 (1400-1500) and 5 (1500-1527). Three Bald Eagles (2a, 1j) were considered non-migrants, and there was a single sighting of a resident adult Golden Eagle over Hummingbird Plume Hill. At 1700 all ridges were obscured and the snowfall was becomong heavier so the observers decided to move to Lusk Creek, stopping at Lorette Ponds en route, but no further migrants were seen. Other birds seen at the Hay Meadow site were 1 Northern [intergrade] Flicker, 1 American Crow, 4 Common Ravens, 57 American Robins, 55 of which flew low to the north in flocks of 6-26 birds, 1 Mountain Chickadee, 11 European Starlings, 1 Song Sparrow and 4 Dark-eyed Juncos. Mount Lorette Ponds yielded a pair of Barrow’s Goldeneye, a female Hooded Merganser and 1 Grey Jay, and the only birds seen at Lusk Creek were a flock of 20 Bohemian Waxwings. Three Bighorn Sheep were seen on Olympic Summit and, not surprisingly, there were no visitors today.

11.58 hours (359.9) BAEA 1 (139), UB 1 (1), GOEA 28 (1909), UU (2) TOTAL 32 (2121)

Thursday, April 5 Beaver Mines (Peter Sherrington). NO OBSERVATION (Weather). There was snow all day with moderate E winds and temperatures between -10 and -8C. The ridge cleared briefly on a couple of occasions when the snow became light, but there was never any prospect of migration happening.

Thursday, April 5 Steeples (Vance Mattson). NO OBSERVATION (Weather). Rain, snow and overcast all day.

Wednesday, April 4 Mount Lorette [Day 31] 0720-1810 (Blake Weis assisted by Dan Parliament and Cliff Hansen). The temperature at 0720 was -12C, the high was 2C at 1400 and 1500 and was -4C at 1800. Ground winds were SW 0-10 km/h to 1100 and then S-SW 0-10 gusting 15-20 km/h to 1700 when they switched to N-NE 10-20 gusting 40 km/h announcing the arrival of a cold front. Ridge winds were SW moderate to 1100 and moderate to strong to 1700 after which they were strong NW. Cloud cover was 40-70% altocumulus, cumulus and cirrus to 1500 which gave excellent observing conditions, but after 1700 80-90% low stratocumulus moved from the north and at 1800 completely obscured the eastern ridges that had been previously clear all day. The west ridges were variably 50-10% obscured to 1800 after which they were 90% cloud-covered. There were light snow flurries to 1700 after which steady light snow fell that became heavy as the observers left. Raptor migration consisted entire of eagles with 6 Bald Eagles (4a, 2j) and 22 Golden Eagles (13a, 1sa, 1j, 6u) moving between 0959 and 1721. With the exception of 3 birds movement was exclusively along the Fisher Range to Mount Lorette with only a few of the birds gliding high above the ridge. The pace was slow but steady with a high hourly count of 9 birds between 1400 and 1500. A resident adult Golden Eagle displayed high above Olympic summit and non-migrant single adult Bald Eagle and Red-tailed Hawk were also noted. Other birds present were 1 male Common Goldeneye, a pair of Barrow’s Goldeneyes at Lorette Ponds, 3 male Common Mergansers, 3 Grey Jays, 6 American Crows, 17 Common Ravens, 1 Black-capped Chickadee, 1 Mountain Chickadee, 1 Red-breasted Nuthatch, 1 American Dipper, 1 singing Townsend’s Solitaire, 26 American Robins, a flock of 28 Bohemian Waxwings, 2 male Red-winged Blackbirds and 1 Dark-eyed [Oregon] Junco. Only 3 visitors came to the site today.

10.83 (348.3) BAEA 6 (138), GOEA 22 (1881) TOTAL 28 (2089)

Wednesday, April 4 Beaver Mines [Day 39] 0700-1930 (Peter Sherrington). The temperature was -3C at 0700. The high was 4C (1300-1400 and 1600-1800) and after the arrival of a northern cold front around 1850 the temperature quickly fell to -3C at 1900 and by 1930 it was -7C. Winds were NW-WNW 10-15 km/h to 0900 after which they switched to favourable moderate W winds 20-30 gusting 45 km/h to 1850 when the winds in the valley became E 20-30 km/h while the warm W winds continued aloft. The mixing of the air masses created a misty haze at ridge level and finally brought light snow at 1930 when observation ended. Cloud cover was 20% altocumulus to 1000 after which it thickened to 70-100% mainly cumulus until 1900 that still allowed periods of sunshine and gave excellent observing conditions. There was a fairly strong and persistent raptor movement of 88 birds of 8 species between 0923 and 1859 with 42 of the birds occurring between 1500 and 1800. The count was 4 Bald Eagles (2a, 1sa, 1j), 1 adult Sharp-shinned Hawk, 1 adult Northern Goshawk, a season-high 9 adult Red-tailed Hawks: 8 calurus (7 light and 1 dark) and 1 dark morph harlani, 10 light morph Rough-legged Hawks, 1 unidentified dark Buteo, 59 Golden Eagles (49a, 3sa, 5j, 2u), 1 adult female columbarius Merlin and 2 adult male Peregrine Falcons. Five of the Rough-legged Hawks were seen between 1823 and 1859 with the last bird disappearing into the mist created by the clash of the cold and warm air masses.

12.5 hours (384.2) BAEA 4 (207), SSHA 1 (9), NOGO 1 (18), RTHA 9 (49), RLHA 10 (86), UB 1 (6), GOEA 59 (1229), MERL 1 (7), PEFA 2 (3) TOTAL 88 (1635)

Wednesday, April 4 Steeples [Day 26] 1545-1830 (Vance Mattson). The temperature was 7C, winds were moderate to strong S-SW and cloud cover was 60-80% cumulus that gave partially sunny conditions. A total of 10 migrant Golden Eagles (8a, 2j) moved at an even pace between 1540 and 1738, and non-migrants present were 1 Turkey Vulture, 2 Bald Eagles (12a, 1j) and 1 Red-tailed Hawk. On the way to the site 6 Bald Eagles were seen fishing at the south end of Wasa Lake, as described yesterday.

3 hours (112) GOEA 10 (534) TOTAL 10 (655)

Tuesday, April 3 Mount Lorette [Day 30] 0730-2000 (Blake Weis assisted by Brian McBride, Caroline Lambert and Ethan Denton). The temperature at 0730 was -17C, the high at 1400-1500 and again at 1700-1900 was -1C and it was -2C at the end of observation. Ground winds were SW 0-5 km/h all day that gusted to 15 km/h after 1100, and ridge winds were moderate SW all day. Cloud cover was altostratus, cumulus and altocumulus throughout, 30-60% to 1300 after which it was 80-90%. The east ridges were clear to 1900 after which they were up to 30% obscured, and the west was clear in the morning but variably 20-80% obscured in the afternoon. There were occasional snow flurries between 1400 and 1600. A total of 40 migrant raptors were recorded between 0910 and 1822 comprising 4 Bald Eagles (3a, 1j), 1 unidentified large Accipiter, 4 calurus Red-tailed Hawks (3 light morphs: 1a, 2u, and 1 adult dark morph), and 31 Golden Eagles (24a, 3sa, 1j, 3u). The first 6 Golden Eagles were located over Mount Lorette and probably came from Wasootch Creek, but with a few exceptions after 1100 all the birds glided along the Fisher Range across to Mount Lorette, and soaring flight was seen in only the early and late migrants. Nine migrants were seen before 1100, only 3 moved in the next 2 hours and the main movement was 23 between 1300 and 1600 with a maximum hourly count of 13 (1400-1500); only 5 more birds were seen after 1600. Non-migrant raptors were an adult Bald Eagle, a pair of Northern Goshawks, one of which pursued a flock of American Robins over the Hay Meadow, and the resident pair of Golden Eagles that displayed together over Mount Old Baldy. Other bird species were 3 Common Goldeneyes, 5 Common Mergansers, 1 Hairy Woodpecker, 1 Northern Flicker, 17 Common Ravens, 1 Townsend’s Solitaire, 1 Black-capped Chickadee, 1 Mountain Chickadee, 1 Boreal Chickadee, 2 Red-breasted Nuthatches, 14 American Robins and 1 Dark-eyed Junco. Five visitors came to the site today.

12.5 hours (337.5) BAEA 4 (132), UA 1 (1), RTHA 4 (11), GOEA 31 (1859) TOTAL 40 (2061)

Tuesday, April 3 Beaver Mines [Day 38] 0700-2000 (Peter Sherrington). The starting temperature was -13C the high was 2C (1300-1500) and it was -1C at 2000. Winds were WNW 10-20 km/h to 1020 when they switched to W-WSW for the rest of the day, 20-35 gusting to 50 km/h, but becoming light (<5 km/h) at the end of the day. Cloud cover was initially 20% altostratus and altocumulus that quickly increased to 70-90% to 1030 when it was 10-20% cumulus to 1500, and then 70-100% altostratus and minor cumulus for the rest of the day. There were light snow flurries between 1520 and 1530, and 1805 and 1815, but they did not affect the good observing conditions that prevailed all day. A total of 64 migrant raptors of 6 species moved between 0731 and 1910 that comprised 6 adult Bald Eagles, 2 adult Northern Goshawks, the season’s first Broad-winged Hawk, an adult light morph bird, 5 adult calurus Red-tailed Hawks (3 light, 2 dark), 4 Rough-legged Hawks (1 light 3 dark) and 46 Golden Eagles (40a, 3sa, 3j). The first birds seen were 2 Rough-legged Hawks at 0731 but the main movement did not begin until the WSW winds began to blow after which migration was steady with a high hourly count of 10 (1300-1400). The last birds at 1910 were a kettle of 5 Golden Eagles that soared high above the ridge for several minutes before gliding to the NW. The Golden Eagle total to-date of 1170 is a new spring high count for the species at the site, one more than the 1169 counted in 2015. This probably reflects the higher number of observation hours rather than an increase in the number of migrating birds.

13 hours (371.7) BAEA 6 (203), NOGO 2 (17), BWHA 1 (1), RTHA 5 (40), RLHA 4 (76), GOEA 46 (1170) TOTAL 64 (1547)

Tuesday, April 3 Steeples [Day 25] 1545-1745 (Vance Mattson). The temperature was 3C, cloud cover was 100% altostratus and cumulus and winds were strong S. The only migrants were 1 adult light morph calurus Red-tailed Hawk at 1545 and 1 adult Golden Eagle at 1620. The only other raptor seen was a resident adult Golden Eagle at 1717. More exiting events occurred on the way to and from the site, at a lagoon at the south end of Wasa Lake where 10 Bald Eagles (4a, 4 late subadults and 2 juveniles) were pulling small fish from the shallow water. When not fishing they perched in adjacent trees, or on the ice, sharing the lagoon with groups of mainly Tundra Swans and other waterfowl. About 30% of the eagles’ dives were successful, and because of the abundance of fish only minor conflicts between the birds were seen. The swans were unfazed by all this activity but the ducks took to diving when eagles approached.

2 hours (109) RTHA 1 (1), GOEA 1 (524) TOTAL 2 (645)

Monday, April 2 Mount Lorette [Day 29] 0720-1930 (George Halmazna assisted by Dan Parliament). The starting temperature was -14C, rose to a high of -5.5C at 1800 and was -8C at 1930. Ground winds were NE-NW 5-15 km/h that became light late in the day, and ridge winds were probably mainly light NE. Cloud cover was 100% low stratus that produced snow to 1000 after which it thinned slightly to 90-70% cumulus with snow flurries to 1700 when upper winds switched to NW and the skies cleared to 20% cumulus. Ridges were 100% obscured to 1000 and both the east and west ridges were not completely clear until 1800. The first migrant, a juvenile Bald Eagle, was not seen until 1527 but subsequently there was a fairly strong eagle movement to 1827 comprising 3 Bald Eagles (2a, 1j) and 29 Golden Eagles (24a, 2j, 3u), with 14 of the birds seen between 1600 and 1700. All birds were located on the Fisher Range but only 5 were seen to move to Mount Lorette and some moved to the NE from the northern end of the Fisher Range. Two subadult Bald Eagles were considered to be non-migrants, and other birds present were 2 Common Goldeneyes, 1 Killdeer, 1 Northern Flicker, 1 Blue Jay, 1 Black-billed Magpie, only 3 Common Ravens and 2 Dark-eyed Juncos. Unsurprisingly, with the cold weather, there were no visitors today.

12.16 hours (325) BAEA 3 (128), GOEA 29 (1828) TOTAL 32 (2021)

Monday, April 2 Beaver Mines [Day 37] 0700-1800 (Peter Sherrington). The temperature at 0700 was -13C, the high was -6C (1400-1600) and it was -11C at 2000. Winds were light all day and mainly from the S-ESE although between 1530 and 1830 it was essentially calm. Cloud cover was 100% low stratus to 1325 when it was 60% cumulus that diminished to 10% at 1700, after which 70% altocumulus and cumulus redeveloped to 1930 which again dwindled to 10% altocumulus at the end of observation. Observing conditions after 1330 were excellent. Light snow fell to 1330 by which time there was 17 cm of fresh snow on the ground. Raptor movement was slow and sporadic with 24 birds of 5 species moving between 1324 and 1907. The count was 1 adult Bald Eagle, 1 adult Northern Goshawk, 1 light morph Rough-legged Hawk, 1 unidentified dark Buteo, 19 Golden Eagles (17a, 2sa) and the season’s first Prairie Falcon, an adult male. Fifteen birds moved before 1538, but there was no further movement until 1837 after which a further 7 Golden Eagles and the Rough-legged Hawk were seen. The three-hour shut-down coincided with windless conditions on the ridge.

13 hours (358.7) BAEA 1 (197), NOGO 1 (15), RLHA 1 (72), UB 1 (5), GOEA 19 (1124), PRFA 1 (1) TOTAL 24 (1483)

Monday, April 2 Steeples [Day 24] 1400-1600 and 1630-1800 (Vance Mattson). As the ridges were heavily obscured to 1630, Vance observed for 2 hours from his house in Wasa, but counted only non-migrants: 3 Turkey Vultures, 6 Bald Eagles (4a, 2j), 1u Northern Goshawk and 2 adult light morph calurus Red-tailed Hawks. He arrived at the site at 1630 where the temperature was 2C, it was calm and cloud cover was 30% cumulus. Again no migrant raptors were seen, but the resident pair of Golden Eagles was present.

3.5 hours (107) TOTAL 0 (643)

Sunday, April 1 Mount Lorette [Day 28] 0720-1300 (Caroline Lambert, assisted by Rosemary). The temperature at 0720 was -14C, the high was -5C at 1200 and it was -6C at 1300 when the count was abandoned for the day. Ground winds were light SW to 1100, E 5-10 gusting 20 km/h after 1100 and N 5-10 gusting 25 km/h at 1230. Ridge winds were light to moderate W to 1200 and moderate N after 1230. Cloud cover was initially 80% altostratus and cirrostratus that reduced to 20% at 1000 and gave unexpected but welcome sunshine. By 1100 cloud was beginning to envelope the peaks and by 1200 cover was 100% stratus that lowered and brought snow at 1230, obscuring all the mountains and bringing the day’s count to an end at 1300. A total of 6 migrating eagles, 5 Golden Eagles (4a, 1j) and 1 unidentified eagle, were seen between 1055 and 1215 with 4 of the Golden Eagles moving between 1100 and 1200. The juvenile Golden Eagle moved on the western route and the rest were to the east. A resident Northern Goshawk called east of the river, and other birds in the area were 1 Killdeer, 1 Grey Jay, 5 Common Ravens, 1 Varied Thrush that sang east of the river and was the first for the season, and 60 Bohemian Waxwings. The brief period of sunshine lured 5 visitors to the site.

5.67 hours (312.8) GOEA 5 (1799), UE 1 (21) TOTAL 6 (1989)

Sunday, April 1 Beaver Mines [Day 36] 0700-1300 (Peter Sherrington). The temperature at 0700 was -11C and the high was -6C from 1100 to 1300 when the count was abandoned for the day. Winds were light NW-ESE to 1130 when ESE winds gusted to 30 km/h that brought snow and low stratus that had completely obscured the ridge by 1300. Cloud cover was altostratus that thinned enough to provide hazy sunshine between 1100 and 1230. Only 4 migrant raptors were seen: 1 juvenile light morph Ferruginous Hawk flying low in the valley at 1024, 1 adult Sharp-shinned Hawk that flew high to the NNW at 1139, 1u female columbarius Merlin also flying low and the season’s first Northern Harrier, an unaged female that disappeared into snow over the ridge at 1240. Snow persisted for the rest of the day and the ridge remained obscured.

6 hours (345.7) NOHA 1 (1), SSHA 1 (8), FEHA 1 (4)

Sunday, April 1 Steeples (Vance Mattson) NO OBSERVATION (Weather). It snowed off-and-on all day and the valley and mountains were entirely obscured