Saturday, October 24 Vicki Ridge [Day 33] 1230-1830 (Peter Sherrington and Hilary Atkinson observing from the Waterton 61 wellsite on the western flank of the ridge). Steady snow fell overnight and well into the morning so we didn’t start the count until 1230 when there was 15 cm of fresh snow on the ground and the temperature was -14C; the “high” was -13C at 1600 and at 1830 it was -19C which is the lowest value so far recorded this season. Winds were E-SSE all afternoon 3-8 occasionally gusting to 13 km/h and cloud cover was initially 100% stratocumulus that produced very light snow to 1300 after which it was 80-60% cumulus which provided sunny periods and was 100% thin cirrostratus and altocumulus after 1800. Despite the unpromising conditions a total of 14 migrant raptors of 3 species were seen between 1301 and 1716 that comprised 2 Bald Eagles (1a, 1j), 4 light morph Rough-legged Hawks and 8 Golden Eagles (7a, 1j). Five of the birds moved between 1600 and 1700. There was a surprising variety of other bird species that comprised 20 Canada Geese in 3 small flocks, 4 Trumpeter Swans (2 + 2) that flew high to the west, 1 Wilson’s Snipe that flew high to the south above the middle of the valley at 1316, 1a Herring Gull that also flew high to the south at 1814 and was the last bird seen today, 1a Northern Shrike, 1 Canada Jay, 1 Clark’s Nutcracker, 5 Black-billed Magpies, 27 Common Ravens, 1 Townsend’s Solitaire, 1 American Robin, 50 Bohemian Waxwings and 80 Grey-crowned Rosy-Finches.

6 hours (326.1) BAEA 2 (137), RLHA 4 (183), GOEA 8 (2029) TOTAL 14 (3791)

Saturday, October 24 Mount Lorette [Day 33] (Blake Weis assisted by Annie Finch). Light snow fell to 1000, the temperature rose to -8C from a low of -16C and the Fisher Range was 10-20% cloud-covered throughout the day. A gratifying total of 47 migrants of 4 species was recorded comprising 21 Bald Eagles (6a, 1sa3, 8sa2, 1sa1, 3 undifferentiated sa and 2j), 1u Northern Goshawk, 1a intermediate morph harlani Red-tailed Hawk, 21 Golden Eagles (8a, 1sa, 12u) and 3 indeterminate eagles.

9.85 hours (367.2) BAEA 21 (129), NOGO 1 (56), RTHA 1 (63), GOEA 21 (2350), UE 3 (22) TOTAL 47 (2830)

Saturday, October 24 Steeples [Day 12] 1215-1745 (Vance Mattson). The temperature was -3C that fell to -5C by the end of observation, it was calm and 60% cumulus cloud cover gave mainly sunny conditions. Only 4 migrants were seen: 2 Bald Eagles (1a, 1j) and 2a Golden Eagles.

4.5 hours (37) BAEA 2 (42), GOEA 2 (26) TOTAL 4 (87)

Friday, October 23 Vicki Ridge [Day 32] 0830-1100 (Peter Sherrington observing from the Waterton 61 wellsite on the western flank of the ridge). The temperature at 0830 was -13C and it was -11C at 1100. It was calm to 1030 when the wind became ESE 12 km/h, and cloud cover was 100% stratus with some cumulus visible between 0900 and 1000. Very light snow fell to 1015 when it became steady but the ridges were clear until 1100 when they became substantially obscured by moderate snow and the count was abandoned for the day. Snow continued to fall throughout the day and the ridges remained obscured but by 1900 only 5 cm of snow had accumulated. No migrant raptors were seen and other birdsobserved were 3 Black-billed Magpies, 4 Common Ravens, a flock of 60 non-migrating Grey-crowned Rosy-Finches, 2 American Tree Sparrows and 7a Dark-eyed Juncos (6 hyemalis and 1 montanus).

2.5 hours (320.1) TOTAL 0 (3777)

Friday, October 23 Mount Lorette (Caroline Lambert) No observation. Light snow fell all day and the ridges were completely obscured.

Friday, October 23 Steeples (Vance Mattson). No observation. Light snow fell all day, it was heavily overcast and the ridges were completely obscured.

Thursday, October 22 Vicki Ridge [Day 31] 1130-1830 (Peter Sherrington and Hilary Atkinson observing from the Waterton 61 wellsite on the western flank of the ridge. Steady snow fell to 1130 when the count started with 35 cm of fresh snow on the ground. The temperature at 1130 was -10C, the high at 1500 was -9C and it was -12C at 1830, and winds were generally light ESE-SSE with regular gusts to 15 km/h. Cloud cover was initially 80% cumulus and stratocumulus that reduced to 60% at 1300 and produced an hour of hazy sunshine before it thickened again to 100% stratocumulus and cumulus that became 80% cumulus after 1800. Light snow fell throughout the count but the ridges, although on occasion hazy, remained clear. The only migrant raptors seen were 3 adult Golden Eagles that moved south at 1240, 1347 and 1503. Other birds seen were 51 Canada Geese that flew south in 2 flocks: 26 at 1339 and 25 at 1655, 7 Canada Jays, 8 Black-billed Magpies, 21 Common Ravens, 1 Townsend’s Solitaire, 2 American Robins, 80 Bohemian Waxwings in 2 flocks that were the first of the season, 50 Grey-crowned Rosy-Finches that fed on bare rock surfaces on the western flank of Vicki Ridge, 6 American Tree Sparrows and 7 Dark-eyed [hyemalis] Juncos. Persistent snow is forecast to fall over the next two days so observation opportunities may be limited.

7 hours (317.6) GOEA 3 (2021) TOTAL 3 (3777)

Thursday, October 22 Mount Lorette [Day 32] 0815-1800 (Graeme Dunlop). Because of the high wind-chill values and light snow that fell all day Graeme decided to watch from the Wasootch Creek site on highway 40 between Mount Lorette and the northern end of the Fisher range. This proved to be a good decision as the tops of the mountains and the ridges were often shrouded with cloud and raptor movement was low from Mount Lorette with some birds moving SE along Wasootch Creek and the rest moving low against the lower slopes of the Fisher Range. A total of 21 raptors of 6 species moved in this fashion between 0930 and 1750 with all but 6 of the birds seen before 1200. The count was 5a Bald Eagles, 1a female Northern Harrier, 2a Sharp-shinned Hawks, 1j Northern Goshawk, 1 light morph Rough-legged Hawk and 11 Golden Eagles (7a, 2sa, 2j). Graeme believes that most if not all of these birds could not have been seen if he had observed from the usual Hay Meadow site.

9.75 hours (357.3) BAEA 5 (108), NOHA 1 (10), SSHA 2 (99), NOGO 1 (55), RLHA 1 (26), GOEA 11 (2329) TOTAL 21 (2783)

Thursday, October 22 Steeples [Day 11] 1615-1745 (Vance Mattson). The cloud cleared from the ridges in the afternoon but no migrants were seen. The temperature was 1C, it was calm and 60% cumulus and altocumulus cloud gave sunny conditions. A resident adult and a juvenile Golden Eagle soared together over the first truly snow–covered landscape seen this season. The forecast calls for 5-10 cm of snow tomorrow so observation is unlikely.

1.5 hours (32.5) TOTAL 0 (83)

Wednesday, October 21 Vicki Ridge. No observation (weather). Snow started around midnight and persisted for most of the day and by 1800 24 cm had fallen. The ridge suddenly cleared around 1300 and we considered going to the site but before we set out fog had formed and steady snow recommenced so we were saved the trouble!

Wednesday, October 21 Mount Lorette. No observation possible because of weather. Bill Wilson and Cliff Hansen watched from 0810 to 1600 during which time the ridges were completely obscured.

Wednesday, October 21 Steeples No observation as Vance had teaching commitments. The ridges were partially clear but snow began to fall at 1630.

Tuesday, October 20 Vicki Ridge [Day 30] 0815-1900 (Peter Sherrington and Hilary Atkinson assisted by Pat Lucas (1210-1845) and Phil Nicholas (1345-1845) observing from the Waterton 61 wellsite on the western flank of the ridge; and Gord Petersen (0940-1830) at the western edge of Kyllo Ridge at the Waterton 68 wellsite). The temperature was -5C at 0815, the high was 6C at 1300 and it was 0C at 1900. It was calm or light E-SSE winds to 1232 when the winds became moderate WSW gusting to 30 km/h, and WSW-W winds prevailed for the rest of the day, generally 20-30 gusting 40 km/h but gusting to 40-50km/h at 1700 and 1800 before becoming light again at the end of observation. Cloud cover was initially 100% stratus that broke to 80-20% altocumulus, cumulus and cirrus to 1200 and throughout the afternoon it was 70-10% cumulus which gave mainly sunny conditions. At Waterton 61 a total of 148 migrant raptors of 9 species was counted between 1114 and 1830 that comprised 23 Bald Eagles (13a, 2sa2, 1 undifferentiated sa, 5j, 1u), 1a female Northern Harrier, 11 Sharp-shinned Hawks (7a, 4u), 2 Cooper’s Hawks (1a, 1u), 8 Northern Goshawks (6a, 1j, 1u), 4 dark morph harlani Red-tailed Hawks (3a, 1j), 9 Rough-legged Hawks (7 light, 2 dark), 89 Golden Eagles (81a, 1sa, 3j, 4u) and 1 male American Kestrel. The highest hourly count was 28 between 1700 and 1800 and 24 moved between 1800 and 1830. Movement was also steady throughout the afternoon at Waterton 68 where 100 migrants of 7 species were seen between 1118 and 1828 that comprised 8 Bald Eagles (4a, 2sa3 and 2 undifferentiated sa), 1j male Northern Harrier, 9 Sharp-shinned Hawks (3a, 2j, 4u), 2u Cooper’s Hawks, 3 Northern Goshawks (1a, 1j, 1u), 3 Rough-legged Hawks (1 light, 1 dark, 1u) and 73 Golden Eagles (42a, 10j, 21u). The highest hourly counts were 19 between 1600 and 1700, and also between 1700 and 1800. The combined sites count was 248 migrants of 9 species counted between 1114 and 1830 that comprised a season-high 31 Bald Eagles (17a, 2sa3, 3sa2, 3 undifferentiated sa, 5j, 1u), 2 Northern Harriers (1a female, 1j male), 20 Sharp-shinned Hawks (10a, 2j, 8u), 4 Cooper’s Hawks (1a, 3u), 11 Northern Goshawks (7a, 2j, 2u), 4 dark morph harlani Red-tailed Hawks (3a, 1j), 12 Rough-legged Hawks (8 light, 3 dark, 1u), 162 Golden Eagles (123a, 1sa, 13j, 25u) and 1 male American Kestrel. The highest hourly combined sites count was 47 between 1700 and 1800 and 31 moved between 1800 and 1830. The high count resulted from birds moving ahead of another northern front that is forecast to bring heavy snow to the area tomorrow. Other birds noted were a flock of 35 Snow Geese that flew high to the east at 1730, 1 Bonaparte’s Gull that for some reason was vigorously mobbed by 5 ravens at 1710, 1 Downy Woodpecker, 1 Pileated Woodpecker, 3 Canada Jays, 1 Clark’s Nutcracker, 3 Black-billed Magpies, 75 Common Ravens, 16 American Robins, a flock of 15 American Pipits, 1410 Grey-crowned Rosy Finches (a total of 700 at Waterton 68 and 710 that moved in 8 flocks between 1957 and 1836 at Waterton 61), and 20 Pine Siskins.

10.75 hours (310.6) BAEA 31 (135), NOHA 2 (26), SSHA 20 (901), COHA 4 (140), NOGO 11 (56), RTHA 4 (210), RLHA 12 (179), GOEA 162 (2018), UE 1 (9), AMKE 1 (15) TOTAL 248 (3774)

Tuesday, October 20 Mount Lorette [Day 31] 0830-1910 (Dan Parliament assisted by Rick Robb). A total of 166 migrant raptors of 5 species was counted that comprised 2a Bald Eagles, 1u Northern Goshawk, 2 undifferentiated dark morph Red-tailed Hawks, 1 light morph Rough-legged Hawk and 160 Golden Eagles (104a, 9sa, 31j, 16u). Birds moved continuously between 1034 and 1839 from Mount Lorette to the Fisher Range and the highest hourly count was 27 Golden Eagles between 1300 and 1400.

10.67 hours (347.6) BAEA 2 (103), NOGO 1 (54), RTHA 2 (62), RLHA 1 (25), GOEA 160 (2318) TOTAL 166 (2762)

Tuesday, October 20 Steeples [Day 10] 1615-1730 (Vance Mattson). The temperature was 8C, conditions were calm and cloud cover was 80% cumulus. The mountains cleared about noon but Vance could only observe from 1615 to 1730 during which time no migrants or residents were seen.

1.25 hours (83) TOTAL 0 (83)