Sunday, October 04 Vicki Ridge [Day 15] 0800-1900 (Peter Sherrington and Hilary Atkinson observing from the Waterton 61 wellsite on the western flank of the ridge, and Gord Petersen, Cathy Scrimshaw and Dave McNeil on the ridgetop at the northern end of Vicki Ridge, 1300-1645. The temperature at 0800 was 14 C, the high at 1400 and 1500 was 21C and it was 17C at 1900. Winds were moderate to strong W-WSW all day, 30-40 gusting 50-60 km/h with occasional gusts to 70 km/h especially around noon. It was cloudless with a very light smoke haze to 1100 when traces of cumulus cloud appeared to the north and after 1200 cloud cover was 40-90% altocumulus, altostratus, lenticular and cirrus with up to 40% dark cumulus cloud moving from the west after 1730. At Waterton 61 a total of 64 migrants of a season-low total of 4 species were seen between 0850 and 1822 that comprised 1j Bald Eagle. 14 Sharp-shinned Hawks (5a, 9u), 9 Red-tailed Hawks (7 calurus: 4a and 2j light morphs and 1 a dark morph; and 1a and 1j dark morph harlani) and 40 Golden Eagles (27a, 1sa, 12j). Peak movement was 12 migrants between 1000 and 1100 and again between 1100 and 1200. The observers on the ridge at the northern end of Vicki Ridge were primarily there to photograph Golden Eagles in flight as the birds are usually much closer to the ridge at that point. They recorded an additional 12 migrants of 5 species between 1250 and 1630 that were not seen a couple of kilometres to the south at the Waterton 61 site. These comprised 1j Northern Harrier, 6 Sharp-shinned Hawks (3a, 1j, 2u), 1a light morph Broad-winged Hawk, 2 Golden Eagles (1a, 1j) and 2u columbarius Merlins. The combined species count was 76 migrants of 7 species seen between 0850 and 1822 that comprised 1j Bald Eagle, 1j Northern Harrier, 20 Sharp-shinned Hawks (8a, 1j, 11u), 1a light morph Broad-winged Hawk, 9 Red-tailed Hawks (7 calurus: 4a and 2j light morphs and 1 a dark morph; and 1a and 1j dark morph harlani), 42 Golden Eagles (28a, 1sa, 13j) and 2u columbarius Merlins. Only 4 0ther bird species were seen: 10 Clark’s Nutcrackers, 6 Black-billed Magpies, 24 Common Ravens and 40 American Robins.

11 hours (165.1) BAEA 1 (38), NOHA 1 (16), SSHA 20 (572), BWHA 1 (16), RTHA 9 (161), GOEA 42 (540), MERL 2 (19) TOTAL 76 (1554)

Sunday, October 04 Mount Lorette [Day 15] 0730-1930 (Lori Anderson assisted by Patrick Farley). A total of 100 migrant raptors of 5 species was recorded that comprised 1u Bald Eagle, 3u Sharp-shinned Hawks, 1a light morph calurus Red-tailed Hawk, 92 Golden Eagles (62a, 4sa, 5j, 21u), 2 unidentified eagles and 1 large unidentified falcon.

12 hours (183) BAEA 1 (53), SSHA 3 (80), RTHA 1 (44), GOEA 92 (763), UE 2 (5), UF 1 (3) TOTAL 100 (1040)

Sunday, October 04 Steeples [Day 3] 1400-1600 (Vance Mattson). The temperature was 21C, winds were light SW and cloud cover was 100% altostratus, cumulus and lenticular. Only 1 unaged Sharp-shinned Hawk was seen moving south, and the only other raptor recorded was a subadult Bald Eagle that moved to the north.

2 hours (6) SSHA 1 (2) TOTAL 1 (5)

Saturday, October 03 Vicki Ridge [Day 14] 0800-1915 (Peter Sherrington and Hilary Atkinson observing from the Waterton 61 wellsite on the western flank of the ridge, and Gord Petersen and Cathy Scrimshaw at the western edge of Kyllo Ridge at the Waterton 68 wellsite, 1345-1855). The temperature at 0800 was 9C, the high at 1500 and 1600 was 23C and it was still 18C at 1815. Winds were W-WSW all day, 10-20 km/h to 1030, 20-30 km/h to 1300, 30-40 km/h to 1700 and finally 30 gusting 50 km/h for the rest of the day. Cloud cover was 60-30% thin cirrostratus and altostratus to noon after which it was cloudless for the rest of the day. There was again a persistent very light smoke haze that did not affect the viewing conditions. The count at Waterton 61 was 64 birds of 10 species between 0945 and 1911 that comprised 2u Bald Eagles, 3 Northern Harriers (2 males (1a, 1j) and 1j female), 23 Sharp-shinned Hawks (3a, 2j, 18u), 2a Cooper’s Hawks, 5 Northern Goshawks (4a, 1j), 1a dark morph Broad-winged Hawk, 9 Red-tailed Hawks (calurus 7: 4 light (3a, 1u) and 3a dark; and 2 dark harlani (1a, 1j), 1u Rough-legged Hawk, 17 Golden Eagles (7a, 2sa, 5j, 3u) and 1u columbarius Merlin. The most productive hours were 11 between 1300 and 1400, and 14 between 1400 and 1500. The count at the Waterton 68 site was 62 birds of 7 species that were seen between 1352 and 1833 and comprised 1 Osprey, 1j Bald Eagle, 29 Sharp-shinned Hawks (5a, 24u), 5 Cooper’s Hawks (2a, 2j, 1u), 1a intermediate morph harlani Red-tailed Hawk, 23 Golden Eagles (7a, 2sa, 4j, 10u) and 2 Merlins (1u richardsonii, and 1 indeterminate bird). The highest single-hour count was 18 between 1500 and 1600. The combined species count 126 birds of 11 species between 0945 and 1911 was 1 Osprey, 3 Bald Eagles (1j, 2u), 3 Northern Harriers (2 males (1a, 1j) and 1j female), 52 Sharp-shinned Hawks (8a, 2j, 42u), 7 Cooper’s Hawks (4a, 2j, 1u), 5 Northern Goshawks (4a, 1j), 1a dark morph Broad-winged Hawk, 10 Red-tailed Hawks (calurus 7: 4 light (3a, 1u) and 3a dark; and 3 harlani: 2 dark morphs (1a, 1j) and 1a intermediate morph, 1u Rough-legged Hawk, 40 Golden Eagles (14a, 4sa, 9j, 13u) and 3 Merlins (1u columbarius, 1u richardsonii, and 1 indeterminate bird). The four combined-site hourly counts between 1400 and 1800 were 24, 22, 21 and 23 which reflect the relatively uniform migration conditions at the time. Other birds seen were 8 Blue Jays that flew high to the south above the valley at 0855, 2 Clark’s Nutcrackers, 6 Black-billed Magpies, 444 Common Ravens most of which were seen at the Waterton 68 site flying to roost in the late afternoon, 36 American Robins and  45 Pine Siskins.

11.25 hours (154.1) OSPR 1 (6), BAEA 3 (37), NOHA 3 (15), SSHA 52 (552), COHA 7 (101), NOGO 5 (17), BWHA 1 (15), RTHA 10 (152), RLHA 1 (22), GOEA 40 (498), MERL 3 (17) TOTAL 126 (1478)

Saturday, October 03 Mount Lorette [Day 14] 0750-1920 (Blake Weis assisted by Heinz Unger). The observers counted a total of 70 migrant raptors of 5 species that comprised 1 Osprey, 2a Bald Eagles, 2u Sharp-shinned Hawks, 2a light morph calurus Red-tailed Hawks and 63 Golden Eagles (25a, 9sa, 12j, 17u).

11.5 hours (171) OSPR 1 (5), BAEA 2 (52), SSHA 2 (77), RTHA 2 (43), GOEA 63 (671) TOTAL 70 (940)

Saturday, October 03 Steeples [Day 2] 1300-1500 (Vance Mattson). It was cloudless and windless with a temperature of 20C which made observing conditions very pleasant but was not conducive to raptor movement and only 1 adult light morph calurus Red-tailed Hawk was seen migrating. This year’s resident juvenile Golden Eagle was seen soaring at length in front of and above the ridge while being constantly harassed by an energetic juvenile Northern Harrier.  The harrier bombed the eagle for 15 minutes, eventually producing a barrel-roll in the eagle before the eagle glided behind the ridge. The harrier then engaged a solitary raven in a duel that lasted approximately 20 minutes with the harrier easily out-flying the raven throughout. There were also single sightings of an adult Golden Eagle and a juvenile Bald Eagle.

2 hours (4) RTHA 1 (2) TOTAL 1 (4)

Friday, October 02 Vicki Ridge [Day 10] 0800-1920 (Peter Sherrington and Hilary Atkinson observing from the Waterton 61 wellsite on the western flank of the ridge, with Doug and Teresa Dolmen, Denise Cocciolone-Amatto, Raymond Toal  and John Kinnear on the ridge-top; and Gord Petersen and Cathy Scrimshaw at the western edge of Kyllo Ridge at the Waterton 68 wellsite, 1345-1855). The temperature at 0800 was 6C, the high at 1500 and 1600 was 20C and it was 15C at 1910. Winds were variable ENE- SE all day, mainly light but occasionally gusting to 20 km/h in the late afternoon. It was cloudless all day with a persistent very light smoke haze that did not affect the viewing conditions. Despite these unpromising conditions observers at Waterton 61 and on the ridgetop counted a total of 90 migrant raptors of 9 species between 1006 and 1832 that comprised 2j Northern Harriers (1 female, 1u), 11 Sharp-shinned Hawks (5a, 6u), 2a Cooper’s Hawks, 3 small unidentified Accipiters, 2 light morph Broad-winged Hawks (1a, 1j), 18 Red-tailed Hawks (16 calurus: 10 light morphs (7a, 3u) and 6 dark morphs (5a, 1u); 1a dark morph harlani; and 1 undifferentiated bird), 3 Rough-legged Hawks (1 light, 1 dark, 1u), 1 undifferentiated dark Buteo, 44 Golden Eagles (24a, 7sa, 11j, 2u), 2 American Kestrels (1 male, 1 female) and 2 Prairie Falcons. The highest hourly count was 28 birds between 1100 and 1200 that included 24 Golden Eagles and seemed to presage a significant movement, but subsequently movement gradually dwindled and only 6 migrants were counted after 1600. The count at Waterton 68 where the wind was very light throughout was only 5 birds, 1u Coopers Hawk and 4 Golden Eagles (1a, 1j, 2u between 1345 and 1855. Other birds recorded were 9 Canada Geese, 1 Northern Pygmy-Owl on the ridgetop, 4 Clark’s Nutcrackers, 5 Black-billed Magpies, 160 Common Ravens most of which flew west to roost in the late afternoon, 2 Mountain Chickadees, 5 Red-breasted Nuthatches that mobbed the pygmy-owl,  20 American Robins, 50 Pine Siskins and 1 Yellow-rumped Warbler.

11.16 hours (142.8) NOHA 2 (12), SSHA 11 (500), COHA 3 (94), UA 3 (6), BWHA 2 (14), RTHA 18 (142), RLHA 3 (21), UB 1 (7), GOEA 48 (458), AMKE 2 (13), PRFA 2 (4) TOTAL 95 (1352)

Friday, October 02 Mount Lorette [Day 12] 0730-1900 (Joel Duncan assisted by Caroline Lambert). After yesterday’s big count today’s total of 32 migrants of 5 species was disappointing and comprised 1sa Bald Eagle, 1u Sharp-shinned Hawk, 1u Cooper’s Hawk, 1u light morph calurus Red-tailed Hawk , 27 Golden Eagles (12a, 2sa, 6j 4u) and 1 small unidentified raptor.

12.5 hours (159.5) BAEA 1 (50), SSHA 1 (75), COHA 1 (12), RTHA 1 (41), GOEA 27 (608), UU 1 (2) TOTAL 32 (870)

Friday, October 02 Steeples [Day 1] 1300-1500 (Vance Mattson). The temperature was 16C, and it was calm and cloudless with a slight smoke haze. One adult Sharp-shinned Hawk, 1a light calurus Red-tailed Hawk and 1 female American Kestrel were the only migrants noted.

2 hours SSHA 1, RTHA 1, AMKE 1 TOTAL 3

Thursday, October 01 Vicki Ridge [Day 12] 0815-1900 (Peter Sherrington and Hilary Atkinson observing from the Waterton 61 wellsite on the western flank of the ridge, assisted by Trevor Lewis (1615-1730). There was no observation at the Waterton 68 site. The temperature at 0815 was 13C (in contrast to 2C at Beaver Mines when we left home 10 minutes earlier!), the high at 1300 and again at 1500 was 21C and it was still 18C at 1900, Winds were moderate 20-30 km/h all day, NW to 0900 and then W for the rest of the day. Cloud cover was 80-100% altostratus and altocumulus with light smoke haze to 1330 when the smoke thickened and provided very gloomy conditions to 1675, after which the smoke thinned and the rest of the day was 70-90% altostratus, altocumulus, cirrus and lenticular cloud that gave excellent viewing conditions for the last two hours of observation. A total of 77 migrant raptors of 12 species were seen between 1006 and 1845 that comprised 1 Osprey, 3 Bald Eagles (1a, 2u), 2 Northern Harriers (1a female, 1j male), 30 Sharp-shinned Hawks (4a, 26u), 8 Cooper’s Hawks (1a, 7u), 4 Northern Goshawks (3a, 1j), 3 Red-tailed Hawks (2 light calurus(1a, 1u) and 1a dark harlani), 4 Rough-legged Hawks (1light, 1 dark and 2u), 19 Golden Eagles (12a, 2sa, 2j, 3u), 1 female American Kestrel, 1u malecolumbarius Merlin and 1a Peregrine Falcon. Movement was steady to 1700 but peaked in the last 2 hours when the smoke thinned with 14 birds moving between 1700 and 1800 and 13 between 1800 and 1845. Other birds seen were 1 Great Horned Owl that flew low at the base of Vicki Ridge at 1855, 1 Northern Flicker, 3 Clark’s Nutcrackers, 5 Black-billed Magpies, only 15 Common Ravens, 74 American Robins and 86 Pine Siskins.

10.75 hours (131.7) OSPR 1 (5), BAEA 3 (34), NOHA 2 (10), SSHA 30 (489), COHA 8 (91), NOGO 4 (12), RTHA 3 (124), RLHA 4 (18), GOEA 19 (410), AMKE 1 (11), MERL 1 (14), PEFA 1 (3) TOTAL 77 (1257)

Thursday, October 01 Mount Lorette [Day 11] 0730-1930 (Graeme Dunlop, assisted by Joel Duncan). Observers counted a season-high 214 migrant raptors of 9 species that included the first three-figure Golden Eagle movement of the season. The count was 1 Osprey, a season-high 23 Bald Eagles (9a, 2sa, 11j, 1u), 6 Sharp-shinned Hawks (5a, 1j), 2u Cooper’s Hawks, 4a Northern Goshawks, 13 Red-tailed Hawks (8a calurus (7 light, 1 dark) and 5 indeterminate birds, 159 Golden Eagles (119a, 4sa, 11j, 25u), 1 unidentified eagle and 1 juvenile Prairie Falcon.

12 hours (147), OSPR 1 (4), BAEA 23 (49), SSHA 6 (74), COHA 2 (11), NOGO 4 (29), RTHA 13 (40), RLHA 4 (9), GOEA 159 (581), UE 1 (3), PRFA 1 (2), TOTAL 214 (838)

Thursday, October 01 Steeples (Vance Mattson).  No observation.

Wednesday, September 30 Vicki Ridge [Day 11] 0800-1900 (Peter Sherrington and Hilary Atkinson observing from the Waterton 61 wellsite on the western flank of the ridge. There was no observation at the Waterton 68 site. The temperature at 0800 was 7C, the high at 1600 and 1700 was 14C and it was 11C at 1900. Winds were mainly light E-SE that occasionally gusted to 15 km/h and cloud cover was 100% stratocumulus to 1210 when it began to break up and reduced to 70% cumulus at 1300 and it was cloudless after 1400 with the exception of 1900 when 30% thin cirrostratus developed to the west. The conditions produced a season-low total of only 8 migrants of 5 species between 0829 and 1306 that comprised 2u Sharp-shinned Hawks, 1u Cooper’s Hawk, 2 Northern Goshawks (1a, 1j), 2 Golden Eagles (1a, 1j) and 1a male columbarius Merlin. The highest hourly count was 3 between 1000 and 1100. Other birds seen were 8 Canada Geese that flew high to the west at 1027, 1 Hairy Woodpecker, 1 Northern Flicker, 1 Steller’s Jay, 1 Clark’s Nutcracker, 1 Black-billed Magpie, 30 Common Ravens, 2 Black-capped Chickadees, 1 Mountain Bluebird, 140 American Robins, 209 Pine Siskins and 4 Yellow-rumped Warblers. Most of these birds occurred in the morning and there was only a meagre evening roosting movement of Common Ravens.

11 hours (120.9) SSHA 2 (459), COHA 1 (83), NOGO 2 (8), GOEA 2 (391), MERL 1 (13) TOTAL 8 (1180)

September summary with variance compared to the 2017-2019 three-year average. (New high counts for the month in bold). 11 days (+22.2%). 120.9 hours (+55.4%) TUVU 5 (+500%), OSPR 4 (-25%), BAEA 31 (+126.8%), NOHA 8 (-17.2%), SSHA 459 (+60.5%), COHA 83 (+111%), NOGO 8 (-57.9%), BWHA 12 (+16.1%), SWHA 3 (+80%), RTHA 121 (+87.1%), FEHA 1 (-72.7%), RLHA 14 (+162.5%), GOEA391 (+170.9%), AMKE 10 (-18.9%), MERL 13 (+34.5%), GYRF 0 (-100%), PEFA 2 (-60%), PRFA 2 (+100%), UA 3 (+200%), UB 6 (+157.1%), UE 2 (+100%), UF 1 (+50% UU 0 (-100%) TOTAL 1180 (+85%)

Wednesday, September 30 Mount Lorette [Day 11] 0700-1920 (Bill Wilson, assisted by Cliff Hansen). A total of 56 migrants of 8 species was counted that comprised 3a Bald Eagles, 6u Sharp-shinned Hawks, 2u Cooper’s Hawks, 3 Northern Goshawks (1a, 1j, 1u), 5 dark morph calurus Red-tailed Hawks (3a, 2j), 2 light morph Rough-legged Hawks, 32 Golden Eagles (422), 1a Peregrine Falcon, 1 unidentified large falcon and 1 unidentified raptor.

12.33 hours (135) BAEA 3 (26), SSHA 6 (69), COHA 2 (9), NOGO 3 (25), RTHA 5 (27), RLHA 2 (5), GOEA 32 (422), PEFA 1 (6), UF 1 (2), UU 1 (1) TOTAL 56 (625)

September summary with variance compared to the 1993-2019 (excluding 1997, 2002, 2006, 2007 and 2008) 22-year average. (New high counts for the month in bold). 11 days (+3.4%). 135 hours (+15.1%) TUVU 0, OSPR 3 (+43.5%), BAEA 26 (+45.5%), NOHA 8 (+67.6%), SSHA 68 (+29.5%), COHA 9 (-14.7%), NOGO 25 (+219.8%), BWHA 4 (+95.6%), SWHA 2 (+633.3%), RTHA 27 (+58.8%), FEHA 0, RLHA 5 (+144%), GOEA 422 (+19.4%), AMKE 1 (-26.7%), MERL 7 (+152.5%), GYRF 0 (-100%), PEFA 6 (+266.7%), PRFA 1 (+57.1%), UA 4 (+29.4%), UB 1 (-15.4%), UE 2 (+144.4%), UF 2 (+528.6% UU 1 (-37.1%) TOTAL 625 (+28.8%). The 2 Swainson’s Hawks and 6 Peregrine Falcons equaled the previous high September counts at the site.

Wednesday, September 30 Steeples (Vance Mattson).  No observation.