Mount Lorette and Beaver Mines, April 11

April 11 [Day 41] (Brian McBride, assisted by Fred Bowen) 0715-1945. The temperature at 0715 was -4C, reached a high of 8C from 1500 to 1800 and then rapidly fell as a cold front passed and was 2C at 1945. Ground winds were very variable 5-15 gusting to 25 km/h to 1800 when they shifted to the N at 15-20 gusting 25 km/h; ridge winds were W light to moderate for most of the day. Cloud cover was 10-60% altostratus and altocumulus to 1200, and 60% cumulus for the rest of the day giving excellent viewing conditions. The west was 40-50% obscured between 1000 and 1100 then clear until 1800 after which both the west and east ridges were 70% obscured. A total of 18 migrants of 4 species were counted between 1142 and 1903 comprising 2 adult Bald Eagles, which were the only migrants to use the western route, 1u Northern Goshawk, 13 Golden Eagles (5a, 1sa, 7u), 1 unidentified eagle and 1u columbarius Merlin. Resident birds were 1 adult Bald Eagle, probably 2 pairs of Red-tailed Hawks that soared and interacted in groups of up to 3 birds for much of the day and often displayed with considerable enthusiasm, and 1 pair of adult Golden Eagles that was seen twice over the northern end of the Fisher Range. Other birds noted included 1 drumming Ruffed Grouse, 2 male Mountain Bluebirds, just 3 American Robins and 31 Dark-eyed Juncos. Three visitors made it to the site today.

12.5 hours (468.6) BAEA 2 (205), NOGO 1 (18), GOEA 13 (2143), UE 1 (13), MERL 1 (3) TOTAL 18 (2463)

Beaver Mines [Day 44] (Peter Sherrington) 0800-1945. The starting temperature was 2C, the high was 10C at 1300 and it was 6C at 1945 when observation ceased. Winds were W-WSW all day 20-30 gusting 45 km/h in the morning then 15-20 gusting 30 km/h to 1800 and less than 15 km/h for the rest of the day. It was cloudless to 1145 when 10-50% cumulus developed to 1800 after which it was 40-70% altostratus and cirrus for the remainder of the day. Observing conditions were excellent after 1145. There was a slow but steady stream of 23 migrating raptors of 7 species that were recorded between 0836 and 1930. The flight comprised 1 adult Turkey Vulture that flew to the NNW at 1753, 6 adult Bald Eagles, 2 adult male Northern Harriers, 2 Sharp-shinned Hawks (1a, 1u), 3 Northern Goshawks (1a, 1j, 1u), 7 calurus Red-tailed Hawks (5a and 1j light morphs, 1a dark morph), 1 light morph unidentified Buteo and 1 male columbarius Merlin. There were also 37 documented behavioural records of the 2 pairs of resident Red-tailed Hawks between 1018 and 1858, and 5 of a resident adult male Northern Harrier. Both species were seen displaying on several occasions.

11.75 hours (406) TUVU 1 (2), BAEA 6 (281), NOHA 2 (30), SSHA 2 (36), NOGO 3 (56), RTHA 7 (153), UB 1 (12), MERL 1 (13) TOTAL 23 (1692)

Steeples (Vance Mattson) No observation.

MOUNT LORETTE SUMMARY COUNT (March 1 to April 22)

DAYS 41

HOURS 468.6

TURKEY VULTURE (TUVU) 0

OSPREY (OSPR) 0

BALD EAGLE (BAEA) 205

NORTHERN HARRIER (NOHA) 2

SHARP-SHINNED HAWK (SSHA) 7

COOPER’S HAWK (COHA) 2

NORTHERN GOSHAWK (NOGO) 18

Accipiter sp. (UA) 0

BROAD-WINGED HAWK (BWHA) 3

SWAINSON’S HAWK (SWHA) 0

RED-TAILED HAWK (RTHA) 33

FERRUGINOUS HAWK (FEHA) 0

ROUGH-LEGGED HAWK (RLHA) 21

Buteo sp. (UB) 3

GOLDEN EAGLE (GOEA) 2143

Eagle sp. (UE) 13

AMERICAN KESTREL (AMKE) 1

MERLIN (MERL) 3

GYRFALCON (GYRF) 1

PEREGRINE FALCON (PEFA) 4

PRAIRIE FALCON (PRFA) 1

Falco sp. (UF) 1

Unidentified Raptor (UU) 2

TOTAL 2463