Mount Lorette and Beaver Mines, March 28

March 28 [Day 27] (Brian McBride, assisted by Alan Hingston) 0735-1950. The temperature was 0C at 0735, rose to a high of 7C at 1700 and was 6C at 1950. Ground winds were S all day 5-10 km/h to 1100 after which it gusted 10-20km/h, while ridge winds were moderate WSW all day. Cloud cover was 50-60% cumulus and altostratus to 0900 after which it was 80-100% stratocumulus, cumulus and altostratus to 1700 then 70% to the end of observation. The ridges were clear all day with the exception of the high peaks to the west that were periodically obscured. The count was a disappointing 11 migrants that moved between 1103 and 1910 comprising 2 adult Bald Eagles, 1 unidentified Buteo and 8 Golden Eagles (6a, 1j, 1u). Four of the Golden Eagles glided from the northern end of the Fisher Range to Mount Lorette, 4 were located over Lorette and probably flew from Wasootch Creek, and the 2 Bald Eagles flew due north from the Fisher Range. Non-migrant raptors were 2 adult Bald Eagles, 1 adult Northern Goshawk and 1 or 2 adult light morph calurus Red-tailed Hawks. Other birds seen included 2 Northern Flickers, 1 Northern Shrike, 2 male Mountain Bluebirds, 5 American Robins, 1 Varied Thrush and 5 Dark-eyed [Oregon] Juncos. The 33 visitors to the site were largely disappointed by today’s meagre migration.

12.25 hours (295.3) BAEA 2 (143), UB 1 (3), GOEA 8 (1917) TOTAL 11 (2118)

Beaver Mines [Day 31] (Peter Sherrington) 0800-1930. The temperature rose to a high of 7C at 1500 and 1600 from a low at 0800 of 3C and it was 4C at the end of observation. It felt much cooler as winds were W-WSW all day, 30-40 gusting to 65 km/h to 1300, and gusting up to 85 km/h in the afternoon. Cloud cover was 70-100% stratocumulus, altostratus and cumulus to 1530 when the stratus thinned allowing hazy sunshine and after 1845 the cloud reduced to 30% cumulus and altocumulus for the rest of the day. Movement was initially very slow with the first bird recorded at 0932 and by 1300 only 4 birds had been counted. The pace subsequently quickened and when the last 2 Golden Eagles glided high to the NW at 1914 a total of 41 migrants of 8 species had been seen. The count was 4 adult Bald Eagles, 1 adult male Northern Harrier, 1 adult Sharp-shinned Hawk, 8 calurus light morph Red-tailed Hawks (7a, 1u), 2 Rough-legged Hawks (1 light, 1 dark), 23 Golden Eagles (22a, 1u), the season’s first Peregrine Falcon, an adult male that flew high to the NNW at 1734, and an adult female Prairie Falcon. A flock of 200 migrating Grey-crowned Rosy-Finches flew high overhead at 1155.

11.5 hours (264.8) BAEA 4 (202), NOHA 1 (13), SSHA 1 (15), RTHA 8 (65), RLHA 2 (52), GOEA 23 (904), PEFA 1 (1), PRFA 1 (6) TOTAL 41 (1325)

Steeples (Vance Mattson) No observation.

MOUNT LORETTE SUMMARY COUNT (March 1 to April 22)

DAYS 27

HOURS 295

TURKEY VULTURE (TUVU) 0

OSPREY (OSPR) 0

BALD EAGLE (BAEA) 143

NORTHERN HARRIER (NOHA) 1

SHARP-SHINNED HAWK (SSHA) 2

COOPER’S HAWK (COHA) 0

NORTHERN GOSHAWK (NOGO) 9

Accipiter sp. (UA) 0

BROAD-WINGED HAWK (BWHA) 0

SWAINSON’S HAWK (SWHA) 0

RED-TAILED HAWK (RTHA) 7

FERRUGINOUS HAWK (FEHA) 0

ROUGH-LEGGED HAWK (RLHA) 21

Buteo sp. (UB) 3

GOLDEN EAGLE (GOEA) 1917

Eagle sp. (UE) 9

AMERICAN KESTREL (AMKE) 0

MERLIN (MERL) 2

GYRFALCON (GYRF) 1

PEREGRINE FALCON (PEFA) 1

PRAIRIE FALCON (PRFA) 0

Falco sp. (UF) 1

Unidentified Raptor (UU) 1

TOTAL 2118