Mount Lorette, Beaver Mines and Steeples March 10: a grand slam of nullity!

March 10 [Day 9] (Blake Weis, assisted by Heinz Unger) 0700-1615. The temperature was -20C at 0700, rose to a high of -14C at 1400 and 1500 and was -15C when the count was abandoned at 1615. Ground winds were N-NE, light to 1000 and then 5-10 gusting to 20 km/h for the rest of the day, while ridge winds were moderate W that became strong after 1500. Cloud cover was 100% stratus to 1200, dropped to 80% with minor cumulus at 1300 and 1400 and was 90% after 1500. The Fisher Range was 90-100% obscured to 1100 after which it was variably occluded 30-70% and was again 90% obscured after 1500. The west was 100% obscured with the exception of 1200-1400 when it was 50-70% obscured. Moderate snow fell to 1300 that left a further 3-4 cm on the ground, then light snow persisted for the rest of the day. No migrant or resident raptors were seen and the only birds recorded were 3 Common Ravens and an American Dipper!

9.25 hours (84.42) TOTAL 0 (32)

Beaver Mines [Day 12] (Peter Sherrington) 1230-1830. The temperature at 1230 was -13C, reached a high of -12.5C at 1400 but then quickly dropped to -15C and was -16C after 1700. Winds were E-ESE all day, mainly light but reaching 15 km/h on occasion. Cloud cover was 100% stratus with the exception of 1755-1815 when it reduced to 90% during the only period in the day when snow stopped falling. The ridge was periodically visible but was only completely clear between 1730 and 1825. No migrants were seen, but a non-migrant dark morph Rough-legged Hawk flew to the SW at 1542.

6 hours (77.75) TOTAL 0 (126)

Steeples [Day 2] (Vance Mattson) 1400-1530. Overnight snow left 10cm on the ground and overcast conditions persisted until 1400 when observation began from near the Bill Nye site as the road is still blocked by snow. The ridges partially cleared but no migrant or resident raptors were seen. Yesterday the first two Red-tailed Hawks of the year were seen in the Rocky Mountain Trench: first sightings for the area are usually in February.

1.5 hours (5.5) TOTAL 0 (0)

MOUNT LORETTE SUMMARY COUNT (March 1 to April 22)

DAYS 9

HOURS 84.42

TURKEY VULTURE (TUVU) 0

OSPREY (OSPR) 0

BALD EAGLE (BAEA) 15

NORTHERN HARRIER (NOHA) 0

SHARP-SHINNED HAWK (SSHA) 0

COOPER’S HAWK (COHA) 0

NORTHERN GOSHAWK (NOGO) 0

Accipiter sp. (UA) 0

BROAD-WINGED HAWK (BWHA) 0

SWAINSON’S HAWK (SWHA) 0

RED-TAILED HAWK (RTHA) 0

FERRUGINOUS HAWK (FEHA) 0

ROUGH-LEGGED HAWK (RLHA) 1

Buteo sp. (UB) 0

GOLDEN EAGLE (GOEA) 16

Eagle sp. (UE) 0

AMERICAN KESTREL (AMKE) 0

MERLIN (MERL) 0

GYRFALCON (GYRF) 0

PEREGRINE FALCON (PEFA) 0

PRAIRIE FALCON (PRFA) 0

Falco sp. (UF) 0

Unidentified Raptor (UU) 0

TOTAL 32