Mount Lorette, Beaver Mines, Steeples March 5
March 5 [Day 4] (Bill Wilson, assisted by Lori Anderson) 0710-1830. The temperature on arrival was -16C, rose to a high at 1500 of -8C and was -10C at the end of observation. Ground winds were SW 0-3 km/h to 1100 after which they were NNW-NNE 3-15 gusting 21 km/h, and ridge winds were probably mainly NNE light to moderate. Cloud cover was 100% stratus that occasionally reduced to 60-80% between 1200 and 1500. Both east and west ridges were essentially clear to 1000 after which the west was 100% and the east 60-100% obscured for the rest of the day. There was 30 cm of fresh snow at the site on arrival, and light to moderate snow fell continuously after 1030. Remarkably, four migrant raptors were seen: a subadult Bald Eagle flew to the north east of the river at 1053 at a height of 100 m, an adult Bald Eagle flew similarly at 300 m at 1257 and 2 adult Golden Eagles flew from the eastern part of the valley or the Fisher Range towards Mount Lorette, between 1300 and 1400, but both were lost in cloud. Other birds recorded were a total of 11 Canada Geese, 1 male Common Merganser flying low downstream at 1730, 1 Northern Pygmy-Owl that was heard singing east of the river, 1 Northern Shrike that hung around the site for most of the day, 1 Grey Jay, just 1 raven that was heard calling and 1 American Dipper.
11.33 hours (37.25) BAEA 2 (4), GOEA 2 (4) TOTAL 4 (8)
Beaver Mines [Day 9] (Peter Sherrington) 1430-1830. The temperature throughout the observation period was -10C. Winds were E-ESE 10-15 km/h to 1800 when a light W flow developed. Light to moderate snow fell to 1750 and the ridge was obscured except for 1430-1545, 1640-1700 and after 1750. The only migrant raptor seen was an adult Golden Eagle that glided and flapped to the NW in light snow at 1437.
4 hours (51.5) GOEA 1 (48) TOTAL 1 (72)
Steeples (Vance Mattson) No observation. The mountains were partially to totally obscured all day, with intermittent snow flurries. Vance ventured out at 1400 but immediately returned.
MOUNT LORETTE SUMMARY COUNT (March 1 to April 22)
DAYS 4
HOURS 37.25
TURKEY VULTURE (TUVU) 0
OSPREY (OSPR) 0
BALD EAGLE (BAEA) 4
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) 0
Buteo sp. (UB) 0
GOLDEN EAGLE (GOEA) 4
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 8
