Since the fall of 2009, there has been a reconnaissance count at or near the Steeples Ridge which is located on the east side of the Kootenay Valley (Rocky Mountain Trench) 25 km NE of Cranbrook, B.C.
Steeples Observations
See the count reports for historical data.
09/25/2021
Observers: Blake Weis, Annie Finch, Rosemary Power, Eric Langshaw
07:45 AM
07:45 PM
7C-19C
It was a warm, sunny day with beautiful fall colors. In the afternoon there were strong ridge winds from the SW which is favorable for migration, but flying conditions seemed inconsistent. The birds were often quite high but never stetted into a regular flight path. This inconsistency, along with a wide lenticular cloud hanging over the Fisher Range, made detection and identification difficult during peak migration.
25 (11 adult, 2 sub-adult, 3 juvenile, 9 indeterminate)
6 Sharp-shinned Hawk, 3 Cooper's Hawk, 4 Northern Goshawk, 1 Unidentified Accipiter, 1 Broad-winged Hawk, 4 Red-tailed Hawk, 1 Unidentified Buteo, 2 Peregrine Falcon, 1 Unidentified Falcon, 2 Unidentified Raptors
13:00-14:00 and 14:00-15:00 with 10 migrants each
50
2 Golden Eagles
1 Ruffed Grouse, 2 Common Loon, 1 Belted Kingfisher, 2 Clark's Nutcracker, 5 Ruby-crowned Kinglet, 1 American Dipper, 1 Brown Creeper, 1 Varied Thrush, 48 American Robin, 57 White-winged Crossbill, 41 Pine Siskin, 1 Lincoln's Sparrow
Mourning cloak butterflies
0
