RMERF counts, April 1

Monday, April 1 Mount Lorette [Day 30] 0700-1950 (George Halmazna, assisted by Dan Parliament and Graham Dunlop). The temperature was -3C at 0700, the high was 4C at 1600 and 1700 and it was 2C at the end of observation. It was calm to 1100, then ground winds were NE 2-8 km/h to 1400, SW2-5 km/h at 1500 and 1600 and NE 5-20 km/h after 1700; ridge winds were probably light to moderate W-NW. Cloud cover was 100-70% altostratus, altocumulus, cumulus and stratus all day with the exceptions of 1100 and 1900 when it reduced to 50%, and there were frequent snow flurries that swept from the west between 1300 and 1800. The eastern ridges were 90% obscured to 1200, 50% to 1400, 30% at 1500, clear at 1600 and 1700 and then 80-90% obscured after 1800; the west was 30% obscured to 0900 and then variably obscured to 1600 after which it was mainly clear. Remarkably these unpromising conditions produced a season-high total of 283 migrant raptors of 6 species between 1050 and 1845 that comprised 15 Bald Eagles (10a, 3sa, 2j), the season’s first Northern Harrier, a juvenile bird of unknown sex, 2 adult Northern Goshawks, 1 adult light morph calurus Red-tailed Hawk, a season-high 263 Golden Eagles (174a, 4sa, 10j, 75u) and 1u columbarius Merlin. Movement was mainly on the western route to 1500 with birds soaring high with kettles of up to 20 eagles that often disappeared into the cloud base, and then glided high to the NW either behind the summit of Mount Allan or above Skogan Pass. After 1500 the movement was entirely on the eastern route which saw the highest single hour count of 78 birds (76 Golden Eagles) between 1500 and 1600. Resident birds were 1 adult Bald Eagle, 1 calling and displaying adult Northern Goshawk, and the pair of resident Golden Eagles to the west where the male displayed above the southern flank of Mount Allan. Other birds recorded on a busy day were 4 Canada Geese, 1 drumming Ruffed Grouse, 1 Northern Flicker, 1 Pileated Woodpecker, 9 American Crows, 19 Common Ravens, 2 Black-capped Chickadees, 2 Red-breasted Nuthatches, 1 male Mountain Bluebird, 5 singing Varied Thrushes, 19 American Robins, 7 European Starlings, 10 Bohemian Waxwings and 8 Dark-eyed [Oregon] Juncos. Eight visitors were at the site today.

12.83 (333.5) BAEA 15 (137), NOHA 1 (1), NOGO 2 (8), RTHA 1 (3), GOEA 263 (1563), MERL 1 (2) TOTAL 283 (1745)

Monday, April 1 Beaver Mines [Day 30] 0730-1930 (Peter Sherrington, assisted by Everett Hanna and 22 biology students from Lethbridge College, and Hilary Atkinson). The temperature at 0730 was 0C, the high was 7C at 1600 and 1700 and it was 4C at 1930. Winds were light W-SSW to 1030, light NE –E to 1330 when they were mainly SW-SSW 5-10 gusting 15 km/h to 1900, after which it was calm. Heavy snow fell at 0730 that left 4 cm of fresh snow on the ground when it stopped at 0830 and the ridge cleared. Cloud cover was 100-70% stratocumulus, cumulus and altostratus in the morning that cleared throughout the afternoon giving excellent observing conditions to 1700 after which it was essentially cloudless. The day saw a season-high migration of 95 raptors of 6 species that moved between 1052 and 1841 and comprised 13 Bald Eagles (8a, 3sa, 2j), 1 adult male Northern Harrier, a season-high 7 adult Red-tailed Hawks (6 light and 1 dark calurus, and 1 dark harlani), a season-high 71 Golden Eagles (51a, 8sa, 10j, 2u), 1 unidentified eagle and 1 Prairie Falcon. The highest hourly count was 1400-1500 when 44 raptors were counted that included 35 Golden Eagles, 11 of which soared high together at 1440. A resident Golden Eagle displayed vigorously above the centre of the valley at 1429. Other birds in the area were 2 Canada Geese, 2 Tundra Swans that flew north at 1120 a distant flock of unidentified swans that flew north at 1444, 3 Mallards, 11 Wild Turkeys, 12 Rock Pigeons, a flock of 15 California Gulls, the first of the season, that flew north at 1205, 3 Downy Woodpeckers, 1 Hairy Woodpecker, 1 Northern Flicker, 1 Pileated Woodpecker, 1 adult Northern Shrike, 7 Blue Jays, 1 Black-billed Magpie, 37 American Crows, 23 Common Ravens, 2 Black-capped Chickadees, 3 Mountain Chickadees, 1 Red-breasted Nuthatches, a pair of Mountain Bluebirds, 17 American Robins, 70 European Starlings, 20 Evening Grosbeaks1 male Cassin’s Finch and 20 Pine Siskins.

12 hours (347.8), BAEA 13 (144), NOHA 1 (5), NOGO 1 (14), RTHA 7 (16), GOEA 71 (424), UE 1 (1), PRFA 1 (5) TOTAL 95 (636)

Monday, April 1 Steeples [Day 27] 1630-1945 (Vance Mattson). Afternoon teaching commitments again resulted in a late start, but despite not arriving at the site at 1630 Vance counted 13 migrants: 3 adult Bald Eagles, 1 adult light morph calurus Red-tailed Hawk and 9 Golden Eagles (8a, 1u) between 1648 and 1919, the last of which was the latest bird seen this season. Most of the Golden Eagles moved in pairs. Non-migrants were 9 Turkey Vultures and the season’s first American Kestrel that mobbed a Golden Eagle as it flew low above the flank of Mount Bill Nye. The temperature was 11C, it was calm and 30-50% cumulus and altocumulus cloud cover gave sunny conditions.

3.25 (134) BAEA 3 (193), RTHA 1 (5), GOEA 9 (431) TOTAL 13 (642)