RMERF counts, April 15

Monday, April 15 Mount Lorette [Day 44] 0715-1915 (George Halmazna, assisted by Dan Parliament). The temperature was -3C at the start, rose to a high of 5.5C at 1500 and was 3C at the end of observation. It was calm to 0900 after which ground winds were SW all day, 5-15 km/h to 1800 and 2-10 km/h for the last two hours, while ridge winds were moderate SW all day. Cloud cover was 80-100% cirrocumulus, cirrostratus, altostratus, cumulus and stratus all day that produced snow flurries in the west to 1800 that only occasionally reached the site. All ridges were clear in the morning after which the west was 20% obscured except between 1600 and 1700 when it was 90% obscured, and the east was 30% obscured during the same period and 10-20% obscured for the rest of the afternoon apart from the last hour when it cleared. There was a disappointing migration of only 8 eagles: 1 juvenile Bald Eagle and 7 Golden Eagles (5a, 2u) that moved between 1245 and 1800 with a maximum hourly count of 3 (1 Bald and 2 Golden Eagles) between 1300 and 1400, and 2 Golden Eagles moved between 1700 and 1800. The first three birds were initially located over Skogan Pass from where they glided to Pigeon Mountain and the rest glided high from the northern end of the Fisher Range to Mount Lorette. Resident and non-migrant birds were an adult Bald Eagle that flew to the south, 1 adult Northern Goshawk, 1 adult light morph calurus Red-tailed Hawk and the resident pair of Golden Eagles. Other birds in the area were 3 Canada Geese and 5 Mallards on the river, 1 male Common Merganser flying above the river, 3 drumming and 1 seen Ruffed Grouse, a pair of Northern Flickers, 1 Canada Jay, 7 Common Ravens, 7 Black-capped Chickadees, 4 Mountain Chickadees, 2 Boreal Chickadees, 4 Red-breasted Nuthatches, 1 male Mountain Bluebird, 1 singing Varied Thrush, 13 American Robins, 1 Song Sparrow and 10 singing montanus Dark-eyed Juncos. Two White-tailed Deer fed in the meadow in the morning and 2 in the evening, and 3 Mule Deer were seen near Lorette Ponds. Only 4 visitors made it to the site today.

12 hours (503.8) BAEA 1 (201), GOEA 7 (2059) TOTAL 8 (2341)

Monday, April 15 Beaver Mines [Day 44] 0645-2045 (Peter Sherrington assisted by Hilary Atkinson). The temperature was 0C at 0645, the high of 9C was reached at 1600 and 1700 and it was 3C at 2045. Winds were WSW-W all day 30-45 gusting to 55 km/h and cloud cover was 100-30% cirrus, cirrostratus, cumulus and altocumulus to 1500, 20-30% cumulus to 1750 after which it was cloudless. Migration and observation conditions were excellent all day and produced a fairly strong April count of 50 birds of 9 species between 0856 and 1940. The flight was 10 Bald Eagles (7a, 2sa, 1j), 2 female Northern Harriers (1a, 1j), 2u Sharp-shinned Hawks, a season-high 11 adult Red-tailed Hawks (10 light morph calurus and 1 dark morph harlani), 1 dark unidentified Buteo, 20 Golden Eagles (10a, 2sa, 8j), 1 male American Kestrel, 1 male columbarius Merlin, 1 female dark grey Gyrfalcon and 1u Peregrine Falcon. Movement was slow and steady to 1815 after which 23 more migrants were seen, 15 moving between 1815 and 1900 and 8 between 1900 and 1940. Seven Golden Eagles glided high to the NNW together at 1827. A male Northern Harrier displayed at 1108 and again at 1140, and at least 4 adult Red-tailed Hawks (probably 2 pairs) were seen frequently between 1047 and 1925. Today’s non-raptor birds were a pair Canada Geese, 3 Mallards, 3 Rock Pigeons, 1 Downy Woodpecker, 1 Northern Flicker, 1 Black-billed Magpie, 21 American Crows, 32 Common Ravens, 2 Black-capped Chickadees, 2 Mountain Chickadees, 4 American Robins, 75 European Starlings, 25 Evening Grosbeaks, 25  Pine Siskins  a pair of hyemalis Dark-eyed Juncos and 3 male Red-winged Blackbirds.

14 hours (531.8) BAEA 10 (198), NOHA 2 (18), SSHA 2 (21), RTHA 11 (94), UB 1 (6), GOEA 20 (568), AMKE 1 (2), MERL 1 (9), GYRF 1 (6), PEFA 1 (5) TOTAL 50 (990)

Monday, April 15 Steeples (Vance Mattson) NO OBSERVATION.