RMERF counts, April 2

Monday, April 2 Mount Lorette [Day 29] 0720-1930 (George Halmazna assisted by Dan Parliament). The starting temperature was -14C, rose to a high of -5.5C at 1800 and was -8C at 1930. Ground winds were NE-NW 5-15 km/h that became light late in the day, and ridge winds were probably mainly light NE. Cloud cover was 100% low stratus that produced snow to 1000 after which it thinned slightly to 90-70% cumulus with snow flurries to 1700 when upper winds switched to NW and the skies cleared to 20% cumulus. Ridges were 100% obscured to 1000 and both the east and west ridges were not completely clear until 1800. The first migrant, a juvenile Bald Eagle, was not seen until 1527 but subsequently there was a fairly strong eagle movement to 1827 comprising 3 Bald Eagles (2a, 1j) and 29 Golden Eagles (24a, 2j, 3u), with 14 of the birds seen between 1600 and 1700. All birds were located on the Fisher Range but only 5 were seen to move to Mount Lorette and some moved to the NE from the northern end of the Fisher Range. Two subadult Bald Eagles were considered to be non-migrants, and other birds present were 2 Common Goldeneyes, 1 Killdeer, 1 Northern Flicker, 1 Blue Jay, 1 Black-billed Magpie, only 3 Common Ravens and 2 Dark-eyed Juncos. Unsurprisingly, with the cold weather, there were no visitors today.

12.16 hours (325) BAEA 3 (128), GOEA 29 (1828) TOTAL 32 (2021)

Monday, April 2 Beaver Mines [Day 37] 0700-1800 (Peter Sherrington). The temperature at 0700 was -13C, the high was -6C (1400-1600) and it was -11C at 2000. Winds were light all day and mainly from the S-ESE although between 1530 and 1830 it was essentially calm. Cloud cover was 100% low stratus to 1325 when it was 60% cumulus that diminished to 10% at 1700, after which 70% altocumulus and cumulus redeveloped to 1930 which again dwindled to 10% altocumulus at the end of observation. Observing conditions after 1330 were excellent. Light snow fell to 1330 by which time there was 17 cm of fresh snow on the ground. Raptor movement was slow and sporadic with 24 birds of 5 species moving between 1324 and 1907. The count was 1 adult Bald Eagle, 1 adult Northern Goshawk, 1 light morph Rough-legged Hawk, 1 unidentified dark Buteo, 19 Golden Eagles (17a, 2sa) and the season’s first Prairie Falcon, an adult male. Fifteen birds moved before 1538, but there was no further movement until 1837 after which a further 7 Golden Eagles and the Rough-legged Hawk were seen. The three-hour shut-down coincided with windless conditions on the ridge.

13 hours (358.7) BAEA 1 (197), NOGO 1 (15), RLHA 1 (72), UB 1 (5), GOEA 19 (1124), PRFA 1 (1) TOTAL 24 (1483)

Monday, April 2 Steeples [Day 24] 1400-1600 and 1630-1800 (Vance Mattson). As the ridges were heavily obscured to 1630, Vance observed for 2 hours from his house in Wasa, but counted only non-migrants: 3 Turkey Vultures, 6 Bald Eagles (4a, 2j), 1u Northern Goshawk and 2 adult light morph calurus Red-tailed Hawks. He arrived at the site at 1630 where the temperature was 2C, it was calm and cloud cover was 30% cumulus. Again no migrant raptors were seen, but the resident pair of Golden Eagles was present.

3.5 hours (107) TOTAL 0 (643)