RMERF counts. April 22 and April and count summaries

Monday, April 22 Mount Lorette [Day 51] 0700-1845 (Blake Weis, assisted by Eric Langshaw). The starting temperature was 3C, the high was 15C from 1600 to 1800 and it was 12C at the end of the count. Ground winds were SSW to 1500 0-5 gusting up to 35 km/h, and SE-SW 5-10 gusting to 48 km/h for the rest of the day; ridge winds were SW all day, moderate to strong to 1300 after which they were strong to very strong. Cloud cover was 20-30% cirrus to 0900 and then 50-100% variable mixtures of cirrus, cirrostratus, altocumulus, cirrocumulus, cumulus and lenticular cloud with stratocumulus developing from the west after 1800, that 30% obscured the western mountains and brought rain that ended the count at 1845. Otherwise, the ridges were clear all day. The last day of the count saw a migration of 8 raptors of 5 species between 1134 and 1815 that comprised 1 Osprey, that was the only bird seen on the western route, 2u Sharp-shinned Hawks, 1u Cooper’s Hawk, 1 adult light morph calurus Red-tailed Hawk, 2u Golden Eagles and one medium-sized unidentified distant raptor. Apart from the Osprey all birds moved above the Fisher Range ridge or above the eastern side of the valley at variable heights, and 4 of the birds were seen between 1300 and 1400. A resident adult Northern Goshawk displayed above Olympic Summit at 0920, an adult Red-tailed Hawk was seen hunting on three occasions over Hummingbird Plume Hill and a resident adult Golden Eagle hunted on the SW flank of Mount Lorette at 1235. Other birds recorded in the area were 3 Canada Geese, 1 pair of Mallards, 1 male Common Merganser, 4 drumming Ruffed Grouse, 1 Wilson’s Snipe, 1 male Belted Kingfisher (the first of the season), 1 pair of Downy Woodpeckers, 1 pair of Northern Flickers, 6 Common Ravens, 6 Black-capped Chickadees, 9 Mountain Chickadees, 2 Boreal Chickadees, 3 Red-breasted Nuthatches, a pair of American Dippers at Troll Falls, 5 Golden-crowned Kinglets, 4 Ruby-crowned Kinglets, 1 pair of Mountain Bluebirds, 18 American Robins, 26 European Starlings, 1 American Pipit, 3 Pine Siskins, 1 singing Fox Sparrow, 2 Savannah Sparrows that were the first of the season, 2 Song Sparrows, 2 female Red-winged Blackbirds and 2 male Yellow-rumped Warblers (1 “Audubon’s” and 1 of undetermined race) that were also new for the season. Seven White-tailed Deer fed in the meadow in the morning, and the last day of the count saw 43 visitors at the site.

11.75 hours (592.9) OSPR 1 (3), SSHA 2 (11), COHA 1 (2), RTHA 1 (17), GOEA 2 (2134), UU 1 (5) TOTAL 8 (2460)

Mount Lorette April 1-22 summary (With variance from the long-term 1993-2018 22-year average, that excludes the anomalously low counts in 2008-2010 and 2012 which are considered invalid). 22 days (+4.1%), 272.3 hours (+11.7%), TUVU 1 (+633.1%), OSPR 3 (+61%), BAEA 87 (+22.5%), NOHA 5 (+27.9%), SSHA 10 (-54%), COHA 2 (-66.4%), NOGO 12 (-4.8%), UA 1 (+37.1%), BWHA 0, SWHA 0, RTHA 15 (-41.7%), FEHA 0, RLHA 11 (-21.7%), UB 3 (+127.6%), GOEA 834 (+66.9%) which is the highest April count since 2002, UE 7 (+366.7%), AMKE 0, MERL 5 (+12.2%), GYRF 0, PEFA 0, PRFA 0, UF 0, UU 2 (+51.7%) TOTAL 998 (+48.9%) of 11 species, which is the highest April count since 2002.

 Mount Lorette spring 2019 summary March 1-April 22 (With variance from the long-term 1993-2018 22-year average, that excludes the anomalously low counts in 2008-2010 and 2012 which are considered invalid). 51 days (+2,5%), 592.9 hours (+6.8%), TUVU 1 (+340%), OSPR 3 (+61%), BAEA 209 (+14.5%), NOHA 5 (+7.8%), SSHA 1 (-54.9%), COHA 2 (-69.9%), NOGO 18 (-20.5%), UA 1 (-51.1%), BWHA 0, SWHA 0, RTHA 17 (-44.3%), FEHA 0, RLHA 15 (-22.5%), UB 3 (+43.5%), GOEA 2134 (-26.6% and the second lowest spring count ever), UE 26 (+434.6%), AMKE 0, MERL 6 (-10.8%), GYRF 1 (-35.3%), PEFA 0, PRFA 2 (-4.3%), UF 1 (+15.8%), UU 5 (+16191%) TOTAL 2460 (-23.7%) of 13 species.

Monday, April 22 Beaver Mines [Day 51] 0600-2100 (Peter Sherrington assisted by Hilary Atkinson). The temperature at 0600 was 7C, dropped to the day’s low of 6C at 1700 before rising to a high of 16 C at 1300 and 1400 and again at 1600, and it was still 11C at 2100. Winds were W-WSW 15-25 gusting 40 km/h to 0900 after which they were strong W-WSW all day, 40-60 gusting to 85 km/h. Cloud cover was 100% cirrostratus and cirrocumulus to 1200, reduced to 80% cirrocumulus, cirrus and cirrostratus at 1300 and was mainly 100% stratus, lenticular, altocumulus and cumulus form the rest of the day, giving excellent viewing conditions throughout. There was a surprisingly strong and varied raptor migration for the last day of the count with 79 birds of a site record 16 species moving between 0757 and 2034. The flight comprised a site-record 4 Turkey Vultures (2a, 2u), 1 Osprey, 5 Bald Eagles (3a, 2j), 6 Northern Harriers (3 males: 2a, 1j, 2 females: 1a, 1j, and 1u), 10 Sharp-shinned Hawks (1a, 9u), 2 Cooper’s Hawks (1a, 1u), 4 Northern Goshawks (2a, 2u), 3 light morph Broad-winged Hawks (1a, 2u), 1 juvenile light morph Swainson’s Hawk, 4 light morph calurus Red-tailed Hawks (2a, 2u), 1 dark morph Rough-legged Hawk, 32 Golden Eagles (6a, 7sa, 15j, 4u), 2 American Kestrels (1 male, 1u), 1u columbarius Merlin, 1 adult female Peregrine Falcon and 2 Prairie Falcons (1 male, and 1 female that was the last bird of the spring 2019 count at 2034). Birds moved steadily all day and the highest hourly counts were 10 (1000-1100, 1400-1500 and 1800-1900). Resident birds were a pair of Northern Harriers, 3 pairs of Red-tailed Hawks and 1 adult Golden Eagle. Other birds seen were 2 pairs of Canada Geese, 1 pair of Wood Ducks, 11 Mallards, 1 pair of Green-winged Teal, 2 Common Mergansers, 10 Rock Pigeons, the first Common Loon of the year that flew high to the SW at 1812, 1 male Northern Flicker, 1 Blue Jay, 1 Black-billed Magpie, 1 American Crow, 23 Common Ravens, 6 Tree Swallows, 1 Black-capped Chickadee, 1 Townsend’s Solitaire, 4 American Robins, 6 European Starlings, 11 Evening Grosbeaks, 8 Pine Siskins and 4 male Red-winged Blackbirds. It was an excellent end to what has otherwise generally been a poor and frustrating count.

15 hours (631.3) TUVU 4 (6), OSPR 1 (2), BAEA 5 (225), NOHA 6 (35), SSHA 10 (47), COHA 2 (7), NOGO 4 (33), BWHA 3 (5), SWHA 1 (3), RTHA 4 (120), RLHA 1 (30), GOEA 32 (642), AMKE 2 (8), MERL 1 (16), PEFA 1 (6), PRFA 2 (10) TOTAL 79 (1216)

Beaver Mines April 1-22 summary (With percentage variance from the 4-year average 2015-2018). 22 days (+7.3%), 295.5 hours (+57.5%), TUVU  (+1100%), OSPR 2 (-42.9%), BAEA 94 (-4.1%), NOHA 31 (-23.5%), SSHA 44 (-20.7%), COHA 7 (-40.4%), NOGO 20 (+9.6%), UA 0, BWHA 5 (+42.9%), SWHA 3 (+20%), RTHA 111 (-26.9%), FEHA 5 (+81.8%), RLHA 15 (+41.2%), UB 6 (-35.1%), GOEA 289 (+48.4%), UE 2 (+300%), AMKE 8 (+3.2%), MERL 14 (+80.6%), GYRF 2 (+33.3%), PEFA 5 (-28.6%), PRFA 6 (+140%), UF 0, UU 0 TOTAL 675 (+3.3%) of 18 species.

Beaver Mines spring 2018 summary February 25-April 22 (With percentage variance from the 4-year average 2015-2018). 51 days (+1%), 631.3 hours (+48.4%), TUVU 6 (+360%), OSPR 2 (-42.9%), BAEA 225 (-19.6%), NOHA 35 (-31.4%), SSHA 47 (-31.6%), COHA 7 (-47.2%), NOGO 33 (-38.3%), UA 0, BWHA 5 (-47.4%), SWHA 3 (+9.1%), RTHA 120 (-42.2%), FEHA 5 (-9.1%), RLHA 30 (-67.4%), UB 7 (-52.5%), GOEA 642 (-67.4%), UE 2 (-20%), AMKE 8 (-23.8%), MERL 15 (+4.9%), GYRF 6 (=), PEFA 6 (-29.4%), PRFA 10 (+53.8%), UF 0, UU 1 (-69.2%) TOTAL 1216 (-40.4%) of 18 species.

Monday, April 22 Steeples [Day 42] 1200-1800 (Vance Mattson). The temperature was 14C, winds were moderate S and cloud cover was 100% altostratus and dark cumulus. A very slow April ended in the same manner with just two migrants seen: 1 juvenile Golden Eagle at 1510 and 1 subadult Bald Eagle at 1722. Non-migrants were 14 Turkey Vultures, 1 juvenile Bald Eagle, 4 Red-tailed Hawks and 2 sightings of adult Golden Eagles that included one hunting stoop from high altitude.

6 hours (206) BAEA 1 (219), GOEA 1 (455) TOTAL 2 (699)

Steeples April summary (With percentage variance from the 9-year average 2010-2018). 16 days (+38.5%), 75.25 hours (+67.2%), TUVU 0, OSPR 0, BAEA 29 (+2%), NOHA 0, SSHA 1 (-76.3%), COHA 0, NOGO 0, UA 0, BWHA 0, SWHA 0, RTHA 4 (-52.6%), FEHA 0, RLHA 1 (-36.7%), UB 0, GOEA 33 (-8.3%), UE 1, AMKE 1 (-10%), MERL 0, GYRF 0, PEFA 0, PRFA 0, UF 0, UU 0 TOTAL 70 (-24.5%) of 18 species. 

Steeples spring 2018 summary (With percentage variance from the 9-year average 2010-2018). 42 days (+28.6%), 206 hours (+56.4%), TUVU 3 (-67.5%), OSPR 0, BAEA 219 (+61.7%), NOHA 1 (+50%), SSHA 2 (-66%), COHA 0, NOGO 0, UA 0, BWHA 0, SWHA 0, RTHA 8 (-32.1%), FEHA 0, RLHA 3 (-15.6%), UB 0, GOEA 455 (+31.7%), UE 7 (+200%), AMKE 1 (-18.2%), MERL 0, GYRF 0, PEFA 0, PRFA 0, UF 0, UU 0 TOTAL 699 (+34.3%) of 8 species.