RMERF counts, April 8

Sunday, April 8 Mount Lorette [Day 35] 0900-2030 (Jim Davis, assisted by Rosemary). The temperature at 0900 was -11C and the high was -2C from 1700-2030. Ground winds were light or calm except for 1300 and 1400 when they were E 7-13 km/h. Ridge winds were calm to 1100, mainly moderate E to 1700, after which they were moderate SW for the rest of the day. Cloud cover was 100% stratus to 1100 and 100-70% stratus to 1700 when it was altostratus and cumulus for the rest of the day. The east ridges were clear to 1200, became 20% obscured at 1300 and 100% at 1400 so the observers moved to Lusk Creek. After 1500 the east was again clear and the observers watched from Wasootch Creek for the rest of the day. The west was variably obscured 40-90% to 1600 after which it was 20% for the rest of the day. No snow fell at the observing sites but there was extensive snow to the south in the valley at 1400. The first migrant seen was a juvenile Bald Eagle at 1159 which was the only raptor seen at the Hay Meadow site. No migrants were seen at Lusk Creek but between 1511 and 2018 there was a strong movement of 65 birds that mainly glided fast from the northern end of the Fisher Range to Mount Lorette. The final count of 66 birds was 6 Bald Eagles (3a, 3j), 1u Sharp-shinned Hawk, 1 adult dark morph calurus Red-tailed Hawk and 61 Golden Eagles (46a, 2j, 10u). The season’s first Great Blue Heron was flushed from the river at 1117 from where it flew low to the north, and other birds seen at the Hay Meadow site were 1 Killdeer, 1 American Crow, 4 Common Ravens, 1 Mountain Chickadee, 11 American Robins and the season’s first Pine Siskin. Sixteen visitors came to the Hay Meadow site up to 1400.

11.5 hours (395.2) BAEA 7 (147). SSHA 1 (8), RTHA 1 (12), GOEA 61 (2013) TOTAL 70 (2237)

Sunday, April 8 Beaver Mines [Day 42] 0700-1830 (Peter Sherrington).The snowfall ceased early in the morning leaving 8 cm of fresh snow on the ground. The temperature at was -11C at 0700, the high at 1500 was 0C and it was -4C at 1830. The forecast moderate W winds failed to materialise and winds were light (5-10 km/h) all day, W to 1600 and then ESE. Cloud cover was 100% altostratus and cumulus to 1100, then variable 30-70% thin altostratus, cirrus and altocumulus to 1700, and 80-90% altostratus to 1830. Observing conditions were good all day. The first migrant, a Golden Eagle, was not seen until 1116 and the light winds only produced a total of 20 migrants of 5 species up to 1740: 4 adult Bald Eagles, 4 adult light morph calurus Red-tailed Hawks, 1 juvenile dark morph Ferruginous Hawk, 2 Rough-legged Hawks (1 light, 1 dark) and 9 Golden Eagles (7a, 2j). Fourteen of the birds were seen between 1416 and 1557.

11.5 hours (416.5) BAEA 4 (212), RTHA 4 (56), FEHA 1 (5), RLHA 2 (89), GOEA 9 (1254) TOTAL 20 (1677)

Sunday, April 8 Steeples [Day 28] 1330-1915 (Vance Mattson). As the ridges were obscured Vance observed from his house in Wasa from 1330 where he saw 57 migrants of 7 species between 1405 and 1605. Most of the movement was over the Kootenay River to the west although several birds passed directly over the house and others moved over Wasa Lake to the east. The count was 3 Turkey Vultures (2a, 1u), 21 Bald Eagles (11a, 5sa, 5j), 1u Northern Goshawk, 12 adult Red-tailed Hawks (10 calurus: 8 light and 2 dark, and 2 dark harlani), 3 Rough-legged Hawks (2 light, 1 dark), 16 Golden Eagles (11a, 1sa, 2j, 2u) and 2 American Kestrels (1 adult female and 1u). Thirty-two migrants moved before 1500, 19 between 1500 and 1600 and 7 after 1600. At Wasa the temperature was 7C, winds were N light to moderate and cloud cover in the valley was 90% stratus and cumulus that thickened by 1530 and brought rain at 1605. Oddly, at this time the mountain ridges to the east began to clear so Vance went to the regular Bill Nye site between 1630 and 1845. There rain and thunderstorms began at 1655 that lasted to 1715, which then dispersed leaving sunny conditions with 50% cumulus and a temperature of 10C. Only one migrant, an adult Bald Eagle was seen there, however, and Vance returned home and observed from 1900-1915 but saw no further migrants. Non-migrants at Wasa were 2 Turkey Vultures, 4 Bald Eagles (2a, 2j) and 2 adult Red-tailed Hawks, and at Bill Nye there were 3 adult Bald Eagles.

5.25 (123.3) TUVU 3 (3), BAEA 21 (140), NOGO 1 (2), RTHA 12 (13), RLHA 3 (3), GOEA 16 (560), AMKE 2 (2) TOTAL 58 (723)