RMERF counts, March 11

Sunday, March 11 Mount Lorette [Day 10] 0720-1950 (Bill Wilson, assisted by Caroline Lambert). The starting temperature was -10C, the high was 8C at 1600-1800 and it was 0C at the end of observation. Ground winds were SW-SE 2-6 km/h to 1200 and were SW all afternoon: 3-6 gusting 10 km/h to 1500 and then 3-15 gusting 25 km/h before dropping to 2-5 km/h for the last hour. Ridge winds were probably SW-SSW light to moderate all day. It was cloudless to 1500 when very thin altostratus and cirrus cloud developed that reached 100% at 1700 and 1800. There was another fairly strong raptor movement with 52 birds of 4 species seen between 0955 and 1845 comprising 8 Bald Eagles (7a, 1sa), 1u Sharp-shinned Hawk, 42 Golden Eagles (32a, 2sa, 1j, 5u) and 1 dark morph Gyrfalcon that was possibly the same bird that was seen yesterday. Much of the early movement (14 birds) was on the western route, and before 1600 most eagles on the eastern route were initially located soaring over Mount Lorette or Mount McGillivray; after 1600 they were observed moving along the Fisher Range and crossing the valley to Mount Lorette. Twenty-nine of the birds moved after 1600 with a highest hourly count of 13 between 1700 and 1800. The resident pair of Golden Eagles was mainly seen in the vicinity of Olympic Summit, but no display behaviour has yet been reported. Other birds seen were 1 Hairy Woodpecker, 4 Grey Jays, 46 Common Ravens, including an evening roosting flock of 36 birds that soared above Mount Lorette before flying to Mount Allen, 1 Black-capped Chickadee, 1 American Dipper and 1 Common Redpoll. The site had 41 visitors today.

12.5 hours (101.8) BAEA 8 (27), SSHA 1 (3), GOEA 42 (133), GYRF 1 (3) TOTAL 52 (172)

Sunday, March 11 Beaver Mines [Day 15] 0830-1915 (Peter Sherrington). The temperature reached a high of 8.5C at 1200 from a starting low of -3C and was 2C at the end of observation. Winds were mainly light ESE-SE and cloud cover was 0% to 1300 when 20% altostratus moved slowly from the SW that became 80-90% altostratus, altocumulus and cirrus at 1400 for the rest of the day but still allowed hazy sunshine. The spring-like conditions were delightful but only yielded 4 Bald Eagles (3a, 1j) between 1308 and 1611. A non-migrant light morph Rough-legged Hawk was seen on two occasions and an adult resident Golden Eagle was also seen once. The Mount Lorette count today again strongly suggests that migrants by-passed Beaver Mines on ridges farther to the west which again were perfectly clear.

11.75 (135.8) BAEA 4 (60) TOTAL 4 (158)

Sunday, March 11 Steeples [Day 8] 1245-1900 (Vance Mattson, assisted by Virginia Rasch). It was a sunny day with the temperature reaching 10C, conditions were calm and cloud cover was 40-60% thin altostratus and cirrus. As yesterday a total of 68 migrants were tallied comprising 24 Bald Eagles (12a, 12j) and 44 Golden Eagles (41a, 3j). The birds moved between 1320 and 1826 with 19 migrants between 1500 and 1600 and 22 between 1600 and 1700. Compared to yesterday’s count there was far more soaring with kettles of 7 birds and 5 birds each being seen on two occasions. Resident birds were 1 adult Bald Eagle, 1 adult calurus light morph Red-tailed Hawk and 3 Golden Eagles (2a, 1j).

6.25 hours (34.25) BAEA 24 (50), GOEA 44 (115) TOTAL 68 (165)