RMERF counts, March 11

Monday, March 11 Mount Lorette [Day 10] 0820-1900 (Blake Weis assisted by Dan Parliament). It was the warmest day so far this season with a temperature at 0820 of -1C, a high between 1500 and 1700 of 5C and it was still 3C at 1900. Ground winds were WSW-SW and occasionally SE all day, 5-15 gusting to 42 km/h, while ridge winds were strong all day, SW to 1400 after which they were NW. Cloud cover was altostratus, altocumulus and cirrus all day, initially 90% that diminished to 40 to 60% after 1300, while low cumulus draped the mountains to the west all day. The west was 10-20% obscured after 1000 but the eastern ridges were clear all day. Despite these seemingly favourable migration and observing conditions the only migrant raptor seen was an adult Golden Eagle that glided high from the northern end of the Fisher Range to Mount Lorette at 1756. Three non-migratory adult Bald Eagles were also seen: 1 flew south at 0820 at the parking area, 1 flew south above the Fisher Range at 1110 and a third flew south above the river at 1634. Other birds seen were a Pileated Woodpecker flying above Highway 40, 3 Canada Jays, 12 Common Ravens, 7 Black-capped Chickadees, 5 Mountain Chickadee, 3 Boreal Chickadees, 1 Red-breasted Nuthatch, 18 Common Redpolls and 9 White-winged Crossbills. Only two visitors made it to the site today.

9.67 hours (92.58) GOEA 1 (9) TOTAL 1 (19)

Monday, March 11 Beaver Mines [Day 10] 0745-1915 (Peter Sherrington, assisted by Hilary Atkinson). It was also the warmest day so far at Beaver Mines with a starting temperature of -2C that rose to a high of 4C from 1500 to 1800 and was still 2C at the end of observation. Winds were strong W and occasionally WSW all day 40-60 gusting 70-90 km/h and cloud cover was 100% altostratus and altocumulus to 1300 that reduced to 70-80% for the rest of the day that provided mainly sunny and excellent observing conditions. A season high total of 28 migrant raptors of 4 species were counted between 0839 and 1904 with a highest hourly count of 8 between 1500 and 1600. The count was a season high 17 Bald Eagles (16 adults and 1 late subadult), 8 adult Golden Eagles, the season’s first Gyrfalcon, an adult probable male white morph at 1708, the first Prairie Falcon at 0933 and 1 very high-flying unidentified raptor at 0940 that was either an eagle or a Buteo. Amongst the other birds seen were a number of first occurrences for the season that comprised a flock of 25 Mallards that flew low to the SW, 1 first winter Northern Shrike, 2 European Starlings, 1 male Red-winged Blackbird and 1 male Rusty Blackbird. Other birds seen were 17 Rock Pigeons, 2 Downy Woodpeckers, 8 Blue Jays, 6 Black-billed Magpies, 27 Common Ravens, 15 of which flew to the SW to roost between 1830 and 1847, 5 Black-capped Chickadees, 35 Evening Grosbeaks, 16 Common Redpolls, 35 Pine Siskins and 10 Dark-eyed Juncos (6 hyamelis and 4 montanus).

11.5 hours (111.5) BAEA 17 (31), GOEA 8 (33), GYRF 1 (1), PRFA 1 (1) UU 1 (1) TOTAL 28 (72)

Monday, March 11 Steeples (Vance Mattson). NO OBSERVATION.