RMERF counts, March 13

Wednesday, March 13 Mount Lorette [Day 11] 0900-1940 (Caroline Lambert, assisted by Brian McBride). The temperature at 0900 was -8C, the high at 1500 and 1600 was 1C and it was -1C at the end of observation. Ground winds were SW 0-5 km/h all day with the exception of 1700-1730 when they were N 5-10 km/h during a brief snow shower, and ridge winds were light SW all day. Cloud cover was 100% stratocumulus to 1400 after which it was 70-90% stratus. The east ridges were variably obscured 20-100% all day only completely clearing around 1300, and the west was 80-100% obscured all day. Conditions were not conducive for migration and the only migrant seen was an adult Golden Eagle that moved north along the Fisher Range at 1741. Other birds seen were a Pileated Woodpecker, 3 Canada Jays, 1 Common Raven, 1 Mountain Chickadee, 3 Boreal Chickadees, 1 Red-breasted Nuthatch, 1 Brown Creeper, 1 American Dipper, 75 Common Redpolls and 3 White-winged Crossbills. A set of fresh Canada Lynx tracks were seen next to the tracks of a Snowshoe Hare that was obviously running at high speed! There were 9 visitors at the site today.

10.67 hours (103.3) GOEA 1 (10), TOTAL 1 (20)

Wednesday, March 13 Beaver Mines [Day 12] 1000-1945 (Peter Sherrington, assisted by Hilary Atkinson). The temperature at 0800 was -4C but steady snowfall that completely obscured the ridge meant that observation did not begin until 1000 when the ridge cleared and the temperature was -2C. Snow resumed at 1020 and only finally stopped at 1200 leaving 17 cm of fresh snow on the ground but the ridge remained clear for the rest of the day. The temperature high was 1C at 1300 and it was -3C at 1945. Winds were variable all day with a velocity of only 0-5 km/h, and cloud cover was 100% stratus to 1900 when it reduced to 80% cumulus and quickly cleared to 20% cumulus at the end of the day. The light winds produced a paltry raptor count of 3 eagles with adult Golden Eagles moving at 1250 and 1639 and an adult Bald Eagle at 1928. A resident juvenile Golden Eagle perched on a Douglas Fir near the top of the ridge between 1630 and 1715, and an adult Bald Eagle perched in a similar position between 1550 and 1750. Other birds in the area were 26 Canada Geese that flew high to the N at 1646, 8 Rock Pigeons, 4 Downy Woodpeckers, 1 Hairy Woodpecker, 1 Northern [Red-shafted] Flicker, 1 first winter Northern Shrike that caught and carried away a hyemalis Dark-eyed Junco at 1624,  1 Canada Jay, 8 Blue Jays, 6 Black-billed Magpies, 123 Common Ravens 101 of which flew high to the SW to roost between 1815 and 1847, 8 Black-capped Chickadees, 6 Mountain Chickadees, 2 European Starlings,  a flock of 200 Bohemian Waxwings that flew high to the SW at 1839, 60 Evening Grosbeaks, 30 Common Redpolls, 120 Pine Siskins, 8 Dark-eyed Juncos (5 hyamalis and 3 montanus) and 1 male Red-winged Blackbird.

9.75 hours (129.8) BAEA 1 (33), GOEA 2 (39) TOTAL 3 (80)

Wednesday, March 13 Steeples [Day 8] 1630-1800 (Vance Mattson). It was a cloudy day but started to clear in the late afternoon but when Vance arrived at the site the ridges were still partially obscured. The temperature was 5C, conditions were calm and cloud cover was 90% cumulus and stratus. No migrant nor resident raptors were seen.

1.5 hours (32.25) TOTAL 0 (24)