RMERF counts. March 17

Saturday, March 17 Mount Lorette 0740-1720 (Jim Davis). The starting temperature was -2C, the high 3C at 1500 and it was 1C at the end of observation. Ground winds were light NE all day and ridge winds were also light E-NE. Cloud cover was 100% stratocumulus and stratus all day but became slightly broken allowing hazy sunshine between 1200 and 1400. A further 5cm of snow fell to 1128 and the ridges were all obscured to 1400 after which the east was up to 50% clear. Despite these unpromising conditions a total of 41 migrants of 5 species were recorded between 0949 and 1535. The first bird, a juvenile Bald Eagle flew low above the river to the north, and the rest of the birds were seen between 1242 and 1535 with 17 occurring between 1300 and 1400 and 18 between 1400 and 1500. During this period eagles soared low against Mount Kidd and Mount Allan and flew low over Skogan Pass to the NW and the Bow Valley when the cloud cover appeared to be thinner. Two adult-shinned Hawks flew low together to the north just west of the Hay Meadow, 2 adult Northern Goshawks flew over Skogan Pass together and a dark morph Gyrfalcon was also seen The final count was 7 Bald Eagles (1a, 3sa, 3j), 2 adult Sharp-shinned Hawks, 2 adult Northern Goshawks, 29 Golden Eagles (14a, 1sa, 14u) and 1 dark morph Gyrfalcon. Other birds present were a Northern Pygmy-Owl that sang east of the river at 0947, 5 Grey Jays, 7 Common Ravens, 1 Mountain Chickadee and 3 European Starlings. Thirteen hardy visitors made it to the site today.

9.67 hours (159.4) BAEA 7 (49), SSHA 2 (5), NOGO 2 (5), GOEA 29 (386), GYRF 1 (4) TOTAL 41 (453)

Saturday, March 17 Beaver Mines [Day 21] 0800-1800 (Peter Sherrington). The temperature at 0800 was -6C, the high between 1300 and 1700 was 2C and it was 0C at 1800. Winds were yet again light and mainly SE-E and apart from the first half-hour when it was cloudless, cloud cover was 100% stratus and stratocumulus all day. The conditions again proved inimical to raptor movement and only 8 migrants were recorded between 1130 and 1736: 4 Bald Eagles (2a, 1sa, 1j), 1 adult rufous morph calurus Red-tailed Hawk, 2 Rough-legged Hawks (1 light, 1 dark) and only 1 adult Golden Eagle. Three American Robins were the first for the year, as was a Killdeer that flew above the valley towards the SW at 1616.

10 hours (191.6) BAEA 4 (75), RTHA 1 (2), RLHA 2 (30), GOEA 1 (138) TOTAL 8 (249)

Saturday, March 17 Steeples [Day 13] 1100-1900 (Vance Mattson). The temperature reached a high of 9C from a low of 3C at 1100 winds were light N-NE and 20-50% mainly cumulus cloud behind the ridges gave good observing conditions. A season-high count of 128 migrants was made between 1205 and 1801 that comprised 9 Bald Eagles (5a, 1sa, 3j) and a season-high 119 Golden Eagles (105a, 2sa, 12j). Migration was initially slow with only 9 birds recorded by 1400, but the next 4 hours produced counts of 17, 31, 47 (16-1700) and 24 eagles. Soaring kettles of up to 6 eagles occurred but most flight, especially between 1500 and 1700, was high fast gliding after which it was generally close to ridge level. Non-migrant or resident birds involved 9 sightings of Bald Eagles (4a, 1sa, 4j) and 6 sightings of Golden Eagles (5a, 1j). The highlight of non-raptor movement was the first occurrence of a flock of 14 California Gulls that soared very high above the ridge before moving off to the north.

8 hours (57) BAEA 9 (84), GOEA 119 (385) TOTAL 128 (469)