RMERF counts March 31 and March summaries

Sunday, March 31 Mount Lorette [Day 29] 0710-2030 (Bill Wilson, assisted by Lori Anderson, Doug Pederson, Heinz Unger and Graham Dunlop). The starting temperature was -1C, the high was 7C at 1400 and 1500 and it was 1C at the end of observation. Ground winds were SSE-SSW 2-10 gusting 24 km/h to 1400, NNE 5-20 gusting 35 km/h to 1700 and then NNE-NNW 5-15 km/h for the rest of the day; ridge winds were probably moderate SW all day. Cloud cover was 100% stratus to 0900, 90-100% altostratus to 1200 and then 100% stratus for the rest of the day that gave light to moderate flurries between 1500 and 1700 and then light to moderate snow for the rest of the day. Ridges were mostly clear to 1300 becoming 20-30% obscured at 1400 and completely obscured after 1500. Despite the weather conditions there was a fairly strong raptor movement of 133 birds of 4 species between 0848 and 1736 that comprised 8 Bald Eagles (7a, 1j), 1 light morph Rough-legged Hawk, 121 Golden Eagles (70a, 2sa, 2j, 47u), 2 unidentified eagles and 1 large unidentified falcon. One hundred and one birds moved between 1100 and 1500 with a high hourly count of 38 between 1300 and 1400 and 2 Bald Eagles and 2 Golden Eagles moved in the falling snow between 1700 and 1736. Birds used both the western and eastern routes throughout the day with the majority (88 birds) using the west where they mainly soared over the southern flank of Mount Allan and Olympic Summit before gliding high to the NW behind the summit of Mount Allan. Resident birds were 2 adult Bald Eagles that soared at Mount Lorette and flew south at 1527, 2 records of Northern Goshawks, a resident adult light morph calurus Red-tailed Hawk that soared over the valley at 1147 and glided to the south, and 2 sightings of adult Golden Eagles including one that displayed over Mount Old Baldy at 1339. Other birds recorded were 4 Snow Geese that flew low, appropriately in the snow, above the river with Canada Geese where they landed at 1913, a further 120 Canada Geese that flew north in flocks of 50, 40 and 30, 1 Mallard, 1 female Common Merganser, 1 or 2 Ruffed Grouse, 9 (1+8) unidentified gulls that flew high to the north at 1511 and 1734 respectively, 2 Northern Flickers, 1 adult Northern Shrike, 2 Canada Jays, 17 Common Ravens, 2 Black-capped Chickadees, 1 Mountain Chickadee, 1 Red-breasted Nuthatch, 4 male Mountain Bluebirds in the meadow, 3 singing Varied Thrushes, 42 American Robins, 2 European Starlings, 160 Bohemian Waxwings in two flocks of 80 birds, 4 Red Crossbills, 1 Song Sparrow singing east of the river and 3 Dark-eyed Juncos. Twenty-five visitors were at the site today.

14.16 (320.7) BAEA 8 (122), RLHA 1 (4), GOEA 121 (1300), UE 2 (19) UF 1 (1) TOTAL 133 (1462)

March summary (With variance from the long-term 1993-2018 22-year average, that excludes the anomalously low counts in 2008-2010 and 2012 which are considered invalid). 29 days (+0.5%), 320.7 hours (+2.9%) BAEA 122 (+9.4%), SSHA 1 (-62.7%), NOGO 6 (-46.3%), RTHA 2 (-58.1%), RLHA 4 (-24.1%), GOEA 1300 (-46% and the lowest ever total for a valid March count), MERL 1 (-56%), GYRF 1 (-4.3%), PRFA 2 (+109.5%), UE 19 (+464.9%), UF 1 (+175%), UU 3 (+407.7%) TOTAL 1329 (-48% and the lowest ever combined-species total for a valid March count). Species previously recorded in March but not recorded this year were TUVU, NOHA, COHA, BWHA and PEFA; OSPR, SWHA, FEHA and AMKE have never been recorded in March.

Sunday, March 31 Beaver Mines [Day 29] 0730-2000 (Peter Sherrington, assisted by Hilary Atkinson). The temperature at 0730 was -1C the high at 1600 was 11C and it was 4C at the end of observation at 2000. Winds were variable and light to 1400 when they became mainly WSW 10-15 gusting 30 km/h to 1900, after which they were NE 10-15 km/h for the rest of the day. Cloud cover was mainly 100% stratocumulus to 1430 when it became 40-60% cumulus and cirrus to 1800 after which it was again 100% stratus and stratocumulus that produced light rain showers between 1900 and 1920. The day saw a moderate raptor movement of 70 birds (the second highest count of the season) of 6 species between 1121 and 1752. The flight was 9 Bald Eagles (6a, 3sa), 1 adult Northern Goshawk, 2 adult light morph calurus Red-tailed Hawks, 1 light morph Rough-legged Hawk, 55 Golden Eagles (31a, 4sa, 5j, 15u) and 1 male Prairie Falcon. Sixty-six birds moved between 1424 and 1752 coincident with the development of the moderate WSW winds, and the highest hourly count was 23 between 1600 and 1700. Other birds seen were 34 Canada Geese including a flock of 30 that flew high to the north at 0938, a leck of 36 Wild Turkeys including 2 displaying males, 9 Rock Pigeons, 3 Downy Woodpeckers, 5 Blue Jays, 20 American Crows, 12 Common Ravens, 4 Mountain Chickadees, 8 American Robins, 23 European Starlings, 40 Evening Grosbeaks, and 2 Pine Siskins.

12.5 hours (335.8) BAEA 9 (131), NOGO 1 (13), RTHA 2 (9), RLHA 1 (15), UB 1 (1), GOEA 55 (353), PRFA 1 (4) TOTAL 70 (541)

March summary (with variance from the 2015-2018 average in parenthesis). 29 days (+3.6%), 335.8 hours (+48.8%), BAEA 131 (-26.4%), NOHA 4 (-61.9%), SSHA 3 (-77.4%), NOGO 13 (-63.1%), RTHA 9 (-83.9%), RLHA 15 (-77.2%), GOEA 353 (-64%), MERL 2 (-73.3%), GYRF 4 (-5.9%), PEFA 1 (-33.3%), PRFA 4 (=), UB 1 (-80%), UU1 (-42.9%) TOTAL 541 (-60.6%). Species previously recorded in March but not recorded this year were TUVU, COHA, BWHA, SWHA and AMKE; OSPR has never been recorded in March.

Sunday, March 31 Steeples [Day 26] 1230-1930 (Vance Mattson). The temperature was initially 8C that rose to a high of 10C, conditions were calm throughout and cloud cover was 100% altostratus and dark cumulus that brought rain and obscured the ridges from 1430 to 1530, but was then 40% cumulus and thin altostratus that gave sunny conditions. Despite the weather interruption the day produced 35 migrant raptors of 4 species between 1253 and 1757 comprising 3a Turkey Vultures, the first migrants of the season, 14 Bald Eagles ((8a, 2sa, 4j), 1u Sharp-shinned Hawk that was the first bird seen and a first record for the season, and 17 Golden Eagles (13a, 2j, 2u). Migration was initially slow with just 4 birds seen before 1530, but 14 migrants were seen between 1533 and 1600 with many of the birds moving in light rain between the ridge and the site as the ridge was clearing. The ridges were clear by 1600 but only 1 migrant moved before 1700, but the following hour produced 16 migrants with the last Golden Eagle seen at 1757. Non-migrants were 6 Turkey Vultures, 5 adult Bald Eagles including 2 pair-flights, 1 resident Sharp-shinned Hawk and 3 Golden Eagles (2a, 1j) with one adult seen displaying. Forty Tundra Swans moved to the NE at 1317.

7 hours (130.8) TUVU 3 (3), BAEA 14 (190), SSHA 1 (1), GOEA 17 (422) TOTAL 35 (692)

March summary (with variance from the 2010-2018 average in parenthesis). 26 days (+28.6% and equals highest days), 130.8 hours (+58.4%, new high), BAEA 190 (+93.2%, new high), NOHA 1 (+200%), SSHA 1 (-50%), RTHA 4 (-21.7%), RLHA 2 (-10%), GOEA 422 (+49.9%), UE 6 (+237.6%) TOTAL 629 (+58.7%, second highest March count after 643 last year. Species previously recorded in March but not recorded this year were OSPR, NOGO, AMKE, MERL and PEFA, while COHA, BWHA, SWHA, FEHA, GYRF and PRFA have never been recorded on a spring count.