RMERF counts, November 11

Saturday, November 11 [Day 47] (Jim Davis, assisted by Ruth Morrow) 0800-1630. Observation was from the Wasootch Creek site to1345 and then at the Hay Meadow for the rest of the day. The temperature at 0800 was -7C which rose to a high of 1C from 1400 to the end of observation, and ground winds were SW 15-20 km/h to 1400 after which it was calm; ridge winds were moderate W all day. Cloud cover was initially 20% cumulus that gradually spread from the west throughout the day and reached 80% at 1630. The western mountains were 30% obscured at the start and were 90% obscured at the finish but the east was clear all day. Considering the apparently good migration conditions there was a disappointing count of only 5 raptors of 3 species between 0920 and 1457 that comprised 1 adult Bald Eagle, 2 Northern Goshawks (1a, 1j), 1 dark morph Rough-legged Hawk and 1 unidentified eagle, all of which moved close to the Fisher Range ridge. A non-migrant adult Bald Eagle also flew low to the north above the river. Other birds were also scarce and were 2 Grey Jays, 8 Common Ravens, 1 Pine Grosbeak and a feeding flock of 16 Common Redpolls, but scarcest of all were visitors that numbered zero today.

8.5 hours (496.3) BAEA 1 (178), NOGO 2 (30), RLHA 1 (29), UE 1 (8) TOTAL 5 (3651)

Vicki Ridge [Day 48] (Peter Sherrington) 0815-1715 (Observation from the Waterton 61 wellsite on the western flank of the ridge). The temperature was -2C at 0815, briefly reached a high of 1.5C at 1200 and was again -2C at 1715. Winds were W and occasionally WSW 30-40 gusting to 55 km/h for most of the day, but suddenly became light after 1630. It was cloudless to 0930, 10-30% cumulus to 1300, 60-70% cumulus and cirrus to 1500 and 100% altostratus, cirrostratus and cumulus for the rest of the day. After yesterday’s count raptor movement seemed to be slow today, but there was actually a reasonable count of 45 birds of 4 species between 0943 and 1636 comprising 22 Bald Eagles (15a, 4sa, 2j, 1u), 1 adult Northern Goshawk, 2 light morph Rough-legged Hawks and 20 Golden Eagles (18a, 1sa, 1j). Maximum movement was 14 birds (6 Bald Eagles, 1 Rough-legged Hawk and 7 Golden Eagles) between 1500 and 1600, and the other hours from 1100 to 1700 had counts of 4 to 7 birds. Other birds seen included 55 Bohemian Waxwings, 70 Grey-crowned Rosy-Finches, 5 Pine Grosbeaks, 4 Red-Crossbills and 13 Common Redpolls.

9 hours (385.9) BAEA 22 (274), NOGO 1 (104), RLHA 2 (502), GOEA 20 (1946) TOTAL 45 (4085)

Steeples [Day 39] (Vance Mattson) 1400-1630. The entire valley was socked-in until 1330 when minor clearing began so Vance drove to the Bull Mountain Site to see if the Steeples were perhaps clearer than the Wasa area, but conditions were the same.           In the end, the low cloud that covered the mountains did not lift and the sky remained 100% altostratus, cumulus and stratus, which threatened rain throughout the afternoon but only produced light drizzle from time to time.   The temperature was 2C and calm, and predictably no migrants or non-migrants were seen.

2.5 hours (177.8) TOTAL 0 (620)

MOUNT LORETTE SUMMARY COUNT (September 20 to November 15)

DAYS 47

HOURS 496.3

TURKEY VULTURE (TUVU) 0

OSPREY (OSPR) 2

BALD EAGLE (BAEA) 178

NORTHERN HARRIER (NOHA) 6

SHARP-SHINNED HAWK (SSHA) 82

COOPER’S HAWK (COHA) 18

NORTHERN GOSHAWK (NOGO) 30

Accipiter sp. (UA) 3

BROAD-WINGED HAWK (BWHA) 1

SWAINSON’S HAWK (SWHA) 0

RED-TAILED HAWK (RTHA) 29

FERRUGINOUS HAWK (FEHA) 1

ROUGH-LEGGED HAWK (RLHA) 29

Buteo sp. (UB) 10

GOLDEN EAGLE (GOEA) 3224

Eagle sp. (UE) 8

AMERICAN KESTREL (AMKE) 3

MERLIN (MERL) 5

GYRFALCON (GYRF) 4

PEREGRINE FALCON (PEFA) 7

PRAIRIE FALCON (PRFA) 6

Falco sp. (UF) 3

Unidentified Raptor (UU) 2

TOTAL 3651