RMERF counts, October 13
Friday, October 13 [Day 22] (Blake Weis, assisted by Lori Anderson and Caroline Lambert) 0800-1900. The temperature at 0800 was -3C, rose to a high of 1C at 1600 and was 0C at 1900. Ground winds were light 0-5 km/h to 1200 after which they were N-NW 5-10 gusting to 20 km/h, while ridge winds were light NW to 1200 and moderate NW in the afternoon. Cloud cover was 100% stratus and cumulus to 1200, 80-90% stratus, cumulus and altocumulus to 1500, 40% cumulus and altocumulus to 1700 that quickly increased to 70% at the end of observation. All ridges were obscured to 1200 after which the east cleared to 20% at 1800 while the west cleared to 70% at 1700 and 1800 but was 90% obscured at the end of observation as light to moderate snow began to fall. Light snow also fell between 1020 and 1100. Despite the conditions there was a sporadic migration of 16 raptors of 4 species between 1128 and 1749 that consisted of 2 Bald Eagles (1a, 1sa), 3u Sharp-shinned Hawks, 2 Rough-legged Hawks (1 light, 1 dark) and 9 Golden Eagles (4a, 3sa, 2j). Apart from the first bird, a Sharp-shinned Hawk that flew low above the centre of the valley, all birds flew just above the Fisher Range ridge. No Golden Eagles were seen before 1400 and 5 of the 9 birds were recorded between 1700 and 1749. A Eurasian Collared-Dove that flew from the north and perched on a tree near the site at 1030 was a new species for the Lorette area. The bird flew south but what was presumed to be the same bird returned half-an-hour later. There was a fair variety of other bird species in low numbers including 4 Golden-crowned Kinglets, 1 Ruby-crowned Kinglet, 8 American Robins, 1 Brown Creeper, 1 Lapland Longspur, 4 Dark-eyed Juncos, 1 White-winged Crossbill and 2 Pine Siskins. The highlight of the day, however, was an almost black Grey Wolf that walked slowly to the south across the Hay Meadow at 1230. The weather kept visitor numbers down to 6 today.
11 hours (248.3) BAEA 2 (53), SSHA 3 (69), RLHA 2 (16), GOEA 9 (1574) TOTAL 16 (1808)
Vicki Ridge (Peter Sherrington) NO OBSERVATION The temperature rose from -3C at 0900 to -1C at 1200 where it stayed for the rest of the day. Winds were variable and light, and cloud cover was 100% low stratus all day that produced continuous steady light snow and completely obscured all ridges.
Steeples (Vance Mattson) NO OBSERVATION The ridges were obscured all day with light rain and wet snow falling periodically.
MOUNT LORETTE SUMMARY COUNT (September 20 to November 15)
DAYS 22
HOURS 248.3
TURKEY VULTURE (TUVU) 0
OSPREY (OSPR) 1
BALD EAGLE (BAEA) 53
NORTHERN HARRIER (NOHA) 5
SHARP-SHINNED HAWK (SSHA) 69
COOPER’S HAWK (COHA) 14
NORTHERN GOSHAWK (NOGO) 16
Accipiter sp. (UA) 3
BROAD-WINGED HAWK (BWHA) 1
SWAINSON’S HAWK (SWHA) 0
RED-TAILED HAWK (RTHA) 27
FERRUGINOUS HAWK (FEHA) 1
ROUGH-LEGGED HAWK (RLHA) 16
Buteo sp. (UB) 8
GOLDEN EAGLE (GOEA) 1574
Eagle sp. (UE) 3
AMERICAN KESTREL (AMKE) 1
MERLIN (MERL) 4
GYRFALCON (GYRF) 1
PEREGRINE FALCON (PEFA) 5
PRAIRIE FALCON (PRFA) 2
Falco sp. (UF) 2
Unidentified Raptor (UU) 2
TOTAL 1808
