RMERF counts, October 28

Sunday, October 28 Mount Lorette [Day 35] 0725-1830 (Bill Wilson, assisted by Cliff Hansen). The temperature at 0725 was 2C, the high at 1600 was 9C and it was 6C at 1830. Ground winds were SW 2-10 gusting 25 km/h and ridge winds were SW all day, moderate to 1100 and then strong. Cloud cover was 100% stratus to 1100 then 40-90% cumulus for the rest of the day with the exception of 1600 when it briefly thinned to 10%. Moderate rain and sleet fell between 0930 and 1030 that completely obscured the Fisher Range that was otherwise 10-30% obscured to 1100. The west was 70-100% obscured to 1100 and was then variably 10-90% obscured for the rest of the day. The first migrant was not seen until 1242, but the final count was 52 raptors of 4 species with the last 2 Golden Eagles moving at the relatively early time of 1608. The count was 8 Bald Eagles (6a, 1sa, 1j), 1 juvenile Sharp-shinned Hawk, 2 Rough-legged Hawks (1 light, 1u) and 43 Golden Eagles (34a, 5j, 4u). All the birds used the eastern route with most eagles gliding high above the Fisher Range, and the maximum hourly count was 17, including 15 Golden Eagles, between 1500 and 1600. Other birds were 1 Mallard flying to the south high above the Fisher Range, 2 female Common Mergansers, 1 Northern Shrike, 4 Canada Jays, 5 Rusty Blackbirds, 85 White-winged Crossbills and 2 Pine Siskins. There were 23 visitors at the site today.

10.92 hours (368.1) BAEA 8 (153), SSHA 1 (65), RLHA 2 (32), GOEA 43 (2446) TOTAL 54 (2830)

Sunday, October 28 Vicki Ridge [Day 32] 0845-1805 (Peter Sherrington, observing from the Waterton 61 wellsite and Gord Petersen observing from the Waterton 68 wellsite, 1545-1745). The temperature at the start was 2C, the high was 9C at 1600 and it was 6C at the end. Winds were W-WSW all day, light to 1100 and strong thereafter gusting 60-70 km/h in the middle of the afternoon and were still 40-50 km/h for the last two hours. Cloud cover was 100% stratus and cumulus to 1300 that produced steady moderate and sometimes heavy rain to 1110, although the ridges remained clear. The cloud cover began to break at 1300 and was 90-80% altostratus, cumulus and cirrus to 1430 when it thinned to 20-40% cumulus, altostratus and cirrus until 1800 when it increased to 70%. Once the rain ceased a total of 52 migrant raptors of 6 species were seen between 1128 and 1745 comprising 16 Bald Eagles (11a, 4sa, 1j), 1u Sharp-shinned Hawk, 4 adult Northern Goshawks (3 male, 1 female), 13 Rough-legged Hawks (9 light, 3 dark, 1u), 17 Golden Eagles (11a, 3sa, 2j, 1u) and 1u male Prairie Falcon. The total includes 16 migrants seen by Gord Petersen between 1545 and 1745 at the western edge of Kyllo Ridge near the Waterton 68 wellsite that comprised 7 Bald Eagles (6a, 1sa), 1u Sharp-shinned Hawk, 2 Rough-legged Hawks (1 light, 1 dark) and 6 Golden Eagles (3a, 2sa, 1j). Twenty-five of the birds moved between 1606 and 1745. Between 1021 and 1042 a non-migrant Rough-legged Hawk hunted by hovering and planing above Vicki Ridge in steady moderate rain but only made one (unsuccessful) vertical stoop. At 1042 a raven soared low beneath it and the hawk immediately flew to the east of the ridge and out of sight. Migrant finches were 430 Grey-crowned Rosy-finches in 4 flocks and 80 Pine Siskins in 2 flocks.

9.33 hours (288.1) BAEA 16 (242), SSHA 1 (620), NOGO 4 (81), RLHA 13 (337), GOEA 17 (2396), PRFA 1 (5) TOTAL 52 (4067)

Sunday, October 28 Steeples [Day 33] 1330-1730 (Vance Mattson). The mountain ridges were heavily obscured although the valley began to clear at 1300. Vance observed from the balcony of his house in Wasa where the temperature reached 11C, conditions were calm and cloud cover was 60% stratus and cumulus that brought rain showers between 1420 and 1500. The only migrant seen was a juvenile Bald Eagle at 1403.

4 hours (151) BAEA 1 (91) TOTAL 1 (425)