RMERF counts October 5

Thursday, October 5 [Day 14] (Caroline Lambert, assisted by Rick Robb) 0750-1950. The temperature at 0800 was 0C, reached a high of 15C at 1600 and 1700 and was 6C 1950. Ground winds were light SW 5-10 km/h all day, and ridge winds were probably similar although a completely cloudless sky all day made it difficult to assess them. There was a strong migration dominated by Golden Eagles with a season high 189 birds of 6 species moving between 1014 and 1928. The count comprised 5 Bald Eagles (2a, 3sa), 3u Sharp-shinned Hawks, 1 adult Cooper’s Hawk, 2 adult light morph calurus Red-tailed Hawks, 1 light morph Rough-legged Hawk, ), 1 unidentified dark Buteo and a season high 176 Golden Eagles (94a, 9sa, 46j, 27u). The intensity of the movement gradually increased throughout the day with 137 birds counted after 1500 and peak hours of 38 (17-1800) and 39 (18-1900) with 18 between 1900 and 1928. Most of the early migrants moved on the western route to 1117, and then from Mount Lorette to the Fisher Range to 1200 after which most were initially located at the northern end of the Fisher Range from where they moved slowly south hugging the ridge and often disappearing behind it. Other birds were scarce and were 2 American Dippers, 1 Black-billed Magpie, 12 Common Ravens, 1 European Starling and 2 Pine Siskins. Seven visitors were at the site today.

12 hours (164.8) BAEA 5 (40), SSHA 3 (57), COHA 1 (11), RTHA 2 (20), RLHA 1 (6), UB 1 (5), GOEA 176 (527)

Vicki Ridge [Day 15] (Peter Sherrington, assisted by Denise Cocciolone-Amatto) 0900-1815. It was a splendid day on the ridge with an initial temperature of 6C rising to a high of 15C at 1500 and 1600 and it was still 13C at 1800. Winds were steady WSW all day 10-20 occasionally gusting to 30 km/h, and an initial cloud cover of 90% altostratus dwindled to 20-30% after 1000 and it was completely cloudless after 1200. Raptor migration was strong between 1119 and 1750 with a season high total of 183 birds of 9 species moving high to the south and often forming kettles of soaring birds above the ridge involving up to 9 Golden Eagles. The final count (including 1 adult Sharp-shinned Hawk, 2 adult light morph calurus Red-tailed Hawks and 1 adult Golden Eagle seen by Raymond Toal at the south end of Kylo Ridge between 1200 and 1400) was 4 Bald Eagles (3a, 1sa), 1 juvenile male Northern Harrier, 37 Sharp-shinned Hawks (26a, 1j, 11u), 5 adult Cooper’s Hawks, 1 juvenile Northern Goshawk, 1 unidentified small Accipiter, a season high 6 light morph Broad-winged Hawks (3a, 2j, 1u), 11 adult Red-tailed Hawks (6 light and 4 dark calurus, and 1 dark harlani), 2 Rough-legged Hawks (1 light, 1 dark) and a season high 113 Golden Eagles (50a, 4sa, 49j, 10u). Peak hourly movement was 32 (15-1600), 44 (16-1700) and 39 (17-1750) after which the movement abruptly stopped. Other birds were scarce but included 1 juvenile Northern Shrike, 5 American Robins, 2 Mountain Chickadees, 1 Red-breasted Nuthatch, 3 Dark-eyed Juncos and 8 Red Crossbills. The 8 visitors to the site were treated to amazing views of dozens of soaring and gliding raptors passing overhead in perfect afternoon light. The weather forecast is calling for winds of up to 100 km/h so tomorrow I shall probably be watching from the west flank of the ridge.

9.25 hours (121.8) BAEA 4 (21), NOHA 1 (11), SSHA 38 (462), COHA 5 (66), NOGO 1 (44), UA 1 (3), BWHA 6 (30), RTHA 11 (147), RLHA 2 (9), GOEA 113 (306) TOTAL 183 (1158)

Steeples [Day 10] (Vance Mattson) The temperature reached 17C, it was calm or light W winds and cloudless skies that proved to almost raptor-less. The only migrants seen were an Osprey at 1410 and a subadult Bald Eagle and a light morph Rough-legged Hawk at 1443. The Rough-legged Hawk perched to consume prey that it had caught before continuing to the south. Non-migrants were also scarce and involved 2 Bald Eagles and adult Sharp-shinned and Red-tailed Hawks.

OSPR 1 (3), BAEA 1 (44), RLHA 1 (2) TOTAL 3 (216)

MOUNT LORETTE SUMMARY COUNT (September 20 to November 15)

DAYS 14

HOURS 164.8

TURKEY VULTURE (TUVU) 0

OSPREY (OSPR) 1

BALD EAGLE (BAEA) 40

NORTHERN HARRIER (NOHA) 3

SHARP-SHINNED HAWK (SSHA) 57

COOPER’S HAWK (COHA) 11

NORTHERN GOSHAWK (NOGO) 10

Accipiter sp. (UA) 2

BROAD-WINGED HAWK (BWHA) 1

SWAINSON’S HAWK (SWHA) 0

RED-TAILED HAWK (RTHA) 20

FERRUGINOUS HAWK (FEHA) 0

ROUGH-LEGGED HAWK (RLHA) 6

Buteo sp. (UB) 5

GOLDEN EAGLE (GOEA) 527

Eagle sp. (UE) 2

AMERICAN KESTREL (AMKE) 0

MERLIN (MERL) 2

GYRFALCON (GYRF) 0

PEREGRINE FALCON (PEFA) 3

PRAIRIE FALCON (PRFA) 2

Falco sp. (UF) 0

Unidentified Raptor (UU) 2

TOTAL 694