RMERF counts, September 26

Wednesday, September 26 Mount Lorette [Day 7] 0745-1915 (Caroline Lambert, assisted by Joel Duncan). The temperature was 1C at 0745, the high was 12C at 1600 and it was 9C at 1915. Ground winds were light W-SW all day with the exceptions of 1400 when they gusted to 15 km/h and 1600 when a gust of 20 km/h was recorded; ridge winds were probably W-SW moderate to strong all day. Cloud cover was 100% altostratus to noon after which lower cumulus cloud developed but the ridges remained clear. The gloomy conditions made finding migrants fairly easy, but determining their details was problematical. The count was 76 migrant raptors of 5 species that moved between 0855 and 0900 and comprised 1 Osprey, 1 adult Bald Eagle, 70 Golden Eagles (39a, 9sa, 11j, 11u), 1 unidentified eagle, 1u richardsonii Merlin and 2 Prairie Falcons, the two falcon species being firsts for the season. All Golden Eagle movement was on the eastern route from Mount Lorette to the Fisher Range. Only 4 Golden Eagles were recorded before 1200 but movement was steady throughout the afternoon and peaked at 21 between 1600 and 1700. There were many high-flying flocks of small songbirds that could not be identified against the grey clouds, but identified species included 4 Golden-crowned Kinglets, 5 Ruby-crowned Kinglets, 60 American Robins, 20 White-winged Crossbills, 20 Pine Siskins, 1 Oregon Junco, 2 White-crowned Sparrows, 1 White-throated Sparrow, 1 Savannah Sparrow and 1 Yellow-rumped Warbler. The 29 visitors to the site included a grade 12 class of 22 from Western Canada High School in Calgary.

11.5 hours (69.1) OSPR 1 (3), BAEA 1 (6), GOEA 70 (236), UE 1 (6), MERL 1 (1), PRFA 2 (2) TOTAL 76 (280)

Wednesday, September 26 Vicki Ridge [Day 6] 0830-1830 (Peter Sherrington, observing from the Waterton 61 wellsite). The starting temperature was 9C, the high was 15C at 1400 and again at 1600 and it was 13C at the end of observation. Wind was W all day 15-20 km/h to 0930 then 30-40 gusting to 55 km/h for the rest of the day. Cloud cover was 100% altostratus and cirrostratus all day which was thin enough to provide hazy sunshine during the early afternoon; after 1700 dark cumulus clouds also developed that probably presaged the rain that is forecast for tomorrow. It was another good day for raptor movement with 162 birds of 11 species moving between 0948 and 1805 with the highlights being the first significant movement of Rough-legged Hawks that were probably moving ahead of the forecast deteriorating weather, and the fact that the 7 Red-tailed Hawks seen included 3 subspecies: borealis (“Eastern Red-tail”), calurus (“Western Red-tail”) and harlani (“Harlan’s Hawk”). The count was 5 Bald Eagles (2a, 3j), 3 Northern Harriers (2a: 1 male and 1 female; 1 juvenile male), 83 Sharp-shinned Hawks (9a, 74u), 5 Cooper’s Hawks (3a, 2u), 3 adult Northern Goshawks (2 males, 1u), 2 light morph Broad-winged Hawks (1a, 1u), 7 Red-tailed Hawks (1 light adult borealis, 3a (1 light, 2 dark) calurus, 2 dark harlani (1a, 1j) and 1 dark bird of unknown race or age), 9 Rough-legged Hawks (8 light, 1 dark) that were seen between 1521 and 1720, 1 unidentified light Buteo, 39 Golden Eagles (16a, 13sa, 10j), 2 female American Kestrels and 3 columbarius Merlins (2 males, 1 female). Movement was steady between 1000 and 1700 with maximum hourly counts of 36 in each of the two hours after noon, but it slowed to a trickle after 1700 when only 7 more migrants were recorded. Other birds present included 1 Blue Jay, 1 Townsend’s Solitaire, 18 Mountain Bluebirds, 103 American Robins, 1 American Pipit, 4 Red Crossbills, 53 Pine Siskins and 4 Yellow-rumped Warblers.

10 hours (61) BAEA 5 (17), NOHA 3 (11), SSHA 83 (264), COHA 5 (33), NOGO 3 (13), BWHA 2 (13), RTHA 7 (51), RLHA 9 (10), UB 1 (1), GOEA 39 (181), AMKE 2 (8), MERL 3 (11) TOTAL 162 (632)

Wednesday, September 26 Steeples [Day 7] 1630-1730 (Vance Mattson). Because of teaching commitments observation today was restricted to 1 hour and no migrant or resident raptors were seen. The temperature was 17C, it was calm and cloud cover was 100% altostratus.

1 hour (26) TOTAL 0 (76)