Beaver Mines and Steeples, March 1

Sunday, March 01 Beaver Mines [Day 8] 0730-1830 (Peter Sherrington and Hilary Atkinson, assisted by Gord Petersen). There was an overnight snowfall of 5 cm that ceased around 0600 and by 0730 the ridge was completely clear. The temperature at 0730 was -5C, the high at 1300 and 1500 was 2C and it was 0C at 1830. It was calm to light ENE winds to 1000 when SW winds of 20-30 gusting 50 km/h started that persisted to 1530 after which they were 40-50 gusting 70-80 km/h that resulted in extensive blowing snow in the valley. Cloud cover was initially 90% cumulus that dwindled to 10% at 1400; it was 100% cirrostratus at 1500, 10% cirrus at 1600 but after 1630 it was 90-100% altostratus. Observing conditions were generally good and a total of 22 migrant raptors comprising 8 Bald Eagles (6a, 1sa, 1j), 2 light morph Rough-legged Hawks and 12 adult Golden Eagles were seen between 1148 and 1747. The maximum hourly counts were 6 between 1400 and 1500, and 1500 and 1600. Other birds seen were 12 Canada Geese flying to the NE at 1223, Mallard 12 (6 pairs), again on the floodplain pool adjacent to the creek before they flew low to the SW at 1415, 3 Rock Pigeons, 1 Eurasian Collared Dove, 2 Downy Woodpeckers, 1 Hairy Woodpecker, 2 Steller’s Jays, 2 Blue Jays, 28 Common Ravens, 6 Black-capped Chickadees, 20 Mountain Chickadees, 2 Evening Grosbeaks, 35 Pine Grosbeaks and 1 male hyemalis Dark-eyed Junco.

11 hours (77.25) BAEA 8 (55), RLHA 2 (23), GOEA 12 (64) TOTAL 22 (146)

Sunday, March 01 Steeples [Day 1] 1200-1700 (Vance Mattson, assisted by Virginia Rasch, Daryl Calder and Marianne Kahm). The temperature at 1200 was 4C under sunny skies with 30% cumulus cloud cover, which increased to 100% grey altostratus with a temperature of 6C by 1600. Winds were S moderate to light throughout. Four migrants, 2 adult Bald Eagles and 2 adult Golden Eagles were seen between 1502 and 1549. Resident raptors were 4 Bald Eagles (3a, 1j), the resident pair of Golden Eagles, and an adult calurus Red-tailed Hawk seen at 1630,

5 hours BAEA 2, GOEA 2 TOTAL 4