Vicki Ridge and Steeples, October 11

Friday, October 11 Vicki Ridge [Day 19] 0830-1900 (Peter Sherrington and Hilary Atkinson assisted by Pat Lucas and Asher Warkentin, observing from the Waterton 61 wellsite on the western flank of Vicki Ridge). The temperature at 0830 was -3C, the high was 6C at 1600 and it was 2C at 1900. Winds were NW-WNW 20-30 gusting 40 km/h to 1300 and then W 30 km/h for the rest of the day that gusted to 50 km/h after 1700. It was again cloudless for most of the day with 20% cirrus cloud developing after 1830. The first migrant did not appear until 1038 and only 8 birds were seen by 1200, but then Golden Eagle movement became steady with 121 birds moving up to 1652 when the flow suddenly stopped. A single bird was seen at 1747 and there was a final late flourish of 6 birds between 1808 and 1822. The count of 145 birds of 7 species between 1038 and 1833 was 3 Bald Eagles (1a. 1sa, 1j), 4a Sharp-shinned Hawks, 1a Cooper’s Hawk, 1a Northern Goshawk, 1a light morph Broad-winged Hawk, 1 light morph Rough-legged Hawk and 134 Golden Eagles (96a, 9sa, 27j, 2u). The highest hourly counts were 34 (1400-1500) and 35 (1500-1600). Other birds seen were 1 Blue Jay, 2 Clark’s Nutcrackers, 13 Common Ravens, 26 American Robins, 20 Grey-crowned Rosy-Finches and 2 cismontanusDark-eyed Juncos. At 1720 a Long-tailed Weasel, still in complete summer pelage, actively hunted subnivean small mammals in deep snow just north of the site.

10.5 hours (175.8) BAEA 3 (88), SSHA 4 (367), COHA 1 (59), NOGO 1 (17), BWHA 1 (7), RLHA 1 (42), GOEA 134 (1067) TOTAL 145 (1825)

Friday, October 11 Steeples [Day 11] 1200-1800 (Vance Mattson). Both the weather and count were similar to yesterday with 39 raptors of 7 species moving between 1339 and 1629. The temperature reached 3C from a low of -1C at 1200, conditions were again calm and cloud cover was 30% cumulus mainly concentrated above the ridges that reduced to cloudless skies by 1530. The count was 20 Bald eagles (7a, 2sa, 9j, 2u) that included a kettle of 8 (3a, 5j) at 1422, 2j Northern Harriers, 2a Sharp-shinned Hawks, 2a calurus Red-tailed Hawks (1 light morph and 1 dark morph), 10 Golden Eagles (9a, 1j), 1u American Kestrel and 2 Peregrine Falcons (1j 1u) that were the first of the season. Only 4 birds were seen before 1400 but the following two hours saw 22 and 10 migrants respectively, and 3a Golden Eagles at 1620 were the last migrants of the day. As yesterday flight was again mainly slow and low with some birds soaring for extended periods. A non-migrant adult Bald Eagle glided north at 1510.

6 hours (48.75) BAEA 20 (67), NOHA 2 (4), SSHA 2 (24), RTHA 2 (25), GOEA 10 (77), AMKE 1 (5), PEFA 2 (2) TOTAL 39 (217)