Vicki Ridge and Steeples September 27-30
Friday, September 27 Vicki Ridge [Day 8] 0845-0945 (Peter Sherrington and Hilary Atkinson observing from the Waterton 61 wellsite on the western flank of Vicki Ridge). The temperature was 1C, it was calm and cloud cover was 100% stratus that completely obscured Kyllo Ridge but the southern end of Vicki Ridge was visible until 0945 when it also became obscured. At 0928 a female columbarius Merlin flew from the east and perched on a snag north of the site until 0937 when it flew strongly to the south. The only other birds seen were 86 American Robins and 2 Dark-eyed [Oregon] Juncos.
I hour (76.08) MERL 1 (6) TOTAL 1 (563)
Friday, September 27 Steeples (Vance Mattson). No observation.
Saturday, September 28 Vicki Ridge. No observation: heavy snow all day.
Saturday, September 28 Steeples (Vance Mattson). No observation.
Sunday, September 29 Vicki Ridge. No observation: heavy snow all day.
Sunday, September 29 Steeples [Day 3] 1500-1700 (Vance Mattson). The temperature was 7C, winds were moderate N and cloud cover was 100% uniform grey-white stratus but there was no snow. The ridges cleared at 1400 but the mountains to the north remained largely obscured and no migrant or resident raptors were seen.
2 hours (11) TOTAL 0 (44)
Monday, September 30 Vicki Ridge [Day 9] 1600-1830 (Peter Sherrington and Hilary Atkinson observing from the Waterton 61 wellsite on the western flank of Vicki Ridge). The snow finally ceased at around 1100 and we arrived at the site shortly after the access road was ploughed. The temperature was -3C at 1600 and fell to -4C at 1700 and 1800, winds were calm or light ESE, cloud cover was 100% stratocumulus but all ridges were clear. There was about 1 metre of fresh snow at the site. No migrant or resident raptors were seen and other birds recorded were 1 Canada Jay, 4 Common Ravens, 5 Mountain Bluebirds, 400 American Robins, 1 White-crowned Sparrow and 7 Dark-eyed [Oregon] Juncos.
2.5 hours (78.58) TOTAL 0 (563)
Monday, September 30 Steeples (Vance Mattson). No report received.
| SUMMARY COUNTS, FALL 2019 | |||
| MOUNT LORETTE September 20-November 15 | VICKI RIDGE September 20-November 15 | STEEPLES September 20-November 15 | |
| DAYS | 10 | 9 | 23 |
| HOURS | 94.53 | 78.58 | 11.0 |
| TURKEY VULTURE (TUVU) | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| OSPREY (OSPR) | 1 | 4 | 1 |
| BALD EAGLE (BAEA) | 8 | 13 | 8 |
| NORTHERN HARRIER (NOHA) | 3 | 9 | 1 |
| SHARP-SHINNED HAWK (SSHA) | 9 | 226 | 14 |
| COOPER’S HAWK (COHA) | 3 | 36 | 0 |
| NORTHERN GOSHAWK (NOGO) | 3 | 11 | 0 |
| Accipiter sp. (UA) | 2 | 2 | 0 |
| BROAD-WINGED HAWK (BWHA) | 0 | 4 | 0 |
| SWAINSON’S HAWK (SWHA) | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| RED-TAILED HAWK (RTHA) | 4 | 73 | 9 |
| FERRUGINOUS HAWK (FEHA) | 0 | 5 | 0 |
| ROUGH-LEGGED HAWK (RLHA) | 1 | 5 | 0 |
| Buteo sp. (UB) | 2 | 3 | 0 |
| GOLDEN EAGLE (GOEA) | 233 | 140 | 9 |
| Eagle sp. (UE) | 1 | 2 | 0 |
| AMERICAN KESTREL (AMKE) | 0 | 13 | 2 |
| MERLIN (MERL) | 3 | 6 | 0 |
| GYRFALCON (GYRF) | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| PEREGRINE FALCON (PEFA) | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| PRAIRIE FALCON (PRFA) | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Falco sp. (UF) | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| Unidentified Raptor (UU) | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| TOTALS | 275 | 563 | 41 |
