Vicki Ridge, October 2

Wednesday, October 02 Vicki Ridge [Day 10] 0830-1900 (Peter Sherrington and Hilary Atkinson assisted by Denise Cocciolone-Amatto observing from the Waterton 61 wellsite on the western flank of Vicki Ridge and Gord Petersen (1320-1845) observing at the western edge of Kyllo Ridge at the Waterton 68 wellsite). The temperature at 0830 was 2C, the high at 1600 was 8.5C and it was 4C at 1900. Winds were steady W-WSW all day 30 gusting to 45 km/h and cloud cover was 90-70% altostratus, cirrus and altocumulus to 1130 after which it cleared rapidly to 10% cirrus and altocumulus and was essentially cloudless after 1600.  The count on Vicki Ridge was 49 birds between 0947 and 1752 that comprised 1undifferentiated immature Bald Eagle, 7 Sharp-shinned Hawks (5a, 2u), 1 adult Cooper’s Hawk, 1 undifferentiated small Accipiter, 5 Red-tailed Hawks (calurus light 1a; calurus dark 2a and 2 dark harlani 1a, 1j), 1 dark morph Rough-legged Hawk, 1 unidentified light morph Buteo, 31 Golden Eagles (12a, 3 sa, 16j), and 1 male American Kestrel. The count of 59 birds between 1329 and 1839 at the western edge of Kyllo Ridge was 2a Bald Eagles, 17 Sharp-shinned Hawks (9a, 8u), 3 Cooper’s Hawks (1a, 2u), 1a dark morph calurus Red-tailed Hawk, 33 Golden Eagles (16a, 5sa, 2j, 10u), 2 unidentified eagles and 1 unidentified large falcon. Many of the birds were moving well west of the ridge towards Carbondale ridge and several were seen only as silhouettes against the late afternoon sun. The total movement observed across the ridge system between 0947 and 1839 was 108  migrants of 8 species that comprised 3 Bald Eagles (2a, 1 undifferentiated immature), 24 Sharp-shinned Hawks (14a, 10u), 4 Cooper’s Hawks (2a, 2u),1 undifferentiated small Accipiter, 6 Red-tailed Hawks (4 adult calurus: 1 light and 3 dark morphs, and 2 dark morph harlani: 1a, 1j), 1 dark morph Rough-legged Hawk, 1 unidentified light morph Buteo, 64 Golden Eagles (28a, 8sa, 18j, 10u), 2 unidentified eagles, 1 male American Kestrel and 1 large falcon that was probably a either a Peregrine or a Prairie Falcon. The highest hourly count was 23 between 1700 and 1800. Other bird species seen were 2 Clark’s Nutcrackers, a flock of 18 American Crows that flew north at 1430, 34 Common Ravens, 10 Mountain Bluebirds, 25 American Robins with most of yesterday’s 1000 birds having flown south under last night’s clear sky, 20 Cedar Waxwings that flew south in a single flock at 1035 and 2 Dark-eyed [Oregon] Juncos.

10.5 hours (98.83) BAEA 3 (20), SSHA 24 (251), COHA 4 (41), UA 1 (5), RTHA 6 (80), RLHA 1 (6), UB 1 (5), GOEA 64 (2430, UE 2 (5), AMKE 1 (15), UF 1 (2) TOTAL 108 (726)

Wednesday, October 02 Steeples (Vance Mattson). No observation because of teaching commitments.