September 27 [Day 34] The temperature only rose to 6C from a low of 1C. Winds were light SE to1130 then E only reaching 18 km/h in the late afternoon and skies were cloudless producing a pleasant sunny day that felt much warmer than the temperatures suggest. It was a splendid day of raptor migration with a season high total of 14 species mostly moving fairly low overhead or close to the ridge providing an excellent workshop on plumage types for the lucky visitors on the ridge. Five Ospreys equaled the season’s highest daily count and increased the record total to 42. The 5 Bald Eagles (2a,1sa,2j) was the highest count so far, and 5 Northern Harriers (2 adult females, 3j) increased their record count to 84. Cooper’s Hawks continue to move strongly with 16 increasing the record total for the season to 268. Two juvenile light morph Broad-winged Hawks upped the record count to 43, while the 12 Red-tailed Hawks demonstrated a wide variety of plumages: 5 light adult, 2 light juvenile, 1 intermediate juvenile and 2 dark adult calurus Red-tails; 1 juvenile “Krider’s Hawk” (borealis var) and 1 adult dark morph harlani. Golden Eagles (41: 15a,11sa,14j,1u) equaled the season’s high count but numbers are still low compared to this day last year (156) and in 1997 (146). Falcon movement was strong until 1300 with 11 American Kestrels being the second highest count ever at the site and raising their record total to 63; Merlins (all columbarius) had their highest movement this season at 6 and there were single Peregrine and Prairie Falcons. Birds moved between 0856 and 1830 with 32 of the day’s 142 migrants occurring between 1400 and 1500. Kudos to Phil and Keith for finding high flying birds, and keeping track of them against the pure blue sky. There was a reasonable passerine movement including a single Horned Lark which was the 87th bird species seen this season. 12.5 hours (424.51) OSPR 5 (42), BAEA 5 (30), NOHA 5 (84), SSHA 32 (809), COHA 16 (268), NOGO 2 (85), UA 2 (32), BWHA 2 (43), RTHA 12 (155), RLHA 1 (5), GOEA 41 (337), AMKE 11 (63), MERL 6 (18), PEFA 1 (41), PRFA 1 (9) TOTAL 142 (2050)
Mount Lorette [Day 7] (Bill Wilson) The temperature rose to 12C from a low of -6C, skies were cloudless all day and ground winds were variable 5-10 km/h only occasionally gusting 20 km/h. A season-high total of 70 raptors of 6 species moved between 0951 and 1914 with 15 birds and 12 of the day’s 51 Golden Eagles seen between 1800 and 1900. The Golden Eagle total is the highest at either site this season and suggests that the main movement may be finally starting. One of the 5 Red-tailed Hawks was an adult “Krider’s, and both Rough-legged Hawks were dark morphs. Passerine movement was dominated by American Robins (59), Ruby-crowned Kinglets (29) and American Pipits (12). 12.5 hours (97.17) BAEA 3 (6), NOHA 1 (1), SSHA 7 (19), RTHA 5 (10), RLHA 2 (2), GOEA 51 (137), UU 1 (1) TOTAL 70 (190)