October 14 [Day 49] (Valley View site) The starting temperature was -6C but rose to 7C at 1500 before falling to 0C after 1800. Ground winds were light WSW to W all day and ridge winds were W light to moderate becoming moderate WNW after 1800. Cloud cover was 100% stratus, cumulus and stratocumulus all day except between 1500 and 1730 when it reduced to 90% allowing occasional sunny breaks. There was 8 cm of fresh snow on the ground at 0715 and light snow continued to fall until 0930, but during the rest of the day there were only occasional light snow flurries or rain showers. All ridges were obscured until 0830 when they substantially cleared but variably retained 10-20% cloud cover throughout the day and the main Livingstone Range to the north remained substantially cloud covered all day. The first raptor migrant was a Merlin at 1018 and the first Golden Eagle moved south at 1116 after which they moved steadily until 1820 with 50 of the day’s 127 birds occurring between 1500 and 1700. Until noon the eagles moved very low, generally below ridge height, but during the afternoon they glided high often above cloud draping the ridge, or soared high on occasion being lost in cloud. The flight comprised 108 adults, 8 subadults, 10 juveniles and 1 bird of undetermined age. A juvenile Northern Harrier at 1118 raised the season’s record count to 90. A juvenile Northern Shrike was the 3rd record of the species this season, and the only obvious songbird migrants was a single flock of 21 southbound American Robins at 1205. 12 hours (581.88) NOHA 1 (90), NOGO 1 (96), RTHA 2 (181), GOEA 127 (1609), MERL 1 (26) TOTAL 132 (3592)
Mount Lorette [Day 22] (Peter Allen) The temperature rose to 2C from a low of -5C, ground winds were light and variable while ridge winds were SW light to moderate, and cloud cover was 100% stratus in the morning breaking up after noon to 30-40% altostratus and cirrus providing excellent observing conditions. Both E and W ridges were obscured until 1100 after which they cleared with occasional cloud drape for the rest of the day. The first migrant raptor was a Golden Eagle at 1056 but 22 of the total of 36 migrants moved between 1500 and 1715 with the last of the day’s 31 Golden Eagles moving at 1745. As yesterday most Golden Eagles flew low from Skogan Pass and had trouble finding lift with most moving below the top of the Fisher Range ridge. There was a good variety of non-raptor species including 3 Blue-winged Teal, 2 Killdeer, 1 Wilson’s Snipe, 1 Northern Shrike, 2 Song Sparrows, 4 Lincoln’s Sparrows, 2 White-crowned Sparrows, 50 Dark-eyed Juncos, 7 Rusty Blackbirds, 11 Red Crossbills and 3 White-winged Crossbills. 10.75 hours (263.59) BAEA 2 (25), NOHA 1 (4), NOGO 1 (18), GOEA 31 (1334), MERL 1 (4) TOTAL 36 (1473)