October 19 [Day 54] (Valley View site) It was -1C and winds were calm to SE 5 km/h to 0915 with light SE-S upper flow, and 80-90% stratocumulus cloud cover. At 0915 fog moved from the south and obscured all ridges and when the valley fog cleared around noon the ridges remained hidden in low stratus cloud for the rest of the day. The temperature reached 6.5C at 1400 and winds were light SSE to SW. An adult Bald Eagle that moved unenthusiastically south along the Livingstone Ridge at 0826 proved to be the day’s only migrant raptor. The cool, calm early morning conditions, however, found two Great Horned Owls and a Northern Pygmy-Owl in fine voice and at 0740 they were joined by a Northern Saw-whet Owl singing sporadically from an aspen grove to the west. This is the first record of the species for the count [species #161] and was the 100th for the season. A flock of 20 Bohemian Waxwings flying on the ridge just before the fog rolled in provided the season’s 101st species. 10 hours (639.55) BAEA 1 (106) TOTAL 1 (4458)
Mount Lorette [Day 27] (Cliff Hansen) The temperature ranged from 1C to a high of 5C at 1400, valley winds were light and ridge winds NE light to moderate, cloud was 100% fog clearing at 1000 to reveal a low stratus cover, and the ridges were obscured all day. Only five raptors made their way slowly south along the valley beneath the cloud between 1330 and 1435. 10.5 hours (319.01) BAEA 2 (29), UA 2 (2), RLHA 1 (13) TOTAL 5 (1740)