October 31 [Day 66] (Valley View site) The temperature only varied between 5.5C and 8C all day as strong W-WSW winds prevailed that gusted to 80 km/h at ground level and were considerably stronger on the ridges. Cloud cover ranged from 40-100% cumulus and stratocumulus and rain and hail showers, sometimes heavy and prolonged, persisted until 1430 although the Livingstone ridge remained mainly clear all day. The first Golden Eagle moved at 0925 and 8 more were recorded before 1000 but the next four hours when the rain was heaviest yielded only 12 birds. Movement between 1400 and the last bird at 1802 was a little more sustained and included a late movement of 8 Bald Eagles, but the final total was only 68 of which 59 were Golden Eagles (43a,6sa,10j). 10.92 (772.04) BAEA 8 (271), NOGO 1 (122), GOEA 59 (3728) TOTAL 68 (6103)
October Summary It was a month of unprecedented adverse weather which necessitated the abandonment of the Piitaistakis Ridge on October 3. Two full days were lost to weather and 2 more were severely curtailed, while raptor movement on several other days was confined to only a few hours. The total of 29 days spent in the field was 1.14% below the 2006-8 average while the 314 hours was 5.53% below average. The combined species count of 3825 was 23.57% below average, and the only species recording record counts for the month were Osprey (4: +100%), Northern Harrier (11: +37.5%) and Gyrfalcon (6: +200%). Peregrine Falcon (6: +5.88%) was the only other species to occur in above average numbers, while the single American Kestrel was an average count for the month. All other species occurred in below average numbers: Prairie Falcon (1: -86.4%), Northern Goshawk (35: -68.8%), Sharp-shinned Hawk (184: -65.8%), Merlin (8: -55.6%), Rough-legged Hawk (43: -44.4%), Cooper’s Hawk (25: -42.3%), Red-tailed Hawk (35: -40%), Golden Eagle (3216: -16.76%) and Bald Eagle (239: -1.38%). As of October 31 the combined species count of 6103 was 987 below the average count for the date at the site, while the 3728 Golden Eagles was 816 below average.
Mount Lorette [Day 38] (Ron Dutcher) It also rained at Lorette until noon after which 100% stratocumulus gave way to as little as 40% cumulus and stratocumulus with the Fisher Range clear for most of the afternoon. Temperatures ranged from 7C to 9C, ground winds were S to W gusting to 60 km/h and ridge winds were strong W all day. The only migrant raptor seen was an adult Bald Eagle at 1524. 10.25 hours (440.41) BAEA 1 (87) total 1 (2428)