November 30 [Day 96] (Valley View site) The temperatures ranged between 2C and 4C all day, ground winds were mainly NW to SW gusting to 40 km/h and ridge winds were strong W moderating after 1200. Cloud cover was 70-100% cumulus, altostratus and stratocumulus with periods of light snow and hail after 1100 which occluded the Livingstone Range to the north on occasion. An early movement of 8 raptors between 0804 (a Rough-legged Hawk) and 1040 made it appear that we would get the 16 birds necessary to reach a total of 1000 migrants for the month of November for the first time. The only other migrants seen, however, were the day’s second Bald Eagle and a female grey morph Gyrfalcon flying south together at 1219, but the 994 migrant raptors counted during November does establish a new RMERF record for the month. The Gyrfalcon also sets a new RMERF high count mark of 10 birds, with 9 having been counted on 4 previous fall counts: 1993 and 2004 at Mount Lorette, 1997 at Plateau Mountain and 2007 here. The flight comprised 2 Bald Eagles (1 adult, 1 juvenile), a Rough-legged Hawk and 6 adult Golden Eagles. A flock of 400 Bohemian Waxwings was the largest recorded so far this season. 9.92 hours (1082.4) BAEA 2 (648), RLHA 1 (81), GOEA 6 (4286), GYRF 1 (10) TOTAL 10 (7097)
November Summary No days were lost to weather although precipitation severely impacted counts on the 6th, 7th, 17th and 19th, and the month was generally characterised by high winds and above average temperatures. The 30 days spent in the field equals the effort in 2007 but the 310 hours is the highest ever for November at the site. The days and hours are 9.76% and 20.4% above the 2006-8 average for the site respectively. The combined species total of 994 (+24.2%) is the highest November total for the site, and monthly records were also set for Bald Eagle (377: +51.2%), Northern Harrier (4: +1100%), Cooper’s Hawk (2: +500%) and Rough-legged Hawk (32: +23.1%). The Golden Eagle count of 558 was the second highest for November (+18.39%) but the seasonal total to date of 4286 remains the lowest ever for the site, 729 birds (-14.59%) below average. The counts of 4 Gyrfalcons and 1 Peregrine Falcon were average for the month. Three species were below average: Northern Goshawk (14: -51.2%), Red-tailed Hawk (1: -40%) and Prairie Falcon (1: -50%), while Sharp-shinned Hawk and Merlin were not recorded during the month and the remaining 6 species have never been recorded here in November.