September 11 [Day 18] The temperature was 10C at 0800 and rose to a high of 15C. Winds were upslope (mainly E) mostly light or even calm, with a maximum velocity of 14 km/h. Cloud cover was 40% cirrus at 1300 but was otherwise 5-10% until 1600 after which the sky was completely cloudless. It was the best raptor movement so far this season with 115 birds of 11 species moving between 0830 and 1751, with maximum movement of 27 birds between 1300 and 1400. The highlight of the day was undoubtedly the movement of 26 Broad-winged Hawks including a single kettle of 14 birds at 1516 that soared very high along with an adult Bald Eagle before gliding south almost out of sight to the west of the ridge. This represents the highest single day count for the species at a RMERF count. Other species reaching season-high counts were Sharp-shinned Hawk (41: 7a, 31j, 3u), Cooper’s Hawk (14: 5a, 7j, 2u), Red-tailed Hawk (13: 7a, 6j), Golden Eagle (8: 3a, 1sa, 4j) and Prairie Falcon (2). Songbird movement was not as strong as yesterday except for a season-high count of 51 Yellow-rumped Warblers, and also included 7 Red-breasted Nuthatches, 4 Ruby-crowned Kinglets, 26 American Robins, 1 Wilson’s Warbler, 2 Chipping Sparrows, 1 Brewer’s Sparrow and 1 Savannah Sparrow. A Say’s Phoebe at 0801 was a new species for the site [#159] and the 74th of the season, and a Golden-mantled Ground Squirrel at 0812 was a new mammal for the study area [#29]. The site therefore has the probably unique coexistence of the mainly alpine Golden-mantled Ground Squirrel and the mainly prairie Thirteen-lined Ground Squirrel! There was a steady southward movement of Western White butterflies throughout the morning and a Green Comma was a seasonal first. Also a first was a single fall-flowering Prairie Anemone just north of the site. All in all a pretty good day! 12.5 hours (224.75) OSPR 1 (20), BAEA 2 (6), NOHA 3 (36), SSHA 41 (196), COHA 14 (57), NOGO 1 (36), UA 12 (11), BWHA 26 (27), RTHA 13 (48), GOEA 8 (37), UE 1 (1), AMKE 1 (15), PRFA 2 (3) TOTAL 115 (523)