September 17 [Day 24] As yesterday the temperature was 16C at 0800 but then dropped to 14.5C by 1300 before reaching a high of 16.5C at 1500 and fell to the day’s low of 13C at 1900. Winds were initially SW switching to W after 1000 reaching a maximum of 70 km/h at 1300 before moderating to 30-40 km/h later in the afternoon. Cloud cover was 70-90% altocumulus, altostratus and cirrus to 1000 when dark cumulus cloud developed to 90% threatening but not producing rain. After 1400 the cumulus cloud lightened and progressively thinned to 20% by 1900 producing a mainly sunny afternoon. Raptor movement started early with the first of the day’s 4 American Kestrels flying south at 0608 and movement was steady until 1500 after which it became slow and sporadic, possibly as a result of adverse weather farther to the north. For the first time this season adult birds predominated in both the Sharp-shinned Hawk (21: 10a, 4j, 7u) and Cooper’s Hawk (12: 5a, 3j 4u) flights. Highlights were another 4 adult Peregrine Falcons and a single adult light morph Broad-winged Hawk, but Golden Eagles continue to just dribble south with 7 moving today (1a, 4sa, 2j). There was some songbird movement before the wind increased including 5 Red-breasted Nuthatches, 27 Ruby-crowned Kinglets, 12 Mountain Bluebirds, 33 American Pipits, 9 Yellow-rumped Warblers and 8 Oregon Juncos, with a single female Purple Finch providing the season’s 78th bird species and a first September record for the site. Just after 0800 a summer pelage Long-tailed Weasel was hunting along the ridge top while a large Black Bear browsed berries to the east of the ridge. 12.5 hours (299.09) OSPR 1 (26), BAEA 1 (9), NOHA 4 (50), SSHA 21 (345), COHA 12 (129), NOGO 1 (42), UA 1 (15), BWHA 1 (38), RTHA 5 (85), GOEA 7 (66), AMKE 4 (28), PEFA 4 (19) TOTAL 62 (885)