September 20 [Day 27] The temperature at 0800 was 4.5C and although there was 90% stratocumulus cloud cover all the mountains were clear. Rain started at 0820 and at 0940 winds shifted from W to E-NE bringing sleet and hail, and between 1410 and 1500 heavy wet snow (1 cm on the ground) lowering the temperature to 0.5C. During this period all ridges were obscured, but at 1500 winds again shifted to the W and the mountains to the north almost instantly cleared but only for 10 minutes as the low cloud re-condensed and again obscured everything to around 1700 when all ridges finally cleared. The last 3 hours of the day had almost cloudless skies, a temperature of 5C and W-WNW winds gusting 30 km/h which felt much colder than the near freezing temperature during the snowstorm. The first migrant raptor, a juvenile Northern Goshawk, came through at 1632 when the mountains to the north were still wreathed in cloud, but after 1718 movement became steady and the next two hours produced 12 and 16 migrants respectively and 4 birds moved after 1900 with the last of the day’s 16 Sharp-shinned Hawks going south at 1919. The highlight of the raptor movement was the season’s first Rough-legged Hawk at 1758 [species #82] occurring 8 days earlier than it had been seen before at the site. Despite the weather there was some songbird movement comprising 6 Red-breasted Nuthatches, 8 Ruby-crowned Kinglets, 8 Townsend’s Solitaires, 1 Hermit Thrush (the first for the season and bird species # 81), 2 American Robins, 6 American Pipits, 2 Yellow-rumped Warblers, 3 Chipping Sparrows, 13 White-crowned Sparrows and 23 Dark-eyed Juncos of 3 different subspecies. A Pileated Woodpecker calling at 0930 was the 80th bird species of the season, and a Ruffed Grouse in the upper sub-alpine forest immediately east of the ridge was the highest ever seen at the site. 13 hours (336.59) SSHA 16 (470), COHA 4 (157), NOGO 2 (47), RLHA 1 (1), GOEA 8 (125), MERL 1 (9), PRFA 1 (7) TOTAL 33 (1143)
Mount Lorette [Day 1] (Bill Wilson) This was the first day of the comparative count at Mount Lorette where the temperature was 6C at 0800 falling to 4C at noon and again at 1930 after reaching a high of 13C. Rain and showers persisted to noon and then gradually cleared with most of the afternoon experiencing 40-60% Cu which reduced to 5% at 1900. Winds were NNE 5-20 km/h in the morning switching to W in the afternoon which were moderate at ridge level. All ridges were obscured until 1300. The first of the day’s 51 migrant raptors was a subadult Golden Eagle at 1258, with maximum movement of 18 (1300-1400) and 13 (1400-1500), and the last birds moving at 1817. The flight was dominated by 38 Golden Eagles (12a, 7sa, 13j, 6u) with 6 other species comprising the remaining 13 migrants. 12.5 hours OSPR 1, BAEA 1, SSHA 4, COHA 3, NOGO 3, GOEA 38, AMKE 1 TOTAL 51