September 24 [Day 31] The temperature was 16.5C at 0800, rose to 22C and was still 20C at 1900. Winds were WNW gusting to over 60 km/h until 1600 when they backed to W and slightly moderated. Cloud cover was a 100% mixture of altostratus and smoke all day, although it became thin at times in the late afternoon, and smoke haze was pervasive all day. Raptor migration started at 1019 with a Sharp-shinned Hawk and by 1137 16 birds had been counted. There was then a gap until 1313 when movement recommenced but in a sporadic fashion with bursts of birds interspersed with quiet periods, and the last bird, the day’s only Bald Eagle, was seen at 1845. The maximum count was 1600-1700 with 24 migrants, 13 of which were Golden Eagles providing the most sustained movement of the species so far this season. Of note was a season-high 6 Peregrine Falcons (3a,1j,2u) most of which glided south at impressive speeds, and a single Osprey raised the season’s record count to 35. Only 19 Sharp-shinned Hawks were recorded today, but Northern Goshawks (11: 7a,1j,3u) moved strongly for the first time since September 5. The most common songbird migrants were 35 Red-breasted Nuthatches, 43 Ruby-crowned Kinglets, 16 Mountain Bluebirds and 50 Pine Siskins. An Orange-crowned Warbler was the first in 8 days and a Blackpoll Warbler was the first for the season [#86] and only the site’s second record. 12.5 hours (387.01) OSPR 1 (35), BAEA 1 (19), NOHA 3 (72), SSHA 19 (688), COHA 8 (212), NOGO 11 (68), UA 3 (25), RTHA 5 (125), GOEA 35 (243), PEFA 6 (32), UU 1 (5) TOTAL 93 (1640)
Mount Lorette [Day 4] (Joel Duncan) It was another hot day with the temperature again reaching 25C from a low of 7C. Winds were S-SW not exceeding 20 km/h and the sky was cloudless. After 1500 smoke from the controlled burn to the W created a thick haze. No migrant raptors were seen, but the day did have a highlight: 4 Black Swifts flying high providing the first record at the site since September 2004. 12 hours (60.92) TOTAL 0 (112)