October 21 [Day 56] (Valley View site) The temperature rose to 8C at 1400 from a low of -1C and was still 6C at 1900. Ground winds were mainly light SW-W but occasionally gusted to 25km/h, and ridge winds were moderate W all day. Cloud cover was 70% lenticular, altocumulus and cumulus at 0800 but quickly thickened and was mainly 100% stratocumulus, cumulus and altostratus for the rest of the day. Ridges were clear until just before 1900 when some cloud draped the Livingstone Range and the forecast rain failed to materialise with only a light drizzle starting at 1900. The first raptor was a Bald Eagle at 0816 and movement was steady until 1100 by which time 41 birds had moved. After 1100 the pace picked up considerably and raptors moved continuously until the last Golden Eagle moved south at 1838. The combined species total of 602 is the highest for the season as is the Bald Eagle total of 33 (29a,4j) and the Golden Eagle count of 529 (429a,14sa,8j,15u), which is also the second highest count for the site since we started formal counts here in 2006. Two hourly counts saw the movement of over 100 raptors: 106 birds between 1200 and 1400 (92 of which were Golden Eagles) and 107 between 1700 and 1800 (of which 88 were Golden Eagles). Northern Harrier (2), Cooper’s Hawk (3), American Kestrel (1) and Peregrine Falcon (1 adult) all increased their season-record totals and the kestrel was also the second latest recorded at the site. Despite today’s large movement we are still 911 and 760 birds below average for this date for cumulative combined species and Golden Eagles respectively. Passerine migrants included 18 European Starlings, 90 Bohemian Waxwings and 360 Grey-crowned Rosy-Finches, and no fewer than 4 Great Horned Owls were singing during the twilight. 11.75 hours (661.63) BAEA 33 (140), NOHA 2 (94), SSHA 26 (991), COHA 3 (296), NOGO 6 (107), RTHA 1 (190), GOEA 529 (2903), AMKE 1 (65), PEFA 1 (44) TOTAL 602 (5075)
Mount Lorette [Day 29] (Peter Allen) The temperature ranged from -2C to 9C at 1800, ground winds were light variable, ridge winds were moderate SW all day and cloud cover was essentially 100% stratus all day although the ridges remained clear. The first of the day’s 184 Golden Eagles (168a,4sa,11j) moved at 0853 and the second was not seen until 1019 but thereafter movement was steady with 41 birds moving between 1500 and 1600 at maximum and the last Golden Eagle was recorded at 1816. The Golden Eagle total is the 3rd highest for the season so far as is the combined species total of 191 although non-Golden Eagle species only accounted for 8 of the total. 11.5 hours (340.51) BAEA 6 (52), SSHA 1 (54), UA 1 (3) GOEA 184 (1767) TOTAL 191 (1959)