October 30 [Day 65] (Valley View site) It was a reasonably pleasant day (which have been rare this October) with the temperature 2C at 0800 reaching 7C at 1200 where it stayed for the rest of the day. Ground winds were variable but mainly NE to NW occasionally gusting 60 km/h but mainly 5-15 km/h, and ridge winds were strong WNW all day. Cloud cover was 80-100% mainly cumulus, altostratus and lenticular giving good to excellent observing conditions. Raptor movement was the strongest since October 24 with a total of 138 birds moving steadily and high above the Livingstone ridge between 0841 and 1822 with maximum movement of 21 birds 1200-1300 and 1300-1400. Golden Eagles dominated the flight with 122 birds comprising 94 adults, 10 subadults, 15 juveniles and 3 birds of unknown age, and 11 Bald Eagles comprised 6 adults, 1 subadult and 4 juveniles. Highlights were the season’s 6th Gyrfalcon at 1223 (a grey morph of undetermined age) and an adult Peregrine Falcon at 1520 which raised the reason’s record count to 47. 11 hours (761.12) BAEA 11 (263), NOGO 3 (121), GOEA 122 (3669), GYRF 1 (6), PEFA 1 (47) TOTAL 138 (6035)
Mount Lorette [Day 37] (Michael Woertman (to 1500) and Cliff Hansen (after 1500)) Conditions were similar to those at P-SL with the temperature rising to 9C at 1700 from a low of 0C and it was still 8C at 1845, ground winds were SW 5-10 gusting 30 km/h, ridge winds were strong SW-W all day and cloud cover was 80-100% altostratus, cumulus, altocumulus and lenticular. A total of 35 raptors migrated between 0801 and 1733 with peak movement of 13 birds between 1000 and 1100. The flight was dominated by 28 Golden Eagles, 20 of which moved before noon. 11 hours (430.16) BAEA 2 (86), SSHA 1 (57), NOGO 4 (24), GOEA 28 (2187) TOTAL 35 (2427)