October 7 [Day 43] (Valley View site) Snow fell to 1320 and again from 1600-1640. Ridges were completely obscured to 1100 after which parts of the Livingstone ridge became visible but it was not until 1730 that everything was finally clear. The temperature reached a high of 1.5C from a starting temperature of -2C and fell to -3C at 1900 as cloud cover was reduced to 60-70% cumulus. Ground winds were variable and light all day while ridge winds were E light to moderate until 1600 when they became N light. Despite the ridges remaining substantially in cloud there was some raptor movement starting at 1234 with birds either moving above the valley, moving below the cloud on the Livingstone ridge or moving south from Bluff Mountain to the W of the valley. After the afternoon snow event the ridges cleared and cloud cover was reduced but the very light winds meant that only 2 birds moved after 1700, the last being a Merlin at 1751. The flight included 22 Golden Eagles (10a,6sa,5j,1u), the first Red-tailed Hawks (4) for 5 days and a season high count of 4 Rough-legged Hawks. The raptor highlight, however, was the season’s second Gyrfalcon at 1514: an adult grey morph bird. Even more remarkable was the movement of a total of 389 Snow Geese in four separate flocks the largest of around 300 birds flying to the south in the snow in several closely associated skeins at 1135. A Northern Shrike (an adult) was the second for the season, and a briefly singing Barred Owl at 1730 was the 94th bird species for the season 12 hours (512.13) SSHA 5 (911), NOGO 1 (92), RTHA 4 (170), RLHA 4 (12), GOEA 22 (991), MERL 1 (24), GYRF 1 (2) TOTAL 38 (2894)
Mount Lorette [Day 15] (Peter Allen) There were snow flurries all day moving from the N and lasting an average of 40 minutes. Winds were N up to 10 km/h except during snow squalls when they reached 20-30 km/h. The temperature rose from 0C to 2C and fell to -3C at 1900, and cloud cover was 100% stratus all day thinning between 1230 and 1700 allowing hazy sunshine. The mountains to the W were obscured all day, but the Fisher Range to the E cleared between 1240 and 1630. Raptor migration was confined to a juvenile Cooper’s Hawk at 1416 and a subadult Golden Eagle at 1613, but there was a reasonable variety of songbirds including season’s first records for either site of Bohemian Waxwings (17) and Red Crossbills (14). The day’s highlight, however, was undoubtedly 2 Grey Wolves in the Hay Meadow at 1300. 11.67 hours (193.84) COHA 1 (9), GOEA 1 (835) TOTAL 2 (950)

October 6 [Day 42] The temperature rose to 5C from a low of 0C, but it felt much colder with NW to WNW winds gusting between 60 and 100 km/h for most of the day blowing snow from the 10 cm that fell on the ridge over the last two days. Cloud cover was a mixture of 40-100% altostratus, altocumulus, lenticular and cirrus giving an excellent observing backdrop throughout the day. There was steady raptor movement all day between 0848 and 1904 with 292 of the day’s 303 migrants being Golden Eagles (181a,34sa,67j,10u), with peak movement of 58 birds between1800 and 1900 when 56 Golden Eagles and the day’s only 2 Bald Eagles moved. Both the combined species and Golden Eagle totals are seasonal highs. There were few other birds on the ridge today but a flock of 40 Grey-crowned Rosy-Finches were the first for the season [species #90] as was a juvenile Northern Shrike [#91]. At 1805 a flock of 12 Snow Geese [#92] flew high across the ridge towards the east, followed at 1832 by 19 more providing only the 3rd and 4th records for the site and the highest numbers ever recorded. After 1900 2 flocks of Canada Geese [#93] totaling 55 birds also flew high to the east, furnishing the latest seasonal first record for the species ever for the site. 12.5 hours (500.13) BAEA 2 (47), NOHA 1 (87), SSHA 6 (906), COHA 1 (282), NOGO 1 (91), GOEA 292 (969) TOTAL 303 (2856)
Mount Lorette [Day 14] (George Halmazna) The temperature rose from a low of -3C to a high of 10C and fell back to 5C at 1900. Ground winds were light to 1100 then variable S to NW 10-15 gusting 40 km/h while ridge winds were SW moderate to strong switching to NW after 1600. Cloud cover was 80-100% altostratus clearing from 1400-1530 to 40% cumulus and cirrus before subsequently thickening again to 100% stratus bringing snow to the west and rain to the site, and partially occluding the ridges late in the day. Golden Eagles also moved strongly here with a season high 421 birds migrating between 0805 and 1820 with a peak movement of 79 birds from 1000 to1100. By noon 205 Golden Eagles had moved south and although the pace dropped slightly in the afternoon movement remained steady. Many of the birds flew very high and were silhouettes against the sky so a high percentage of birds went unaged. 12.5 hours (182.17) OSPR 1 (4), BAEA 4 (15), SSHA 3 (42), COHA 1 (8), NOGO 2 (15), RLHA 1 (6), GOEA 421 (834) TOTAL 432 (948)

October 5 [Day 41] (Valley View site) Snow and flurries continued until the early afternoon and the Livingstone Ridge rapidly cleared after 1600 with the sky becoming cloudless by 1630. Lift was initially very poor but a Cooper’s Hawk managed to soar at 1736 and go south, and Golden Eagles managed to get airborne and glide south at 1753 and 1821. 2.5 hours (487.63) COHA 1 (281), GOEA 2 (677) TOTAL 3 (2553)
Mount Lorette [Day 13] (Cliff Hansen) Temperatures ranged from -2C to 7C with 100% cloud cover to 1030, and all ridges cleared by 1100 after which the sky rapidly cleared and it become cloudless after 1300. Ground winds were light S to SW and finally W never exceeding 10 km/h and ridge winds were mainly moderate SW. Apart from a Merlin at 1122 and a Northern Goshawk at 1340, raptor movement didn’t really get under way until 1827 when the first 3 of the day’s 12 Golden Eagles soared and went south, with the last 2 eagles of the day moving in rapidly fading light at 1927. 12 hours (169.67) NOGO 1 (13), GOEA 12 (413), MERL 1 (1) TOTAL 14 (515)

October 4 No observation. Snow reducing to flurries by late afternoon, with the Piitaistakis Ridge partially clearing but the main Livingstone Ridge remained shrouded in cloud all day.
Mount Lorette (Bill Wilson) No observation possible because of snow all day obscuring all peaks and ridges.

October 3 [Day 40] I watched from the base of the ridge in steady rain from 0700, which changed to snow after 0830. Ridge winds were moderate NNE and although the high parts of the Livingstone Ridge to the west were perpetually in cloud, the Piitaistakis Ridge cleared briefly between 0800 and 0900 allowing the passage of a single Merlin. By 1030, with heavy snow falling, it became obvious that further clearing was not likely and I left. Today was organised as the Crowsnest Eagle Festival which unfortunately proved to have the worst weather of the season to date leaving a number of potential observers disappointed. 3.5 hours (485.13) MERL 1 (23) TOTAL 1 (2550)
Mount Lorette (Ron Dutcher) No observation possible because of heavy snow all day.

October 2 [Day 39] The temperature reached 4C at 1400 from a low of -1C and was down to 1C at 1800. Winds were W all day initially 19-22 km/h and then steadily dropping all day to 10-12 km/h at 1800. Cloud cover thickened rapidly during the morning reaching 100% altostratus and cumulus at noon, and thickened and lowered throughout the afternoon as first flurries moved from the west, then rain and sleet after 1600 and finally heavy wet snow after 1810. All mountain ridges were obscured after 1600, but up to then there was some raptor movement involving 39 birds 30 of which were Golden Eagles (30: 15a,6sa,8j,1u) the first of which moved at 0811. The bird of the day was the season’s first Gyrfalcon at 1443, a juvenile female grey morph bird [bird species #89] that was 9 days earlier than it has previously been recorded at the site and 4 days earlier than its earliest occurrence at Mount Lorette. The last bird was an adult male columbarius Merlin at 1554 just before the first rain started. There was also a fairly varied non-raptor migration including 2 Downy Woodpeckers, 3 Northern Flickers, 6 Red-breasted Nuthatches, 7 Golden-crowned Kinglets, 11 Ruby-crowned Kinglets, 2 Mountain Bluebirds, 7 Townsend’s Solitaires, 60 American Robins, 1 Yellow-rumped Warbler and 5 Dark-eyed Juncos. The weather forecast for the following 3 days is not encouraging so this might be the last movement for a while. 11 hours (481.63) SSHA 5 (900), RLHA 2 (8), GOEA 30 (675), MERL 1 (22), GYRF 1 (1) TOTAL 39 (2549)
Mount Lorette [Day 12] (George Halmazna) Temperatures ranged from -2C to 8C, ground winds were light except around noon when SE winds briefly reached 12 km/h and the sky was 100% overcast all day except for occasional brief breaks. Visibility progressively deteriorated throughout the day with rain in the valley falling as snow higher up, and all ridges were obscured by 1600. No migrant raptors were seen, but songbird migrants included 41 Ruby-crowned Kinglets, 3 Varied Thrushes, 78 American Robins and 11 American Pipits. 11.5 hours (146.17) TOTAL 0 (501)

October 1 [Day 38] It was a cool day with the temperature only reaching 3C from a low of -1.5C with WNW to W winds gusting to 50 km/h. Cloud cover started at 10% altostratus and cumulus but increased after 0930 to 50-80% cumulus before diminishing to 30% after 1800, generally giving good observation conditions. Raptor migration started early with the first two Golden Eagles moving south at 0748 and after 0900 movement was strong all day until the last Golden Eagle was seen at 1855. The combined species total of 232, the Golden Eagle total of 133 (75a,21sa,28j,9u) and the Bald Eagle total of 13 (9a,3sa,1j) were all seasonal highs and an adult female Northern Harrier, an adult Peregrine Falcon and 5 adult Cooper’s Hawks all extended their species record counts. The 64 Sharp-shinned Hawks was the highest count since September 22, and 2 of the 8 Red-tailed Hawks were adult dark morph “Harlan’s Hawks”. The highest hourly count was 1100-1200 when a season high 56 raptors moved including 40 Golden Eagles. There was some songbird movement dominated by 98 American Robins, and a group of 3 Pine Grosbeaks were the first for the season [bird species # 88]. A single “Yellow-shafted” Northern Flicker was also a seasonal first. 12.5 hours (470.63) OSPR 1 (46), BAEA 13 (45), NOHA 1 (86), SSHA 64 (895), COHA 5 (280), NOGO 3 (90), UA 1 (34), RTHA 8 (166), GOEA 133 (645), PEFA 1 (42), PRFA 1 (11), UU 1 (10) TOTAL 232 (2510)
Mount Lorette [Day 11] (Joel Duncan) The temperature ranged from -4C to 8C with ground winds SW 10-20 km/h and W-NW ridge winds rated as moderate. Cloud cover increased to a maximum 90% cumulus and altostratus at 1300 before gradually decreasing again to 10% at 1900. Of the day’s total of 52 migrant raptors 46 were Golden Eagles that moved between 0825 and 1901 with 11 of the Golden Eagles seen between 1700 and 1800. Other migrants included a Herring Gull, 3 Townsend’s Solitaires and 18 American Pipits. 11.25 hours (146.17) BAEA 1 (11), SSHA 1 (39), NOGO 1 (12), RTHA 1 (16), RLHA 2 (5), GOEA 46 (401) TOTAL 52 (501)