October 8 [Day 44] (Valley View site) The starting temperature was a season low -8C but it rose to 4C at 1600 before falling to -2C at 1700 after a cold front passed south at 1615. Ground winds were light variable, but ridge winds were WNW moderate to strong combing snow off the ridges until 1000, and cloud cover was 30-90% mainly altocumulus and altostratus giving excellent observing conditions until snow started and ridges rapidly became obscured after 1615. Raptor movement started early with the first Golden Eagle gliding south at 0732 followed 8 minutes later by 2 large falcons that were silhouetted against the early dawn light. The 4th bird, however, did not appear until 0939 and by noon only 15 birds had been recorded. The pace increased after 1200 with 30 more birds moving before 1400, 31 between 1400 and 1500 and 43 between 1500 and 1600 of which 30 moved in the first 15 minutes of the hour. Birds were obviously moving high and fast ahead of the approaching cold front with the last Golden Eagle moving south at 1611 just before the snow started. The flight of 121 birds was dominated by Golden Eagles (89: 50a,7sa,25j,7u) but there was a fair scattering of 7 other raptor species including the 5th latest Osprey recorded at the site raising the season’s record to 47, and the highest Rough-legged Hawk count (5) so far this season. 10 hours (522.13) OSPR 1 (47), BAEA 10 (57), SSHA 4 (915), COHA 6 (288), NOGO 1 (93), RTHA 3 (173), RLHA 5 (17), GOEA 89 (1080), UF 2 (2) TOTAL 121 (3015)
Mount Lorette [Day 16] (Joel Duncan) Because of an unexpected work emergency Joel didn’t arrive at the site until 1100 when the temperature was -1C which subsequently reached a high of 1C. Winds were light S until 1300 when they switched to N gusting 20 km/h and increased to gusts of 40 km/h as the cold front arrived at 1430 bringing snow. Cloud cover averaged 50% altostratus and cumulus to 1300 after which it was 100% stratus which progressively lowered and obscured most of the ridges by 1400. Raptor movement comprised 1 Sharp-shinned Hawk, 2 Rough-legged Hawks and 6 Golden Eagles, the last of which moved south at 1355. When the snow started Joel moved north to shelter under the eaves of one of the pump houses that serve the adjacent ski hill, and as the falling snow thickened an adult Grizzly Bear walked past him just 5 m away without appearing to notice him. The combination of weather and bear immediately ended any thought of prolonging the count and all that remained was driving the accident strewn trans-Canada Highway in white-out conditions back to Calgary. It was one of those days! 6 hours (199.84) SSHA 1 (43), RLHA 2 (8), GOEA 6 (841) TOTAL 9 (954)

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)