The South Livingstone Raptor Count for the spring migration of 2009 has now begun. First official day of counting began on 15th February 2009. Follow the daily movement of raptors on this blog updated daily by Peter Sherrington.

Saturday, May 9, 2009

May 9 [Day 72] (Valley View site) (Bill Wilson) The temperature reached a high of 10C from a low of -1C, ground winds were very variable and generally light and ridge winds were also mainly light. Cloud cover was 30-80% cumulus until noon after which it was 90-100% stratus and cumulus as periods of rain and hail developed in mid afternoon with the ridges partially obscured, and rain again developed after 1915 as a thunderstorm moved in from the WNW. It was another day of good raptor movement for May, with the first of 37 migrants, a juvenile Golden Eagle, moving at 0855, and with the exception of a period of rain from 1300 to 1440 there was steady movement throughout until the last juvenile Golden Eagle was logged at 1850. Maximum movement was 9 birds from 1100-1200 and again from 1800 to 1900. The 5 Northern Harriers (all adults: 1 male and 4 females) was the highest daily count so far, the 10 Golden Eagles comprised 3 subadults, 5 juveniles and 2 birds of unknown age, and a light morph Rough-legged Hawk at 1246 was the first seen in May at the site. The latest record of the species on a RMERF count, however, was May 16 at Mount Lorette. A male Brown-headed Cowbird was the first for the season and 7 days earlier than last year’s first occurrence, and a female Spruce Grouse was the first recorded on a spring count here. 13.33 hours (809.4) OSPR 1 (17), BAEA 1 (427), NOHA 5 (26), SSHA 3 (70), COHA 3 (13), NOGO 4 (104), RTHA 6 (176), RLHA 1 (26), GOEA 10 (2674), UE 1 (2) AMKE 1 (6), UF (large) 1 (3) TOTAL 37 (3609)

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