February 27 [Day 10] (Valley View site) It was much warmer today with the temperature reaching -1.5C from a low of -6C, but ground winds varying from NNE to W gusting between 20 and 50 km/h all day made it feel almost as cold as yesterday at times. Ridge winds were constantly WNW moderate to strong all day, and cloud cover was 20-40% cumulus, altostratus and cirrostratus producing a mainly sunny sun. Raptor migration started early with the first Golden Eagle appearing at 0755, the earliest so far this season, but the second bird, a Bald Eagle was not seen until 1018, and the third, a Golden Eagle not until 1319. Subsequently, however, movement became more frequent and the day’s total of 11 Golden Eagles was the second highest so far. The last bird moved north at 1745, the latest to date this season. 10.75 hours (98.6) BAEA 2 (58), GOEA 11 (56) TOTAL 13 (121)

February 26 [Day 9] (Valley View site) The temperature rose from -22C at 0900 to -15C at 1300 then rapidly fell to -23C once the sun fell behind the mountains to the west. Ground winds were generally light W-SW, ridge winds were also light and probably still SE while the upper wind was N. Cloud cover was initially 100% stratus with the Livingstone Ridge obscured at 0800, but by 0900 the cloud cover had started to thin and the ridge was almost clear. The clouds slowly cleared from the north and by 1430 the sky was cloudless, with the sun making the low temperatures easier to stand. The light winds and the probability that low cloud persisted over ridges to the south until late in the day meant that raptor movement was slow, with just 1 adult Bald Eagle and 2 adult Golden Eagles recorded between 1232 and 1558. 9.25 hours (87.75) BAEA 1 (56), GOEA 2 (45) TOTAL 3 (108)

February 25 [No observation] Heavy snow all day, winds SE 15-25 km/h, temperature -18 to -20 and everything obscured: not nice!

February 24 [No observation] With temperatures steadily falling from -7C to -11C, SE winds 20-25 km/h all day, steady snow all day and low cloud obscuring all ridges it was a good day to stay home.

February 23 [Day 8] (Valley View site) Steady moderate snow, -8C and low cloud obscuring all the ridges had me abandoning the site at 0900. Things started to improve after 1300 and I returned to the site at 1330 as the snow was tapering off and the ridges were almost clear. By 1400 the ridges were completely clear and remained so for the rest of the day, the temperature rose to -2C before falling to -6C at 1800 and winds were W light to moderate. The only migrant raptor seen, however, was an adult Bald Eagle that moved north just west of the ridge at 1543 with much flapping. A non-migrating Prairie Falcon flew south at 1615 and the resident Golden Eagles were in evidence including a displaying bird at 1737. 6.25 hours (78.5) BAEA 1 (55) TOTAL 1 (105)

February 22 [Day 7] (Valley View site) It was calm with occasional gusts to 6 km/h at the valley bottom until 1330 and it didn’t appear to be much windier on the ridge. Between 1330 and 1630 winds were W-WSW 5-10 gusting 15 km/h, dropping again to less than 5 km/h after 1630. The temperature reached a season high 9C from a low of -6C and cloud cover was 60-100% thin cirrostratus in the morning becoming 40-90% thin altocumulus and altostratus in the early afternoon that gradually thickened to 100% altostratus after 1530. Overall it felt like spring and coats were removed for the first time this season! The calm conditions meant that the first migrant raptor, an adult Golden Eagle, did not appear until 1244, and the second, an adult Bald Eagle, not until 1354. As the wind increased the flow of birds became more steady with 1500-1600 yielding 6 migrants (1 Bald Eagle, 1 Rough-legged Hawk and 4 Golden Eagles) and 1700-1800 5 migrants (2 Rough-legged Hawks, 2 Golden Eagles and the season’s first Prairie Falcon at 1718). The day’s last migrant was a subadult Golden eagle at 1739. The Golden Eagle recorded at 1701 was the 100th raptor of the season and represents the earliest date that we have reached a three-figure total; 8 days earlier than last year’s previous record on March 1st (last year was a leap-year). Both Bald Eagle (54) and Golden Eagle (43) have already established new February record counts and Rough-legged Hawk (4) has equaled the month’s high count. The weather forecast for the coming week, however, suggests that we may have seen most of the month’s movement already, with snow predicted for the rest of the month. Bohemian Waxwings continue to appear in good numbers with 225 counted today. A single White-winged Crossbill flying north just after 0800 was a first February record for the site, as was a single Canada Goose flying high to the west at 1722, 14 days earlier than last year’s first occurrence. 11 hours (72.25) BAEA 7 (54), RLHA 3 (4), GOEA 7 (43), PRFA 1 (1) TOTAL 18 (104)

February 21 [Day 6] (Valley View site) (Bill Wilson) The temperature rose to 7C from a low of -2C and ground winds were variably NE to NW to SSE generally 5-15 gusting 25 km/h occasionally reaching 40 km/h, while ridge winds were generally NW moderate to strong. Cloud cover was 10% or less cirrostratus and cirrus to 1500 after which 70-80% typical high-wind altostratus and altocumulus cloud developed, diminishing to 30% at 1800. It was another record February count day setting a new Bald Eagle single-day high of 18 birds and a combined-species count of 24 birds, only 5 of which were Golden Eagles. A Rough-legged Hawk at 1658 was the first for the season and the earliest recorded at the site: the first bird seen last year was on February 28. The first and last migrants, both adult Bald Eagles, occurred at 0806 and 1743 respectively which are both the earliest and latest recorded this season so far, and maximum passage was 7 birds (5 Bald and 2 Golden Eagles) between 1500 and 1600. Migrant Bohemian Waxwings were seen for the first time with flocks of 60 and 40 passing. 10.83 hours (61.25) BAEA 18 (47), RLHA 1 (1), GOEA 5 (36) TOTAL 24 (86)

February 20 [Day 5] (Valley View site) Cloud cover was initially 100% stratocumulus from which very light snow fell until 0930, but then the cloud quickly broke up and thinned producing an afternoon of variable amounts of very thin cirrostratus which was generally sufficient to make for reasonably good observation conditions. Winds were light in the morning, initially ENE then backing to W and SW and freshening to moderate occasionally gusting to 18 km/h in the afternoon, and the temperature rose to 3.5C from a low of -10C. The light winds produced no raptors in the morning and the first migrant, a Golden Eagle, was not seen until 1205, and the second 2 Golden Eagles not until 1425. These were the only non-adult raptors seen all day: a subadult and the season’s first migrant juvenile. Movement then became steady with a further 19 migrants migrating north with a maximum movement of 7 birds (3 Bald Eagles, 1 Northern Goshawk and 3 Golden Eagles) from 1600 to 1700. The last migrant was a Golden Eagle at 1717 which is the latest seen so far this season. The total of 12 Golden Eagles represents the earliest ever two-figure count for the species on an RMERF count, the previous earliest being 10 birds counted on February 23 at Mount Lorette in 1999 and also last year at this site. The combined species count of 22 is the highest ever for a February RMERF count, beating the 20 counted on February 29 2000 at Mount Lorette. The resident pair of Golden Eagles was seen perched together on a snag near one of the nest sites at 1215. The male appeared to try to mount the female who was apparently having none of it and immediately flew away. 12.67 hours (50.42) BAEA 9 (29), NOGO 1 (2), GOEA 12 (31) TOTAL 22 (62)

February 19 [Day 4] (Valley View site) Ground winds were variably NNW to WSW all day gusting 25 to 38 km/h, while ridge winds were consistently moderate to strong from the WNW. The temperature ranged from -2C to 3.5C and sky conditions were again excellent for observation with 30-100% mixtures of altostratus, cirrostratus, cumulus and cirrus cloud generally allowing enough sun to counteract the chilling wind. There was again a good raptor movement for this early in the season with a slow but steady movement of eagles between 0859 and 1554. All the birds were adults with the exception of a single subadult Golden Eagle and the total of 7 Golden Eagles was the highest so far this season. Five Common Redpolls were the first this season, with the species being very uncommon in the area this winter. 10.5 hours (39.75) BAEA 5 (20), GOEA 7 (19) TOTAL 12 (40)

February 18 [Day 3] (Valley View site) It was the warmest day so far with a low of only -1C and a high of 4C. Winds were NW to 1100 then backed to W-SW, gusting to 25 km/h until 1630 after which the ground wind died to almost nothing. Ridge winds were probably moderate to strong until around 1630 when they also appeared to become light. Cloud cover was a mixture of 60-90% altocumulus, altostratus, cirrus and cumulus for most of the day giving excellent observing conditions. Raptor movement started early with the first of the day’s 9 Bald Eagles moving north at 0826 and a further Bald Eagle and 2 Golden Eagles moving before noon. Maximum passage was 1400-1500 which saw the movement of 7 raptors: 5 Bald and 2 Golden Eagles, and the first Northern Goshawk of the season, an adult, migrated north at 1557. The last raptor was a subadult Golden Eagle at 1636 after which the wind died and movement stopped. The resident Golden Eagle pair and a juvenile bird were again in evidence, with the male seen displaying at 1425 for the first time this season. There was a late afternoon movement of Common Ravens flying to the north and west, presumably to roost, involving 194 birds in less than an hour. 10.75 hours (29.25) BAEA 9 (15), NOGO 1 (1), GOEA 6 (12) TOTAL 16 (28)

February 17 [Day 2] (Valley View site) It was quite a pleasant day for February with the temperature rising to 2C from an early morning low of -12C and an excellent observation cloud cover of 100% cirrostratus until after 1600 when 80-90% altostratus and cirrus developed. Ground winds were variable and light in the morning, becoming mainly WSW to W in the afternoon gusting to 25 km/h. The first migrant raptor seen this season was a late subadult Golden Eagle that moved north at 1225, followed by 3 adult birds over the next hour. The first Bald Eagle of the season was an adult at 1436 quickly followed by a juvenile 4 minutes later. The following hour saw the passage of only one adult Golden Eagle but 1600-1700 was the most productive hour with 3 more adult Bald Eagles and an adult Golden Eagle, while the last bird of the day was an adult Bald Eagle at 1710. The day’s total of 12 migrant raptors was the earliest double-figure count ever on an RMERF spring count. The resident Golden Eagle pair was seen together at 1436, and a non-migrant juvenile spent about 20 minutes hunting the ridge before finally heading south. A Northern Pygmy-Owl singing briefly at 0916 rounded out the day’s raptors. 10.5 hours (18.5) BAEA 6 (6), GOEA 6 (6) TOTAL 12 (12)

February 16 [No observation]

February 15 [Day 1] Observation was from the Valley View site to the west of the Piitaistakis Ridge. After 4 days of snow leaving 5 cm of snow on the ground, the ridges were clear until 1500 when the mountains of the southern Livingstone Range became obscured. The temperature rose to -7C from a low of -16C, winds at the ridge level were W light to moderate and cloud cover varied from 70-10% cumulus until 1400 when 100% stratocumulus developed producing light flurries then light snow after 1500. Despite reasonable migration and observation conditions for much of the day no migrant raptors were seen although one of the resident adult Golden Eagles appeared from time to time after 1300. 8 hours (8) no migrant raptors (0)