March 18 [Day 25] (Valley View site) It was finally a reasonably pleasant day with the temperature reaching 4C from a low of -7, ground winds WNW to SW moderate in the morning but gusting 60-70 km/h between 1430 and 1630 (ensuring that it wasn’t too pleasant!) and ridge winds WNW moderate to strong all day. Cloud cover was mainly cumulus and altostratus gradually thickening from 20% early in the morning to 100% at 1900 which provided excellent observation conditions all day. Raptor movement started at 0818 and steadily increased throughout the day peaking between 1700 and 1900 with the passage of 35 Golden Eagles and persisting until 1936 when the last Golden Eagle went north (the latest yet). The Golden Eagle total of 197 (193 adults, 2 subadults and 2 juveniles) is the highest ever daily spring count for the site (cf. 192 on March 17 last year), as is the combined species total of 214 (cf. 201 on March 17 last year). The 15 Bald Eagles (all adults) is the second highest count for season after the 18 counted on February 21. A Golden Eagle recorded at 1719 was the 1000th migrant raptor of the season, the mark being reached 2 days later than it was last year. 12.42 hours (265.5) BAEA 15 (130), RLHA 1 (8), GOEA 197 (912), PRFA 1 (2) TOTAL 214 (1061)
Mount Lorette (Alan Hingston) Conditions were similar with the temperature ranging from -7C to 3C with moderate to strong W winds all day, and the count of 48 Golden Eagles was also the highest for the site so far this year. 11.67 hours (170.4) BAEA 1 (13), GOEA 48 (212), UE 1 (3) TOTAL 50 (236)