March 2 [Day 13] (Valley View site) The temperature was already 3C at 0715 and rose to a season high 10C at 1400. Ground winds were W-WNW occasionally gusting to 30 km/h but often less than 10 km/h, while the ridge and upper winds were consistently W moderate to strong. Cloud cover was 80-100% stratocumulus and cumulus until 1800 when the cloud cleared to 40%. For the first time this year we had light rain showers in the morning and again in the late afternoon, but apart from some minor cloud drape in the early morning the ridges were clear all day. The day’s first bird, a Golden Eagle, did not appear until 1054 but subsequently raptor movement was steady until the passage of the day’s second adult Northern Goshawk at 1730. The total of 35 Golden Eagles was the highest so far, all birds were adults and 10 of them occurred between 1200 and 1300. The season’s 100th Golden Eagle passed at 1412, the earliest date that we have reached the three-figure mark for the species by one day: the previous earliest was March 3 2000 at Mount Lorette. Bald Eagles, which have been rather sparse for a few days, suddenly moved in good numbers with 11 of the day’s 12 birds migrating between 1408 and 1614: all were adults with the exception of 1 late subadult bird. The spring-like morning weather inspired a male Pine Grosbeak to sing, and produced the season’s first American Robin at 0948. 11.16 hours (131.8) BAEA 12 (75), NOGO 2 (4), GOEA 35 (110) TOTAL 49 (195)
The weather conditions at Mount Lorette were similar, but Joel Duncan recorded only 5 adult Golden Eagles, the first 2 of which did not appear until around 1417 and the last 3, together with a Rough-legged Hawk didn’t move until around 1700. Joel also recorded an American Robin and a probable Varied Thrush sang once late in the day. 9.5 hours (21) RLHA 1 (1), GOEA 5 (11) TOTAL 6 (13)