April 30 [Day 63] (Valley View site) The temperature ranged from -7C to 7.5C with variable light ground winds and upper winds that varied from E to W to N and which were also mainly light. Cloud cover ranged from 100% to 70% cumulus, altostratus and cirrus clouds allowing hazy sunshine all day. The only migrant raptor seen before 1500 was an adult male columbarius Merlin that perched for a couple of minutes before flying north at 1016. The other 16 migrants moved after 1509 and included 8 Golden Eagles (1 subadult and 7 juveniles), 2 adult Cooper’s Hawks (only the 3rd and 4th of the season), a male American Kestrel (the first ever seen at the site in April), and the last bird of the day at 1853 was an adult light morph Swainson’s Hawk, the first of the season. There was a significant songbird movement after 1700 including a flock of 160 American Robins and 500 Grey-crowned Rosy-Finches that flew north in 3 flocks, and 5 American Pipits were the first seen at the site in April. 12.5 hours (696.5) BAEA 2 (416), SSHA 2 (37), COHA 2 (4), SWHA 1 (1), GOEA 8 (2611), AMKE 1 (1) MERL 1 (22) TOTAL 17 (3420)
April Summary Four full days were lost because of poor weather and a further 4 days were somewhat shortened because of weather. The 26 days spent in the field during April was the same as last year but the 304.7 hours was 6.1% less. During the month we counted a total of 797 migrant raptors of 17 species which is 34.24% lower than last April’s count with most of the deficit resulting from low counts of Sharp-shinned Hawks (30, -73.2%), Cooper’s Hawks (4, -76.5%), Red-tailed Hawks (132, -23.3%) and Golden Eagles (347, -46.29%). Other counts lower than last April’s count were Turkey Vulture (2, -33.3%), Northern Harrier (15, -21.1%), Northern Goshawk (47, -4.1%), Ferruginous Hawk (4, -55.6%), Peregrine Falcon (3, -25%) and Prairie Falcon (2, -75%), and no Broad-winged Hawks were counted this year compared with 2 last April. By contrast Bald Eagles (163, +34.7%), Rough-legged Hawks (9, +80%), Merlins (17, +30.8%) and Gyrfalcons (4, +33.3%) occurred in higher numbers than last year, while the single Swainson’s Hawk was the same as last year and an American Kestrel was the first counted in April. Compared to April 30, 2008 this year’s combined species count to date is 445 birds fewer, while the Golden Eagle count is 169 birds fewer.