April 4 [Day 40] (Valley View site) Light snow continued until 1000 and the ridges didn’t fully clear until the early afternoon. The temperature rose to 4C from a low of -6C, ground winds were variable and light while the winds at ridge level were also light to possibly moderate SE to 1100 then SW to 1600 and finally E for the rest of the day. Cloud cover of 80-100% stratus and cumulus to 1400 gave way to progressively diminishing cumulus which essentially disappeared after 1830. The light winds meant that most birds moved to the west of the Livingstone Ridge, soaring high to the south of us before gliding high to the north above the valley. The day’s first migrant raptor, an adult Northern Goshawk, was not seen until 1140 and by 1600 only 7 migrants had been recorded. After 1600, however, movement significantly increased with the next 4 hours yielding 18, 18 10 and 7 migrants respectively with the last bird, a Red-tailed Hawk gliding slowly to the N at 1952. Movement was generally slow with eagles sometimes soaring for as much as 11 minutes before gliding to the north: at 1657 8 Bald Eagles soared together, and the day’s total of 27 (17 adults, 7 subadults and 2 juveniles) is the second highest this season. The 27 Golden Eagles counted included a season high 37% immature birds (8 subadults and 2 juveniles), and all 5 migrant Buteos were dark morphs: 3 adult Red-tailed Hawks, 1 adult Ferruginous Hawk and 1 Rough-legged Hawk. The clear and relatively warm afternoon weather produced a varied passerine movement for the first time in a while and the day’s total bird species count reached 30 for the first time this season. 13.08 hours (428) BAEA 26 (282), NOGO 2 (52), RTHA 3 (19), FEHA 1 (2), RLHA 1 (17), GOEA 27 (2311) TOTAL 60 (2711)
Mount Lorette (Doug Pedersen) The temperature ranged from -10C to 4C, ground winds were light and ridge winds were SW moderate to strong. Skies were cloudless to 1100 then 30-60% cumulus developed for the rest of the day giving excellent observing conditions. Only 2 birds moved before noon: a Bald Eagle and the season’s first Cooper’s Hawk, and the first of the day’s 47 Golden Eagles did not appear until 1308 with the last recorded at 1947. The 3 Red-tailed Hawks were also the first seen at the site this season and the 5 Bald Eagles is the highest daily count so far. 13.42 hours (346.3) BAEA 5 (47), COHA 1 (1), RTHA 3 (3), GOEA 47 (757) TOTAL 56 (827)