May 25 [Day 87] (Piitaistakis Ridge) The temperature only varied from 9C to 11C and upslope conditions with E to ENE winds persisted until noon when showers started moving from the NW which recurred sporadically throughout the afternoon. After 1700 winds changed to S but despite the changes in wind direction the wind never exceed 15 km/h. Cloud cover was 10% altostratus to 0900 after which thick stratocumulus cloud moved slowly from the north and we experienced 80-100% cloud cover for the rest of the day. Non-migratory and resident Osprey, Bald Eagle, Cooper’s Hawk, Red-tailed Hawk, Golden Eagle (still occasionally displaying) and Prairie Falcon were in evidence, but the only migrant was a subadult Golden Eagle that glided low over our heads at 1745. It was a perfect way to end the spring 2009 season. At 1055 a flock of 45 Canada Geese, most showing extensive moult flew high to the east over the ridge, and at 1440 6 American White Pelicans flew very high to the north well to the E of the ridge. Three Cedar Waxwings were first occurrences for the season and the final total bird count was 17,638 birds of 95 species. 12.5 hours (993.4) GOEA 1 (2737) TOTAL 1 (3837)
May summary Only one full day (May 18) was lost to unfavourable weather and we spent a total of 24 days (296.9 hours) in the field, the last 15 days being spent on the ridge. The days and hours are 26.3% and 26.74% higher than last year’s effort respectively. During this time we recorded 417 migrant raptors of 17 species with the total being 23% higher than last May’s count. The relative lateness of this years movement meant that most species occurred in higher numbers than last year’s May count: Osprey 13 (+85.7%), Bald Eagle 23 (+9.52%), Northern Harrier 22 (+175%), Sharp-shinned Hawk 89 (+7.23%), Broad-winged Hawk 8 (+60%), Swainson’s Hawk 6 (+500%), Red-tailed Hawk 66 (+120%), Ferruginous Hawk 6 (+500%), Rough-legged Hawk 1 (not recorded in May last year), Golden Eagle 126 (+13.51%), American Kestrel 6 (+100%) and Peregrine Falcon 3 (+ 50%). The count of 2 Merlins was the same as last year, while only Turkey Vulture 4 (-20%), Cooper’s Hawk 15 (-28.6%), Northern Goshawk 18 (-33.3%) and Prairie Falcon 2 (-60%) occurred in numbers lower than last year’s May count. Compared to last year the season’s combined species count was 367 birds (- 8.73%) lower than last year with most of the deficit resulting from a Golden Eagle Count that was 244 birds (-8.19%) lower than last year. The decline in the number of Golden Eagles on our spring counts continues.

FINAL COUNT (February 15 to May 25)
(Percentage variance from spring 2008 Piitaistakis-South Livingstone count in parenthesis)
[Percentage variance from average complete counts at Mount Lorette 1993-2007 in square brackets]

DAYS 87 (+3.57) [+8.84]
HOURS 993.4 (+1.83) [+14.98]

TURKEY VULTURE (TUVU) 6 (-25) [+592.3]
OSPREY (OSPR) 23 (+9.52) [+19.7]
BALD EAGLE (BAEA) 439 (-3.1) [+99.55]
NORTHERN HARRIER (NOHA) 37 (+32.1) [+280.1]
SHARP-SHINNED HAWK (SSHA) 126 (-36) [+82.08]
COOPER’S HAWK (COHA) 19 (-51) [+2.89]
NORTHERN GOSHAWK (NOGO) 113 (-18) [+251.7]
Accipiter sp. (UA) 4 (-50) [+42.86]
BROAD-WINGED HAWK (BWHA) 8 (+14.3) [+361.5]
SWAINSON’S HAWK (SWHA) 7 (+250) [+854.5]
RED-TAILED HAWK (RTHA) 213 (-6.2) [+357.1]
FERRUGINOUS HAWK (FEHA) 11 (0) [+1550]
ROUGH-LEGGED HAWK (RLHA) 26 (+62.5) [+32.2]
Buteo sp. (UB) 2 (-50) [+20]
GOLDEN EAGLE (GOEA) 2737 (-8.19) [-15.19]
Eagle sp. (UE) 2 (-78) [+20]
AMERICAN KESTREL (AMKE) 7 (+75) [+1.94]
MERLIN (MERL) 24 (+33.3) [+127.8]
GYRFALCON (GYRF) 5 (0) [+212.5]
PEREGRINE FALCON (PEFA) 8 (+33.3) [+249.9]
PRAIRIE FALCON (PRFA) 15 (-12) [+324.5]
Falco sp. (UF) 3 (+200) [+275]
Unidentified Raptor (UU) 1 (-67) [-34.8]

TOTAL 3837 (-8.73) [+3.92]

Principal Observers: Peter Sherrington (77 days), Vance Mattson (4 days), Bill Wilson (3 days) and Doug and Teresa Dolman (2 days), with assistance from Keith McClary (39 days), Denise Coccioloni-Amatto (27 days), Phil Nicholas (20 days), Raymond Toal (14 days), Nel Van Kamer (10 days), Doug and Teresa Dolmen (8 days), Peter Sherrington (8 days), Pat Lucas (3 days), Rob Domenech (2 days), Fred Tilley (2 days), Paul Vandervelde (2 days), Karola Michalsky (2 days), Dawn Hall (1 day), Vance Mattson (1 day), Richard Ellis (1 day), Chris and Trish Hunt (1 day), David Thomas (1 day) and Michael Woertman (1 day).

Acknowledgements: To the members and supporters of the Rocky Mountain Eagle Research Foundation for their continuing financial support, and to members of the Crowsnest Conservation Society for their support and many contributions to the success of the project. To Dale and Karen Paton who welcomed us to watch from their property near the base of the ridge until the snow melted sufficiently to allow us to watch from the ridge top, and to Denise Coccioloni-Amatto and Nel Van Kamer who generously provided pre-prepared dinners that allowed me more time to sleep than would have otherwise been the case.