March 18 [Day 30] (Valley View site) The temperature rose to 3C at 1200 then fell to -2C at 1500 as heavy snow fell, recovered to 0C at 1800 and was -1C at 1900. Ground winds were generally light W to noon then NE to variable after, and ridge winds were WNW light to moderate to around 1330 when they switched to NE. Initial cloud cover was 5% altocumulus but it quickly thickened to 100% altostratus, then stratocumulus as the first light snow began at 1216 which became moderate to heavy wet snow (3 cm fresh) between 1500 and 1700. Ridges were obscured between 1400 and 1730 but then cleared until 1845 when fresh snowfall obscured everything again and I gave up on the day at 1910. Light winds meant that there was no early raptor movement and the first Golden Eagles that moved north between 1025 and 1056 were very low and unable to get any lift. A slight freshening of the wind from the west after 1100, however, immediately led to a strong movement of Golden Eagles along the Piitaistakis Ridge with 40 birds going north before noon, which is the highest hourly count so far this season. This movement quickly faded, however and only 20 more Golden Eagles were counted with the last moving north at 1405 as the last of the ridges were disappearing under low cloud and snow. Only 1 Bald Eagle at 1814 took advantage of the brief clearing during the evening, so after one splendid hour the day’s final count of 2 adult Bald Eagles, 1 juvenile Northern Goshawk and 62 adult Golden Eagles was disappointing. A flock of 32 unidentified swans flew high to the east at 1224 as did a flock of 34 Canada Geese at 1310, and a total of 80 European Starlings in two flocks moved north before the snow started. 11.67 hours (341) BAEA 2 (214), NOGO 1 (24), GOEA 62 (952) TOTAL 65 (1217)

Mount Lorette [Day 18] (Joel Duncan) The temperature only varied between -2C and 0C, ground winds were N 5-10 gusting 20 km/h and ridge winds were N-NE light to moderate. Cloud cover was mainly 100% stratocumulus and cumulus occasionally reducing to 60% with the ridges cloud covered between 100 and 50% except between 1400 and 1600 when the eastern ridges completely cleared. Snow showers persisted all day lasting up to 30 minutes, although there was no significant accumulation on the ground. The only migrant raptor was a juvenile Bald Eagle moving over Hummingbird Plume Hill at 1222, but the first American Crow and Song Sparrow of the season at the site were seen, and 228 Bohemian Waxwings enlivened what was otherwise a dull day. At 1630 Joel moved east to the Lusk Creek site, but conditions were no better there and he called it a day at 1900. 10 hours (195.7) BAEA 1 (40) TOTAL 1 (664)