April 6 [Day 49] (Valley View site) The temperature rose to 7C at 1700 from a low of -0.5C, ground winds were N-WNW gusting 20 km/h until 1330 after which they were SW gusting 25 km/h becoming light after 1900, and ridge winds were WNW moderate to strong all day. Cloud cover was 100% altostratus and cumulus until 1600 when the cloud began to clear from the west diminishing to 40% at 1800 and allowing some very welcome sunshine. Raptor movement started with an adult Golden Eagle gliding north at 0752, but I had to wait until 1028 for the second after which movement was fairly slow but steady until 1832 when a juvenile Golden Eagle glided north along the Livingstone Ridge after first soaring very high above the ridge. The day’s flight comprised 3 adult Bald Eagles, 5 light morph calurus Red-tailed Hawks (4a,1u), 15 Golden Eagles (7a,6sa,2j) and the season’s first richardsonii Merlin: an adult male. Two resident pairs of Red-tailed Hawks were conspicuous hunting and displaying all day, the pair closest to the site comprising a rufous morph male and a light morph female which is the same combination (and may well be the same birds) as in the last two springs. 12.5 hours (570.6) BAEA 3 (336), RTHA 5 (46), GOEA 15 (1976), MERL 1 (5) TOTAL 24 (2487)

Mount Lorette [Day 37] (Cliff Hansen and Ron Dutcher after 1330) The temperature reached 5C at 1700 from a low of -2C, ground winds were W 5-10 km/h gusting to 20 km/h in the afternoon, and switching to S after 1530, ridge winds were moderate W all day, and cloud cover was initially 100% altostratus and altocumulus becoming cumulus in the afternoon and diminishing to 20% by the end of the day. Ron described observing conditions as “wonderful” but probably in the sense of “I wonder where the migrant raptors are” as both observers failed to record any! 12.25 hours (421.2) No migrant raptors (1239)