The Piitaistakis (South Livingstone Ridge)and Mt. Lorette Raptor Counts for the spring migration of 2010 are underway. Follow the daily movement of raptors in these field notes by Research Director Peter Sherrington and his citizen scientist colleagues.

Monday, May 17, 2010

May 17 [Day 84] (Piitaistakis Ridge site) The ridge was almost snow-free and the remaining drifts at the site disappeared as the temperature reached 20.5C at 1700 from a low of 13C and was 16.5C at 1900. Winds were generally calm or light SW-WSW except for 1645-1730 when the wind was WSW 20-25 gusting 30 km/h, and cloud cover was 70-100% cirrus, cirrostratus and cumulus all day giving hazy sunshine and excellent viewing conditions. Between 0800 and 1400 each hour yielded one migrant raptor, the first 3 being an immature male richardsonii Merlin and 2 female American Kestrels. No migrants were seen between 1321 and 1645 at which time an adult light morph Swainson’s Hawk moved north with a Sharp-shinned Hawk followed 3 minutes later by 2 juvenile light morph Ferruginous Hawks, which is the first record of the species since April 1st. The commonest migrant, however, remained Golden Eagle with 3 subadults and 2 juvenile birds moving between 1227 and the last migrant of the day at 1833. The total bird count was 26 species, which is a marked improvement over the 11 recorded 4 days ago, and included 2 Violet-green Swallows which is only the second record for the ridge. Three Western White butterflies were new for the season. 12.5 hours (964.4) SSHA 2 (77), SWHA 1 (4), FEHA 2 (5), GOEA 5 (2179), AMKE 2 (5), MERL 1 (11) TOTAL 13 (3019)

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