March 2 [Day 15] (Valley View site) This was the warmest day so far this season with a temperature of 4C at 0700 rising to 11C at 1300 and falling to 6C at 1800. Ground winds were mainly W-NW occasionally gusting to 25 km/h, ridge winds were moderate WNW becoming moderate to strong after 1500 and cloud cover was 70-100% mainly altostratus giving hazy sunshine and good viewing conditions all day. A Rough-legged Hawk flying north at 0731 was the earliest migrant so far this season, and it was followed by an adult Golden Eagle at 0756, also the earliest so far, that raised hopes for a significant movement. The third migrant, however, did not appear until 1113 and movement continued to be slow until after1300 when 19 of the day’s 23 migrants occurred. These included 4 Bald Eagles moving between1327 and 1358, and 5 more between 1602 and 1638. The last of the day’s 11 Golden Eagles (10a and 1j) was still moving high to the north at 1815 and was the latest migrant so far this year. Resident pairs of Golden Eagles, Northern Goshawks and Prairie Falcons were conspicuous for much of the day. At 0953 a single Prairie Falcon displayed high to the east which involved it flying in broad circles for several minutes with continuous deep sweeping, fluid wing beats that appeared designed to accentuate its long slender wings making it appear almost tern-like. I have never seen this form of display before, nor have seen it described. It was exceedingly beautiful and I don’t know what effect it might have had on its mate but it certainly got me aroused! A total of 23 Canada Geese in flocks of 3, 7 and 13 flew high to the east over the Piitaistakis Ridge, presumably having flown from the Columbia Valley through the Crowsnest Pass. 11.33 hours (164.7) BAEA 10 (95), RLHA 2 (12), GOEA 11 (76) TOTAL 23 (195)
Mount Lorette [Day 2] (George Halmazna) The temperature rose to 10.5C from a low of -3C, ground winds were light until late afternoon when they gusted to 24 km/h, and cloud cover was 80-90% cirrostratus becoming altostratus thinning to 70% in late afternoon. Rough-legged Hawks at 1015 and 1624 were the first and last of the 4 raptors seen, with an adult Golden Eagle at 1259 and an adult Northern Goshawk making up the total. 11.5 hours (22.25) NOGO 1 (1), RLHA 2 (2), GOEA 1 (3) TOTAL 4 (7)