April 7 [Day 50] (Valley View site) It was another high wind day with mainly W-SW winds gusting 50-60 and occasionally 70 km/h, with strong WNW ridge winds all day. The temperature rose to 8C from a low of 0C and cloud cover was 60-100% altostratus, lenticular, altocumulus, cumulus and cirrus giving an excellent observation background. Raptor movement was again thin with only 9 birds moving between 1017 and 1646, including 1 juvenile Bald Eagle and 5 Golden Eagles: 3 adults, 1 subadult and 1 juvenile. 12.25 (582.9) BAEA 1 (336), NOGO 1 (68), RTHA 2 (48), GOEA 5 (1981) TOTAL 9 (2496)

Mount Lorette [Day 38] (Ron Dutcher, and Cliff Hansen after 1400) The temperature reached 5C at 1500 from a low of 1C, surface winds were W becoming SW at 1500, 10-20 gusting 30 km/h, ridge winds were strong W all day and cloud cover was 80-100% stratocumulus, cumulus and lenticular. Only 6 migrants were recorded between 0927 and 1812: 1 late subadult Bald Eagle and 5 Golden Eagles (3a,1j,1u) 12 hours (433.2) BAEA 1 (77), GOEA 5 (1117) TOTAL 6 (1245)

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)

April 5 [Day 48] (Valley View site) Ground winds were variable and light all day, ridge winds were light to moderate W, cloud cover was mainly 100% altostratus and altocumulus and the temperature reached 9C at 1300 from a low of -7C. Despite what appeared to be reasonable migration and observing conditions, only 4 migrant raptors were seen: 1 juvenile Bald Eagle, 1 adult light morph Red-tailed Hawk and 2 Golden Eagles (1a,1sa) that moved between 1106 and 1534. 11.5 hours (558.1) BAEA 1 (332), RTHA 1 (41), GOEA 2 (1961) TOTAL 4 (2463)

Mount Lorette [Day 36] (Jim Davis) Weather condition were almost identical with the temperature reaching a high of 10C at 1400 from a low of -9C, ground winds were light W and ridge winds light to moderate SW all day, and cloud cover was altostratus and altocumulus thickening to 80% in the afternoon. Raptor migration, however, was much better and probably represented birds that passed P-SL yesterday afternoon, with 14 of the day’s 22 Golden Eagles (10a,3sa,3j,6u) moving across Mount Allan to the west of the site. Two Adult Bald Eagles and an adult light morph Red-tailed Hawk completed the count of 25 birds, most of which moved in the morning and early afternoon, with none recorded after 1700 as snow developed south of the site. An unusual interaction in the afternoon saw a resident adult Golden Eagle perched on a crag near Olympic Summit on Mount Allan flushed by a passing Grey Wolf, the eagle returning to its perch after the wolf had gone. 12.42 hours (409) BAEA 2 (76), RTHA 1 (7), GOEA 22 (1112) TOTAL 25 (1239)

April 4 [Day 47] (Valley View site) The temperature rose from a low of -3.5C to 5C at 1400 and was 2C at 1900, ground winds were mainly SW gusting to 35 km/h and ridge winds were WNW-NW strong to moderate, becoming moderate after 1700. Cloud cover ranged from 80 down to 30% mainly cumulus and very thin cirrostratus giving generally good to excellent observing conditions. A total of 36 raptors of only 3 species migrated between 1050 and 1757 with 27 of the birds moving between 1300 and 1700, the flight comprising 2 adult Northern Goshawks, 5 adult Red-tailed Hawks (3 light calurus, 2 dark harlani) and 29 Golden Eagles (16a,9sa,4j). Around 0830 5 species of woodpecker were present simultaneously near the site: a male American Three-toed Woodpecker was drumming on a snag to the south on which a pair of Downy Woodpeckers was also perched, a female Hairy Woodpecker was feeding on a tree to the east, and to the north a Pileated Woodpecker was calling while two male Northern [Red-shafted] Flickers were bickering in a grove of aspens. 12 hours (546.6) NOGO 2 (67), RTHA 5 (40) GOEA 29 (1959) TOTAL 36 (2459)

Mount Lorette [Day 35] (Bill Wilson) The temperature rose to 3C from a low of -6C and by 2000 had fallen again to -4C, ground winds were SW-W 5-10 gusting 20 km/h and ridge winds were moderate W all day. Cloud cover was 90-5% mainly cumulus with some thin cirrus developed in the morning. The first Golden Eagle of the day appeared at 0906 but the second did not move until 1352 which was followed by 17 more eagles, 8 of which (1 adult Bald Eagle and 7 Golden Eagles), were seen between 1700 and 1800, with the last Golden Eagle flying NW at 1907. The Golden Eagle count comprised 7 adults, 4 subadults, 3 juveniles and 3 birds of unknown age. 14.33 hours (396.6) BAEA 1 (74), GOEA 17 (1090), UE 1 (11) TOTAL 19 (1214)

April 3 [Day 46] (Valley View site) The day was characterised by high winds which at ground level were WSW-SW gusting 40-60 km/h for most of the day and peaked at 70 km/h between 1150 and 1230, while ridge winds were W becoming strong after 0900 and probably reaching 100 km/h at times. The temperature rose to a high of 4C at 1500 from a low of -2C, and cloud cover was mainly 100% stratocumulus and cumulus until 1600 when it began to break up, diminishing to 70-80% cumulus and altocumulus by late afternoon. Light snow fell to 1020 partially obscuring the ridges, but subsequently they were perfectly clear all day. The very high winds, as they usually do, proved inimical to raptor movement with only 8 birds moving between 1004 and 1654, 6 of which were Golden Eagles (3a,2sa,1j). 12.25 hours UA 1 (3), RTHA 1 (35), GOEA 6 (1930) TOTAL 8 (2423)

Mount Lorette [Day 34] (Jim Davis) Conditions were even worse at Mount Lorette where the temperature ranged from -3C to 1C, ground and ridge winds were
strong SW all day and cloud cover was 100% stratus which lowered over the Fisher Range around 1030 at which point Jim decamped to the Lusk Creek site where the highest foothills ridge remained below cloud base although the winds were just as fierce. Two Golden Eagles moved at 0944 before the cloud descended
and at Lusk Creek during clear periods another 10 Golden Eagles, a Northern Goshawk and the season’s first Prairie Falcon moved north. The 12 Golden Eagles comprised 7 adults, 2 subadults and 3 birds of unknown age. 12.17 hours (382.2) NOGO 1 (19), GOEA 12 (1073), PRFA 1 (1) TOTAL 14 (1195)

April 2 [Day 45] (Valley View site) The temperature reached 4C at 1400 from a low of -2C, ground winds were W-SW gusting to 25 km/h and ridge winds were W all day, generally moderate but moderate to strong between 0930 and 1430. Cloud cover was 70-100% cumulus and cirrostratus to 1400 after which it became thick stratus and cumulus giving gloomy light conditions for the rest of the day. Moderate snow fell between 0800 and 0850 during which time the ridges were obscured, but otherwise they remained clear. Raptor movement was steady but slow between 1024 and 1918 with only 24 birds of 4 species passing: 1 adult Bald Eagle, 1 adult male Northern Harrier, 5 light morph calurus Red-tailed Hawks and 17 Golden Eagles (8a,7sa,2j). It appeared that the mountains to the south were periodically obscured throughout the day producing the slow, sporadic movement. The season’s first Northern Shrike [species #48] perched on a snag just south of the site from which it persistently called for nearly 30 minutes. 12.5 hours (522.4) BAEA 1 (331), NOHA 1 (3), RTHA 5 (34), GOEA 17 (1924) TOTAL 24 (2415)

Mount Lorette [Day 33] (Cliff Hansen) Lorette experienced similar weather with a temperature high of 4C at 1700 from a low of -4C, SW ground winds mainly 5-10 km/h but gusting to 20 km/h between 1300 and 1800 and strong SW ridge winds becoming moderate after 1600. Cloud cover was initially 10-30% cumulus with cirrus developing after 1000 and subsequently thickening reaching 100% altostratus, altocumulus and cumulus after 1600. Raptor movement was also slow with only 9 birds recorded: 1 juvenile Bald Eagle, 1 juvenile Northern Goshawk and 7 Golden Eagles (2a,1j,4u). After soaring together and interacting for the best part of an hour, at 1642 the resident pair of Bald Eagles locked talons and fell vertically disappearing behind trees to the north of the site: by far the highlight of an otherwise slow day. A pair of Northern Shovelers on the river was a first record for the season. 12 hours (370.1) BAEA 1 (73), NOGO 1 (18), GOEA 7 (1061) TOTAL 9 (1181)

April 1 [Day 44] (Valley View site) It was a sunny day with the temperature rising to 6C at 1700 from a low of -4.5C although mainly SW winds gusting 15-30 km/h after 1100 made it feel much cooler. Ridge winds were moderate WNW to noon after which they were W, and cloud cover was 10-60% cumulus which at times made detection of high flying raptors a challenge. With seemingly ideal migration conditions I was expecting an early start but I had to wait nearly 4.5 hours for the first migrant, a Rough-legged Hawk at 1124, but thereafter movement was both steady and varied with the last of the day’s 92 migrant raptors, a Golden Eagle, gliding high to the north at 1911. The combined species total of 92 is the second highest April daily count ever at the site and the Golden Eagle total of 68 is the 3rd highest for the month. For the first time this season immature Golden Eagles (36: 27 subadults and 9 juveniles) outnumbered adult birds (32), and Bald Eagles also moved strongly (15: 8a,4sa and 3 undifferentiated immature birds). The highlights of the day, however, were 2 adult Ferruginous Hawks: a light morph at 1233 and a dark morph at 1320, both of which soared high against a pure blue sky, and one of the day’s 3 Red-tailed Hawks was an adult dark morph “Harlan’s Hawk” 12.67 hours (509.9) BAEA 15 (330), NOGO 1 (65), RTHA 3 (29), FEHA 2 (3), RLHA 2 (28), GOEA 68 (1907), MERL 1 (4) TOTAL 92 (2391)

Mount Lorette [Day 32] (Joel Duncan) The temperature rose to 3C at 1500 from a low of -9C and was -2C at 1930, ground winds were light in the morning becoming SW 10-20 gusting 30 km/h in the afternoon and ridge winds were SW moderate, then strong after 1400 and again moderate after 1800. Cloud cover was initially 50% cumulus decreasing to 30% by 1500 then increasing to 70% cirrostratus and cumulus by the end of the day. Despite the apparently good migration and observing conditions, raptor migration was disappointing with only 8 Bald Eagles (6a,2sa) and 3 Golden Eagles (2a,1u) and an unidentified eagle moving between 1016 and 1758. 11 hours (358.1) BAEA 8 (72), GOEA 3 (1054), UE 1 (11) TOTAL 12 (1172)