March 31 [Day 39] It was -16C under a cloudless sky at 0800, but cloud quickly developed after 0900 progressively thickening to 100% stratocumulus after 1700. Winds were light to moderate all day the ridge winds backing from NW initially to W by mid afternoon. The temperature climbed to 1C and occasional brief snow flurries in the afternoon gave way to heavy snow after 1850. The calm cool conditions meant that the first 4 Golden Eagles were not seen until 1136, and movement remained relatively slow until 1500-1600 when 61 birds (16 Bald Eagles, 2 Northern Goshawks and 43 Golden Eagles) moved, the highest hourly count so far this season. The pace subsequently dwindled with the last bird going through at 1829 just ahead of the snow. The 24 Bald Eagles and 8 Red-tailed Hawks are both season-high daily counts, and the total of 105 Golden Eagles included 3 subadult and 7 juvenile birds. Passerine migrants included 6 American Crows, 51 Grey-crowned Rosy-Finches and 54 Common Redpolls, and a Barred Owl sang briefly at 1310 for the first time this season. 11.5 hours (416.7) BAEA 24 (311), NOGO 3 (61), RTHA 8 (25), GOEA 105 (2224) TOTAL 140 (2653)
March summary (compared to 1993-2008 Mount Lorette count averages). We spent 29 days (319.5 hours) in the field (+0.23% and +3.74% respectively) losing two full days to inclement weather. The combined species total of 2560 was 4.9% below average. The 262 Bald Eagles were the highest count ever (+127.3%), as was the 58 Northern Goshawks (+394%), 25 Red-tailed Hawks (+436%) and 7 Rough-legged Hawks (+218%). Ferruginous Hawk and American Kestrel were recorded for the first time in March. The Golden Eagle count of 2189 birds was 14.14% below average despite the fact that we had 12 days with counts above 100 birds (but none above 200 for the first time ever in March).

Mount Lorette (Ron) The temperature ranged from -16C to -3C with generally light S to W winds all day. Initially clear skies quickly gave way to increasing, thickening and lowering clouds and after 1400 the ridges were mostly obscured. Snow fell from 1400 to 1530 and then after 1700 becoming heavy after 1800. A single Golden Eagle moved at 1212, then 7 more and the first Red-tailed Hawk of the season between 1540 and 1620. 10.33 hours (343.1) RTHA 1 (1), GOEA 8 (1094) TOTAL (1180)
March summary This was the 16^th consecutive complete March count at the site and the 4^th consecutive year of full 31-day counts. The number of days and hours (343.1) are 7.2 and 11.4 above average respectively. Despite this the combined-species total of 1180 is 56.19% below average and 713 below the previous lowest count in 2007. Both Bald Eagle (70, previous low 79 in 1998) and Golden Eagle (1094, previous low 1782 in 2007) were also lowest-ever counts, 39.3% and 57.1% below average respectively. Most other species counts were low including 3 Northern Goshawks (-74.4%), 1 Red-tailed Hawk (-78.6%), 2 Rough-legged Hawks (-9.09%) and 2 Merlins (-14.3%).