April 30 [Day 65] So much for the weather forecast! I spent the day on the ridge after all, where it was sunny all day with 10-40% cumulus cloud cover. The wind initially was from the NW gusting 70 km/h and with a starting temperature of -4C it felt a little chilly. The wind progressively backed to WNW and finally W and moderated to gusts of 25-40 km/h as the pressure rose rapidly after 1500, and the temperature reached a high of 3C. As yesterday early movement was slow with the first bird, a juvenile Golden Eagle appearing at 0942 and by 1300 only 6 migrants had passed. Subsequent movement was steady peaking at 14 birds between 1500 and 1600 and the last bird, the first Swainson’s Hawk of the season (an adult light morph), moved north at 1855. This is the first time the species has been recorded in April on an RMERF count. Other notable birds were the second Broad-winged Hawk of the season (a light juvenile) and the 5^th Gyrfalcon (an adult grey morph, probable female) which flew low overhead giving a splendid view in the bright sunlight. Two of the Red-tailed Hawks were dark morph “Harlan’s Hawks” (one a juvenile), and the 21 migrant Golden Eagles comprised 5 subadults and 16 juveniles but there was no sign of the resident birds today. Grey-crowned Rosy-Finches continue to move in good numbers with 289 flying north along the ridge with the largest flock containing about 150 birds. 12.75 hours (741.2) SSHA 15 (113), NOGO 1 (110), UA 1 (5), BWHA 1 (2), SWHA 1 (1), RTHA 4 (197), UB 1 (3), GOEA 21 (2870), MERL 2 (16), GYRF 1 (5), PRFA 1 (12) TOTAL 49 (3865)

April summary (compared to 1993-2008 Mount Lorette count averages). We lost 4 complete days to inclement weather during the month and a further 4 days had the count curtailed by the weather.We spent 26 days in the field (-8.7%) but the 324.6 hours spent was almost exactly average for the month (+0.8%). The combined species total of 1212 was the 3^rd highest total ever (+44.2%) and included 17 species: the only species not recorded was American Kestrel, only the second time it has been absent from an April count. The Golden Eagle count of 646 was 5.8% above average making it the 6^th highest April count and the 121 Bald Eagles were 33.6% above average and the 3^rd highest April count. New monthly high counts were made for Osprey (14, +156.1%), Northern Harrier (19, +188%), Sharp-shinned Hawk (112, +210.5%), Northern Goshawk (49, +221%), Red-tailed Hawk (172, +519%), Ferruginous Hawk (9, +3275.0% (!) and Prairie Falcon (8, +328.6%). Turkey Vulture (3, +800%), Broad-winged Hawk (2, +275%) and Gyrfalcon (3, +400%) equaled the previous highs, and Merlin (13, +91.2%) and Peregrine Falcon (4, +172.7%) were both second highest counts. Cooper’s Hawk (17) was 66.7% above average and Swainson’s Hawk was recorded for the first time on an April count. The only species occurring in less than average numbers were Rough-legged Hawk (5, -69.8%) and American Kestrel (0, -100%).