April 9 [Day 48] It was again a pleasant day with good viewing conditions with the temperature ranging from -5C to 7.5C, moderate W winds aloft all day and 100% thin altostratus cloud giving way after 1200 to a mix of 60-100% cumulus and cirrus. Raptor movement started at 0836 when the first two of the day’s 27 Golden Eagles went north, peaked at 12 birds between 1400 and 1500 and dwindled after 1600 with the last of the day’s 10 Bald Eagles seen at 1940. The flight comprised 8 species and included the first ever Turkey Vulture seen at the site at 1110, the earliest ever seen on an RMERF count by 4 days, the first Peregrine Falcon of the season at 1320 and 2 dark morph adult Ferruginous Hawks at 1203 and 1312 which provided stunning views as they soared against white cumulus clouds in strong sunshine. The 15 Red-tailed Hawks included the season’s first juvenile calurus and an adult dark morph Harlan’s Hawk, and the 27 Golden Eagles included only 4 adult birds, with 14 subadults and 9 juveniles comprising the rest of the total. At 1307 a resident Prairie Falcon sliced into a dense flock of about 60 Grey-crowned Rosy-Finches and probably reduced them to a flock of around 59 birds! The resident Golden Eagles were again prominent throughout their range all day but didn’t appear to visit any nest site. Passerine movement included 12 American Crows, 9 American Robins and 325 (or 324!) Grey-crowned Rosy-Finches. 13.17 hours (529.8) TUVU 1 (1), BAEA 10 (372), NOGO 1 (80), RTHA 15 (99), FEHA 2 (6), RLHA 1 (14), GOEA 27 (2549), UE 1 (9), PEFA 1 (1) TOTAL 59 (3157)

Mount Lorette (Ron) The weather was very similar with a temperature range of -4C to 6.5%, light W-SW winds and 100% altostratus in the morning giving way to 50-70% cumulus and thin cirrus in the afternoon providing excellent viewing conditions. Despite this, raptor movement was confined only to a 46 minute period between 1159 and 1245, which included the first Cooper’s Hawk of the season and a single juvenile Golden Eagle. It is possible that low cloud south of the site may have prevented movement for the rest of the day. 11.83 hours (441.3) BAEA 2 (78), COHA 1 (1), RTHA 1 (3), UB 1 (1), GOEA 1 (1169) TOTAL 6 (1272)