April 7 [Day 46] Winds at ridge level were W moderate becoming moderate to strong after 1300, the temperature rose to 7C from a low of -0.5C and for most of the day cloud cover was 20-60% cumulus and cirrus giving mainly sunny conditions. At 1750 the winds shifted to NE bringing snow to 1835, with most of the ridges obscured, but it subsequently cleared allowing further raptor movement. The first Golden Eagle went north at 0839 and movement was fairly steady all day with the last Golden Eagle moving at 1951, the latest migrant so far this season. The 35 Golden Eagles comprised 17 adults, 5 subadults and 13 juveniles, and the 2 Rough-legged Hawks were the first since March 21. The resident Golden Eagle pair were seen displaying throughout their home range but were never seen to approach any of the nest sites. 12.92 hours (503.6) BAEA 5 (352), NOGO 4 (76), RTHA 7 (77), RLHA 2 (13), GOEA 35 (2480) PRFA 1 (8) TOTAL 54 (3034)

Mount Lorette No observation owing to a lack of observers.

April 6 [Day 45] The forecasted 70 km/h winds did not materialise and winds on the ridges were moderate WNW for most of the day. The temperature ranged from -1C to 6C and much of the day saw 100% overcast skies with altostratus and cumulus cloud. Raptor movement was slow but steady between 0858 and 1421 but subsequently only 2 more birds moved north with the last, a Red-tailed Hawk, at 1750. For the first time this season immature Golden Eagles (7 subadults and 2 juveniles) outnumbered adult (4) birds suggesting that the adult movement is now substantially complete. If this is the case it appears that we are once again heading for a low Golden Eagle count. A singing Cassin’s Finch at 1015 was the first for the season, and apart from 120 Grey-crowned Rosy-Finches there was little passerine movement. 12 hours (490.7) BAEA 6 (347), NOGO 3 (72), RTHA 2 (70), GOEA 13 (2445) TOTAL 24 (2980)

Mount Lorette (Bill) The weather was similar with a temperature range of -2C to 6C, light to moderate W-SW winds and 100% altostratus and cumulus cloud cover for much of the day. The first bird was seen at 0723, maximum passage was early with 8 birds passing between 0800 and 0900, and the last bird went north at 2008, the latest seen at either site this season. The Golden Eagle count (21 adults, 4 subadults and 3 juveniles) was the first real movement at the site since March 1^st, and an adult Peregrine Falcon was the third record of the species this season. 14hours (416.7) BAEA 2 (76), GOEA 29 (1167), PEFA 1 (3) TOTAL 32 (1265)

April 5 [Day 44] Another pleasant day with a temperature high of 7C from a low of -3C, steady moderate NW to WNW winds all day, and 30-70% cumulus cloud allowing plenty of sunshine that has finally melted last weekend’s snowfall. The first raptor migrant was a Golden Eagle at 0914, and subsequent movement was slow but steady with no hour exceeding 9 birds and the last Golden Eagle was recorded at 1829. The 32 Golden Eagles comprised 19 adults, 7 subadults and 6 juvenile birds, and all the migrant Red-tailed Hawks were light morph adult calurus. In addition to the resident Golden Eagle pair, the female of which only visited the nest site for about 10 seconds today, there are also resident pairs of Northern Goshawk, Red-tailed Hawk (1 light and 1 rufous) and Prairie Falcon in the area. About 205 Grey-crowned Rosy-finches flew to the north, and a single flock of 30 swans flew high to the east over the Livingstone Range. A male hyemalis junco was the first seen this season. 12.25 hours (478.7) BAEA 4 (341), RTHA 10 (68), GOEA 32 (2432), PRFA 1 (7) TOTAL 49 (2956)

Mount Lorette (Ron) Morning snow in the Calgary area made it challenging to get to the site where 4 cm of fresh snow was on the ground. The temperature ranged from 4C to 6C, ridge winds were light to moderate W and cloud cover was mainly cumulus that towered in the late afternoon. Only 3 migrant raptors were recorded including the first Sharp-shinned Hawk of the season. 10.25 hours (402.7) SSHA 1 (1), GOEA 2 (1138) TOTAL 3 (1233)

April 4 [Day 43] At last, a spring-like day, with the temperature reaching 9C from a low of 0C, light to moderate WNW winds on the ridge and 100% thin altostratus cloud cover all day allowing hazy sunshine. Raptor movement was slow, starting at 1032 and peaking at 11 birds between 1200 and 1300 and tailing off thereafter with the last bird, the second Northern Harrier of the season, seen at 1838. The Golden Eagle count of 16 was the lowest for a non weather affected day since March 3. One of the 7 Red-tailed Hawks was an adult dark morph Harlan’s. The resident pair of Golden Eagles was in evidence all day with much vigorous displaying observed, but neither was seen to visit either of the nests. The day produced a season-high total of 31 bird species including 6 species of corvid: Grey, Steller’s and Blue Jays, Clark’s Nutcracker, Black-billed Magpie and Common Raven, and I saw the 7^th Alberta corvid species, American Crow, just after leaving the site. 12 hours (466.2) BAEA 8 (337), NOHA 1 (2), SSHA 1 (4), NOGO 1 (67), RTHA 7 (58), GOEA 16 (2400), MERL 1 (6) TOTAL 35 (2907)

Mount Lorette (Des and Joan) The temperature rose to 8C from a low of 0C, cloud cover of cirrus and cumulus gave way in late morning to 100% stratus, and winds were light to moderate W until 1700 when a cold front from the north backed the wind to NW, obscuring the peaks with the arrival of snow. Two pairs of Golden Eagles moved at 1427 and 1635, in each case one was adult and the second bird disappeared into the cloud base before an age assessment could be made. The second pair was closely followed by 2 Peregrine Falcons, the first to be seen at either site this spring. 11.67 hours (392.4) GOEA 4 (1136), PEFA 2 (2) UU 1 (2) TOTAL 7 (1230)

April 3 [Day 42] Winds were again moderate to strong WNW on the ridges all day and SW to variable in the valley. At least it was a bit warmer today with a high of 8C and a low of -2C, and there was plenty of cloud with 70-100% mainly altostratus and cumulus cover but generally thin enough to allow hazy sunshine. Raptor migration made up for relatively low numbers with the highest specific variety so far, with 8 species migrating between 0745 and 1930. Only one hour, 1500-1600 reached double figures with 12 birds moving. An adult light morph Ferruginous Hawk at 1423 was the third for the season and sets a new high for RMERF spring counts, the 2 Merlins comprised adult males of both the races columbarius and richardsonii, and the 31 Golden Eagles comprised 20 adults, 7 subadults and 4 juveniles. The resident female Golden Eagle landed on the Bluff Mountain nest at 1021, followed 3 minutes later by the male, and the both remained there until 1049, the female moving material within the nest while the male perched on the rim occasionally preening. They were also seen together on the nest at 1809 but left shortly afterwards. With the exception of 5 American Robins at 1936 there was no northward non-raptor migration, but a total of 22 Canada Geese, 4 unidentified gulls and, at 1243, a flock of 9 Common Loons migrated high across the Livingstone Range towards the ESE. A male Mountain Bluebird was only the second for the season. 12.5 hours (454.2) BAEA 8 (329), SSHA 1 (3), NOGO 2 (66), RTHA 9 (51), FEHA 1 (3), GOEA 31 (2384), UE 1 (8), MERL 2 (5), PRFA 1 (6) TOTAL 56 (2872)

Mount Lorette (Brian) The temperature reached a high of 6C from a low of -2C, ridge winds were NW light to moderate all day and altostratus/cirrostratus cloud cover ranged from 50-100% giving good observation conditions. Unfortunately only 6 Golden Eagles (5 adults, 1 subadult) were counted between 1230 and 1936, but the resident male was seen throughout the day displaying, the earliest over the northern end of the Fisher Range at 0725. 12.83 hours (380.8) GOEA 6 (1132) TOTAL 6 (1223)

April 2 [Day 41] The weather remains cool with the temperature rising to 3C from a low of -12C, but to compensate it was sunny all day with 5-10% cumulus to 1300 and cloudless thereafter. Winds were initially light but became strong W-SW after 1400 only abating after 1900. Raptors were very hard to detect in the blue-out conditions but fortunately I had the help of half a dozen observers without whom the count would certainly have been lower. The first Golden Eagle did not appear until 1015 and movement was slow but steady until the last Golden Eagle went north at 1918. The 15 Red-tailed Hawks were all adult calurus with 11 light and 4 dark morphs, and the total was the highest so far this season. The Ferruginous Hawk, an adult light morph, was only the second of the season, and 16 of the 38 Golden Eagles were immature birds (8 subadults and 8 juveniles), the highest percentage so far. The resident pair was conspicuous all day with the male and occasionally both birds displaying at various sites, and copulation was observed at 1148 on a snag atop the ridge of Bluff Mountain. The female has obviously not yet decided where she wants to lay her eggs! The 25 bird species seen today was the highest so far this season with the highlight being the first Tree Swallow of the year at 1405. 12.5 hours (441.7) BAEA 6 (321), SSHA 1 (2), RTHA 15 (42), FEHA 1 (2), UB 1 (1), GOEA 38 (2353) TOTAL 62 (2816)

Mount Lorette (Joel and Des) The weather was almost identical to that at Piitaistakis including a high of 3C, blue skies all day and strong W winds combing the snow of the ridges in the afternoon. The day produced only 3 migrants: 1 Bald and 2 Golden Eagles. 12.25 hours BAEA 1 (74), GOEA 2 (1126) TOTAL 3 (1217)

April 1 [Day 40] The starting temperature was -10C and it briefly rose to 2C at noon before falling back to 0C for most of the afternoon. Winds were light to moderate WNW in the morning increasing after 1100 and becoming strong westerly after 1300 producing spectacular vertical plumes of snow rising some 500m above the peaks. There was early movement with the first Golden Eagle seen at 0726 and 11 passing before 0800, and it remained steady until 1300 after which no hour produced more than 8 birds although the last Golden Eagle went north at1919. We are now seeing a higher percentage of immature Golden Eagles and of the day’s total of 91, 6 were subadults and 6 juveniles. There was little non-raptor movement but the season’s first Northern Shrike sang briefly at 1018 before flying north, and at 1513 a flock of 6 Trumpeter Swans flew high to the east over the Livingstone Range. 12.5 hours (429.2) BAEA 4 (315), NOGO 3 (64), RTHA 2 (27), GOEA 91 (2315), PRFA 1 (5) TOTAL 101 (2754)

Mount Lorette (Brian) Winds were steady SW-W moderate to strong all day, the temperature rose to 2C from a low of -17C and cloud cover was only 5-20% cumulus making detection of high-flying birds difficult. Migration occurred between 0945 and 1930, but almost half the day’s total of 30 moved between 1100 and 1300. 12.58 hours (355.7) BAEA 3 (73), RTHA 1 (2), GOEA 26 (1124) TOTAL 30 (1214)