April 14 [Day 53] A brief shower ending at 0740 was the first rain of the season and gave way to a beautiful sunny spring morning that lasted until 0840 when rain started that, with a few sleet interludes, lasted until 1630. The temperature reached 9C from a low of 6C and ridge winds were moderate westerly all day. With the exception of early morning and late afternoon cloud cover was 100% stratus and the higher mountains of the Livingstone Range were periodically obscured in the afternoon. The first bird, a juvenile Bald Eagle, moved north at 0748 quickly followed by a Golden Eagle and a Sharp-shinned Hawk. Before the rain became steady a further Golden Eagle and the 8^th Ferruginous Hawk of the season flew north and a third Golden Eagle and a goshawk moved in brief breaks in the rain. After the rain stopped an adult female Northern Harrier and a 4^th Golden Eagle completed the day’s count. There was a concerted songbird movement before the rain started including 26 American Robins, 21 European Starlings and 370 Grey-crowned Rosy Finches. 12.17 hours (594.5) BAEA 1 (398), NOHA 1 (8), SSHA 1 (9), NOGO 1 (88), FEHA 1 (8), GOEA 4 (2614) TOTAL 9 (3298)

Mount Lorette (Ron) There was 8 cm of fresh snow at the site, and snow continued to fall until 1230. Winds were light, and the mountains were cloud covered all day. 4.67 hours No migrant raptors.

April 13 [Day 52] At 0700 the temperature was 9.5C and rose to a high 19C at 1600 and was still 15C at 2000. Ridge winds were W moderate to strong all day, and for the first time ground gusts of 40 km/h did not cause wind-chill discomfort. An altostratus Chinook Arch hung over the Livingstone Range until 1530 when a mixture of cumulus, altocumulus and cirrus cloud developed, but much of the day was sunny. The day’s first raptor was a Northern Goshawk at 0952 and again subsequent movement was slow but steady until the passage of the last Golden Eagle at 1908. The Bald Eagle count of 13 was the highest this month and the total of 13 Golden Eagles comprised 2 adults, 3 subadults and 8 juveniles. The highlight of the day, however, was the season’s first Broad-winged Hawk, an adult light morph, at 1655 equaling the earliest occurrence of the species in 1996 at Mount Lorette. A male Red-naped Sapsucker was the first for the season, and non-raptor migrants included 2 Tree Swallows, 9 European Starlings, 1 Bohemian Waxwing and 121 Grey-crowned Rosy-Finches. 13 hours (582.3) BAEA 13 (397), NOHA 1 (7), SSHA 2 (8), NOGO 3 (87), UA 1 (1), BWHA 1 (1), RTHA 4 (126), GOEA 13 (2610) TOTAL 38 (3289)

Mount Lorette (Bill) Similar weather conditions prevailed at Lorette with the temperature reaching 16.5C from a low of 5C, ground winds were WSW gusting 40 km/h with medium to strong westerlies aloft and 80% altostratus cloud in the morning diminished to give cloudless skies from 1100 to 1400 after which a mixture of cumulus and cirrus developed. Unfortunately, there was no similarity in raptor movement with the only migrants being a juvenile Bald Eagle at 1245 and a subadult Golden Eagle at 1548. 14 hours (478.9) BAEA 1 (83) GOEA 1 (1176) TOTAL 2 (1285)

April 12 [Day 51] It was the warmest day so far this season with the temperature rising to 16C from a low of -1C, with cloudless skies until 1730 when up to 20% cirrus cloud developed. Winds were W all day, light in the morning and moderate after noon. The light winds meant that the first migrant raptor, an adult female Northern Harrier, did not appear until 1055 and movement was then slow but steady for the rest of the day with the last migrant, a juvenile Golden Eagle, moving at 1925. Of the 16 Golden Eagles, 3 were adults, 5 subadults and 8 juveniles. An unaged light morph Ferruginous Hawk at 1237 was the 7^th of the season. A Tree Swallow was the 2^nd of the year and the first butterflies were seen on the wing: 2 Satyr Commas and a Milbert’s Tortoiseshell. At the end of the day I checked the access road to the ridge but could only get halfway up it because of patches of thick snow so we shall continue to watch from the Valley View site for a few more days. 13.08 hours (569.3) BAEA 3 (384), NOHA 1 (6), SSHA 1 (6), NOGO 2 (84), RTHA 7 (122), FEHA 1 (7), GOEA 16 (2597) TOTAL 31 (3251)

Mount Lorette (Joel) There were similar weather conditions with the temperature ranging from -4C to 15C, generally 10-20% cirrostratus cloud cover and ridge winds moderate NW to WNW. The raptor count comprised 4 Bald Eagles (3 adults and 1 subadult) and 4 Golden Eagles (2 subadults and 2 juveniles) 13 hours (464.9) BAEA 4 (82), GOEA 4 (1175) TOTAL 8 (1283)

April 11 [Day 50] (Raymond and Denise) The temperature ranged from 0C to 9C, and most of the day was sunny with a 10-50% altostratus, cumulus and cirrus cloud cover, with ridge winds moderate W to SW. Movement was slow and sporadic between the first Golden Eagle at 1012 and the last at 1816, and the migratory Golden Eagle total of 8 was the lowest for a non weather affected day since March 1. Only 4 species of migrant were seen including 2 female or juvenile Northern Harriers. The resident Pair of Golden Eagles were seen copulating high on the Livingstone Range at 1816, but no approach to a nest site was observed. 13.17 hours (556.2) BAEA 7 (381), NOHA 2 (5), RTHA 7 (115), GOEA 8 (2581) TOTAL 24 (3220)

Mount Lorette (Ron) The temperature ranged from 5C to 12C, winds were moderate NW all day, and variable cumulus cloud cover gave good observing conditions. The only migrant raptors seen were 2 juvenile Golden Eagles at 1427 and an unidentified large Accipiter at 1540. 10.67 hours (451.9) UA 1 (3), GOEA 2 (1171) TOTAL 3 (1275)

April 10 [Day 49] The temperature rose to 6C from a low of -2C, but high humidity and ground winds gusting to 40 km/h made it feel much cooler. Ridge winds were W-WNW moderate to strong all day, and cloud cover generally ranged from 30-70% cumulus, altostratus and cirrus except for brief snow flurries after 1645 when the eastern peaks were periodically obscured for up to 20 minutes. Raptor movement started at 0953 with a Golden Eagle and was slow but steady up to the last bird, the second Cooper’s Hawk of the season, moving north in a flurry at 1944. There were only six migrant species today including only the 3^rd Northern Harrier (an adult female) so far, and 2 of the 9 Red-tailed Hawks were adult dark-morph Harlan’s. Of the 24 Golden Eagles 5 were adults, 10 subadults and 9 juveniles. Keith managed to get up on the ridge for about 3 hours and added 3 of the Golden Eagles that were hidden from us at the time by a snow squall. The resident pair was again seen widely, occasionally in the company of a third non-migrant adult bird, but no nest visit was observed. A male “Pink-sided” Junco (J.h.mearnsi) was the first seen this year and the fourth Dark-eyed Junco subspecies recorded in the last three days. 13.25 hours (543.1) BAEA 2 (374), NOHA 1 (3), COHA 1 (2), NOGO 2 (82), RTHA 9 (108), GOEA 24 (2573) TOTAL 39 (3196)

Mount Lorette No observation owing to a lack of observers.

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)

April 8 [Day 47] A pleasant day with ground winds mainly SW not exceeding 15 km/h and ridge winds NW-W moderate all day. The temperature reached 6C from a low of -3C and until 1030 it was almost cloudless and then ranged from 5-40% cumulus until 2000 when a 70% cirrus cloud cover developed. I saw the first Golden Eagle at 0724 but the second did not appear until 0920 but subsequent movement was steady with maximum passage of 14 birds from 1800 to 1900, and the last bird of the day, a Red-tailed Hawk, went north at 1929. The total of 7 Red-tailed Hawks brings the season’s total to 84, two more than the previous spring high RMERF count at Mount Lorette in 1999. The fourth Ferruginous Hawk of the season, another adult light morph, went north at 1632, and 28 of the 42 Golden Eagles were immature birds: 14 adults, 16 subadults and 12 juveniles. If this relatively warm weather persists we may finally be able to get up on the ridge within a few days. 13.08 hours (516.7) BAEA 10 (362), SSHA 1 (5), NOGO 3 (79), RTHA 7 (84), FEHA 4 (4), GOEA 42 (2522) TOTAL 64 (3098)

Mount Lorette (George) Weather conditions were not conducive to migration and a single adult Golden Eagle moving slowly northwards was the only possible migrant of the day. 12.75 hours (429.4) GOEA 1 (1168) TOTAL 1 (1266)