October 15 [Day 25] (George Halmazna) The temperature at 0700 was 11C but the day’s low was at 1000 when it dropped to 10C before climbing to a high of 14C at 1400: it was still 11C at 1900. Ground winds were initially calm or light S, but SW winds quickly became established that gusted to 40 km/h in mid-afternoon but became light at the end of the day. Ridge winds were probably SW moderate to strong throughout the day. Cloud cover was initially 90% cumulus, stratus and cirrus that diminished to 20% cumulus at 1500 and 1600 before again increasing to 80% cumulus and stratus at the end of the day. The ridges were generally clear all day, although the west saw flurries between 0800 and 1300 that obscured peaks from time to time. Migration conditions were good with 344 raptors moving mainly above the Fisher Range between 0730 and 1845. Maximum movement was 68 between 0900 and 1000 and with the exception of 1200-1300 (15 birds) each subsequent hour to 1900 yielded between 20 and 39 birds. The flight comprised 3 adult Bald Eagles, 3 Sharp-shinned Hawks (1j,2u), 1 adult Cooper’s Hawk, 1 adult Northern Goshawk, 1 dark morph Rough-legged Hawk, 334 Golden Eagles (257a,1sa,44j,32u), the second highest count of the season, and 1 adult Prairie Falcon. Other birds included 1 Pacific Loon flying south at 1133 and 2 single Common Loons that flew south at 0855 and 1204, 11 Ruby-crowned Kinglets, 1 Varied Thrush, 6 American Pipits, 124 White-winged Crossbills and 15 Pine Siskins. The large Black Bear was still on the lower slopes of the northern end of the Fisher Range.

Piitaistakis-South Livingstone (Denise Cocciolone-Amatto, Shirley Enszol) Observations were made from the upper Frank Slide site between 1350 and 1600. It was still mild but cooler than the previous two days at the site and ridge winds appeared to be W strong. Raptors moved very high to the south on the windward side of the Piitaistakis Ridge until 1525 after which the birds kited well to the west of the ridge and moved high to the south above the valley. The flight of 43 birds comprised 1 Sharp-shinned Hawk, 34 Golden Eagles (27a,2sa,5j) and 8 unidentified small raptors that were probably either Sharp-shinned or Cooper’s Hawks, but their height and the turbulent conditions aloft precluded accurate identification.

The further adventures of “Elaine” By the end of October 15 Elaine had travelled another 70 km to the SE and was almost at the Yukon/BC border near the Crow River. She should move south into NE British Columbia tomorrow.