October 24 [Day 33] (Terry Waters, assisted by Rod Smith) All ridges were obscured for most of the morning and observation did not start until 1115 when the temperature was -11C. It warmed to -5C at 1400 and stayed there until the end of the day, but it felt colder as initial light SW ground winds turned to NW 5-10 gusting 15 km/h at 1400 and remained there. Ridge winds were probably mainly light NW all day. Cloud cover at 1115 was 80% cirrus and cumulus that reduced to 50% at 1500 before thickening to 80-90% cirrus, cumulus and altocumulus by the end of the day. The eastern ridges were clear until 1600 after which they were variably occluded 40-80% and were completely hidden after 1600, while the western route was 50% obscured until 1700 and completely obscured after. There was about 10 cm of fresh snow on the ground in the morning, but none fell during the observation period. The first migrants, 5 Golden Eagles, did not appear until 1215 but subsequently movement was steady with hourly counts peaking at 24 birds between 1400 and 1500, and 25 birds between 1600 and 1700, and the last Golden Eagle went through at 1745. Most birds moved low with flapping flight from the face of Mount Lorette to the face of the Fisher Range, although some birds also moved low from Skogan Pass down the centre of the valley passing directly over the observers. The flight of 100 raptors comprised 3 Bald Eagles (1a,2j), 2 Northern Goshawks (1a,1j), 1 juvenile light morph calurus Red-tailed Hawk, 1 light morph Rough-legged Hawk and 93 Golden Eagles (65a,5sa,11j,12u). Elaine may well have been one of the group of 5 Golden Eagles that were seen at 1215. Other birds moving south were 40 Canada Geese, 3 Mallards and 1 Common Loon, and other birds seen in the area included a flock of 85 Bohemian Waxwings, 6 Dark-eyed Juncos and 12 White-winged Crossbills.

7 hours (356.84) BAEA 3 (58), NOGO 2 (23), RTHA 1 (24), RLHA 1 (53), GOEA 93 (2126) TOTAL 100 (2383)

The further adventures of “Elaine” By the end of the day Elaine had moved SE from the Mount Lorette area and was at the southern end of the Highwood Range near Mount Head. The Livingstone Range to the south was shrouded in low cloud all day so she probably could not go any farther because of the weather.