October 25 [Day 34] (Cliff Hansen, assisted by Kevin Barker) The temperature rose to a high of -4C at 1500 and 1600 from a morning low of -7C, and fell to -6.5C at the end of the day. Ground winds were light NW-NE except around 1700 when there were a couple of gusts to 15 km/h, and ridge winds appeared to be light to moderate SW all day. Cloud cover was 100% altostratus and altocumulus to 1100 when it began to break up, and reduced to 50% altostratus and cumulus at 1300 and finally to 5% cumulus after 1700. All ridges were obscured until 1200 and were variably obscured 50-70% to 1500 and only completely cleared after 1600. Not surprisingly, the first migrant Golden Eagles were not seen until 1333, but movement was subsequently fairly steady. Maximum movement was 43 birds (3 Bald and 40 Golden Eagles) between 1600 and 1700, but between 1720 and 1812 no birds were seen and it appeared that the day's movement was over. A further15 Golden Eagles, however, moved late and the last 3 Golden Eagles disappeared in the rapidly fading light at 1840. Before 1400 birds moved low beneath the cloud cover on Skogan Pass then crossed the valley to the face of the Fisher Range, but after 1400 birds appeared from behind the Fisher Range ridge before moving to the SE in the face of the range or at ridge level. The day's count of 127 birds comprised 3 adult Bald Eagles, 2 adult Sharp-shinned Hawks, 2 light morph Rough-legged Hawks and 119 Golden Eagles (93a,2sa,24u), which is the thirds highest total for the season. The fading light late in the flight made aging of the last birds impossible. Waterfowl migrants were a flock of 90 Canada Geese that flew overhead at 1435, and flocks of 5 and 50 Common Mergansers, while other birds included 1 American Robin, 1 European Starling, 1 Song Sparrow, 1 White-throated Sparrow, 1 female Rusty Blackbird and the season's first Pine Grosbeak.

10.5 hours (367.34) BAEA 3 (61), SSHA 2 (61), RLHA 2 (55), GOEA 119 (2245) TOTAL 127 (2509)

The further adventures of “Elaine” Today Elaine only moved about 20 km to the SE and spent the night in the vicinity of Mount Burke at the northern end of the Livingstone Range, which was again shrouded in cloud all day.