October 7 [Day 18] (Bill Wilson) The temperature reached a high of 14.5C at 1500 and 1600 from a low of -6.5C and was 10C at 1920. Ground winds were initially SW 0-2 km/h increasing briefly to 3-10 gusting 21 km/h around 1300 before becoming very light again for the afternoon, while ridge winds were light SW in the morning becoming light to moderate in the afternoon. An initial cloud cover of 5% cirrus increased to 80-100% altostratus to 1300, after which there was 80-100% cumulus, with the exception of 1500 when it briefly dropped to 30%. Observing conditions were good and the day produced a season high combined species count of 137 birds that included season high counts of 6 Rough-legged Hawks (4 light, 1 dark and 1 unknown morph) and 116 Golden Eagles (64a,6sa,28j 18u).

Birds moved between 0812 and 1855 appearing low at the northern end of the Fisher Range and moving in the face of the range in the morning, and just above the ridge in the afternoon. Lift appeared to be poor and there was only a moderate amount of soaring. Maximum movement occurred between 1400 and 1500 when 39 birds passed, 33 of which were Golden Eagles. The rest of the flight comprised 4 Bald Eagles (2a,2j), 4 unaged Sharp-shinned Hawks, 3 Northern Goshawks (2a,1u), and 4 calurus Red-tailed Hawks (1adult and 1 juvenile light morph birds, and 2 dark morph juveniles). Two Rusty Blackbirds were a seasonal first record, and other birds seen included 2 Common Loons flying high to the south, flocks of 29 and 16 Canada Geese also flying south, 1 Yellow-rumped Warbler, 1 American Tree Sparrow and 1 slate-coloured morph Dark-eyed Junco of the race hyemalis.

12.25 hours (198.26) BAEA 4 (32), SSHA 4 (43), NOGO 3 (12), RTHA 4 (20), RLHA 6 (7), GOEA 116 (689) TOTAL 137 (832)

Piitaistakis-South Livingstone (Gerald Romanchuk and Steve Knight) Gerald and Steve, who had been with me on the ridge yesterday, returned to the site and in 4.5 hours (1420-1850) counted a total of 187 migrant raptors. The flight comprised 3 Bald Eagles, 1 Northern Harrier, 8 Sharp-shinned Hawks, 1 Cooper's Hawk, 3 Northern Goshawks, 3 Red-tailed Hawks and 168 Golden Eagles.