November 2 [Day 41] (Terry Waters, assisted by Rod Smith and Fiona Waters) The temperature rose to a high of 5C at 1300 from a morning low of -2C, and was 0C at 1800. Ground winds were light all day, initially SW then N-NW after 1500, while ridge winds were moderate WSW all day. Cloud cover was 80% altocumulus to 1600, after which it dwindled to 20% scattered altocumulus by the end of the day. After 1300 the western ridges were 10-30% obscured, but the east was clear all day. Conditions proved to be reasonably good for migration with 58 birds moving between 1008 and 1700 This is the highest total since October 25, as is the count of 55 Golden Eagles (31a,1sa,3j,20u). Most birds appeared behind the northern end of the Fisher Range, and only the last 5 Golden Eagles of the day moved high from Mount Lorette. The other raptors were 1 adult Sharp-shinned Hawk, 1 adult light morph calurus Red-tailed Hawk and an unidentified large falcon that was the last bird of the day. The highest hourly count was 19 birds (1 Sharp-shinned Hawk and 18 Golden Eagles) between 1200 and 1300. There was no waterfowl movement, although 5 Mallards were seen on the river, and other birds included 15 Bohemian Waxwings, 1 American Tree Sparrow and 2 Red Crossbills.

9.75 hours (432.34) SSHA 1 (62), RTHA 1 (25), GOEA 55 (2389), UF 1 (1) TOTAL 58 (2671)

The further adventures of “Elaine” By the end of the day Elaine was just north of Canyon Ferry Lake on the west flank of the Big Belt Mountains, near Helena, southern Montana. She is rapidly nearing Paradise Valley just north of Yellowstone National Park where she was first captured and where she has spent the last two winters.