November 13 [Day 50] (George Halmazna) It was the warmest day for about a week, with a starting temperature of -4C rising to a high of 5C at 1500 and remaining at 4C at 1600. Ground winds were SSW 2-5 occasionally gusting to 10 km/h to 1400 after which they were SW gusting 40 km/h before moderating again to 5-10 km/h at the end of the day, while ridge winds were moderate to strong SW day producing snow plumes. The east ridges were clear all day, but the west was 10-30% obscured until 1600 when it was 60% obscured by snow squalls. The only migrant raptors seen were 2 juvenile Golden Eagles seen at 0829 and 0929, although a non-migrant adult Bald Eagle and an non-migrant unaged Northern Goshawk were also noted. Other birds seen included 1 Belted Kingfisher, 1 Golden-crowned Kinglet, 15 Bohemian waxwings, 2 Pine Grosbeaks, 7 Red Crossbills, 22 Common Redpolls and 1 Pine Siskin.

9 hours (512.09 hours) GOEA 2 (2631) TOTAL 2 (2979)

November 12 [Day 49] (George Halmazna) The low temperature for the day was -9C at 1900, but it climbed to a high of 0C at 1700. Ground winds were SSW for most of the day, gusting to 30 km/h between 1100 and 1300, then 5-15 km/h to 1500 and gusting 30-40 km/h to 1600 before becoming SW 5-10 km/h for the rest of the day. Ridge winds were strong SW all day producing snow plumes. Despite ideal observing conditions, once again raptor movement was thin with only 4 birds recorded between 1038 and 1627. The flight comprised 1 adult Bald Eagle, 1 adult dark morph calurus Red-tailed Hawk and 2 adult Golden Eagles. A slow day was enlivened by a few songbirds that included 9 Golden-crowned Kinglets, 1 American Robin, 3 Dark-eyed Juncos, 1 female Rusty Blackbird, 3 Pine Grosbeaks, 7 Red Crossbills and 5 Common Redpolls.

10 hours (503.09) BAEA 1 (124), RTHA 1 (26), GOEA 2 (2629) TOTAL 4 (2977)  

November 11 [Day 48] (Bill Wilson) Clear skies allowed the temperature to fall to -23C at 0800, which is the lowest so far this season, but it rose to a high of -4C at 1400 and was -5C at the end of the day (1700). Ground winds were calm to very light SW to 1000 and thereafter calm to 10 km/h with occasional moderate gusts, while ridge winds were mainly moderate SW all day that produced snow pluming. The initial clear skies gave way to 10% cirrus at 0900 that increased to 70% by 1100, 90% altostratus and cirrus to 1300, and 100% altostratus to the end of the day. It was another disappointing day for raptors with only 7 birds (4 Bald Eagles (3a,1sa), 1 light morph Rough-legged Hawk and 2 adult Golden Eagles moving along the eastern route between 1120 and 1453. The main drama of the day came at 0855, when a Northern Shrike was seen closely pursuing a redpoll-sized songbird behind a spruce tree, so the outcome of the chase is unknown. Other birds observed included 6 Mallard, 2 Dark-eyed Juncos, 3 Pine Grosbeaks and 30 White-winged Crossbills.

9.67 hours (493.09) BAEA 4 (123), RLHA 1 (61), GOEA 2 (2627) TOTAL 7 (2973)

November 10 [Day 47] (Joel Duncan, assisted by Cliff Hansen) Despite the previous two days' weather there was only about 6 cm of fresh snow on the ground, but it remained cold. The temperature at 0900 was -14C, rose to a high of only -9C between 1400 and 1700 and was -11C at the end of the day. Ground winds were light NE or variable, to calm all day and ridge winds appeared to be light SW all day. An initial cloud cover of 90% altostratus quickly reduced to 10% cirrus and cumulus at 1100 and after 1400 cloud was present only in trace amounts. The calm conditions did not appear to favour raptor movement and only three migrants were seen: an adult Golden Eagle at 1318, an adult Bald Eagle at 1418 and an adult Golden Eagle at 1552. All birds were flapping along the Fisher Range at ridge level. A poor raptor flight was compensated by a flock of 16 Greater White-fronted Geese flying south at 1015 and an odd-looking junco in a flock of “Oregon” morphs that appeared to show the character of a “Grey-headed” Junco (J.h.caniceps), a subspecies that rarely occurs north of Colorado. Other species seen included 13 Canada Geese, 2 non-migratory Northern Goshawks (1a,1j),1 juvenile Northern Shrike, 7 Golden-crowned Kinglets, 5 Pine Grosbeaks and 6 Common Redpolls.

8.5 hours (483.42) BAEA 1 (119), GOEA 2 (2625) TOTAL 3 (2966)

November 9 NO OBSERVATION Although the snow stopped early in the day, the ridges remained shrouded in cloud all day.

November 8 NO OBSERVATION Snow, with all ridges obscured all day .

November 7 [Day 46] (Bill Wilson) The temperature reached a high of 4C at 1200 and 1300 from a morning low of 0C, but fell to -1C at 1625 when steady snow terminated the count. Ground winds were SW 2-6 km/h until 1100 after which they varied between SE and SW 5-15 gusting to 28 km/h for the rest of the day, while ridge winds were moderate to strong SW creating snow plumes. Cloud cover was initially 70% altostratus and cumulus that quickly reduced to 10% at 0800 before gradually increasing to 100% stratus at 1300 which persisted for the rest of the day. The western ridges were clear until 1200 after which they gradually clouded-in, while the east was clear to 1530 after which they became shrouded from the north with the passage of a cold front and all ridges were obscured by 1625. Snow started at 1530 that became steady by 1625. The day started promisingly with the first Golden Eagle recorded at 0800 which was the first of 9 birds (4 Bald and 5 Golden Eagles) seen between 0800 and 0900 This, however, proved to be the busiest hour of the day, although by 1200 25 migrant eagles had been counted. Movement slowed markedly in the afternoon and when the last Golden Eagle went south at 1535 the day's count was 31: 13 Bald Eagles (10a,1j,2u) and 18 Golden Eagles (10a,1j,2u). Very few other birds were seen including 2 American Dippers, 1 Pine Grosbeak and 2 Common Redpolls.

9.33 hours (474.92) BAEA 13 (118), GOEA 18 (2623) TOTAL 31 (2963)

 

The further adventures of “Elaine” Elaine continues to move very slowly to the south and is presently about 10 km east of the central part of Canyon Ferry Lake.