October 28 [Day 37] (Cliff Hansen) The temperature briefly reached a high of 4.5C at 1500 from a low of-2C and remained at 4C for the rest of the day. Ground winds were calm to 1000 then S-SSW mainly light gusting to 15 km/h at 1500, and ridge winds were SSW-WSW moderate in the morning but gusting to 100 km/h by late afternoon. Cloud cover was 100% altostratus all day, with up to 20% cumulus developing in the afternoon giving good observing conditions except for a light haze on Mount Lorette and the western ridges. A total of 33 raptors migrated between 1227 and 1746 of which 30 were Golden Eagles (21a, 1j, 8u), 14 of which moved between 1601 and 1638 but for the rest of the day migration was slow and sporadic. The only other raptors were 1 adult Bald Eagle, 1 small indeterminate Accipiter and a large indeterminate bird that appeared briefly above the Fisher Range. A flock of 75 Bohemian Waxwings were the only songbird migrants. 10.08 hours (406.4) BAEA 1 (102), UA 1 (14), GOEA 30 (2578), UU 1 (6) TOTAL 33 (2899)

October 27 [Day 36] (Terry Waters) After a couple of cool days the temperature rose to a high of 8C at 1500 from a low of -4C and was 4C at 1800. Ground winds were light SW all day, ridge winds were moderate SW-WSW occasionally gusting over 100 km/h and cloud cover was 80-90% altocumulus diminishing to 20% cumulus and cirrus by late afternoon affording excellent viewing conditions all day. The first of the day’s 21 migrant raptors did not appear until 1140 and movement was slow until after 1600 when 15 of the birds were recorded, 10 of which were between 1700 and 1750. The flight comprised 1 adult Bald Eagle, 19 Golden Eagles (14a, 2sa, 1j, 2u) and 1 unidentified eagle. Most movement was from Mount Lorette to the Fisher Range with many birds high above the ridge. The only non-raptor migrants were 1 Common Loon flying high to the south at 1620, and 3 Grey-crowned Rosy-Finches. 10.5 hours (396.32) BAEA 1 (101), GOEA (2548), UE 1 (8) TOTAL 21 (2866)

One Golden Eagle that will not be counted by us this year is a bird that was found dead near Jasper National Park on October 6. Rob Domenech of the Raptor View Research Institute in Montana has informed us that she was found along Highway 93 and he speculates that she was probably struck by a vehicle while feeding on road-kill, as there are no power lines in the area she was located. This 5.4 kg bird was caught at their Aspen Grove bait station on October 28, 2008 and designated as Golden Eagle C-90. She was a rather thick legged individual requiring a 9C band and had an impressive 149mm footpad. She was subsequently reported in Denali National Park, Alaska, during the months of June and July 2010 where she was apparently observed and photographed for over two months by hundreds of visitors. This is Raptor View’s first eagle to be encountered twice at two different locations more than 16 km apart, but it is very unfortunate that it should have happened in this way.

October 26 [No observation] Low stratus cloud obscured the ridges all day.

October 25 [Day 35] (Joel Duncan) It was a cool day with the temperature only reaching 2C between 1300 and 1500 from a low of 0C at 0900. It was calm to1100 then ground winds were NNE 10-15 km/h, while ridge winds were moderate SW gusting to 87 km/h. Cloud cover was 100% stratocumulus all day producing occasional light snow flurries and all ridges were obscured to 1000 after which the Fisher Range cleared but Mount Lorette and the western ridges remained in cloud until after 1400. The cloud base, however, remained close to ridge level for the rest of the day. Two Bald Eagles (1a, 1j) and 2 Golden Eagles (1j, 1u) moved between 1214 and 1329 and the only other migrant was a light morph Rough-legged Hawk at 1629. There was no apparent songbird movement. 8.5 hours (385.82) BAEA 2 (100), RLHA 1 (21), GOEA 2 (2529) TOTAL 5 (2845)

October 24 [Day 34] (Bill Wilson) The cooling trend continued with the temperature reaching 8C at 1700 from a low of -2.5C, falling to 6C at 1830. Ground winds were SE-S, occasionally SW 0-5 occasionally gusting 12 km/h, and ridge winds SSW-SW, occasionally SE, mainly light to moderate but gusting above 60 km/h on occasion. Cloud cover was 100% altostratus and cumulus to 1800 after which it became slightly broken. A total of 32 Golden Eagles (21a, 3sa, 6j, 2u) moved between 0823 and 1800 with 11 birds occurring between 0800 and 0900 and a further 5 from 0900 to 1000 promising a significant movement, but subsequently no hour yielded more that 3 birds. The 9 Bald Eagles recorded was the highest total since October 5 and comprised 5adults, 1 late subadult and 3 juveniles, and the only other migrant raptor was a dark morph Rough-legged Hawk. The Golden Eagle movement was along the eastern route from Mount Lorette to the Fisher Range, but most of the Bald Eagles moved to the west of the site. Again there was no apparent songbird movement. 11.16 hours (337.32) BAEA 9 (98), RLHA 1 (20), GOEA 32 (2527)

October 23 [Day 33] (Ron Dutcher) The temperature reached a high of 9C between 1500 and 1700 from a low of -3C and was still 7C at 1800. Ground winds were very variable but generally light occasionally gusting to 15 km/h, while ridge winds were S-SW light to moderate (and even calm at times), gusting to 60 km/h in the afternoon. Cloud cover was initially 80% very thin cirrus which changed to 50% cumulus around noon and thickened to 100% stratocumulus after 1630 and although rain appeared to threaten in the late afternoon all ridges remained clear. Raptor movement was relatively slow with 20 birds moving along the Fisher Range between 1158 and 1739, of which 15 were Golden Eagles (8a, 1sa, 3j, 3u). Other raptors were 2 adult Bald Eagles, 2 light morph calurus Red-tailed Hawks (1a, 1u), and 1 Rough-legged Hawk. There was no apparent songbird movement, but the interactions of 4 Moose (1 male, 2 females and a juvenile) in the Hay Meadow proved to be entertaining. 10.25 hours (366.16) BAEA 2 (89), RTHA 2 (43), RLHA 1 (19), GOEA 15 (2495) TOTAL 20 (2798)

October 22 [Day 32] (Terry Waters) Unseasonably high temperatures continued reaching 13C at 1500 from a low of -5C and remaining at 12C at 1800. Ground winds were light variably, but mainly SW and ridge winds were SW-S moderate to strong gusting to 90 km/h. An initial cloud cover of 10% cirrus increased to almost 100% altocumulus by 1200 becoming 90% stratocumulus after 1600 providing an excellent backdrop against which to locate birds. Of 69 migrant raptors recorded 65 were Golden Eagles (41a, 9sa, 7j, 8u) that moved between 0920 (the only bird moving west of the site) and 1801. Morning movement was slow but became steady in the afternoon with peak movement of 15 birds between 1700 and 1800. Other migrants were 2 adult Bald Eagles, 1 adult Sharp-shinned Hawk, and an adult Peregrine Falcon flying south at 1431. Passerine migrants included 26 Bohemian Waxwings, 35 European Starlings and 22 Grey-crowned Rosy-Finches, and 2 White-throated Sparrows were the first reported from the site this season. 10 hours (355.91) BAEA 2 (87), SSHA 1 (59), GOEA 65 (2480), PEFA 1 (4) TOTAL 69 (2778)

October 21 [Day 31] (Cliff Hansen) It was another warm day with the temperature reaching 17C between 1500 and 1700 from a low of -5C, and it fell to 9C at 1800. Ground winds were light S-SE all day whereas ridge winds were WSW-SW moderate to strong gusting to 78 km/h after mid-afternoon, and it was mainly cloudless with occasional development of up to 5% altocumulus or cirrus cloud. After a couple of days of thin Golden Eagle migration today saw 81 birds (50a, 2sa, 6j, 23u) move between 0932 and 1757. Movement was initially slow and low, but the pace quickened after noon when each hour up to 1800 produced at least 10 birds with peak movement between 1323 and 1357 involving 19 birds. Most birds in the afternoon appeared over the Fisher Range and several appeared to be moving to the east of the ridge. The only other raptors recorded were single adult Bald Eagle, unaged Sharp-shinned Hawk and juvenile light morph calurus Red-tailed Hawk. There was no obvious song bird movement, but a Northern Pygmy-Owl serenaded the observers as they left the site. 10.42 hours (345.91) BAEA 1 (85), SSHA 1 (58), RTHA 1 (41), GOEA 81 (2415) TOTAL 84 (2709)

Six hours at the Piitaistakis-South Livingstone site (1000-1600) yielded a disappointing total of 27 migrant raptors of 6 species. Apart from the first hour when there was some cirrus cloud, the rest of the day was a “blue-out” against which the eagles were flying very high on the moderate W winds. Doug, Teresa, Pat, Dawn and Denise recorded 3 Bald Eagles, 1 Sharp-shinned Hawk, 1 Cooper’s Hawk, 1 Northern Goshawk, 2 unidentified accipiters, 1 Rough-legged Hawk and 18 Golden Eagles.

October 20 [Day 30] (Terry Waters) Unseasonably high temperatures returned reaching 16C at 1400 from a low of -4C, and it was still 14C at 1800. Ground winds were SE-SW generally light, gusting to 15 km/h around noon, and ridge winds were SSW-SW moderate in the morning becoming strong in the afternoon gusting to 150 km/h by late afternoon. The morning was mainly cloudless with up to 10% cirrus increasing to 80% after 1500 and 90% at the end of the day giving good observing conditions. A total of 21 Golden Eagles (11a, 2sa, 2j, 2u) moved between 1121 and 1605 with 10 of the birds occurring between 1500 and 1600. All birds were first seen above the Fisher Range and many were very high and hard to see. Other migrants were 1 adult Bald Eagle, 2 adult Sharp-shinned Hawks, 1 adult Northern Goshawk, 2 adult light morph calurus Red-tailed Hawks, and 1 light morph unidentified Buteo. Other migrants were very thin and comprised 57 Bohemian Waxwings in 3 flocks and 3 Pine Siskins. 10.25 hours (335.49) BAEA 1 (84), SSHA 2 (57), NOGO 1 (24), RTHA 2 (40), UB 1 (8), GOEA 21 (2334) TOTAL 28 (2625)

October 19 [Day 29] (Cliff Hansen) The temperature reached a high of 7C at 1800 from a low of 4.5C and was still 7C at 1800. Ground winds were calm initially then SW 5-15 km/h for the rest of the day while ridge winds were mainly strong SSW-WSW gusting to 115 km/h. Cloud cover was 100% altostratus and altocumulus at 0900 that gradually reduced during the day reaching 10% at 1800, but generally providing excellent observing conditions. Raptor movement, was disappointing, however, with the total of 8 Golden Eagles (4a, 2j, 2u) being the lowest on an active field day since September 27. Birds moved between 1132 and 1609 with 4 of the birds moving between 1234 and 1250. The only other migrant raptor noted was a small Accipiter, and the only probable migrant songbirds were a flock of 9 Grey-crowned Rosy-Finches. 10 hours (325.24) UA 1 (13), GOEA 8 (2313) TOTAL 9 (2597)

October 18 [Day 28] (Joel Duncan) The temperature rose to11C at 1500 from a morning low of -4C and fell to the day’s low of -7C at the end of the day. Ground winds were SW all day 10-20 occasionally gusting 30 km/h and ridge winds were strong W-WSW gusting to 112 km/h at 0900 and 107 km/h at 1700. Cloud cover was cirrus and altostratus all day initially 30% but increasing to 50-60% for most of the day briefly reaching 90% at 1600. A total of 58 raptors of 5 species migrated between 0826 and 1852 with maximum passage of 14 birds between 1400 and 1500 following a lull from 1200 to 1400. All but 6 of the migrants were Golden Eagles with the 52 birds comprising 25 adults, 6 subadults, 7 juveniles and 14 birds of undetermined age, while the other birds were 1 juvenile Bald Eagle, single indeterminate Accipiter and eagle, 1 adult Peregrine Falcon harassing a Golden Eagle at 0950 and 2 Prairie Falcons doing the same thing around noon. The only non-raptor migrants were 45 Canada Geese and 56 Bohemian Waxwings, while a Northern Pygmy Owl sang near the site and a Song Sparrow was the first seen there for several days. 11 hours (315.24) BAEA 1 (83), UA 1 (12), GOEA 52 (2305), UE 1 (7), PEFA 1 (3), PRFA 2 (4) TOTAL 58 (2588)

October 17 [Day 27] (Bill Wilson) It was another cold start to the day with a season low temperature of -10C at 0700, rising to 4C between 1400 and 1600 and falling again to -3C at the end of the day. Ground winds were mainly SE-S 2-5 gusting 10 km/h to 1400 after which they were W and ridge winds were SW-SSW moderate to strong. It was cloudless to 1715 after which up to 20% cirrostratus and altostratus developed to the W, but by the end of the day it was cloudless again. There was a good movement of migrant raptors with 179 birds of 5 species moving between 0836 and 1902, although poor lift conditions early in the night meant that strong movement did not begin until after 1300 with highest hourly counts of 33 (1600-1700) and 32 (1700-1800). The flight was dominated by 179 Golden Eagles (90a, 14sa, 45j, 22u) which is the highest count for 6 days, and other migrants were 3 Bald Eagles (2a, 1sa), 2u Sharp-shinned Hawks, 1u Northern Goshawk, 1 dark morph Rough-legged Hawk and 1 unidentified raptor. Non-raptor migrants included 2 Common Loons, 3 American Robins, 130 Bohemian Waxwings and a late Yellow-rumped Warbler, while a pair of Great Horned Owls duetted early in the morning and a couple of Brown Creepers were unusual visitors at the count site. 12.25 hours (304.24) BAEA 3 (82), SSHA 2 (55), NOGO 1 (23), RLHA 1 (18), GOEA 171 (2253), UU 1 (5) TOTAL 179 (2530)

October 16 [Day 26] (Ron Dutcher) It was a cold start to the day with a temperature of -7C the lowest so far this season, which rose to 4C between 1400 and 1600 and was 2C at the end of the day. Ground winds were variable SE to N all day while ridge winds were SSW-SW light to moderate, and cloud cover was initially 80% cirrus and cirrocumulus reducing to 30% around noon before gradually increasing to 60% by the late afternoon, generally providing excellent observing conditions. A total of 83 migrant raptors of 6 species moved between 1101 and 1820 with a peak movement of 38 birds between 1400 and 1500. The flight comprised 3 adult Bald Eagles, 1 adult Sharp-shinned Hawk, 3 adult Northern Goshawks, 1 unidentified Accipiter, 3 light morph calurus Red-tailed Hawks (1a, 2u), 2 Rough-legged Hawks (1 light, 1 dark), and 70 Golden Eagles (46a, 8sa, 8j, 8u). There was almost no passerine movement, but a very fresh track of a Grey Wolf in the 3 cm of fresh snow at the site was the non-bird highlight of the day. 10.33 hours (291.99) BAEA 3 (79), SSHA 1 (53), NOGO 3 (22), UA 1 (11), RTHA 3 (38), RLHA 2 (17), GOEA 70 (2082) TOTAL 83 (2351)

This was the day of the Festival of Eagles at Canmore which for the first time was held downtown and not at the Collegiate High school as has previously been the case. This put us further away from the Fairholm Range along which most movement occurs, but in compensation the weather was the best that it has been for the Festival in several years and the mainly cirrus cloud cover made finding migrants fairly easy, although it was not possible to age most birds at the distance from which we were observing. A total of 42 migrants of 5 species were recorded between 1155 and 1629 comprising 3 Bald Eagles (1a, 2sa), 1 Sharp-shinned Hawk, 1 Northern Goshawk, 3 Rough-legged Hawks and 34 Golden Eagles. Most of the birds moved to the SE along the Fairholm Range before crossing the Bow Valley after which they would have been picked up by Ron and his crew over Mount Lorette about 10 to15 minutes after leaving us. The great advantage of the new Festival location was demonstrated by the fact that it attracted over 2000 visitors during the day.

October 15 [No observation] (Terry Waters) A cold front moved south over the area during the night reducing the temperature to -5C, bringing heavy snow that persisted to 1130 and completely obscuring the ridges until late in the day.

I spent 10.33 hours at the Piitaistakis-South Livingstone site with Greg Stempien who had spent the previous 2 days driving 2,600 km from Iowa to spend a couple of days at the site. Having followed the blog for a number of years he wanted to see it for himself. The weather, however, did not appear auspicious as the site experienced unstable conditions associated with the front that was dumping snow on the Mount Lorette site, and we experienced low temperatures, W winds gusting to 80 km/h that diminished to 15-30 km/h in the afternoon, and 60-100% cloud cover that brought periods of snow, flurries and hail until mid afternoon. Surprisingly, there was quite a good raptor movement with 47 migrants of 10 species moving between 0913 and 1740, with many of the birds flying low and close to the ridge top much to the delight of Greg. The flight comprised 1 Osprey, 1 adult Bald Eagle, 1 unaged Sharp-shinned Hawk, 3 adult Northern Goshawks, 1 unidentified small Accipiter, 1 adult light morph calurus Red-tailed Hawk, 5 light morph Rough-legged Hawks, 29 Golden Eagles (14a, 6sa, 7j, 2u), 1 juvenile grey morph Gyrfalcon, 3 Peregrine Falcons (2a, 1j) and a Prairie Falcon. There was also a variety of non-raptors moving including 3 American Robins, 18 Grey-crowned Rosy Finches, 40 Pine Siskins and, more unusual for the site, a flock of 20 Snow Geese flying high to the south at 1344, 4 Herring Gulls (3a, 1 first winter bird) at 1255 and a single Northern Shrike flying high to the south west of the ridge at 1325.

October 14 [Day 25] (Peter Sherrington) The temperature reached a high of 18C at 1600 from a morning low of 10C and it was still 14.5C at 1900. Ground winds were S-SW light to moderate gusting to 30 km/h in the afternoon, ridge winds were very strong SW all day gusting to 150 km/h, and it was cloudless for most of the day with 10-30% cirrus sporadically developing in the afternoon. A total of 39 migrant raptors of 5 species were recorded between 1028 and 1806 with 20 of these birds moving between 1500 and 1700. Of the total 31 birds were Golden Eagles (27a, 1sa, 3j) and the bird recorded at 1557 was the 2000th of the season. Other migrants were 2 adult Bald Eagles, an unaged Northern Goshawk, a juvenile dark morph calurus Red-tailed Hawk and 4 Rough-legged Hawks (2 light and 2 dark morphs). Apart from Common Ravens other birds were virtually absent but small flocks of 5 Clark’s Nutcrackers and 5 White-winged Crossbills were probably migrating. 12 hours (281.66) BAEA 2 (76), NOGO 1 (19), RTHA 1 (35), RLHA 4 (15), GOEA 31 (2012) TOTAL 39 (2268)

October 13 [Day 24] (Peter Sherrington) The temperature reached a high of 15C between1500-1700 from a morning low of 2C and was 8.5C at 1900. Ground winds were SE-W light in the morning becoming light moderate in the afternoon gusting to 25 km/h, while ridge winds were strong SW gusting to 120 km/h after 1400. Cloud cover was 100-80% altostratus and cirrostratus all day with a Chinook Arch over the Fisher Range for most of the day providing excellent viewing conditions. Again there were only a few raptor species moving with 91 of the day’s 96 migrants being Golden Eagles (74a, 8sa, 5j, 4u) that moved between 0836 and 1802, with the last bird of the day being the day’s third Northern Goshawk. The other raptor migrants were an adult Bald Eagle and a light morph Rough-legged Hawk. Golden Eagle movement was fairly steady all day and peaked at 18 birds between 1400 and 1500. Passerine migrants included 13 American Robins, 50 Grey-crowned Rosy-Finches and 23 Bohemian Waxwings. 12 hours (269.66) BAEA 1 (74), NOGO 3 (18), RLHA 1 (11), GOEA 91 (1981) TOTAL 96 (2229)

October 12 [Day 23] (Joel Duncan) The temperature reached a high of 10C at 1500 from a low of 6C at 0900 and was 7C at 1900, ground winds were SW all day 10-20 gusting 30 km/h, ridge winds were strong SW with gusts reaching 110 km/h after 1500, and cloud cover was initially 100% stratocumulus diminishing to 30% cirrostratus and cumulus after 1500. Only 41 migrant raptors moved between 0902 and 1851 and of these 38 were Golden Eagles (24a, 6sa, 2j, 6u), the other raptors being a subadult Bald Eagle and 2 light morph Rough-legged Hawks. Movement for much of the day was slow and sporadic and no birds were seen between 1200 and 1400, but the busiest hour of 1400-1500 followed when 8 Golden Eagles moved, 6 of which occurred at one time. Passerine numbers were also thin but included 9 Golden-crowned Kinglets, an American Robin, and an American Tree Sparrow. 10.5 hours (257.66) BAEA 1 (73), RLHA 2 (10), GOEA 38 (1890) TOTAL 41 (2133)

October 11 [Day 22] [Day 22] (Doug Pedersen) Temperatures were somewhat cooler rising to 10C at 1400 from a low of 0C and remaining at 6C at the end of the day. Ground winds were light SW all day and ridge winds were moderate WSW to SW with strong gusts after 1600 that exceeded 100 km/h after 1800. Patchy valley fog to 1000 affected visibility, then 70-90% stratocumulus diminished to 50% altostratus at noon, to 30% cirrus and cirrostratus at 1500 and 5% cirrus by the end of the day. A total of 198 migrant raptors of 5 species were counted between 0805 and 1856 of which 191 were Golden Eagles (116a, 9sa, 18j, 46u). Movement was fairly steady all day with peak movement of 32 Golden Eagles between 1300 and 1400. Much of the movement around mid-day was above the valley, but by late afternoon birds were moving very high above the Fisher Range. Other migrant raptors were 2u Sharp-shinned Hawks, 2 Northern Goshawks (1a, 1u), 1 adult light morph calurus Red-tailed Hawk, 1 light morph Rough-legged Hawk and an unidentified light morph Buteo. Non raptor migrants included 1 Common Loon, an unidentified gull, 60 Grey-crowned Rosy-Finches in two flocks and 73 Bohemian Waxwings. 12.33 hours (247.16) SSHA 2 (52), NOGO 2 (15), RTHA 1 (34), RLHA 1 (8), UB 1 (7), GOEA 191 (1852) TOTAL 196 (2092)

October 10 [Day 21] (Bill Wilson) The temperature was a surprising 14C at 0700 rising to a high of 19C, and falling to the day’s low of 9C at 1900. Ground winds were SSW-NNW 5-10 gusting 20 km/h for most of the day, gusting to 40 km/h in mid-afternoon, and ridge winds were strong SW all day gusting to 150 km/h in the morning and to 110 km/h in the afternoon. Cloud cover was 90-100% altostratus and cumulus all day and light rain fell between 1530 and 1630 followed by showers for the rest of the day. There was steady Golden Eagle movement all day between 0805 and 1914 which peaked at 46 between 1000 and 1100 and 42 between 1100 and 1200, with only the rain producing a zero hour between 1700 and 1800, and 9 birds moved after 1900. The 249 Golden Eagles comprised 148 adults, 2 subadults, 27 juveniles and 72 birds of undetermined age, and movement was both along the Fisher Range and over the eastern half of the valley including some birds that moved high overhead. Other raptor movement was very sparse and comprised 1 adult Bald Eagle, 1 large Accipiter, 2 dark morph Rough-legged Hawks, and a Merlin of undetermined race, sex or age. Passerine movement was again thin and included 20 Pine Siskins, 15 Bohemian Waxwings and 3 Ruby-crowned Kinglets. 12.33 hours (234.83) BAEA 1 (72), UA 1 (10), RLHA 2 (7), GOEA 249 (1663), MERL 1 (2) TOTAL 254 (1896)

October 9 [Day 20] (Ron Dutcher) The temperature reached 16C from a low of 7C and was still 15C at 1800, ground winds were generally SW 10-15 gusting 20 km/h, ridge winds were SW moderate to strong usually gusting 50-60 km/h and occasionally to 90 km/h, and cloud cover was initially 20% altocumulus and cumulus diminishing to 0% at noon with cirrostratus developing after 1430 reaching 50% at 1500 and 100% at 1700. A total of 87 migrant raptors moved between 0945 and 1800 with most birds moving along the Fisher Range ridge many of which were not detected until they reached Mount MacDougall to the SE of the site. Of the total 81 were Golden Eagles (50a, 8j, 23u) and the only other raptors recorded were 2u Cooper’s Hawks, 1 unidentified Buteo, 1 unidentified large falcon and 2 unidentified raptors. Again there was no passerine movement, but an adult and a juvenile Northern Shrike were seen hunting close to the river. 10.83 (222.5) COHA 2 (11), UB 1 (6), GOEA 81 (1414), UF 1 (1), UU 2 (4) TOTAL 97 (1642)

October 8 [Day 19] (Terry Waters) The temperature reached 17C at 1400 from a low of 5C and remained there for most of the day. Winds were SW light all day reaching 11 km/h around noon and ridge winds were SW mainly moderate gusting to 51 km/h at 0800 but not exceeding 35 km/h for the rest of the day. Cloud cover was initially 20% altocumulus reaching 100% altostratus after 1500 which reduced to 70% by the end of the day. The first Golden Eagle was at 0931 and raptor movement was thereafter fairly steady all day apart from a sag in numbers between 1300 and 1500 when only 7 birds passed, and the maximum hourly passage was 29 birds between 1600 and 1700, the last bird being recorded at 1820. Golden Eagles were again the dominant migrant providing 117 (88a, 11sa, 11j, 7u) of the day’s 122 migrants and the last four days have produced 908 migrant Golden Eagles. Other migrants were 2u Sharp-shinned Hawks, 2 adult Northern Goshawks and the season’s second Peregrine Falcon. A Northern Pygmy-Owl at 1730 was the first for the season but there was no noticeable passerine movement. 9.75 hours (211.67) SSHA 2 (50), NOGO 2 (13), GOEA 117 (1333), PEFA 1 (2) TOTAL 122 (1555)

October 7 [Day 18] (Cliff Hansen) The warm weather continued with the temperature reaching 22C at 1500 from a low of -2C, ground winds were light SW all day reaching 10 km/h around noon while ridge winds were calm or light to 1400 after which they were moderate SW gusting to 40 km/h by 1900. It was cloudless to 1400 after which up to 50% lenticular cloud developed which had dissipated to 20% by the end of the day. It was another day of strong Golden Eagle movement with 274 birds (164a, 10sa, 45j, 55u) moving between 1043 and 1907 when the last bird of the day roosted at the northern end of the Fisher Range ridge. Early movement when the wind was light involved a lot of soaring over the Fisher Range involving kettles of up to 10 birds and these conditions produced the best hourly movement of the day with 78 Golden Eagles recorded between 1200 and 1300. After the ridge winds increased after 1400 birds moved to the SE very high above the Fisher Range. Other migrant raptors were 5 adult Bald Eagles, including the first migrant of the day at 1030, 4 Sharp-shinned Hawks (3a, 1u), 2 unidentified small accipiters, 2 Red-tailed Hawks of which one was an adult light morph calurus and the other an adult “Krider’s” Hawk (which is rare at the site), and 1 unidentified eagle. There was no significant non-raptor movement noted. 11.75 hours (201.92) BAEA 5 (71), SSHA 4 (48), UA 2 (9), RTHA 2 (33), GOEA 274 (1216), UE 1 (6) TOTAL 288 (1433)

Doug and Teresa Dolmen spent 7 hours at the Piitaistakis-South Livingstone site and recorded 226 migrant raptors, including 206 Golden Eagles, between 1120 and 1700, and when they left eagles were still moving south. Golden Eagle movement peaked at 92 between 1300 and 1400, while 1400-1500 yielded 42 and 1500-1600 43. Winds were moderate W all day and it was high overcast, and by 1430 the eagles were flying high and to the west of the ridge over the middle of the Gold Creek valley, which made locating and aging the birds a challenge. Other raptors recorded were 1 Osprey, 2 Bald Eagles, 9 Sharp-shinned Hawks, 1 Cooper’s Hawk, 2 Northern Goshawks, 2 unidentified accipiters and 2 unidentified eagles.

October 6 [Day 17] (Terry Waters) It was a delightful day with the temperature reaching 22C at 1600 from a low of -1C, with light ground and ridge winds peaking at 10 km/h and cloud maximum cloud cover was 5% in the morning and cloudless thereafter. Apart from an unaged Golden Eagle seen at 0950, steady raptor movement did not get under way until around 1130, with most Golden Eagles rising on thermals above the northern end of the Fisher Range before moving slowly to the southeast along the ridge. Of the day’s total of 151 raptors, 143 were Golden Eagles (7a, 21sa, 37j, 4u) that peaked at 33 birds moving between 1700 and 1800 that including a single kettle of 8 birds. The last bird was seen at the relatively early time of 1756 and a couple of minutes later a small single-engine monoplane, that had been flying low up and down the valley for much of the afternoon, flew very low to the east just above the north Fisher Range ridge where the eagles had been moving. The passage of the aircraft and the ceasing of the eagle movement could well be related! Earlier in the day, at 1222, what was probably a tourist helicopter passed very close to a Golden Eagle moving over Mount Lorette and caused the bird to make an abrupt change of course with it moving south over Olympic Summit instead of crossing the Kananaskis Valley to the Fisher Range as all the other birds over Lorette did that day. We shall follow up on both incidents as such encounters endanger both the birds and the occupants of the aircraft. Other raptor movement was sparse comprising single Bald Eagle (j), Sharp-shinned Hawk (u), Cooper’s Hawk (u), Northern Goshawk (j), unknown small Accipiter, 2 Red-tailed Hawks: 1 adult light calurus and 1 of unknown race, age and morph, and 1 Rough-legged Hawk. There were very few passerine migrants and despite the beautiful weather and the spectacular Golden Eagle movement of the previous day there were no visitors to the site. 11.75 hours (190.17) BAEA 1 (66), SSHA 1 (44), COHA 1 (9), NOGO 1 (11), RTHA 2 (31), RLHA 1 (5), GOEA 143 (942), UE 1 (6) TOTAL 151 (1145)

October 5 [Day 16] (Jim Davis) All ridges were obscured at 0710 so Jim went to the Lusk Creek site (which was clear but nothing was moving) and returned to the Hay Meadow site just as the cloud was beginning to lift at 0840. By 0900 the initial 100% stratocumulus cloud cover had cleared to 20% and after 1200 the sky was completely cloudless. The temperature rose to 15C at 1300 from a low of 3C and was back down to 4C at 1900, ground winds were light all day initially NW 0-5 km/h to 1000 and after SE-S 5-10 km/h, and ridge winds were generally moderate gusting to 40-60 km/h peaking at 87 km/h at 1700. The first migrant raptors were 3 Golden Eagles at 0856 but by noon only 9 further migrants had been logged, but in the afternoon movement became increasingly strong with 84 birds moving between 1600 and 1700, movement peaking at 121 from 1700 to 1800, 77 between 1800 and 1900 and 15 moving after 1900 with the last Golden Eagle recorded at 1916. The most crowded minute was at 1750 when 21 Golden and 2 Bald Eagles moved simultaneously. The combined species total of 407 is the highest so far this season as was the total of 374 Golden Eagles (265a, 30 sa, 50j, 29u). This compares to Golden Eagle high counts for the last 4 years of 421 (2009), 382 (2008), 310 (2007) and 255 (2006). Other raptors were 1 Osprey, 17 Bald Eagles (14a, 3j), 3 Northern Harriers (1a male and 1a female, which moved south together, and 1u), 2 adult Sharp-shinned Hawks, 1 adult Cooper’s Hawk, 2 unidentified small Accipiters, 1 adult light morph Broad-winged Hawk (the first for the site this season), 2 adult calurus Red-tailed Hawks (1 light, 1 rufous), 1 light morph adult Rough-legged Hawk, 1 unidentified dark Buteo, 1 male American Kestrel and the season’s first columbarius Merlin, a bird of unknown sex or age. The 11 species of raptor recorded is also a season’s high. Non raptor migrants were also in evidence including a late flock of 15 Barn Swallows, 9 Grey-crowned Rosy-Finches, and a single Cedar Waxwing (but no Bohemians!). The main Golden Eagle movement is now well under way, so your help at the site, especially in the afternoons, would be greatly appreciated. 12.67 (178.42) OSPR 1 (4), BAEA 17 (65), NOHA 3 (6), SSHA 2 (43), COHA 1 (8), UA 2 (6), BWHA 1 (1), RTHA 2 (29), RLHA 1 (4), UB 1 (5), GOEA 374 (799), AMKE 1 (2), MERL 1 (1) TOTAL 407 (994)

October 4 [Day 15] (Joel Duncan) Rain fell overnight but it had stopped before observation began at 0730, and it was another warm day with the temperature reaching 19C from a morning low of 9C and falling to the day’s low of 7C at 1900. Ground winds were S-SW 5-10 km/h all day, while ridge winds were mainly strong all day gusting between 50 and 80 km/h. Cloud cover was 90-100% altostratus, altocumulus and cirrus to 1300 after which it rapidly cleared to 10-30% altostratus and cirrus giving a sunny afternoon. Golden Eagles again dominated with 45 birds (29a, 4sa, 4j, 9u) counted out of a total flight of 58 birds that moved between 0820 and 1858. Other migrants were 1 Osprey, 9 Bald Eagles (5a, 1sa, 3j), 1 juvenile Sharp-shinned Hawk, 1 adult light morph calurus Red-tailed Hawk and 1 unidentified eagle. About 40 of the day’s migrants moved between 1100 and 1400. There was some passerine movement mainly involving 6 Ruby-crowned Kinglets, 20 American Robins, 30 Bohemian Waxwings and 3 Yellow-rumped Warblers. 12 hours (165.75) OSPR 1 (3), BAEA 9 (48), SSHA 1 (41), RTHA 1 (27), GOEA 45 (425), UE 1 (5) TOTAL 58 (587)

October 3 [Day 14] (Bill Wilson) It was another warm day with the temperature reaching 21C from a low of -1C and it was still 16C at 1900, ground winds were calm to light (0-5 km/h) and variable for most of the day, occasionally gusting SW 15 km/h, but ridge winds were moderate to strong SW all day gusting on occasion to 100 km/h. Cloud cover was initially 50% cumulus increasing to 70-100% stratus and cumulus after 0900 giving good observing conditions. The first migrant raptor, a Sharp-shinned Hawk, was not recorded until 1112 and the first Golden Eagle not until 1152 and by 1305 only 3 migrants had been logged including an adult Peregrine Falcon, the first for the season, at 1252. With the exception of 1400-1500 (5 birds), subsequent movement was steady with 22 birds moving between 1300 and 1400, 21 from 1500 to 1600, 20 from 1600 and 1700, 19 from 1700 to 1800 and 20 from 1800 to 1900, with the day’s last Golden Eagle still going south at 1903. The count included a season high count so far of 104 Golden Eagles (51a, 4sa, 35j, 14u) along with 1 female/juvenile Northern Harrier, 2u Sharp-shinned Hawks, 1u Cooper’s Hawk, 2 Rough-legged Hawks and an adult Peregrine Falcon. Other migrants included 31 Canada Geese, a probable 1st winter California Gull, 41 American Robins, 52 Bohemian Waxwings, 16 White-winged Crossbills and 14 Pine Siskins. The only mammals seen were the 25 visitors to the site who enjoyed both the weather and the raptor movement. 12.83 hours (153.75) NOHA 1 (3), SSHA 2 (40), COHA 1 (7), RLHA 2 (3), GOEA 104 (380), PEFA 1 (1) TOTAL 111 (529)

October 2 [Day 13] (Ron Dutcher) The temperature rose to a high of 24C from 0C and was still 21C at 1900, ground winds were calm to light all day, mostly westerly, and it was essentially cloudless all day with occasional traces of cirrus in the afternoon. Ridge winds, however, were strong all day with gusts near or above 90 km/h after 1500. Smoke haze gave hazy sunshine conditions and made detailed plumage determination difficult with birds moving to the west appearing only as silhouettes, although after noon most movement was along the eastern ridge. A total of 26 raptors of 5 species were recorded: 3 Bald Eagles (2a, 1j), 1 Sharp-shinned Hawk (u), 2 Cooper’s Hawks (1a, 1u), 4 light morph calurus Red-tailed Hawks (1a, 3u), 13 Golden Eagles (4a, 4j, 5u) and 3 unknown Buteos moving too high for specific identification. 12 hours (140.92) BAEA 3 (39), SSHA 1 (38), COHA 2 (6), RTHA 4 (26), GOEA 13 (276), UB 3 (4) TOTAL 26 (418)

October 1 [Day 12] (Terry Waters) The temperature peaked at a remarkable 25C for October 1, from a low at 0730 of -5C. Ground winds were initially calm becoming SSE mainly 5-10 km/h and occasionally gusting 15 km/h for the rest of the day, and ridge winds were S-SSW gusting to 35 km/h to noon and after N-NNE 30-40 gusting 70 km/h. It was cloudless for most of the day with up to 20% cirrus and cirrocumulus developing around 1300. The first Golden eagle was seen at 1104 and the second at 1355 after which raptor movement was steady at 5 to 8 birds an hour peaking at 18 between 1700 and 1740 after which movement ceased. Most birds appeared to be moving to behind the Fisher Range and wind conditions may have shifted the movement to the east. The flight comprised 6 Bald Eagles (4a, 2j), 3 adult Sharp-shinned Hawks, 1 unidentified Accipiter, 40 Golden Eagles (17a, 9sa, 14j, 4u), 4 unidentified eagles and 1 Prairie Falcon that was hunting at 0745 but was considered to be a migrant. A Northern Shrike was the first for the season, 43 Grey-crowned Rosy-Finches moved south in 3 flocks and 2 Varied Thrushes were giving sub-songs early in the morning. 11.5 hours (128.92) BAEA 6 (36), SSHA 3 (37), UA 1 (4), GOEA 40 (263), UE 4 (4), PRFA 1 (2) TOTAL 55 (392)

I spent 9 hours on the Piitaistakis Ridge (0900-1800) with a few members of the Crowsnest Pass Conservation Association, and we enjoyed temperatures that rose to the low 20s C, light winds initially from the SSE then W in the afternoon, and 0-30% cirrus and cirrocumulus cloud cover. The day’s first bird, a Sharp-sinned Hawk, moved south at 1059 and the second, a Golden Eagle, did not appear until 1219 and by 1400 only 20 migrants had been recorded. Things then picked up substantially with 47 birds passing between 1400 and 1500 and a further 37 between 1500 and 1600 before the movement slowed with only a further 24 birds moving before the last Sharp-shinned Hawk was seen at 1718. There was a good variety among the 128 migrant raptors seen with 11 species recorded. The flight was 6 Bald Eagles (4a, 1sa, 1j), 1 juvenile Northern Harrier, 57 Sharp-shinned Hawks (22a, 11j, 24u), 8 Cooper’s Hawks (2a, 4j, 2u), 2 Northern Goshawks (1j, 1u), 3 unidentified Accipiters, 3 light morph juvenile Broad-winged Hawks, 10 Red-tailed Hawks of which 7 were calurus (2a and 1u light morphs, 1a and 3j dark morphs) and 3 were harlani (2a, 1j), 33 Golden Eagles (22a, 1sa, 8j, 2u), 1 female American Kestrel, 1 adult male columbarius Merlin, 2 adult Peregrine Falcons and 1 unidentified small raptor.