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.