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.