October 31 [Day 40] (Bill Wilson) The warming trend continued with the temperature reaching 10.5C at 1400 from a low of 4C and it was still 6C at 1800. Ground winds were mainly SW 5-10 gusting 20 km/h while ridge winds were strong SW-WSW gusting over 100 km/h all day reaching 138 km/h at 1100. Cloud cover was mainly 90-100% cumulus reducing briefly to 80% in early afternoon, and very light rain showers moved from the west for much of the day. Despite the high winds there was an excellent raptor movement for the end of October with no fewer than 209 migrant raptors passing between 0833 and 1747, the first 200+ day at the site since October 10. Movement was strong all day with 19 birds from 0900-1000, and at least 20 birds/hour for every hour up to1800, with high counts of 31 between 100 and 11 and 30 between 1400 and 1500. The total of 203 Golden Eagles (148a, 13j, 42u) was by far the latest ever 200+ count at Mount Lorette, the previous latest being on October 22 in 1995 (311), 2003 (260) and 2004 (207). Other migrant raptors were 3 Bald Eagles (2a, 1sa), 1u Sharp-shinned Hawk and 1 large unidentified raptor at 1336 that was the only bird seen moving south above the western ridges all day. Passerine migrants comprised 35 Bohemian Waxwings, 30 White-winged Crossbills and 3 Pine Siskins. 11.08 hours (435.9) BAEA 3 (108), SSHA 1 (61), GOEA 203 (2871), UU 1 (7) TOTAL 209 (3207)

October summary Of the 18 counts conducted by RMERF at Mount Lorette since 1992 (one full count was at Plateau Mountain in 1997) all but 4 have included the whole of October excepting up to 2 days lost because of poor weather conditions. The years 1992, 2002, 2006 and 2007 had a significant number of non-weather days lost and are not included in the following comparison that involves the average of the 14 complete October counts at the site, with variance from average in parentheses. A total of 29 days (-4.31%) and 318.5 hours (+0.16%) were spent at the site during the month during which 2870 migrant raptors of 15 species were counted. This total was 14.43% below average and represents the third lowest October combined species count at the site, higher than only 2008 (2234) and 2009 (1979), which was a count severely affected by poor weather conditions. The 2 Ospreys were the highest counted on a complete count (although 3 were recorded in 2006), and the only other species occurring in above average numbers were Red-tailed Hawk (20: +85.7%), Ferruginous Hawk (1: only the second October record), American Kestrel (1: +18.2%), Peregrine Falcon (4: +44.4%) and Prairie Falcon (3 : +179%). The 2648 Golden Eagles recorded were 10.9% below average following very low October counts for the species in 2008 (2047) and 2009 (1831). Compared to the average of full October counts 1993-2005 (the last year of full-season counts at the site) this year’s count was 16.2% below average and would have been the second lowest count compared to counts in this period, higher only than the 2588 counted in 2004. All other species were below average: Bald Eagle 78 (-55.3%), Northern Harrier 4 (-24.6%), Sharp-shinned Hawk (27 (-64.8%), Cooper’s Hawk 8 (-9.57%), Northern Goshawk 16 (-52%), Broad-winged Hawk 1 (-79.4%), Rough-legged Hawk 20 (-57.1%), and Merlin 2 (-50.9%). Gyrfalcon was unrecorded for only the 5th time in the 14 full October counts conducted at the site.