October 11 [Day 20] (George Halmazna, assisted by Terry Waters and Ed McCullough) A starting temperature of 5C reached a high of 13C at 1300 and 1400 before falling to 9C at the end of the day. Ground winds were variable S-SE-E gusting 25 km/h between 0800 and 1100, after which they were SW light to 1400 when they gusted 30 km/h before becoming light to calm after 1500. Ridge winds were moderate WSW-SSW gusting to between 40 and 47 km/h all day. Cloud cover was 80-100% altostratus and cumulus thickening to 100% stratocumulus that brought rain, sleet and snow after 1800. The western ridges were 20-30% obscured by flurries for much of the day that rose to 100% around 1800 when the eastern ridges became 50% obscured as rain and snow moved from the west. Raptor movement again started early with 2 Golden Eagles recorded at 0739 and the last Golden Eagle went south at 1755 just ahead of the worsening weather. The highest hourly count was 61, including 56 Golden Eagles, between 1300 and 1400, and the flight comprised 3 Bald Eagles (1a,2j), 3 Sharp-shinned Hawks (1j,2u), 3 unaged Cooper's Hawks, 2 adult Northern Goshawks, 1 light morph Rough-legged Hawk, 267 Golden Eagles (204a,1sa,52j,10u) which is the 3^rd highest count of the season so far, 3 columbarius Merlins of unknown age and sex that were the first for the season, and 1 large unidentified falcon. The last 4 days has produced 1294 Golden Eagles at the site so we are probably now experiencing the height of the movement. The non-raptor highlights of the day were 2 flocks of 4 and 6 pure white gulls flying to the SW that were identified as Glaucous Gulls which is by far the highest count ever at the site, with the few previous records confined to single birds. Other birds included a flock of 9 Rusty Blackbirds (the first for the season), a single flock of 300 Bohemian Waxwings, 36 American Robins, 220 White-winged Crossbills, 76 Pine Siskins and 2 very late adult-plumaged Chipping Sparrows.

11.25 hours (233.73) BAEA 3 (36), SSHA 3 (68), COHA 3 (20), NOGO 2 (19), RLHA 1 (12), GOEA 267 (1683), MERL 3 (3), UF 1 (2) TOTAL 283 (1683)

Beaver Mines area (Peter Sherrington) Today while having lunch with Phil Hazelton on the deck of his home on the Gladstone Valley road about 4 km SSE of Beaver Mines, I observed 51 Golden Eagles between 1254 and 1415 that soared high to the S and SE of the house before they glided high to the south towards Prairie Bluff (Corner) Mountain. On two occasions 8 birds could be seen soaring together in close proximity. Most of the mountains of the northern Waterton Main Ranges and the Continental Divide west of Prairie Bluff Mountain were obscured by cloud and snow/rain showers swept down by strong SW winds. The birds were obviously displaced to the east from the Beaver Mines Lake/Carbondale Ridge area over which they normally migrate after moving south from the Livingstone Range. Other raptors seen moving with the Golden Eagles were 1 Bald Eagle, 1 Sharp-shinned Hawk, 1 dark-morph Broad-winged Hawk and 3 Red-tailed Hawks. This was by far the highest number of Golden Eagles I have ever seen while eating an excellent lunch!