October 20 [Day 29] (Alan Hingston, assisted by Cliff Hansen) Today saw a very narrow temperature regime with a high of 7C at 1500 book-ended by 5C at the beginning and end of the day. Ground winds were calm to light N to 1500, light and variable to 1700 after which they were light to moderate NE gusting to 25 km/h as a cold front passed through. Ridge winds were mainly moderate SW becoming moderate NW after 1600. Cloud cover was initially 70-90% altocumulus to 1100, 100% stratus between 1100 and 1400 with light rain, 40-80% altostratus, altocumulus and cumulus to 1800 after which 100% stratus redeveloped, again bringing light rain to end the day. Between 1200 and 1400 the western ridges were 100% and the eastern ridges up to 50% obscured, both were then clear to 1700 after which the west disappeared again and after 1800 all ridges were obscured. The strong raptor movement experienced over the previous 12 days persisted to 1100 during which time 23 of the day's 31 birds were counted, with the first Golden Eagle appearing at 0746. After 1100 movement became very sporadic and the last Golden Eagle went south with the weather closing in at 1715. The only other raptors recorded were 3 Bald Eagles (1a,2sa) and an unaged Northern Goshawk. Other birds included a line of 9 Canada Geese flying high over the Fisher Range at 1110, an adult California Gull perversely flying north and an American Dipper, a species that had been surprisingly sparse on the river at the site this season. Cliff reports that this may result from the aggressive behaviour of a male Belted Kingfisher that has been in the area for several weeks, that has been seen on a number of occasions chasing the dipper out of what it obviously regards as its exclusive fishing reserve.

11.25 hours (337.65) BAEA 3 (55), NOGO 1 (30), GOEA 27 (2649) TOTAL 31 (2911)

Beaver Mines area (Peter Sherrington) Late in the morning I noticed that thick cloud was enveloping the Livingstone Range to the NNW and cloud was also obscuring the Continental Divide to the west and most of the mountains of the northern Waterton Main Ranges to the south. I drove to Phil Hazelton's home on the Gladstone Valley road about 4 km SSE of Beaver Mines where I had seen eagles moving under similar conditions on October 11 and watched there between 1230 and 1530. As expected there was a significant movement of Golden Eagles and a few other raptors, with many of the birds flying from the W or WNW before soaring near the eastern edge of the downslope squall-line and then gliding high to the south towards Prairie Bluff (Corner) Mountain, the north-easternmost peak in the Waterton Range and the only one that was consistently clear. Movement was very steady with half-hourly Golden Eagle counts between 1230 and 1500 of 7, 15, 10, 15 and 16 birds. After 1500 the Waterton Range to the south substantially cleared and only 3 Golden Eagles were seen before I left at 1530. At 1416 8 Golden Eagles soared together and at 1450 7 did the same thing before gliding high to the south. The three-hour count comprised 2 Bald Eagles (1sa,1j), 1 unaged Cooper's Hawk, 2 Rough-legged Hawks and 64 Golden Eagles (39a,9sa,3j,13u). Also of note was a very late Osprey perched on a snag by the lower Castle River at Canyon Bridge (5 km NE of Beaver Mines) yesterday afternoon, and I also saw what was probably the same bird on a higher reach of the river above the HW 507 bridge on Tuesday.