November 15 [Day 55] (Cliff Hansen, assisted by Kevin Barker) The temperature high was -5C at 0800 which fell to -7C at 0900, rose to -6C in mid-afternoon and was -7C at 1700. Ground winds were light SSW to noon and variable in the afternoon, mainly light but occasionally gusting to 15 km/h, while ridge winds were moderate SW-W with gusts to 69 km/h. Cloud cover was initially 100% altostratus and cumulus that reduced to 70% between 1100 and 1300, increased to 90-100% cumulus and altocumulus to 1500 after which it dwindled to 20% at 1700. The western ridges were largely obscured to 1500 after which they cleared, and the eastern ridges were mainly clear all day. The first migrant raptor was a juvenile Bald Eagle at 1115 with the first of the day's 8 Golden Eagles (6a,1sa,1u) appearing at 1219, the last three of which went south at 1639. At 1408 a resident juvenile Northern Goshawk made a low pass from a tree perch at a European Starling over the Hay Meadow, but the starling escaped and flew low to the north. Other migrants included 23 Canada Geese, 5 white-headed gulls flying south at 1600, 52 Pine Grosbeaks (including a single flock of 30 birds) and 30 Common Redpolls.

9.17 hours BAEA 1 (137), GOEA 8 (3469) TOTAL 9 (3896)

Corrigenda

October 10: subtract 1 RLHA (=9), add 1 MERL (=1) TOTAL 371

October 24: add 5 NOGO (=5) TOTAL 137

The total Golden Eagle count is 3466 (not 3469) and the total count is adjusted to 3899 (not 3896)

FINAL MOUNT LORETTE COUNT, FALL 2011 (September 20 to November 15)

The percentage variance from the average of 12 counts between 1993 and 2010 is given in parentheses. Excluded are the count at Plateau Mountain in 1997, an incomplete count in 2002, and the anomalously low (and also shorter) comparison counts conducted between 2006 and 2009.

DAYS 55 (-0.75)

HOURS 590.77 (+4.93)

TURKEY VULTURE (TUVU) 0 (-100)

OSPREY (OSPR) 3 (+16.13)

BALD EAGLE (BAEA) 137 (-53.4)

NORTHERN HARRIER (NOHA) 2 (-82.9)

SHARP-SHINNED HAWK (SSHA) 113 (-24.7)

COOPER’S HAWK (COHA) 33 (+32.89)

NORTHERN GOSHAWK (NOGO) 42 (-17.5)

Unidentified Accipiter (UA) 3

BROAD-WINGED HAWK (BWHA) 0 (-100)

SWAINSON’S HAWK (SWHA) 0 (-100)

RED-TAILED HAWK (RTHA) 28 (-22.8)

FERRUGINOUS HAWK (FEHA) 0 (-100)

ROUGH-LEGGED HAWK (RLHA) 41 (-29.8)

Unidentified Buteo (UB) 2

GOLDEN EAGLE (GOEA) 3466 (-7.32)

Unidentified eagle (UE) 2

AMERICAN KESTREL (AMKE) 2 (-33.3)

MERLIN (MERL) 6 (-20)

GYRFALCON (GYRF) 2 (-41.5)

PEREGRINE FALCON (PEFA) 10 (+110.5)

PRAIRIE FALCON (PRFA) 2 (0)

Unidentified Falco (UF) 3

Unidentified raptor (UU) 2

TOTAL 3899 (-11.69)