March 31 [Day 28] (Jim Davis assisted by Cliff Hansen) The temperature was -8C at 0700, rose to a high of 5C at 1300 and remained there until 1900. It was initially calm with light to moderate SW winds developing after1000, while ridge winds were mainly moderate SW-SSW gusting between 44 and 85 km/h. Cloud cover at the start was 40% stratus and cumulus, increasing to 60% at 1000 and thickening to 100% stratus at 1400 when rain and snow began obscuring all the ridges at which time the count moved to the Lusk Creek site. At the Hay Meadow site a Rough-legged Hawk perched in a tree from 0833 and the first migrant Golden Eagle was seen at 0942. The last Golden Eagle was seen from there at 1336 by which time 1 unaged Sharp-shinned Hawk, the Rough-legged Hawk and 8 Golden Eagles (6a,1j,1u) had been recorded. At Lusk Creek it was calm until 1900 when a S wind to 20 km/h developed, and cloud cover was 100% stratus, but there was a slow but steady stream of migrant raptors after 1431 and especially between 1700 and 1800 when some clearing of the weather produced 11 Golden Eagles between 1700 and 1734 followed by a blank 1.5 hours. A total of 15 birds were seen there comprising 1 adult Bald Eagle, 1 adult light morph calurus Red-tailed Hawk (the first for the count this season) and 13 Golden Eagles (9a,1j,3u). The highlight of non-raptor movement at Mount Lorette was a flock of 12 Northern Flickers flying north about 10m above the centre of the valley at 1111, while at Lusk Creek about 500 Bohemian Waxwings occurred in three flocks. 12.16 hours (270.84) BAEA 1 (42), SSHA 1 (3), RTHA 1 (1), RLHA 1 (5), GOEA 21 (828) TOTAL 25 (828)

March summary This year's March count was characterized by higher than average temperatures, a prevalence of very strong SW downslope winds and higher than average snowfall and low cloud obscuring the ridges. Only 3 full days were lost to weather, but several other days were shortened and a total of 8 days (including those lost) had 0 migrants, a further 5 days saw the passage of only 1 bird and a total of 17 days had a passage of 10 or less birds. Compared to the averages of the previous 19 March counts (1993-2011) the 28 days and 270.84 hours spent in the field were 3.27 and 12.83% below average respectively. The combined species total of 825 is 65.95% below average and is the second lowest ever (behind the count of 743 in 2009). The total of 771 Golden Eagles is 66.42% below average and the 42 Bald Eagles are 60.6% below average and both species represent the second lowest counts ever behind counts of 684 and 36 respectively in the 2009 count. Of the other 3 species who's average occurrence during the month is above 2, the 1 Northern Goshawk is 90.9% below average, the 1 Red-tailed Hawk is 75.6% below average and, bucking the trend, the 5 Rough-legged Hawks are 86.27% above average. It is interesting to note that the percentage of immature Golden Eagles is still low suggesting that the April count still holds some promise of significant movement. Final march count: 28 days (270.84) TUVU 0, OSPR 0, BAEA 42, NOHA 0, SSHA 3, COHA 1, NOGO1, BWHA 0, SWHA 0, RTHA 1, FEHA 0, RLHA 5, GOEA 771, AMKE 0, MERL 1, GYRF 0, PEFA 0, PRFA 0, UA 1, UB 1, UE 1, UU 0 TOTAL 825.

The further adventures of “Elaine” Today Elaine moved about 35 km to the W and is now near the headwaters of the Salcho River, west of the Yukon Charley Rivers National Preserve, which puts her about 50 km SE of where she was on March 30 last year.