March 19 [Day 18] (George Halmazna) The temperature at 0715 was -9C, rose to a high of 2C at 1500 and was -0.5C at 1930. Ground winds were calm to SE 5 km/h to 1400 and thereafter SE 5-8 gusting 12 km/h. The only data from Nakiska Ridgetop were 1300-1500 which indicated SW-WSW winds 26-36 gusting 46-51 km/h, and they were probably light to moderate SW earlier in the day. It was initially cloudless, but cumulus and altocumulus cloud quickly developed reaching 60% at 1000 and 100% in the afternoon. The western ridges were up to 60% obscured after 1400 and after 1730 up to 30% of the Fisher Range was obscured. There was 3 cm of fresh snow on the ground in the morning, but snowfall during the day was limited to flurries after 1400 and very light snow after 1700. Overall the day provided excellent observing conditions, that contributed to a season high count of 186 migrant raptors, almost double the total for the first 18 days of the count! The flight comprised 6 adult Bald Eagles and 180 adult Golden Eagles that moved between 0840 ( a Bald Eagle; the first Golden Eagle was seen at 0932) and 1624 when 2 Golden Eagles moved to the NW. The hourly counts were 09-1000 (2), 10-1100 (0), 11-1200 (26), 12-1300 (62), 13-1400 (16), 14-1500 (24), 15-1600 (48) and 16-1700 (2). The relatively calm conditions resulted in most birds moving over the western part of the valley until 1400, after which the movement progressively shifted towards the eastern part of the valley adjacent to but not above the Fisher Range ridge, and during the late movement they appeared over the northern end of the Fisher Range and moved directly to Mount McGillivray or to Skogan Pass, bypassing Mount Lorette to the south. Other birds were uncommon, but the day produced 7 mammal species: 2 Snowshoe Hares, 4 American Red Squirrels, 1 American Mink, 2 Coyotes, 2 White-tailed Deer, 17 Elk, and 18 Bighorn Sheep. 12.25 hours (167.94) BAEA 6 (16), GOEA 180 (274) TOTAL 186 (292)

Beauvais Ridge No observation.

Steeples, near Cranbrook, BC (Vance Mattson) Vance reports: “Poor weather here so far, so I have spent a limited amount of time at the site (around 40 hours), but 40 Bald Eagles, 4Rough-legged Hawks, 4Red-tailed Hawks and 90 Golden eagles have been seen so far. Things picked up today, and Golden Eagle mating was also observed. All the local Red-tailed Hawks seem to be back (I have counted 8 so far) and the swans are also populating the Wetlands; starlings and robins are back too.”