August 27 [Day 3] Another cool windy day with the temperature ranging from 4C to 10C and winds gusting from 30 to 55 km/h all day. Cloud cover was 70-100% and although rain threatened for much of the afternoon it produced only a couple of light showers. Once again raptor movement was almost non-existent with a subadult Golden Eagle at 0915, an adult Sharp-shinned Hawk at 1551 and a non-migrant adult Bald Eagle at 1151. Despite the slow start to the season we have already recorded more Golden Eagles (4) in August than ever before on an RMERF count. Passerine movement again was very thin but included the first Townsend’s Warbler of the season. The lack of birds was compensated for by watching an adult Black Bear feeding to the east of the ridge below me. I first saw it at 1230 and watched it make a large clockwise loop throughout the afternoon arriving back to close to where it had started in a well-shrubbed gully at 1600. At 1618 I saw a second adult Black Bear feeding and walking slowly south to the NNW of the first. At 1725 the second bear approached the first that suddenly got its scent and immediately lumbered away downslope. It returned at 1748 and both bears fed in dense shrub about 150 m apart both apparently unaware of the presence of the other. At 1757, the second bear moved fairly rapidly to the east and I didn’t see it again. I am fairly sure that neither bear could actually see the other during this time: they just happened to converge while feeding! Joel Duncan is going to relieve me tomorrow morning and will also be the Principal Observer on Friday as I have to go to Calgary. This should get the birds moving! 11.33 hours (34) SSHA 1 (2), GOEA 1 (4) TOTAL 2 (9)