September 30 [Day 35] It was another summer-like day for the last day of September with the temperature reaching a high of 21.5C from a low of 14C. Again it was completely cloudless all day with the exception of a minute cumulus cloud that formed overhead at 1710 but disappeared within 1.5 minutes! Winds were again generally light, occasionally reaching 14 km/h, and before noon there were extensive calm periods. Winds were W until 1740 when they switched to E but remained light. Despite the calm conditions raptor movement started at 1006 and peaked between 1300 and 1500 with the passage of 112 birds and it looked as if a substantial total was in the offing, but the following hour produced only 5 migrants and although 1600-1700 saw 20 birds subsequently movement just faded away. Sharp-shinned Hawks (78) just edged Golden Eagles (77) for the day’s most common migrant, and there was a good variety of other raptors including 5 Northern Harriers (all juvenile) which is the highest count of the species since August 30 and 14 Red-tailed Hawks which equals September 16 for the highest daily count this season. Three of the Red-tails were “Harlan’s Hawks”. Passerine movement was reasonably varied but involved no large numbers, but the 19 Red-breasted Nuthatches that moved today brought the month’s total to a remarkable 2349 birds. 12 hours (402.17) BAEA 2 (38), NOHA 5 (42), SSHA 78 (933), COHA 12 (191), NOGO 3 (82), RTHA 14 (152), RLHA 2 (4), GOEA 77 (727), PEFA 1 (26), UF 1 (1) TOTAL 195 (2340)
September summary We spent 29 days in the field during the month (332.4 hours) losing only one full day (September 21) to inclement weather, the days and hours being 3.6% and 4.9% above the 2006-07 site monthly average respectively. The combined species count of 2280 was a new site monthly high and was 22.1% above average. New monthly high counts were established for Osprey (24, +109%), Sharp-shinned Hawk (907, +39.3%), Cooper’s Hawk (189, +26.8%), Northern Goshawk (81, +189%), Broad-winged Hawk (19, +90%) and Rough-legged Hawk (4, +167%). Bald Eagle (37, +19.4%) and Swainson’s Hawk (2, +33.3%) equaled previous monthly high totals, Golden Eagle (714, +8.7%), Merlin (17, +25.9%) and Peregrine Falcon (26, +36.8%) were all above average and Prairie Falcon (8) equaled the average count. Only 4 species occurred in less than average numbers during the month: Northern Harrier (35, -34.6%), Red-tailed Hawk (148, -3.9%), Ferruginous Hawk (0, -100%) and American Kestrel 13 (-52.7%).

September 29 [Day 34] The high pressure system persisted bringing a cloudless sky all day and winds that never exceeded 14 km/h, from the NW to 1300 and subsequently from the W. The temperature reached a very pleasant 20C from a low of 11C. The first raptor was not seen until 1202 and only 4 birds had moved by 1300, but then they moved steadily for the rest of the day. At first most birds flew low with much soaring giving spectacular views as they moved close to the ridge, but as the day progressed the flight got higher making detection of the birds increasingly difficult against the plain blue backdrop of the sky. The flight was again dominated by Golden Eagles with the total of 117 being the second highest of the season so far. A young bird at 1520 passed close enough to see that it had a patagial tag on each wing: red on the right wing and green on the left wing. The highest hourly count was 37 from 1800 to 1900 and three birds moved after 1900 with the last gliding south at 1908. Sharp-shinned Hawks (49) again moved strongly, often accompanying Golden Eagles, but both Cooper’s Hawks and Northern Goshawks were scarce, as were buteos with only 1 Red-tailed Hawk (adult light calurus) and 1 dark morph Rough-legged Hawk seen. A Pileated Woodpecker heard calling east of the site was the 87th bird species of the year, an adult Northern Shrike perched at the site was the 88th and only the second to be seen on the ridge and the first that has occurred in September. Other movement was relatively sparse but included 9 American Pipits, the highest daily total so far this season. 12.5 hours (390.17) BAEA 3 (36), NOHA 2 (37), SSHA 49 (855), COHA 2 (179), NOGO 2 (79), RTHA 1 (138), RLHA 1 (2), GOEA 117 (650), MERL 2 (17) TOTAL 179 (2145)

September 28 [Day 33] (Bill Wilson) It was a day of stable high pressure conditions with a temperature high of 13C rising from a low of 5C and mainly W winds that were generally light to 1400 then become moderate gusting on occasion to 30 km/h. Cloud cover was altostratus all day, diaphanously thin in the morning and thickening slightly in the afternoon, but enough to make detection of raptors reasonably easy. The early morning light winds were not conducive to raptor movement and only 3 birds were seen before 1100, but thereafter the pace quickened with an average of 24 birds/ hour seen between 1100 and 1900 with maximum passage of 38 birds from 1600 to 1700. Golden Eagles (105) again dominated the flight and all three Accipiter species moved strongly. A single Osprey raised the season’s total to a record 24 and the season’s first Rough-legged Hawk was seen on exactly the same day as last year, and one day earlier than in 2006. Two of the day’s 8 Red-tailed Hawks were “Harlan’s” and 2 adult Peregrine Falcons brought the season’s total to 25. Passerine movement was dominated by White-winged Crossbills and American Robins, and 5 Yellow-rumped Warblers and 22 Mountain Bluebirds (in one flock) were the highest counts for 8 and 5 days respectively. The songbird of the day, however, was undoubtedly the 3rd Grey-cheeked Thrush of the season that uncharacteristically perched in the open for 2 minutes allowing close scrutiny, and was only finally displaced by an incoming American Robin that took over its perch. 12 hours (377.92) OSPR 1 (24), NOHA 1 (35), SSHA 55 (806), COHA 8 (177), NOGO 10 (77), UA 4 (40), RTHA 8 (137), RLHA 1 (1), GOEA 105 (533), PEFA 2 (25), UU 2 (14) TOTAL 196 (1966)

September 27 [Day 32] The wind was constantly from the W all day generally gusting 50-65 km/h and occasionally reaching 80 km/h. The temperature ranged from 6C to 12C, and from an early morning cloud cover of 10-20% altostratus, cover for the rest of the day ranged between 70-100% altostratus, cirrus, cirrostratus and cumulus giving excellent viewing conditions. And there was plenty to view with a season high 211 migrant raptors of 10 species moving steadily all day between 0820 and 1850 providing a great experience for the 50 visitors who climbed to the site to celebrate the Crowsnest Eagle Festival. Unlike last year when inclement weather confined the eagle movement to 1 bird, today was the first day of significant Golden Eagle movement with a season high count of 156 birds, 34 of which moved between 1100 and 1200. The 7 Bald Eagles were also a seasonal daily high, and single Osprey and Broad-winged Hawk (a juvenile light morph) increased the record seasonal counts for the species. Three of the 11 Red-tailed Hawks were “Harlan’s”, one of which was a juvenile intermediate morph. Because of the wind passerine movement was generally sporadic and muted, but included 2 Yellow-rumped Warblers which were the first recorded for four days, and the 80 Pine Siskins brought the September count up to 2063 birds. At 1750 4 Sandhill Cranes flew very high to the east across the Livingstone Range furnishing the second fall and third overall record for the site, and at 1819 the third Winter Wren ever recorded at the site flew and perched about 0.5 m away from me much to my surprise. Just after noon a group of visitors was very excited by the sighting of a Black Bear below the ridge to the west, but the excitement somewhat abated when someone noticed that it had an ear tag and udders! It was a splendid day that gave much pleasure to many people. 12.25 hours (365.92) OSPR 1 (23), BAEA 7 (33), NOHA 2 (34), SSHA 23 (751), COHA 5 (169), NOGO 3 (67), UA 1 (36), BWHA 1 (19), RTHA 11 (129), GOEA 156 (428), PRFA 1 (8) TOTAL 211 (1769)

September 26 [Day 31] At 0900 observation was taken over by Denise, Karola and Raymond as I had to go to Calgary. The temperatures rose to 11.5C from a low of 2C and the winds varied between WNW and W all day reaching 18 km/h in the early morning, but were generally light or even calm after 1000. Cloud cover was 0-10% cumulus until noon after which cumulus cloud cover increased steadily to 70% by 1600 and was replaced after 1700 by fairly uniform altostratus cloud that made age determination of high-flying birds difficult. The first raptor, an adult Bald Eagle, appeared at 0943, but steady movement did not start until 1012 and was fairly continuous thereafter until 1750 after which only two more Golden Eagles were seen. Maximum passage was 22 birds between 1200 and 1300. The total of 27 Golden Eagles was a disappointing count for this stage of the season and we still await a significant movement: maybe tomorrow which is the day of the Crowsnest eagle festival! All three Accipiter species moved in good numbers and at 1213 the 18th Broad-winged Hawk of the season, a light morph adult, was recorded. One of the day’s 7 Red-tailed Hawks was an adult dark morph “Harlan’s”. At 0817 a male Varied Thrush was singing at the site, the 84th bird species recorded this season. Other migrants included 26 Red-breasted Nuthatches, 36 Golden-crowned Kinglets, 6 Ruby-crowned Kinglets, 1 Townsend’s Solitaire, 83 American Robins, 1 White-crowned Sparrow, 17 Dark-eyed Juncos, 128 White-winged Crossbills and 48 Pine Siskins. 12.25 hours (353.67) BAEA 3 (26), NOHA 2 (32), SSHA 31 (728), COHA 9 (164), NOGO 7 (64), UA 1 (35), BWHA 1 (18), RTHA 7 (118), GOEA 27 (272), MERL (15), PRFA 1 (7) TOTAL 98 (1558)

September 25 [Day 30] Winds were W 20-30 km/h all day, with the temperature rising to a high of 11.5 from a morning low of 6C. Cloud cover was mainly cumulus all day ranging from 90-60% until 1800 when the skies quickly cleared to 10% cumulus. A disturbance that arrived at 1530 produced a series of showers moving from the west interspersed with periods of sunshine, characterised by magnificent rainbows, which persisted until 1710. Raptor movement started early with an adult Northern Goshawk moving south at 0753, and 4 Golden Eagles moved before 0900, with subsequent migration steady all day with birds even moving high to the south during the periods of afternoon showers. The last bird of the day was a Sharp-shinned Hawk at 1846, which was the 125th migrant of the day, the first 100+ count in 9 days. Golden Eagles moved steadily all day and the total of 45 is the highest count so far this season and was exceeded today only by the 47 Sharp-shinned Hawks. For the second day in a row 7 Peregrine Falcons (5 adults, 2 juveniles) moved south bringing the season’s total to 23, and the total of 6 Bald Eagles (4 adults and 2 subadults) was the highest so far this season. The most common passerine migrants were Red-breasted Nuthatch (33), American Robin (17), White-winged Crossbill (80) and Pine Siskin (119), but the highlight of the day was the sighting of two Grey-cheeked Thrushes, the 2nd and 3rd records for the site (and for the Crowsnest Pass area). The first was seen at 1010 by Doug Dolmen as he and Teresa were climbing the trail to the site, and I saw the second close to the site at 1208: it is very unlikely that they were the same bird. 12.25 hours (341.42) BAEA 6 (23), NOHA 3 (30), SSHA 47 (697), COHA 7 (155), NOGO 2 (57), UA 1 (26), RTHA 5 (111), GOEA 45 (245), AMKE 1 (17), MERL 1 (14), PEFA 7 (23) TOTAL 125 (1460)

September 24 [Day 29] It was again 0C at 0800 but today it warmed up to 12C, with W winds gradually increasing in velocity throughout the day reaching 35 km/h at 1900. Cloud cover was initially 70-100% thick altostratus with cirrus and cirrocumulus, diminishing in the afternoon to 30% lenticular cloud before suddenly changing to 100% cirrostratus and cirrus around 1900. Throughout the day the cloud cover made an excellent observation backdrop. Once again it was a quiet morning with the first raptor not appearing until 1150, and as yesterday movement was characterized by bursts of activity interspersed with periods of quiescence. The highlight of the day was the passage of 7 Peregrine Falcons (6 adults and 1 unaged) which was the second highest daily total ever for the site, the highest being 11 on September 25 last year. Three Ospreys and a single light morph adult Broad-winged Hawk both increased the record seasonal counts for the species, and 3 of the 11 Red-tailed Hawks were “Harlan’s” (2 adults and 1 juvenile). Golden Eagles again showed signs that a large movement was in the offing, but the total finished the same as yesterday (28) with the last 2 birds gliding high to the south at 1855. The only juvenile Accipiter recorded was the single Northern Goshawk of the day. Initially there was no sign of songbird movement on the ridge but around 0840 a large mixed flock moved through involving a couple of hundred birds of 10 species, and subsequently there was some movement throughout the rest of the day. Migrants included 30 Red-breasted Nuthatches, 9 Ruby-crowned Kinglets, 8 Townsend’s Solitaires, 111 American Robins, 2 Wilson’s Warblers, 59 Dark-eyed Juncos, 1 Pine Grosbeak, 4 Purple Finches, 33 White-winged Crossbills, and 84 Pine Siskins. There was a rare daylight sighting of a Northern Pocket Gopher that was excavating a burrow at the site at 0955, and the first Black Bear in 9 days was seen shortly afterwards. 12 hours (329.17) OSPR 3 (22), BAEA 3 (17), SSHA 19 (650), COHA 4 (148), NOGO 1 (55), BWHA 1 (17), RTHA 11 (106), UB 1 (1), GOEA 28 (200), PEFA 7 (16) TOTAL 78 (1335)

September 23 [Day 28] The air remained cold all day with the temperature briefly reaching a high of 5C from a low of 0C, and with the wind gusting from the W to 50 km/h in the afternoon it felt even cooler. There were a few light flurries in the early morning, but after noon the morning stratocumulus gave way to progressively diminishing cumulus cloud that was down to 20% by 1900. With the exception of an early Osprey at 0954, raptor movement didn’t really get underway until after 1100 and was then steady until 1647 when movement almost ceased until after 1800 when the second juvenile Peregrine Falcon of the day moved south and the last birds of the day were a group of 5 Golden Eagles soaring high at 1828 before gliding to the south. The 5 Ospreys, 4 of which migrated between 1418 and 1459, equaled the season’s highest daily count and established a new seasonal high for the site of 19. The 28 Golden Eagles is the highest count so far this season and the evening flourish suggests that the main movement is about to start. All 11 Red-tailed Hawks were light morph calurus: 9 adults and 2 juveniles, and one of the 2 Broad-wing Hawks was a juvenile dark morph bird. Passerine movement recovered some of its momentum and included the first Pine Grosbeaks (5) of the season, appropriately first seen during one of the early morning snow flurries, and a single flock of 35 Mountain Bluebirds flying high to the south at 1755. 12.25 hours (317.17) OSPR 5 (19), SSHA 20 (631), COHA 4 (144), NOGO 2 (54), BWHA 2 (16), RTHA 11 (95), GOEA 28 (172), PEFA 2 (9), PRFA 1 (6) TOTAL 75 (1257)

September 22 [Day 27] Cloud was still draped on the Livingstone Range to the north until 1000 when it cleared for the rest of the day with the exception of a brief squall around 1800. The temperature rose to 7C from a morning low of 4C and had fallen to 2C at 1900, which with W winds gusting between 30 and 45 km/h made for a cool day. Cloud cover ranged from 100% stratocumulus in the morning to 70% cumulus, altocumulus and cirrus in the afternoon which allowed a few welcome sunny breaks. No migrant raptors were seen in the morning, with the first Golden Eagle of the day not appearing until 1235, and thereafter movement was sporadic suggesting continuing periodic occlusions of the mountains to the north, with the day’s last Golden Eagle seen at 1858. Eleven of the day’s 26 migrants were Golden Eagles, the first time this month that they have been the most abundant raptor recorded, and with the barometric pressure steadily rising I suspect that their main movement will begin within the next couple of days. Bald Eagles also moved today for the first time in a week, and for the first time this season none of the aged accipiters were juveniles. With the exception of Dark-eyed Junco (19), White-winged Crossbill (84) and Pine Siskin (104) there was very little passerine movement, but a Steller’s Jay at 0930 was the 82nd bird species for the season. 12 hours (304.92) OSPR 1 (14), BAEA 3 (14), SSHA 4 (611), COHA 3 (140), NOGO 2 (52), RTHA 1 (84), GOEA 11 (144), PEFA 1 (7) TOTAL 26 (1182)

September 21 NO OBSERVATION The Livingstone Ridge was still visible in the early morning so I climbed the 300 m to the site arriving at 0800. At 0805 steady rain started and at 0830 low stratus cloud rolled up the ridge from the east reducing visibility to less than 10 m so I retreated. Rain stopped by late morning but the cloud on the main Livingstone Range didn’t clear.

September 20 [Day 26] The temperature at 0800 was a season high 16C but it only climbed to 17.5C and was 13.5C at 1900. The wind was light from the east all day and 60-100% cirrostratus and cirrus cloud gave way after 1600 to 60-100% altocumulus and cirrus providing good to excellent viewing conditions all day despite the persistence of smoke haze. Although there was not a lot of raptor movement, the variety was excellent with 11 species (and an additional subspecies) moving. The first Sharp-shinned Hawk flew south at 0816 but by 1300 only 9 birds had been seen. The pace quickened after 1300 with the birds moving in clusters interspersed with blank periods and the last bird, a Red-tailed Hawk, was seen at 1735. The 5 Ospreys were a season high and the 4 Broad-winged Hawks brought the season's total to 14, which is a new high count for the site. Two of the 7 Red-tailed Hawks were adult dark morph "Harlan's Hawks", and for the first time this season adult Sharp-shinned Hawks outnumbered juveniles. As yesterday only 1 Golden Eagle (a juvenile) moved south but with the barometer falling and cooler, wetter weather forecasted for the next couple of days they may finally be given an incentive to migrate. Passerine movement was steady in the morning but virtually non-existent after noon. Migrants included 14 Red-breasted Nuthatches, 6 Golden-crowned and 21 Ruby-crowned Kinglets, 10 Mountain Bluebirds, 2 Townsend's Solitaires, 72 American Robins, 1 American Pipit, 11 Yellow-rumped Warblers, 80 White-winged Crossbills and 68 Pine Siskins. Twenty-six of the day's 34 Dark-eyed Juncos were cismontanus, a race that mainly breeds in NE British Columbia and S Yukon. 12.25 (292.92) OSPR 5 (13), NOHA 4 (27), SSHA 12 (607), COHA 6 (137), NOGO 1 (50), BWHA 4 (14), RTHA 7 (83), GOEA 1 (133), AMKE 1 (16), MERL 2 (13), PEFA 1 (6), UU 1 (12) TOTAL 45 (1156)

September 19 [Day 25] The stable warm weather continued today with the temperature reaching a high of 21C from a starting temperature of 15C. Winds were light westerly in the morning but increased to 25-35 km/h in the afternoon before suddenly changing to easterly at 1845. Cloud cover was 50-100% cirrostratus and cirrus all day mainly giving reasonable viewing conditions. The first migrant raptor, a juvenile Northern Harrier, did not appear until 1123 and movement was then fairly slow but steady until 1447 after which it became very sporadic until the passage of the last bird of the day, an Osprey at 1819. Thirty-one of the day's 39 migrants were accipiters, and only 1 migrant Golden Eagle, a subadult, moved south at 1242. It will obviously take a change in the weather to get them moving. Passerine migration, on the other hand, was fairly good with the highlight being an adult female Cape May Warbler at 1056. This is the 3rd record for the site and the latest, the other two occurrences being September 6 and September 7 in 2006 and 2007 respectively. Also late was a Vesper Sparrow, the previous latest record being September 7 in 2007, and 5 Barn Swallows that are 13 days later than the previous latest record (September 6, 2007). Other migrants included 54 Red-breasted Nuthatches, 11 Yellow-rumped Warblers, 1 Townsend's Warbler, 1 Wilson's Warbler and 33 Dark-eyed Juncos of 4 subspecies (montanus, mearnsii, cismontanus and hyemalis). For the third day in a row Pine Siskin numbers were in single figures and their migration appears to be losing steam. Other finch migrants were 20 Grey-crowned Rosy-Finches, 4 Red Crossbills and 20 White-winged Crossbills. A Thirteen-lined Ground Squirrel made its first appearance in 8 days, and a Northwestern Fritillary and 2 Long Dash Skippers were on the wing. 12.25 hours (280.67) OSPR 1 (8), NOHA 1 (23), SSHA 17 (595), COHA 9 (131), NOGO 4 (49), UA 1 (25), RTHA 4 (76), GOEA 1 (132), MERL 1 (11) TOTAL 39 (1111)

September 18 [Day 24] This was the warmest day so far this season with the temperature ranging from 14C to 22.5C, but W winds gusting to 35 km/h in the afternoon ensured that we didn't get too hot. Cloud cover was 80-90% thick altostratus in the morning partially breaking up in the afternoon to altocumulus with some cirrus and cumulus producing difficult conditions in which to find, identify and age high flying birds. Deepening the morning gloom was persistent smoke haze which at least produced a spectacular sunrise and sunset. Yesterday afternoon's raptor shut-down persisted into this morning with only 2 migrants passing before noon, but thereafter movement was fairly steady with most birds flying very high and difficult to detect against a cloud cover that was either dazzling white altostratus or a cryptic pattern of altocumulus and blue sky patches. Thanks to the efforts of Teresa, Doug and Raymond we probably saw most of the birds that were moving today and we certainly didn't see any that we missed! Although Sharp-shinned Hawk (18) was again the most common species, it was not overwhelmingly so today, and generally there was a good variety of raptors moving. The highlight of the day was an adult Northern Goshawk and an adult dark morph Broad-winged Hawk gliding low overhead (which in itself was a highlight!) together at 1247. Because of the lighting conditions it was impossible to age many of the birds that appeared only as silhouettes. Passerine migration was relatively poor (only 9 Red-breasted Nuthatches for example) but it did included the 6th White-breasted Nuthatch of the season. 12.25 hours (268.42) OSPR 1 (7), NOHA 1 (22), SSHA 18 (578), COHA 11 (122), NOGO 5 (45), UA 4 (24), BWHA 1 (10), RTHA 10 (72), GOEA 12 (131), PRFA 1 (5), UU 5 (11) TOTAL 69 (1072)

September 17 [Day 23] Both the overnight low of 13C and the high of 21C were both seasonal highs, and it was still 19C at 1900. The wind was W all day generally light until 1300 then increasing to 20-30km/h occasionally gusting to 40 km/h. Cloud cover was initially 50% cirrus but gradually diminished throughout the day to just 5% by late afternoon. An adult male columbarius Merlin at 0759 was the earliest raptor seen this season and was quickly followed by a juvenile Northern Harrier at 0802 and 2 juvenile Sharp-shinned Hawks at 0816. Movement was subsequently steady until 1545 when a Sharp-shinned Hawk proved to be the 1000th migrant raptor of the season, but subsequently only 3 more migrants were seen, the last being a juvenile Northern Goshawk at 1703. This is the earliest date that we have reached the 1000 migrant level; in 2006 it was on September 24 and last year on September 22. Yet again the flight was dominated by Sharp-shinned Hawks (42), but today saw the highest percentage (26%) of adult birds so far. All the day's 4 Red-tailed Hawks moved between 1428 and 1442, with two of them being adult dark morph "Harlan's Hawks". Passerine movement was also somewhat diminished but included the second Palm Warbler of the season along with 2 Blue Jays, 24 Clark's Nutcrackers, 33 Mountain Chickadees, 47 Red-breasted Nuthatches, 10 Ruby-crowned Kinglets, 3 Mountain Bluebirds, 1 Townsend's Solitaire, 75 American Robins, 4 American Pipits, 34 Yellow-rumped Warblers, 2 Wilson's Warblers, 1 Chipping Sparrow, 3 White-crowned Sparrows, 27 Dark-eyed Juncos, 15 White-winged Crossbills and only 8 Pine Siskins. 11.5 hours (256.17) OSPR 1 (6), NOHA 2 (21), SSHA 42 (560), COHA 7 (111), NOGO 2 (40), UA 1 (20), RTHA 4 (62), GOEA 4 (119), MERL 1 (10), UU 1 (6) TOTAL 65 (1003)

September 16 [Day 22] It was again cloudless until 1300 when 70-100% diaphanous cirrostratus developed giving excellent observation conditions for the rest of the day. Again the temperature reached a high of 20C, and the wind was initially calm to NW becoming W gusting 20 km/h at 1300 but diminishing to light (<10 km/h) after 1700. Late in the day smoke haze developed for the first time this season. Once again morning movement was slow with just 4 raptor migrants recorded before 1200 when a concerted movement started that persisted to 1800 after which just 2 more birds were seen. Once again the flight was dominated by accipiters providing 98 of the day's total of 132 migrant raptors, with the 72 Sharp-shinned Hawks being the second highest total of the season. Seasonal highs to date were established for Broad-winged Hawk (4, including the first dark-morph of the season: an adult), Red-tailed Hawk (14) and American Kestrel (5), but Golden Eagles have not yet started moving in any numbers. A Prairie Falcon was seen to catch and eat a small songbird as it passed the site, and later an American Kestrel performed the same feat with a high-flying long-horned beetle: in neither case was their migratory momentum impeded in the slightest! Passerine movement was again strong and included second seasonal records for Swainson's Thrush and White-throated Sparrow, a single Black-billed Magpie was the 80th species seen at the site this fall and the 137 Red-breasted Nuthatches brought the monthly total for September to 2052. Other migrants included 4 Blue Jays, 7 Black-capped Chickadees, 24 Mountain Chickadees, 29 Golden-crowned Kinglets, 36 Ruby-crowned Kinglets, 8 Mountain Bluebirds, 9 Townsend's Solitaires, 82 American Robins, 4 American Pipits, 1 Orange-crowned Warbler, 31 Yellow-rumped Warblers, 1 Wilson's Warbler and 203 Pine Siskins. A brief glimpse of a Bobcat just north of the site at 0937 was the first sighting of the animal this fall. 12 hours (244.67) SSHA 72 (518), COHA 17 (104), NOGO 6 (38), UA 3 (18), BWHA 4 (9), RTHA 14 (58), GOEA 8 (115), AMKE 5 (15), PRFA 1 (4), UU 2 (5) TOTAL 132 (938)

September 15 [Day 21] It was 11C at 0800 and rose to a season high 20C by 1500 and was still 18C at 1900. The sky was essentially cloudless all day and after 1300 there was not even a trace of cloud. As yesterday the wind was initially NW or WNW becoming W after 1600 and was consistently between 15 and 30 km/h all day. The blue-out conditions made observation challenging but an additional 8 pairs of eyes at the site for much of the day helped considerably. Movement started somewhat earlier than yesterday with the first Sharp-shinned Hawk moving south at 0917, but like yesterday concerted movement only started after noon and was steady until the last 2 Golden Eagles were seen at 1903. The 127 migrants counted was the second highest count for the season and comprised 11 species. Again the flight was dominated by Sharp-shinned Hawks (63), and Bald Eagle (4), Red-tailed Hawk (9) and Golden Eagle (24) had their highest totals for the season to date: two of the Red-tails were juvenile dark morph "Harlan's Hawks". Passerine movement was relatively thin and included 48 Red-breasted Nuthatches, 29 Yellow-rumped Warblers and 1 Townsend's Warbler, but the highlight was a Common Raven that flew to the south along the ridge at 1330 with a golf ball in its bill. Where it found it is anybody's guess! 12.5 hours (232.67) OSPR 1 (5), BAEA 4 (11), NOHA 1 (19), SSHA 63 (446), COHA 7 (87), NOGO 6 (32), UA 4 (16), RTHA 9 (44), GOEA 24 (107), AMKE 2 (10), MERL 2 (9), PEFA 1 (5), UU 3 (3) TOTAL 127 (806)

September 14 [Day 20] It was cloudless until after noon when variable amounts (5-70%) of cirrus cloud developed greatly assisting in the location of high flying raptors. The temperature ranged from 7.5C to 16.6C with the temperature remaining around 16C for the entire afternoon after 1300. winds were initially light to moderate NW up to 1300, then moderate W for the rest of the day, gradually increasing in velocity reaching gusts of 40 km/h by the evening. The first migrant raptor was not seen until 1150 but then the rush was on and when the last Golden Eagle moved south at 1857 we had counted 196 migrants of 12 species, both numbers being season highs. Season's single day highs were set for Sharp-shinned Hawk (119), Northern Goshawk (7, all juveniles) and Merlin (3), and the Golden Eagle number equaled the previous high with 7 of the 22 birds moving after 1800. One of the 7 Red-tailed Hawks was our first "Harlan's" Hawk of the season. The highest single hour count was 1600-1700 with 48 birds passing and it was thanks to Denise's assistance that I was (just) able to keep up with them as most were flying extremely high against a very patchy cirrus backdrop. Passerine movement was varied but generally numbers continue to drop. The highlight of the movement was our second Magnolia Warbler and the first Grey-crowned Rosy-Finches (2) of the season. Other migrants included 30 Mountain Chickadees, 71 Red-breasted Nuthatches, 40 Golden-crowned Kinglets, 15 Ruby-crowned Kinglets, 3 Mountain Bluebirds, 2 Townsend's Solitaires, 13 American Robins, 2 American Pipits, 1 Orange-crowned Warbler, 17 Yellow-rumped Warblers, 3 Townsend's Warblers, 2 Wilson's Warblers, 6 Chipping Sparrows, 1White-crowned Sparrow, 7 Red and 39 White-winged Crossbills and 106 Pine Siskins. A "Yellow-shafted" Northern Flicker was also a first for the season. Not a bad day! 12.5 hours (220.17) OSPR 3 (4), BAEA 2 (7), NOHA 3 (18), SSHA 119 (383), COHA 23 (80), NOGO 7 (26), UA 4 (12), RTHA 7 (35), GOEA 22 (83), AMKE 1 (8), MERL 3 (7), PEFA 1 (4), PRFA 1 (3) TOTAL 196 (679)

September 13 [Day 19] Heavy rain overnight turned to snow leaving 1 cm at
the site in the morning, with the temperature at 0C at 0800. Overnight the
pressure had risen 10 hPa and at 0700 the sky was almost cloudless but by
0900 a 100% stratocumulus cover had developed which dissipated to 10% at
1300, after which cirrus cloud cover progressively spread becoming 100%
cirrostratus at 1900. It was a sky that was a pleasure to watch! An initial
weak upslope (easterly) flow changed to westerly at 1030 that steadily
increased in velocity reaching 30 km/h at 1900. The temperature high for the
day was 11C. Because of the initial calm conditions the first migrant raptor
did not appear until 1201 and movement was slow and steady throughout the
afternoon with the last of the day's 8 Golden Eagles moving south at 1900.
The 8 Red-tailed Hawks was the highest daily total so far this season
reflecting the relative scarcity of the species so far. Passerine movement
was also muted by last night's storm and included 15 Red-breasted
Nuthatches, 1 White-breasted Nuthatch, 20 American Robins, 31 Yellow-rumped
Warblers, 17 Wilson's Warblers and only 2 White-winged Crossbills. The early
morning frosty conditions induced 19 Canada Geese in two skeins to fly high
to the west before 0900. 12 hours (207.67) NOHA 2 (15), SSHA 14 (264), COHA
3 (57), NOGO 2 (19), RTHA 8 (28), GOEA 8 (61) TOTAL 37 (483)

September 12 [Day 18] The temperature at 0800 was a very pleasant 10C and rose to
17C at 1300 equaling the highest temperature at the site this season. Winds were WNW
to W generally below 15 km/h and cirrostratus and cirrus cloud cover gave hazy
sunshine and good viewing conditions. After 1300 towering cumulus developed and at
1410 the wind shifted to E-NE, the temperature rapidly fell and as three days ago I
reached my car just as heavy rain started and the ridge was enveloped in cloud at
1820. The only raptor species moving in any significant numbers today was
Sharp-shinned Hawk comprising 27 of the 35 migrants seen with the first bird moving
at 0827 and the last at 1802 just before the weather closed in. Three male American
Kestrels were the first seen since August 30 and only one migrant Golden Eagle, a
subadult, moved south. It is probable that the slowly southward-moving weather
system occluded the mountains to the north for much of the day preventing the
passage of the larger birds, and the flow of the smaller birds also markedly
diminished after 1600. Yet again passerine movement was dominated by Red-breasted
Nuthatches (260) while Yellow-rumped Warblers (96) had their highest single-day
count so far this season, but Wilson's Warbler movement has now slowed to a trickle
with just 5 birds counted. Other warblers seen included the site's first ever
Tennessee Warbler (a first winter female), 2 Orange-crowned Warblers and 2
Townsend's Warblers. At 1612 the season's first migrant Common Loon flew high to the
SW, the 78th bird species recorded on the count so far. The mid afternoon warm
temperatures put 4 species of butterfly on the wing at the site including a first
record of Long Dash Skipper for the study area, the 47th butterfly species recorded
there this year. 11 hours (195.67) SSHA 27 (250) COHA 1 (54), NOGO 1 (7), RTHA 2
(20), GOEA 1 (53), AMKE 3 (7) TOTAL 35 (446)     

September 11 [Day 17] It was the second warmest day of the season so far with the
temperature reaching 16C from a low of 6C, with a cirrus cloud cover that completely
disappeared after 1500. Winds were 10-30 km/h all day, initially from the NW and
backing to W after 1500. Raptor movement began slowly with only 7 birds counted
before 1300, but then a steady flow of birds was established peaking at 35 between
1500 and 1600 and by the time the last bird moved south at 1841 we had counted a
season high total of 116 migrants, including high counts for Sharp-shinned Hawk
(62), Cooper's Hawk (26) and Northern Goshawk (6). The first juvenile Broad-winged
Hawk of the season was seen at 1527 and the first juvenile Peregrine Falcon at 1721.
The highlight of the passerine migration was the site's first Black-throated Green
Warbler (which is also a first for the Crowsnest Pass area). The bird actually
stayed around the site for some 40 minutes, feeding and preening, allowing close
observation of a species that can be hard to distinguish from the closely related
Townsend's Warbler in fall plumage. An over-flying American Goldfinch was just the
second recorded at the site and the 76th bird species recorded there this season.
After a day off yesterday, Red-breasted Nuthatches again moved south in impressive
numbers (281) and other notable migrants were the second Warbling Vireo of the
season, the third White-breasted Nuthatch, a season-high count of 51 Golden-crowned
Kinglets, 30 Yellow-rumped Warblers, 4 Townsend's Warblers but only 9 Wilson's
Warblers, the lowest count for the species in a week. 12.33 hours (184.67) BAEA 1
(5), NOHA 1 (13), SSHA 62 (223), COHA 26 (53), NOGO 6 (16), UA 7 (8), BWHA 1 (5),
RTHA 3 (18), GOEA 8 (52), PEFA 1 (3) TOTAL 116 (411)

September 10 [Day 16] It rained heavily overnight but it had stopped by first light
although cloud lingered on the Livingstone Range until 1050. Cloud cover of 80%
cumulus persisted until 1500 when it progressively cleared and by 1900 the sky was
cloudless. Winds were very light from the N until 1600 when a westerly flow
developed which reached a maximum of 17 km/h at 1900, and the temperature reached 9C
from a low of 2.5C. Raptor migration was very slow but included the 4th Broad-winged
Hawk of the season: an adult light morph. Passerine migration was also almost
non-existent until 0930 after which they started to move in good numbers until noon.
First records for the season were Hermit Thrush, Blackpoll Warbler (2, the first for
September), White-throated Sparrow (also a September first) and a first winter
Lapland Longspur which was so confiding (or exhausted) that it would have been
possible to pick it up, although it later demonstrated that it was fully flighted.
This was the earliest recorded at the site, the earliest last year being October 8!
A Downy Woodpecker was also a season's first and the 73rd species recorded so far
this season. Yellow-rumped (31) and Wilson's (50) Warblers both moved strongly, but
Red-breasted Nuthatches (20) and American Robins (5) were relatively scarce and
after yesterday's big movement Mountain Bluebirds were absent today. A migrating
flock of 8 Blue Jays was by far the largest ever seen at the site. Season-high
counts were recorded for White-crowned Sparrow (35, the more northerly intergrade
oriantha x gambelii (grey lored) population has now replaced the local breeding pure
oriantha (black lored) form), and for Dark-eyed Junco (42) where the races montanus,
cismontanus and hyemalis were all present. 11 hours BAEA 1 (4), SSHA 1 (161), COHA 3
(27), NOGO 1 (10), BWHA 1 (4), GOEA 2 (44) TOTAL 9 (295)

September 8 [Day 14] The weather was remarkably uniform all day with 100%
cirrostratus cloud cover changing to 100% altostratus after 1600, winds from the W
and occasionally NW 15-20 gusting 35 km/h all day and a temperature range of 5C to
13C. The barometric pressure, which had dropped 2 hPa overnight continued falling
steadily all day and was a further 6 hPa lower by 1900. The first migrant raptor of
the day, a Sharp-shinned Hawk, flew south at 0812, the earliest recorded so far this
season, and after 1030 movement was fairly continuous peaking between 1300 and 1400
when 30 birds passed. The combined species total of 101 was the highest so far and
the earliest that a three-figure count has occurred at the site by 5 days. By far
the most abundant species was Sharp-shinned Hawk (61) and the total of 22 Golden
Eagles was the earliest two-figure count for the species on any fall RMERF count by
4 days. The first Peregrine Falcon of the count, an adult, moved south at 1554, and
a second adult glided high to the south at 1832. The last birds of the day were a
group of 5 Golden Eagles moving high to the west of the ridge at 1911, the latest
migrants seen so far. There was a vigorous passerine movement for about 1.5 hours in
the early morning that included the first ever Magnolia Warbler for the site and the
first Palm Warbler for the season as well as a tight flock of 61 Clark's Nutcrackers
migrating south at 0817. Other migrants included 70 Red-breasted Nuthatches, 17
Ruby-crowned Kinglets, 8 Mountain Bluebirds, 19 Yellow-rumped Warblers, 6 Townsend's
Warblers and 20 Wilson's Warblers. 12.42 hours (151.01) BAEA 1 (3), SSHA 61 (136),
COHA 6 (22), NOGO 2 (7), RTHA 5 (13), GOEA 22 (41), MERL 2 (4), PEFA 2 (2) TOTAL 101
(253)

September 7 [Day 13] The day started like yesterday ended with 100% stratocumulus
and the Livingstone Range to the north obscured in low cloud, with the rain ending
around 0700. By noon, however, all the ridges were clear and the cloud progressively
diminished to 40% cumulus by the evening. Conditions were calm until 1630 when a
gentle westerly flow developed with winds never exceeding 8 km/h, and the
temperature rose to 9C at 1500 from a low of 2C. The only raptor migrant of the
morning was a Northern Goshawk, but after noon there was a steady and increasing
flow of birds. The first Broad-winged Hawk of the season passed at 1235 followed by
two others later in the afternoon, all being light morph adults, and a high-flying
Swainson's Hawk at 1455 was the 3rd of the season which is the highest total count
so far at the site. The total of 9 migrant raptor species was the highest so far
this season and it appears that after a prolonged period of poor weather the raptor
migration might at last be getting underway. The songbird migration slowed somewhat
from the frantic pace of the last couple of days, but included the season's first
records of House Wren and Barn Swallow and a second Western Tanager. The highlight
of the day came at 1714 when 4 Sandhill Cranes flew high to the west for a first
fall record for the site. 11.42 hours (138.59) BAEA 1 (2), NOHA 2 (10), SSHA 7 (75),
COHA 3 (5), NOGO 3 (5), BWHA 3 (3), SWHA 1 (3), RTHA 2 (8), GOEA 3 (19) TOTAL 25
(152)

September 6 [Day 12] The barometric pressure had risen 4 hPa overnight so it
appeared that the weather was finally going to improve. The Livingstone Range to the
north, however, did not clear until the afternoon and cloud cover was 100%
stratocumulus for most of the day with the cloud periodically descending to envelope
the ridge in the morning. Winds were light all day and never exceeded 8 km/h, and
the temperature ranged from 3C to 8C, with periodic rain and hail showers the last
of which at 1715 turned into steady rain. The conditions were not conducive to
raptor movement and only 9 migrants of 6 species were seen spread thinly between
0851 and 1718. Surprisingly, however, there was a good songbird movement that
persisted until around 1030 with many birds disappearing into the low cloud or
proving to be impossible to identify against the dark grey backdrop. New species
recorded for this season were Canada Goose (heard flying west within the cloud),
Blue Jay (4 of which appeared out of the cloud, flying south), Common Yellowthroat
and Winter Wren (both second records for the site) and a Clay-coloured Sparrow in a
flock of 10 Chipping Sparrows. A male American Redstart was the first to be seen on
the ridge itself and was the second for the study area (the first was seen 3 days
ago). During a spectacularly barren mid-afternoon period a female Western Tanager
flew south to the east of the ridge to furnish a first record for the site, the
145th bird species recorded so far. Other migrants included 25 Red-breasted
Nuthatches, 8 Golden-crowned Kinglets, 4 Ruby-crowned Kinglets, 3 Mountain
Bluebirds, 10 Townsend's Solitaires, 56 American Robins, 1 American Pipit, 1
Orange-crowned Warbler, 23 Yellow-rumped Warblers, 1 Townsend's Warbler, 47 Wilson's
Warblers, 1 Savannah Sparrow, 2 White-crowned Sparrows, 18 Dark-eyed Juncos, 1
Cassin's Finch, 10 Red Crossbills, 22 White-winged Crossbills, and 128 Pine Siskins.
10.67 hours (127.17) NOHA 1 (8), SSHA 3 (68), COHA 2 (13), NOGO 1 (2), RTHA 1 (6),
MERL 1 (2) TOTAL 9 (127)

September 5 [Day 11] Winds were from the west all day 10-15 gusting 26 km/h, with 90-100% cloud cover, cirrostratus at first giving hazy sunshine, but thickening to stratocumulus in the afternoon producing rather gloomy conditions and rain between 1525 and 1645. The temperature ranged from 6C to 11C. There was a steady stream of juvenile Sharp-shinned and Cooper's Hawks up to 1300, many of which stopped to hunt the many songbirds that were passing by the site during the first half of the day. After 1300 only one more migrant was seen, another juvenile Sharp-shinned Hawk at 1411, and that was it for the day: not even the resident Golden Eagles made an appearance. The songbirds were far more entertaining with singles of Warbling Vireo, MacGillivray's Warbler and Evening Grosbeak, and an adult and juvenile Brewer's Sparrow being recorded for the first time this season. The 61 Wilson's Warblers are a new single-day high count for the site, and other migrants included 2 Western Wood Pewees, 127 Red-breasted Nuthatches, 14 Golden-crowned Kinglets, 20 Ruby-crowned Kinglets, 4 Mountain Bluebirds, 8 Townsend's Solitaires, 56 American Robins, 1 Orange-crowned Warbler, 49 Yellow-rumped Warblers, 1 Townsend's Warbler, 2 Chipping Sparrows (the species has been remarkably scarce so far this season), 1 White-crowned Sparrow, 4 Dark-eyed Juncos, 1 Cassin's Finch, 68 White-winged Crossbills and 38 Pine Siskins. The Thirteen-lined Ground Squirrel made another appearance at the site and the brown Black Bear appears to have become a fixture to the northeast of the site. 11.25 hours (116.5) SSHA 10 (65), COHA 3 (11) TOTAL 13 (118)

September 4 [Day 10] (Denise) I had to go to Calgary on short notice and unfortunately could not find anybody to do the first part of the day, but Denise observed for 6 hours in the afternoon. The temperature ranged from 6.5C to 8C with 50-90% cumulus cloud cover, but there was almost no wind which resulted in the passage of only 2 migrant raptors: the season's first Osprey at 1717 and a probable migrant Prairie Falcon. There were also very few passerines in evidence and the highlights of the afternoon proved to be 2 Moose and a Black Bear. 6 hours (105.25) OSPR 1 (1), PRFA 1 (2) TOTAL 2 (105)

September 3 [Day 9] A mainly pleasant day with temperatures ranging from 5C to 11C,winds from the NW to W generally between 10 and 25 km/h, and 70-90% cumulus,altocumulus and stratocumulus cloud yielding sunny periods all day. After 1300squalls with occasional thunder developed all around the site, but we got away withonly the occasional light shower until 1800 when towering cumulonimbus cloud moveddown from the north. I left the site just after 1800 as rain and hail began to fall,which became heavy after 1820 as the ridge was enveloped in low cloud. Raptormovement was dominated by accipiters with 22 Sharp-shinned Hawks, 2 Cooper's Hawksand an unidentified Accipiter moving between 0855 and 1721. At 1747 I heard ravenscalling high in the air and looking up saw 6 birds soaring high ahead of theapproaching storm front, one of which was an adult light morph Swainson's Hawk, thesecond of the season and the only non-Accipiter migrant of the day. Passerinemovement was even better than it was yesterday, with new single-day high counts forRed-breasted Nuthatch (359, 12 more than yesterday), Townsend's Warbler (10) andWilson's Warbler (50), another Olive-sided Flycatcher and the first Western WoodPewee of the year, and a strong southward movement of Clark's Nutcrackers involving60 birds in two flocks. Other migrants included 9 Golden-crowned Kinglets, 8Ruby-crowned Kinglets, 16 Mountain Bluebirds, 9 Townsend's Solitaires, 19 AmericanRobins, 36 Yellow-rumped Warblers, 5 White-crowned Sparrows, 15 Dark-eyed Juncos, 1Cassin's Finch, 7 Red Crossbills, 157 White-winged Crossbills and 106 Pine Siskins.During my retreat from the ridge I came across a mixed flock of birds shelteringfrom the rain in and around a large Douglas Fir, which included a female AmericanRedstart which was a new species for the area and the 144th recorded so far. Intotal we counted 942 birds of 29 species, both highs for the season. In spite of allthis the sighting of the day was our first ever Thirteen-lined Ground Squirrel thatwas right at the site on the ridge top. I managed to get some good photographs ofthe animal otherwise I probably wouldn't have believed it myself as it is almostcertainly the highest record of the species (1900 m) and probably the most westerlyas well. At the other end of the size scale an adult brown-coloured Black Bear wasthe fifth individual seen in the area since the start of the count. 11.25 hours(99.25) SSHA 22 (55), COHA 2 (8), AU 1 (1), SWHA 1 (2) TOTAL 26 (103)

September 2 [Day 8] It was a much more pleasant day although the temperature at 0800 was 0C and the Livingstone Range to the north was not completely clear of shrouding cloud until1020. The wind varied between W and WNW occasionally gusting to 40 km/h but normally 20-30 km/h and the temperature briefly reached 10.5C at 1500. Cloud cover was 10-70% cumulus until 1800 when cirrus cloud developed above the cumulus, and viewing conditions were excellent all day. There was a slow but steady movement of raptors starting with a Cooper’s Hawk at 0822 and including the first Merlin and migrant Prairie Falcon of the season, but despite the continuing apparently good migration conditions the only birds that moved after 1330 were 3 Golden Eagles one of which, a juvenile, looked as if it’s left wing had been shot. Despite the ragged nature of the wing it appeared to have no trouble soaring and glided south normally. After seeing the resident adult pair of Golden Eagles several times during the day, with the male displaying on occasion, I was surprised to see them at1838 soaring with a very fresh-plumaged juvenile that was calling incessantly, and they continued to stay together until after 1900. It appears that the pair did breed after all, but very late: there was no sign of nesting when we finished the spring count on May 19, and if the female had laid soon after that there would just be enough time for an early September fledging. There was an excellent movement of songbirds in the morning and even throughout the afternoon there was still a steady trickle of birds. The highlight was our first Olive-sided Flycatcher, the first flycatcher of the season and the 143^rd bird species recorded in the study area since 2006. Other migrants included a spectacular movement of 347 Red-breasted Nuthatches moving south in small flocks of up to 20 birds until mid-afternoon, 6 Ruby-crowned Kinglets, 2 Mountain Bluebirds, 2 Townsend’s Solitaires, 71 American Robins, 23 Yellow-rumped Warblers, 3 Townsend’s Warblers, 7 Wilson’s Warblers, 1 Cassin’s Finch, 74 White-winged Crossbills and 196 Pine Siskins. Both the total number of birds (847) and species (26) were the highest daily totals so far this season. 11.75 hours (88) SSHA 7 (33), COHA 4 (6), RTHA 1 (5), GOEA 3 (16), MERL 1 (1) PRFA 1 (1) TOTAL 17 (77)

September 1 [Day 7] Rain continued to noon with showers and periods of rain in the afternoon. Cloud lifted off the ridge around 1230 but the Livingstone range to the north didn’t clear until 1900. Winds were light easterly and the temperature ranged from 2.5C to 4C. Not surprisingly no migrant raptors were seen and only a few migrant passerines moved along the ridge. 6.5 hours (76.25) TOTAL 0 (60)