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)