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)