DAY 84 (November 29) The day started clear and -20C with a N to NW wind that backed to W by mid morning and increased to 70 kmh with extensive blowing snow by late morning. A winter storm warning was issued for the area at noon, indicating blizzard conditions over the next 24 to 36 hours so I thought that this might be a good time to end the count. There were no migrants but the two resident Golden Eagles were present and at 1028 one displayed briefly over the ridge: a fitting adieu.

FINAL TOTALS

DAYS 84
HOURS 892.4

TURKEY VULTURE (TUVU) 0
OSPREY (OSPR) 11
BALD EAGLE (BAEA) 483
NORTHERN HARRIER (NOHA) 76
SHARP-SHINNED HAWK (SSHA) 1247
COOPER’S HAWK (COHA) 220
NORTHERN GOSHAWK (NOGO) 154
BROAD-WINGED HAWK (BWHA) 10
SWAINSON’S HAWK (SWHA) 2
RED-TAILED HAWK (RTHA) 283
FERRUGINOUS HAWK (FEHA) 1
ROUGH-LEGGED HAWK (RLHA) 141
GOLDEN EAGLE (GOEA) 4400
AMERICAN KESTREL (AMKE) 33
MERLIN (MERL) 45
PEREGRINE FALCON (PEFA) 14
GYRFALCON (GYRF) 6
PRAIRIE FALCON (PRFA) 18
undifferentiated Accipiter (UA) 45
undifferentiated Buteo (UB) 6
undifferentiated eagle (UE) 6
undifferentiated falcon (UF) 3
unidentified raptor (UU) 14

TOTAL 7217

Observers: Peter Sherrington (81.5 days), George Halmazna (2 days) and Denise Coccioloni-Amatto (0.5 days), with the assistance of Jay Allen, Denise Coccioloni-Amatto, Doug Dolman, Teresa Dolman, George Halmazna, Alan Hingston, Vance Mattson, Keith McClary, Karola Michalsky, Che Mincone, Marian Mincone, Molly Paton, Barbara Sherrington, Raymond Toal, Wilber Tripp, Nel Van Kramer, Patricia Wagenaar and many of the other 300+ people who visited the site during the season.

Acknowledgements: To members of the Crowsnest Conservation Society for their support and many contributions to the success of the project. To Judy and Rick Cooke for generously providing accommodation in their cabin at Lee Lake; to Barbara Brownold and Tim Grier for the loan of their Jeep; to the Nature Conservancy of Canada for granting me access through their Swann Property and to Pat Dwyer for use of his access road. Tim Grier also spent a day cutting steps on the trail to the site and acted as a guide to many visitors to the site. Finally I owe a debt of thanks to the many people of the Crowsnest Pass area who contributed to the project in myriad ways through their many acts of kindness and help.

DAY 83 (November 28) Finally the mountains cleared but it was very cold even below the ridge with the temperature ranging from -33C up to -19C (briefly) then back to the low 20’s by late afternoon. Fortunately there was almost no wind which made the temperature almost tolerable; unfortunately there was almost no wind which meant there was little raptor movement! Only two Golden Eagles and one Bald Eagle flapped their way south along the ridge, the second Golden bringing the season’s total for the species to 4,400 birds. BAEA 1 (482), GOEA 2 (4400) TOTAL 3 (7217)

November 27 No observation: sporadic snow with the mountains partially clearing late in the day.

November 26 No observation: snow for most of the day with the mountains obscured all day.

November 25 No observation: snow for most of the day with the mountains obscured all day.

DAY 82 (November 24) It snowed all day with the ridge only clearing for a couple of hours in the late morning and early afternoon allowing 3 Bald Eagles (2 adults and 1 juvenile) to move south. It was a relief when the clouds moved over the mountains again at 1430 allowing a retreat from the -30C wind chill. BAEA 3 (481) TOTAL 3 (7214)

November 23 No observation. The ridge was clear for 1.5 hours early in the morning but no raptors moved before increasingly heavy snow obscured the mountains for the rest of the day.

DAY 81 (November 22) (Frank site in am, ridge site in pm). Moderate west winds all day, with snow between 1145 and 1245. The temperature dropped steadily all afternoon and was -11C by 1700. Migration was slow although the first bird, a Rough-legged Hawk, moved south at 0754, with 5 before the snow and only 2 afterwards. A Great Horned Owl flying by at 0700 was the 100th bird species for the season. BAEA 3 (478), RLHA 1 (141), GOEA 3 (4398) TOTAL 7 (7211)