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| adult light-morphed RTHA |
Official Counter
Adam Richardson
Observers
None
Weather
-11 C in camp at 08:30. 30cm of snow still persists along
the banks of the Smith River. By 10:30AM
at the beginning of the count it had warmed to -4 C and there was no wind. Mostly high cirrus clouds for the entire
count with a few cumulus developing in the afternoon to the east. The clouds coupled with a steady south wind
8-14kph kept temps quite cold with a high of 2 C around 14:30-17:00. It was beginning to clear off to the north
near the last 30 minutes of the count.
Raptor Notes
Another slow day along the Smith River for raptors. Three eagles came through about 13:00-15:00
(3)BAEA and (1)GOEA. These birds were
flying very low along the first 1,000ft of Jumbo Mountain. Once they crested the ridge low on Jumbo,
they flew behind the near hill that the Smith River Road climbs behind. From here some of the birds took the eastern
route out over Sheep Creek and to the east of Berkins Butte. Others flew right down the Smith River
directly overhead of the OP.
Keeping track of our residents amongst todays flight
provided some useful behavioral information.
For example, residents are highly likely to fly through on the exact
same flightpath of the migrants, but detour back north to Berkins Butte to
linger. After this they would then fly
to the west side of the entrance of the canyon, but then uphill due west not
north (a long unnamed canyon on area maps).
An interesting sight today was a GOEA adult flying north
with an adult light-morphed RTHA in tow.
These birds were right on the heels of the migrating immature BAEA that
had just flown the same line low on Jumbo.
No migrating raptors were seen today going high off of Jumbo for that
matter. The RTHA broke off to Berkins
Butte and lingered there briefly before coming and perching uphill and to the
SW of the OP. I was hesitant to mark
this RTHA as a resident a few days ago, especially after not having seen it
again until today.
Later an adult Bald Eagle with smudgy tail flew the same
line as all of those prior but broke off to take a few circles over Berkins
Butte only to move up into the canyon noted above and in so doing bumping an
adult GOEA I had not seen (possibly the one that had flew down with the RTHA in
tow). When the Bald came across from
Jumbo a distant GOEA peaked up over the western summit of Jumbo. It was most likely this second adult GOEA
that came across about 20 minutes later only to join the gathering up in the
canyon noted above. This eagle took
several circuits over Berkins Butte as well. Near the close of the count a
final interaction occurred with an adult GOEA escorting a migrant BAEA from
Berkins Butte. The migrant continuing
through the canyon to the north and the GOEA perching back on the butte.
It is good to note raptors as resident if they spend time loitering
in the Berkins Butte area. Most true
migrants I have witnessed so far are flapping with all they have to get north
or they are climbing as high as conditions permit. All raptors were flying low today, but only
these residents who spent time over Berkins Butte and up the canyon mentioned
above exhibited resident behavior.
Non-raptor Notes
(6) Common Goldeneye and (1) Bufflehead appeared today from
the south, but didn’t proceed north.
Instead they too joined the growing number of waterfowl upstream where
the Johnston Pasture is plowed. Several
CANG flew north making great fanfare only to return hours later.
The Smith River has been running a little these last few
days with water running over the ice.
However today after 13:30 it had frozen back over again. I would imagine water is in a continual flux
of open then back to frozen downstream in the canyon.
Visitors
None
Next Day Forecast
High 39F low of 18F.
East winds 4mph.
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