Official Counter
Adam Richardson
Observers
None
Weather
1-2cm of snow fell late last night. 23cm of snow remain in the campground with
33cm of snow on north facing aspects.
Low today of -1C with a high of 8C by 14:30. Mostly cloudy to partly
cloudy skies with yesterday’s storm clearing out of the area. Almost no winds until 12:30 when they picked
up to 5-9kph for the rest of the afternoon.
The Smith River was flowing below the lower boat ramp into the canyon by
09:00 and by 13:30 large sheets of ice were falling in off the banks. Sheep Creek is still frozen and the Smith
River was still within its banks at sunset.
Raptor Notes
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| 7-9 BAEA were perched 100m upstream of the OP first thing this morning |
An interesting start to the morning with 6 BAEA of various ages all perched 100m upstream of the OP. Most of this lot minus a few residents left at the 11:00-12:00 hour proceeding low downstream into the Smith River Canyon. During this time block on the highest bluff that comprises the NW canyon wall another kettle of GOEA was forming with 9 birds and a RTHA mixed in. During this hour one lone SSHA was spotted coming off the top of Jumbo and staying just a little to the east of the rise of land to the east of the OP. This accipiter made quick work of covering the ground to Berkins Butte before heading straight though the canyon entrance. By the end of this hour I had counted 21 migrants. Things tapered off quickly with 2 raptors per hour until 16:00 when migrants quit coming through.
 |
| This third year BAEA has been setting up a territory near the OP. It was bathing in the Smith River just south of the OP and preening from a prominent perch. |
Fairly active day for resident birds with their respective
territories being run over with migrating raptors. The resident adult BAEA was visibly not happy
about all of the juvenile birds perching just upstream of the OP. I spent part of this hour trying to figure
out what they were so interested in as many kept flying down to the Smith River
just to the SE of the OP. Based on what
I was able to make out from my limited vantage point they appeared to be just
bathing in the river as none of them were dogfighting or being aggressive with
one another. I did see several of the
younger birds fly from the river back up to their perches in the cottonwoods to
preen for much of the morning hours before moving on.
 |
| a resident pair of GOEA post copulation in their favorite perch on Jumbo |
Our resident adult pair of GOEA were spotted copulating on Jumbo in the afternoon. This second attempt seemed to be the real deal as the encounter lasted longer than the first observation from a few weeks ago.
A resident pair of adult light-morphed RTHA has set up a
territory on Berkins Butte and may attempt to nest somewhere on it. The pair was seen frequently dogfighting with
migrant BAEA in coordination with one another.
Later on, one of the pairs was seen flying with a stick from the top of
on tree to another. As of yet it was
most likely just courtship as I was unable to make out a nest in any of the
trees it landed in. The RTHA did several
rollercoaster displays on the flanks of Berkins Butte as well. It is exciting to see the resident raptors
setting up their territories so quickly (literally a few days) after their
arrival. I can see how the perfect
habitat is a commodity in this vicinity.
Non-raptor Notes
140 SNGO and 21 TUSW came through about the time the eagles
began to migrate. Their gleaming white
bodies in the clearing conditions is a sight to remember. A BEKI has returned to the Smith River and
seems to be just to the E of the OP frequently throughout the day.
Visitors
 |
| 23-33cm of snow persist at Camp Baker and the roads are quite soggy at the end of the day |
None. For now, things are getting soggier with the surrounding drifts melting onto the park and county roads. We have two streams running down either side of the hill entering the park. The river also has the potential for damage should flooding or ice jams become an issue. The park rangers are taking an aerial flight sometime this week. According to the NOAA Point Forecast as of tonight through Wednesday we are in an active flood advisory.
The National Weather Service in Great Falls has issued a
* Flood Advisory for Minor Flooding in Poor Drainage Areas
for...
Snowmelt in...
Lewis and Clark
County in west central Montana...
Broadwater County in
southwestern Montana...
Meagher County in
central Montana...
Madison County in
southwestern Montana...
Beaverhead County in
southwestern Montana...
Gallatin County in
south central Montana...
Jefferson County in
southwestern Montana...
* Until 545 PM MDT Wednesday.
* Emergency management, local law enforcement, and the
department of
transportation have
reported that snowmelt is causing minor
flooding across
portions of southwest and central Montana. This is
especially true in
areas with poor drainage, such as near culverts
blocked with snow
and/or debris.
* Some roads have water flowing over them, and many fields
have
standing water.
* Water that has covered roadways could cause vehicles to
get stuck
during the day on
unpaved roads, while freezing temperatures at
night will cause icy
and slippery driving conditions.
Next Day Forecast
Tuesday
Mostly sunny, with a high near 54. South wind 9 to 15 mph,
with gusts as high as 20 mph.
Tuesday Night
A slight chance of rain, mixing with snow after 10pm, then
gradually ending. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 21. West northwest wind 6 to
10 mph becoming southwest in the evening. Chance of precipitation is 20%.
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