April 3 Daily Flight Summary

camp life in the Subaramper

Official Counter         

Adam Richardson

Observers       

None

Weather         

Mostly cloudy skies in the morning gave way to overcast in the afternoon.  High cirrus clouds were covered by low stratus in the afternoon.  Thermal lift was good from 12:30-13:30. Winds were out of the SE at 4-11kph until 14:30 when they switched to the SW at 3-8kph. A low of -1C at 09:00 and a high of 10C by 13:30. Barometric pressure remained steady through the entire count.  Visibility was excellent to the E and W for the entirety of the count.

Raptor Notes 

(1) SS (6) RT (2) GE (1) NH (7) BE (1) UE

SSHA led the flight this morning with the earliest movement of the entire count early in the 09:00 hour.  By 11:00 things picked up with 6 birds per hour, mostly BAEA.  Many dogfights and kettling birds of mixed species were seen.  In the 14:00-15:00 hour 5 RTHA appeared directly over the OP shooting N folded up.  The excellent cloud cover that rolled in from the SW helped and I was fortunate to be looking up at that exact moment as the birds were darting through.

adult light-morphed RTHA

Residents were active today escorting and dogfighting with migrating raptors.  My new personal favorite is an adult dark-morphed RTHA that flew N early in the count into the canyon to the NW of the OP.  It returned roughly 30 minutes later with a bulging crop.  The first resident OSPR of the season flew south out of the canyon.  One pair of our resident BAEA is already occupying a nest upstream in the Johnston Pasture.  I mistakenly thought they were copulating yesterday, but maybe there was prey or nesting materiel being delivered.  Resident NOHA have finally arrived with the melting of some of the surrounding fields, an adult male and female.  I am still hoping for another falcon having not seen one since the resident MERL was seen for a few days back in March.  Possibly the resident Harlan’s RTHA migrated north today as one was spotted rising up the canyon to the SW of the OP making steady northward progression.

our resident rufous-morphed RTHA (considered a dark-morphed)

Non-raptor Notes

I hiked up my blind materiel and ghillie suite last night and the resident forest birds approve.  I had several flying directly over the table and foraging around me.  It helps that insects seem to buzz around in the windbreak the blind provides.  The resident group of approximately 3 CORA definitely did a double take.  These birds have been involved in active skirmishes with groups of migrating CORA too.  213 SNGO and 36 TUSW came through as I was preparing to hike down this evening.  The lone TRES was seen flitting about eye- level with the OP and 5 WITU were seen up the Johnston Pasture.  They were quite vocal at sunset.

AWPE returned today as well now four total

Visitors

None  

Next Day Forecast

N/A

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