DAY 76 (May 8) Winds were again strong SW all day raising the temperature to 21C from a low of 12C. It was cloudless until after 1000 when up to 50% Cu, Ci and Ac cloud developed, then after 1800 Sc cloud moved rapidly from the west, rain started at 1825 with thunder developing after 1925. Only two migrant raptors were seen: a juvenile COHA and a juvenile RTHA, but 46 other bird species were recorded including the first Orange-crowned Warblers [#101], 7 days later than average, a female Purple Finch [#102] and a single Bank Swallow [#103], one of our earliest records and consistent with the early return dates of the other swallow species. A male Rusty Blackbird was displaying at the Ponds early in the morning although the species has never bred here. I also saw 10 butterfly species including first records of Hoary Elfin, Spring Azure and Freija Fritillary, and found single flowering Pygmy Androsace and Early Blue Violet for the first time this year in the Hay Meadow. (13.33 hours: 919.9) COHA 1 (17), RTHA 1 (58) TOTAL 2 (2580)

DAY 75 (May 7) Strong SW winds all day with the temperature ranging from 10C to 17C, and 70-100% As and Cu cloud with an arch forming after 1600. Obviously the very high winds were not conducive to raptor movement: no migrants were recorded, and even resident birds were hard to find. The highlight of the day came at 1249 when Cliff found a new species for the area in the southern part of the Hay Meadow: the rare and elusive Rock Pigeon. It has taken us only 2390 field days to find the first one, which is the 100th species for the year and the 246th species for the study area. On the breeding front Ron saw a pair of American Dippers carrying food to a nest site behind Troll Falls, and at the other end of the process I observed a pair of Northern [Red-shafted] Flickers copulating in an aspen tree at 1912. The first pair of Harlequin Ducks was on the river near the site at 1920. (14.17 hours: 906.6) NO MIGRANT RAPTORS

DAY 74 (May 6) Calm conditions and -2C at 0630 changed after noon to SW winds gusting to 25 km/h with moderate to strong winds at ridge level, raising the temperature to 15C. The upper flow was NW until 1600 when it backed to W, and the cloud cover was a continuously changing kaleidoscope of Cu, Ac, As and Ci cloud giving generally good observation conditions. Raptor movement was again slow with the 6 GOEA (1 subadult, 5 juveniles) moving in mid-afternoon. The NOHA (an adult male) was only the fifth seen this spring. A LeConte’s Sparrow singing in the SE corner of the Hay Meadow was the first for the year [#99] and the earliest ever by 4 days. A Western Meadowlark perched on a snow fence post next to an American Robin and a Say’s Phoebe made an attractive grouping, and was the first seen since March 18. Swallows (4 species) and Yellow-rumped Warblers are now common, but butterflies are still relatively scarce although a single Red-disked Alpine at the site was new. (13.75 hours: 892.4) NOHA 1 (5), SSHA 2 (56), COHA 1 (16), RTHA 1 (57), GOEA 6 (2134), TOTAL 11 (2578)

DAY 73 (May 5) (Bill Wilson) South to SW winds gusting to 20km/h and moderate to strong SW winds aloft produced temperatures ranging from 4C to 9C and 5-80% mainly Cu cloud making the detection of high-flying raptors relatively easy. Not that there were a lot to detect, however, with 11 of the 14 migrant raptors moving between 1400 and 1700, including 7 juvenile GOEA. A Townsend’s Warbler singing south of the Ponds in the morning was the 98th species for the year, and a flock of 80 American Pipits in the Hay Meadow was the largest seen to date. (13.58 hours: 878.7) BAEA 1 (207), SSHA 1 (54), NOGO 2 (25), RTHA 1 (56), GOEA 7 (2128), AMKE 1 (8), UU 1 (6) TOTAL 14 (2567)

DAY 72 (May 4) Snow continued until 1125, but the ridges never fully cleared and low St cloud persisted all day, with the temperature reaching 5C. A positive sign was that the barometer finally stopped falling in the early afternoon, and was beginning to rise again by the end of the day. The only migrant raptor was a juvenile RTHA that probably roosted in the meadow overnight. The first flycatcher of the year, a Say’s Phoebe [#95], was at the site early in the morning, and it and a second bird were in the south meadow in the afternoon. The species arrived 8 days later than average. Ten Chipping Sparrows [#96] in a mixed sparrow flock were 5 days earlier than average, and a single male Harlequin Duck [#97] on the river near the site was 4 days late. (9.33 hours: 865.1) RTHA 1 (55) TOTAL 1 (2552)

May 3 Rain and snow all day with all peaks and ridges obscured. NO OBSERVATION

DAY 71 (May 2) A calm overcast morning with all peaks and ridges clear but with the barometer falling over the last 48 hours the prospects were not good. At 0800 light rain began to fall, by 0820 the rain was steady and everything was obscured and after 0845 the rain became heavy. A female AMKE at 0720 was the only raptor seen before the weather closed in. Presaging the rain, bird song was generally muted and sporadic, but a Lincoln’s Sparrow singing south of the site was the first for the year [#94] and 2 days earlier than average. I left just before 1000 soaked to the skin. (3.5 hours) AMKE 1 (7) TOTAL 1 (2552)

DAY 70 (May 1) A generally overcast day with 80-100% cloud cover, with variable to SW light to moderate winds and a temperature range of 0.5C to 11.5C. From 0945 to 1105 it rained steadily with all ridges obscured, but the eastern route quickly cleared although cloud lingered on the western ridges for most of the day. Despite the clearing raptor movement was almost non-existent until 1700 when sunny breaks signaled the start of a steady migration involving 9 raptor species that persisted until just after 1800, when it just as suddenly stopped: it was a good hour in An otherwise dull day. The total bird species count was 51 equalling the previous high for the season and included the first Steller’s Jay of the year [#92] which was just our 4th spring record, and the first Solitary Sandpiper [#93], which was 2 days earlier than average. For much of the afternoon a large flock of swallows (Tree, Violet-green, Northern Rough-winged and a single Barn) pursued insects (probably mainly caddis fly) over the river at the site. (13.58 hours: 853.3) OSPR 2 (6), SSHA 3 (53), COHA 1 (15), NOGO 1 (23), UA 2 (8), RTHA 2 (54), RLHA 1 (17), GOEA 4 (2121), AMKE 1 (6), MERL 2 (19), PRFA 1 (5), UF 1 (1), UU 1 (5) TOTAL 23 (2551)

DAY 69 (April 30) A cloudless start to the day allowed the temperature to drop to -5.5C but it quickly warmed up to a high of 11C with sunshine for most of the day. Winds were generally moderate SW and As/Ci cloud gave way after 1100 to 40-80% Cu giving excellent observing conditions. Raptor movement was steady all day from 0959 to 1947 with a season-high 11 species recorded. Movement was on the western route until 1400, then mainly above the middle of the valley until 1700 after which they mainly were seen high over the eastern route. The highlight was a total of three Turkey Vultures (2a, 1j) [species # 91] which represented not only the highest ever daily count at the site but the highest seasonal count as well! There have only been a total of 9 birds seen previously at the site since 1993. The GOEA total was the highest since April 21 and the highest ever for the date, and included just 1 adult bird. A juvenile bird recorded at 1618 brought the species total to 2100 and the combined species total to 2500. The combined species total for May of 622 birds is 25.5% below the long-term average, but is the highest total since 2003. The 332 GOEA total is 45.1% below the monthly average, as were RLHA (15, -14%), OSPR (4, -32%) and NOHA 3 (-57%). Most species totals, however, were higher than average including RTHA (44, 52.9%), COHA (14, 48%), SSHA 50, 41.3%), BAEA (105, 14.7%), NOGO (16, 11.8%) and all 5 falcon species. The 26 days spent observing during the month (4 full days were lost to weather) was 10.3% below average, but the 336.39 hours was almost exactly average.
I tallied a total of 48 bird species today, the second highest for the season, including the first 4 White-crowned Sparrows [# 89], 4 days later than the long term average arrival date, and a female Rusty Blackbird [#90]. (14.25 hours: 839.7) TUVU 3 (3), OSPR 3 (4), BAEA 1 (206), SSHA 10 (50), COHA 5 (14), NOGO 1 (22), UA 3 (6), RTHA 2 (52), GOEA 27 (2117), AMKE 1 (5), PEFA 1 (2), PRFA 1 (4) TOTAL 58 (2528)