Sunday, April 17, 2011

April 16 [Day 42] (Joel Duncan) Heavy snow greeted Joel on his arrival so he spent the first two hours observing from “Hostel Hill” near the Stoney Trail parking area, and moved to the Hay Meadow site at 1030 where the temperature was -3C. The day's high was -2C between 1400 and 1800 and fell back to -3C at 1915. Ground winds were N-NE 5-10 gusting 20 km/h all day and ridge winds were N to variable and generally light. Cloud cover was 100% low stratus to 1745 with snow and all ridges obscured, but between 1745 and 1845 the snow stopped, the sky cleared to 40% cumulus and the eastern ridges became 25% clear. After 1845, however, the clouds lowered again, the snow fell again and Joel finally called it quits at 1915. The only migrant raptor seen was an adult Peregrine Falcon seen pursuing a flock of 20 European Starlings towards the north at 0845, but as all the birds disappeared behind a ridge the outcome of the chase was unknown. In the afternoon a Great horned Owl perched for about 3 hours on a tree near the Hay Meadow site before it was harassed and chased from the tree by a Common Raven at 1600. The owl flew to an adjacent grove of trees where it, in turn, displaced a probable resident Red-tailed Hawk that had apparently been sheltering there for most of the day. 11.25 hours (480.07) PEFA 1 (2) TOTAL 1 (3214)

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