Migration Madness

This month’s raptor survey started with a bang. And it just kept going! Fall migration is in full swing and all the players were out. In addition to the raptors, we saw a wide variety of waterfowl, one coyote and forty-one mule deer.

It’s pretty rare to see something right at the beginning of our survey route. One year we did see a Bald Eagle, but he was definitely the exception.  This month, we stopped at the  beginning of our route, I zeroed out the odometer, Amanda recorded the weather and time and we took a look around. Immediately, we saw an American Kestrel watching us from a power line, as well as two Red-tailed Hawks (RTHA) and one Rough-legged Hawk (RLHA).  And, from that point it just kept going.

Not too far along the route we turned on the road that goes to Penny Lake.

Because the lake was not frozen, there were still a lot of waterfowl on the water: Mallards, Redheads, Ring-necks, Coots, and about eight Trumpeter swans.

Also along that road we saw a RTHA, two RLHAs and a Prairie falcon, carrying its lunch.

Heading south towards Mansfield, we picked up more RTHAs  and more RLHAs. We went into town looking for the Merlin who resides there, but did not find him.

From Mansfield, our route goes east and heads down Mary Jane Hill to the Foster River valley which holds Highway 17. Not too far along, is one of our favorite turnoffs, Terry Hayes Road. It’s less than 3 1/2 miles long but there’s always something interesting to see there. Further along in the winter there will be porcupines sleeping in the trees. This time, we picked up RTHAs and RLHAs and looked for the Great Horned Owl that we have seen several times.

We looked at the tree where it has been found previously and almost missed it! But, there it was! Perfectly camouflaged! A brown and white owl hiding among brown and white branches is easy to miss!

We don’t usually see much as we travel east and south on Highway 17. It’s a heavily traveled road, and it’s always been my feeling that there were so many cars, that the birds stayed away. But this time, we picked up SIX RTHAs!

And looking out the side window what did we see but a Northern Goshawk! He was very distinct with his body coloration and his white eyebrow. A first for both of us! Unfortunately, there was too much traffic for us to stop and get a photo.

I have read that when RLHAs migrate they will frequently migrate together in small groups.  As we headed south out of Mansfield, going towards the north end of Jameson Lake, we observed this. At one point, the road makes a sharp turn to the south, and to the east another road goes off to Grimes Lake. From that location, within a circle with a radius of about a quarter mile, we counted nine individual RLHAs. NINE! We couldn’t believe it! 

And then, looking in the direction of Grimes Lake, just past where the RLHAs were, we saw two Golden eagles soaring in the sky, one adult and one sub-adult. There is a Golden eagle nest in the basalt above Bennett Lake, so it’s not unusual to see Goldens here.

We backtracked to Mansfield where we once again looked for the Merlin, without success. And just like that, the raptors were gone. The remaining nine miles of our route did not produce one more raptor. It seems that our survey ended the same way it started… with a bang.

Here is a summary of what was seen:

Golden Eagle 2 (one adult and one sub-adult)
Red-tailed Hawk 18
Rough-legged Hawk 18
Goshawk 1
Great Horned Owl 1
American Kestrel 3
Prairie Falcon 1