The Golden Eagle Migration Count
Every fall Golden Eagles migrate from their breeding grounds north of us to wintering grounds to the south. In the spring they fly back to their breeding grounds. One of the main routes for this migration is along the front ranges of the Canadian Rockies. At our watch site on the banks of the Kananaskis River near Mount Lorette, we count the passing eagles, and other raptors, for nearly eight weeks each spring and fall.
The Spring 2026 Migration Count runs from March 1 to April 22 with observers at the Mount Lorette site daily. We welcome visitors, and suggest that if you are interested in visiting the site then come in the mid-afternoon, which is when we typically see the highest number of eagles.
You can follow along with the count by reading the daily blog below, and you can learn more about Golden Eagles and the count by browsing the pages on this website. Got questions? We’ve got answers!
See the Spring Count 2026 Daily Summaries
Mount Lorette (03 Mar 2026) 17 Raptors
Alberta, Canada
| Daily Raptor Counts: Mar 03, 2026 | |||
| Species | Day’s Count | Month Total | Season Total |
| Turkey Vulture | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Osprey | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Bald Eagle | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| Northern Harrier | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Sharp-shinned Hawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Cooper’s Hawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| American Goshawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Broad-winged Hawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Swainson’s Hawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Red-tailed Hawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Ferruginous Hawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Rough-legged Hawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Golden Eagle | 13 | 24 | 24 |
| American Kestrel | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Merlin | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Gyrfalcon | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Peregrine Falcon | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Prairie Falcon | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Unknown Accipitrine | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Unknown Buteo | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Unknown Falcon | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Unknown Eagle | 2 | 4 | 4 |
| Unknown Raptor | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Total: | 17 | 30 | 30 |
| Observation start time: | 10:00:00 |
| Observation end time: | 18:00:00 |
| Total observation time: | 7.15 hours |
| Official Counter | Caroline Lambert |
| Observers: | Glenn Webber |
Visitors:
Four passers-by stopped to enquire about the count, and a couple who had been skiing lingered for a while.
Weather:
The starting temperature was 8C, and soon rose to a high of 9C. By the end of the day it was 6C. The initially mostly cloudy sky gave way to more blue sky, but by mid-afternoon altostratus and stratus clouds had moved in from the west, partially obscuring the west ridge, and blocking the sun. The wind was ferocious all day, with grounds winds gusting up to 50kph from the west, making it seem cold in spite of the unusually warm temperature. Ridge winds were very strong from the west, judging by the snow blowing off the ridges. The snow that fell on Friday was disappearing rapidly in the open areas, and in the forest the snow was quite mushy and not deep.
Raptor Observations:
The first migrants were seen soon after arrival, and continued sporadically throughout the day. All 13 of the Golden Eagles (7a, 6u) appeared over the east ridge at least two binocular views above the ridge, with the last few nearly four binocular views up – in other words, they were very, very high. Also going extremely fast. The two Bald Eagles (1a, 1wb) were also high but following the river to the north. A couple of eagles disappeared into the clouds before they could be ID’d.
Non-raptor Observations:
Other birds seen were one Hooded Merganser (male), one Downy Woodpecker, four Canada Jays, five or so Common Ravens, two Black-capped Chickadees, two Mountain Chickadees, one Red-breasted Nuthatch, about five White-winged Crossbills and five Pine Siskins.
Report submitted by ()
Mount Lorette information may be found at: eaglewatch.ca
More information at hawkcount.org: [Site Profile] [Day Summary] [Month Summary]
Count data submitted via Trektellen.org – [Project Details]
Mount Lorette (02 Mar 2026) 11 Raptors
Alberta, Canada
| Daily Raptor Counts: Mar 02, 2026 | |||
| Species | Day’s Count | Month Total | Season Total |
| Turkey Vulture | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Osprey | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Bald Eagle | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Northern Harrier | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Sharp-shinned Hawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Cooper’s Hawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| American Goshawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Broad-winged Hawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Swainson’s Hawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Red-tailed Hawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Ferruginous Hawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Rough-legged Hawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Golden Eagle | 10 | 11 | 11 |
| American Kestrel | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Merlin | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Gyrfalcon | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Peregrine Falcon | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Prairie Falcon | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Unknown Accipitrine | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Unknown Buteo | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Unknown Falcon | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Unknown Eagle | 1 | 2 | 2 |
| Unknown Raptor | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Total: | 11 | 13 | 13 |
| Observation start time: | 11:00:00 |
| Observation end time: | 18:30:00 |
| Total observation time: | 7.5 hours |
| Official Counter | Lori Anderson |
| Observers: | Amber Hanscomb, Cindy Swensen |
Visitors:
About 6 visitors, including Margaret and David Meisner (former observers)
Weather:
Today was a good day for everyone, eagles included. The thermometer read 6C at the start of the count, rising only 2 degrees for most part of the day, then falling to 4C at sunset. Wind blew from the west all day with continuous gusting cycles up to 20 Km/h every 15 minutes or so. Ridge winds were very strong from the west, producing constant snow plumes all around. Other than the wind, it was a great day to be out looking for eagles. It was mostly sunny with 10 to 40% coverage of Cumulus and Cirrus. Between 3:00 and 5:00 we had about 70 �90 % coverage when some Altostratus temporarily invaded the skies.
Raptor Observations:
The first Golden Eagle blew in high over Mt. McDougal at 1:35, gliding along Fisher range with wings tucked in until it was a bit farther north. We found about half of the birds at Lorette and the others near Patrick flying very high. When they reached Lorette, they flew behind the peak and on to Mt. McGillivray. Activity continued until the last bird was seen at 17:42. The final count was 10 Golden Eagles: 5a, 4u,1unidentified immature, and 1 unidentified eagle that disappeared miraculously.
Non-raptor Observations:
On the ground, there was limited activity. 1 Brown Creeper, 2 Black-capped Chickadees, 1 Hairy Woodpecker, 100+ Bohemian Waxwings, 5 Ravens, 1 Cedar Waxwing. 3 Whiskey Jack Canada Jays.
Report submitted by ()
Mount Lorette information may be found at: eaglewatch.ca
More information at hawkcount.org: [Site Profile] [Day Summary] [Month Summary]
Mount Lorette (01 Mar 2026) 2 Raptors
Alberta, Canada
| Daily Raptor Counts: Mar 01, 2026 | |||
| Species | Day’s Count | Month Total | Season Total |
| Turkey Vulture | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Osprey | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Bald Eagle | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Northern Harrier | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Sharp-shinned Hawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Cooper’s Hawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| American Goshawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Broad-winged Hawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Swainson’s Hawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Red-tailed Hawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Ferruginous Hawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Rough-legged Hawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Golden Eagle | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| American Kestrel | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Merlin | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Gyrfalcon | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Peregrine Falcon | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Prairie Falcon | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Unknown Accipitrine | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Unknown Buteo | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Unknown Falcon | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Unknown Eagle | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Unknown Raptor | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Total: | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| Observation start time: | 11:00:00 |
| Observation end time: | 17:00:00 |
| Total observation time: | 6 hours |
| Official Counter | Blake Weis |
| Observers: | Michelle Heart, Tracy Lenoard |
Visitors:
19 visitors stopped to talk, and one family of 4 stayed for a bit to watch for migrants.
Weather:
It was a beautiful late winter day in the valley. The temperate hovered between 4 and 6 C. Wind was from the SW, gusting around 25 km/h at ground level, but often it was almost calm. Ridge wind was between 40 and 80, gusting up to 107. Cloud cover was 10% cumulus and cirrus in the morning, and 20% altocumulus and altostratus in the evening.
Raptor Observations:
The first migrant of the 2026 spring count was an adult Golden Eagle gliding and soaring north along the Fisher Range at 1:30 PM. The only other raptor was an unidentified eagle that was briefly seen before it disappeared behind Mt. Lorette.
Non-raptor Observations:
2 Common Mergansers, 6 Common Ravens, 3 Canada Jays, 3 Boreal Chickadees, 2 Mountain Chickadees, 1 Brown Creeper, 1 Red-breasted Nuthatch, 80 Bohemian Waxwings, 10 White-winged Crossbills, 2 Pine Siskins, and 3 Dark Eyed Juncos.
Report submitted by ()
Mount Lorette information may be found at: eaglewatch.ca
More information at hawkcount.org: [Site Profile] [Day Summary] [Month Summary]
Count data submitted via Trektellen.org – [Project Details]
Mount Lorette (01 Mar 2026) 2 Raptors
Alberta, Canada
| Daily Raptor Counts: Mar 01, 2026 | |||
| Species | Day’s Count | Month Total | Season Total |
| Turkey Vulture | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Osprey | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Bald Eagle | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Northern Harrier | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Sharp-shinned Hawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Cooper’s Hawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| American Goshawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Broad-winged Hawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Swainson’s Hawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Red-tailed Hawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Ferruginous Hawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Rough-legged Hawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Golden Eagle | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| American Kestrel | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Merlin | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Gyrfalcon | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Peregrine Falcon | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Prairie Falcon | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Unknown Accipitrine | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Unknown Buteo | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Unknown Falcon | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Unknown Eagle | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Unknown Raptor | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Total: | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| Observation start time: | 11:00:00 |
| Observation end time: | 17:00:00 |
| Total observation time: | 6 hours |
| Official Counter | Blake Weis |
| Observers: | Michelle Heart, Tracy Lenoard |
Visitors:
19 visitors stopped to talk, and one family of 4 stayed for a bit to watch for migrants.
Weather:
It was a beautiful late winter day in the valley. The temperate hovered between 4 and 6 C. Wind was from the SW, gusting around 25 km/h at ground level, but often it was almost calm. Ridge wind was between 40 and 80, gusting up to 107. Cloud cover was 10% cumulus and cirrus in the morning, and 20% altocumulus and altostratus in the evening.
Raptor Observations:
The first migrant of the 2026 spring count was an adult Golden Eagle gliding and soaring north along the Fisher Range at 1:30 PM. The only other raptor was an unidentified eagle that was briefly seen before it disappeared behind Mt. Lorette.
Non-raptor Observations:
2 Common Mergansers, 6 Common Ravens, 3 Canada Jays, 3 Boreal Chickadees, 2 Mountain Chickadees, 1 Brown Creeper, 1 Red-breasted Nuthatch, 80 Bohemian Waxwings, 10 White-winged Crossbills, 2 Pine Siskins, and 3 Dark Eyed Juncos.
Report submitted by ()
Mount Lorette information may be found at: eaglewatch.ca
More information at hawkcount.org: [Site Profile] [Day Summary] [Month Summary]
Count data submitted via Trektellen.org – [Project Details]
Mount Lorette (15 Nov 2025) 22 Raptors
Alberta, Canada
| Daily Raptor Counts: Nov 15, 2025 | |||
| Species | Day’s Count | Month Total | Season Total |
| Turkey Vulture | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Osprey | 0 | 1 | 5 |
| Bald Eagle | 11 | 45 | 113 |
| Northern Harrier | 0 | 0 | 4 |
| Sharp-shinned Hawk | 0 | 0 | 198 |
| Cooper’s Hawk | 0 | 0 | 15 |
| American Goshawk | 0 | 0 | 20 |
| Broad-winged Hawk | 0 | 0 | 5 |
| Swainson’s Hawk | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Red-tailed Hawk | 0 | 0 | 43 |
| Ferruginous Hawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Rough-legged Hawk | 0 | 1 | 18 |
| Golden Eagle | 11 | 258 | 2463 |
| American Kestrel | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Merlin | 0 | 0 | 14 |
| Gyrfalcon | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Peregrine Falcon | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| Prairie Falcon | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Unknown Accipitrine | 0 | 1 | 12 |
| Unknown Buteo | 0 | 0 | 4 |
| Unknown Falcon | 0 | 1 | 5 |
| Unknown Eagle | 0 | 1 | 7 |
| Unknown Raptor | 0 | 2 | 18 |
| Total: | 22 | 310 | 2948 |
| Observation start time: | 09:00:00 |
| Observation end time: | 17:00:00 |
| Total observation time: | 7.63 hours |
| Official Counter | Blake Weis |
| Observers: | Allison Zukewich |
Visitors:
26 people stopped to talk, 3 stayed to watch for migrating raptors.
Weather:
The temperature started at 2C, rose to 6C, and was 5C at the end of the day. The ridges were clear, but it was mostly cloudy all day, with light ground winds from the southwest and moderate to strong ridge winds from the west southwest and southwest.
Raptor Observations:
The flight was split between Golden and Bald Eagles with 11 of each – 4 adult and 4 unaged Golden Eagles, and 7 adult and 3 immature Bald Eagles.
Non-raptor Observations:
1 Common Merganser, 1 Belted Kingfisher, 1 Hairy Woodpecker, 3 Canada Jays, 2 Clark’s Nutcrackers, 6 Common Ravens, 8 Black-capped Chickadees, 2 Boreal Chickadees, 2 Mountain Chickadees, 1 Golden-crowned Kinglet, 1 American Dipper, 35 Redpolls, 1 Red Crossbill, 5 White-winged Crossbills, 1 Pine Siskin, and 1 Dark-eyed Junco. 1 White-tailed Deer was also seen.
Report submitted by ()
Mount Lorette information may be found at: eaglewatch.ca
More information at hawkcount.org: [Site Profile] [Day Summary] [Month Summary]
Count data submitted via Trektellen.org – [Project Details]
Mount Lorette (14 Nov 2025) 1 Raptors
Alberta, Canada
| Daily Raptor Counts: Nov 14, 2025 | |||
| Species | Day’s Count | Month Total | Season Total |
| Turkey Vulture | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Osprey | 0 | 1 | 5 |
| Bald Eagle | 1 | 34 | 102 |
| Northern Harrier | 0 | 0 | 4 |
| Sharp-shinned Hawk | 0 | 0 | 198 |
| Cooper’s Hawk | 0 | 0 | 15 |
| American Goshawk | 0 | 0 | 20 |
| Broad-winged Hawk | 0 | 0 | 5 |
| Swainson’s Hawk | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Red-tailed Hawk | 0 | 0 | 43 |
| Ferruginous Hawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Rough-legged Hawk | 0 | 1 | 18 |
| Golden Eagle | 0 | 247 | 2452 |
| American Kestrel | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Merlin | 0 | 0 | 14 |
| Gyrfalcon | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Peregrine Falcon | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| Prairie Falcon | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Unknown Accipitrine | 0 | 1 | 12 |
| Unknown Buteo | 0 | 0 | 4 |
| Unknown Falcon | 0 | 1 | 5 |
| Unknown Eagle | 0 | 1 | 7 |
| Unknown Raptor | 0 | 2 | 18 |
| Total: | 1 | 288 | 2926 |
| Observation start time: | 09:00:00 |
| Observation end time: | 15:00:00 |
| Total observation time: | 4.93 hours |
| Official Counter | Caroline Lambert |
| Observers: | Guy Kerr |
Visitors:
There were no visitors.
Weather:
Most weather forecasts predicted low clouds and snow early in the morning, but then it was going to clear up and be at least partially sunny. Only one forecast suggested that it might snow all day. So, there was optimism when arriving at the site, a bit later than usual, with all ridges occluded and precipitation in the form of graupel. Constant review of the various weather forecasts told the same story – snow now, but clearing up later. In the end, the forecast that predicted snow all day was the winner. The count was terminated a bit early when it became clear that even if conditions improved, the ridges would still be hidden in the clouds. The temperature started at -1 and dropped to -3 by mid-afternoon. Ground winds were in the 5-10kph range from the north, while ridge winds were low from the southwest.
Raptor Observations:
In spite of the low clouds, one Bald Eagle was seen flying south up the river. It was an older subadult bird, different in age from the three Bald Eagles that have been seen in the area recently. It seemed to be flying with intent, and so was counted as a migrant.
Non-raptor Observations:
Other birds were: one Northern Shrike, two Canada Jays, two Common Ravens, one American Dipper, 30 Redpolls, five White-winged Crossbills, and a flock of Bohemian Waxwings.
Report submitted by ()
Mount Lorette information may be found at: eaglewatch.ca
More information at hawkcount.org: [Site Profile] [Day Summary] [Month Summary]
Count data submitted via Trektellen.org – [Project Details]
