Fall Migration Count 2026
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 Fall 2026 Migration Count runs from September 20 to November 15 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!
Mount Lorette (19 Oct 2026) 79 Raptors
Alberta, Canada
| Daily Raptor Counts: Oct 19, 2026 | |||
| Species | Day’s Count | Month Total | Season Total |
| Turkey Vulture | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Osprey | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Bald Eagle | 3 | 25 | 35 |
| Northern Harrier | 0 | 5 | 9 |
| Sharp-shinned Hawk | 0 | 53 | 81 |
| Cooper’s Hawk | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| American Goshawk | 0 | 6 | 18 |
| Broad-winged Hawk | 0 | 0 | 5 |
| Swainson’s Hawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Red-tailed Hawk | 1 | 12 | 24 |
| Ferruginous Hawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Rough-legged Hawk | 1 | 12 | 15 |
| Golden Eagle | 74 | 1282 | 1548 |
| American Kestrel | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Merlin | 0 | 5 | 7 |
| Gyrfalcon | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Peregrine Falcon | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Prairie Falcon | 0 | 2 | 4 |
| Unknown Accipitrine | 0 | 4 | 9 |
| Unknown Buteo | 0 | 2 | 2 |
| Unknown Falcon | 0 | 4 | 9 |
| Unknown Eagle | 0 | 3 | 6 |
| Unknown Raptor | 0 | 12 | 16 |
| Total: | 79 | 1427 | 1793 |
| Observation start time: | 07:00:00 |
| Observation end time: | 18:00:00 |
| Total observation time: | 9.95 hours |
| Official Counter | Lori Anderson |
| Observers: | Dan Parliament, Sandy Graham |
Visitors:
About 60 people came by the site today, and so many were interested and eager to ask questions. I kept hearing comments about how important and meaningful it was to be here and experience the count firsthand. A special shout-out to Yumi, who spent a few fruitful hours observing with us. We also had a special visitor from Wales, John Trudgill, who has devoted his entire life to working with raptors. It was wonderful to share the site with so many curious and enthusiastic visitors!
Weather:
It was a nice day! Temperatures ranged from �4�C to 9�C, ending at 8�C. SW ground winds were very light, averaging approximately 6 km/h, before increasing between 3:00 and 5:00 p.m. SW ridge winds were initially light but strengthened after 1:00 p.m., reaching 22�33 km/h with gusts up to 46 km/h. The ridges remained clear throughout the day. Cloud cover ranged from 80�100%, with a variety of cirrus and stratus clouds and some lenticular clouds developing later in the day.
Raptor Observations:
The first Golden appeared around 8:30, gliding low along and in front of the east ridges. Most of the birds flew low, and many crossed the face of the mountains at some point, making identification an easier task. We had the highest numbers after 2:30. The final count for Raptors was 74 Golden Eagles (50 adults, 7 subadults, 5 juveniles, 3 non-adults, 9 unidentified). 3 adult Bald Eagles, 1 Red-tailed Hawk, 1 Rough-legged Hawk.
Non-raptor Observations:
1 Three-toed Woodpecker, 1 Mountain Chickadee, 65 American Robins in 2 flocks, A choir of 7 Common Ravens plus many more, 1 Hairy Woodpecker, 16 Common Loons including a flock of 12, 4 Canada Jays, 15 Snow Buntings, 1 Pine Siskin, 25 Bohemian Waxwings, 1 Ruffed Grouse, and 1 Black-capped Chickadee.
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 (17 Oct 2026) 30 Raptors
Alberta, Canada
| Daily Raptor Counts: Oct 17, 2026 | |||
| Species | Day’s Count | Month Total | Season Total |
| Turkey Vulture | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Osprey | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Bald Eagle | 0 | 20 | 30 |
| Northern Harrier | 0 | 5 | 9 |
| Sharp-shinned Hawk | 0 | 52 | 80 |
| Cooper’s Hawk | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| American Goshawk | 0 | 6 | 18 |
| Broad-winged Hawk | 0 | 0 | 5 |
| Swainson’s Hawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Red-tailed Hawk | 0 | 11 | 23 |
| Ferruginous Hawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Rough-legged Hawk | 0 | 11 | 14 |
| Golden Eagle | 30 | 1030 | 1296 |
| American Kestrel | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Merlin | 0 | 5 | 7 |
| Gyrfalcon | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Peregrine Falcon | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Prairie Falcon | 0 | 2 | 4 |
| Unknown Accipitrine | 0 | 4 | 9 |
| Unknown Buteo | 0 | 2 | 2 |
| Unknown Falcon | 0 | 4 | 9 |
| Unknown Eagle | 0 | 3 | 6 |
| Unknown Raptor | 0 | 12 | 16 |
| Total: | 30 | 1167 | 1533 |
| Observation start time: | 08:00:00 |
| Observation end time: | 17:30:00 |
| Total observation time: | 9.5 hours |
| Official Counter | Blake Weis |
| Observers: | Caroline Lambert, Christa Clifford |
Visitors:
Nearly 200 visitors passed through the meadow and either stopped to talk or read the signs. About 20 people stayed and tried to watch migration for varying periods of time. Thanks to everyone who did, come back anytime!
Weather:
It was 12 C at the start of the count, it briefly reached a high of 13 in the morning, then fell to 10 as we were leaving. Ground wind was from the SW, 10-20 km/h gusting to 30 with occasional gusts reaching 40 in the afternoon. Ridge wind was also from the SW, gusting between 60 and 120. Rain started around 12:30 PM and continued until 4 PM. Cloud cover varied between 60% and 100%. The clouds didn’t lower enough to obscure any ridges.
Raptor Observations:
The count was 30 Golden Eagles (1 Juvenile, 3 undifferentiated immature, 26 unaged). One used the west ridges, and the rest were on the east. They were gliding high and silhouetted in front of clouds which made ageing impossible in most cases. 15 migrants were counted between 10 AM and 12:30 PM. Once the rain arrived movement slowed, and it remained slow for the rest of the day. One Golden Eagle flew north high above the Fisher Range, presumably one of the local population. An unidentified buteo was also flying north.
Non-raptor Observations:
Other birds were 2 Common Mergansers on the river, 18 unidentified gulls flying low and struggling against the wind, 1 unidentified loon that flew high over the Fisher Range, 2 Canada Jays, 1 Clark’s Nutcracker, 44 Common Ravens including a conspiracy of 32 that flew south down the Fisher Range in the evening, 2 Mountain Chickadees, 1 Golden-crowned Kinglet, 2 Red Crossbills, and 2 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 (16 Oct 2026) 73 Raptors
Alberta, Canada
| Daily Raptor Counts: Oct 16, 2026 | |||
| Species | Day’s Count | Month Total | Season Total |
| Turkey Vulture | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Osprey | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Bald Eagle | 2 | 20 | 30 |
| Northern Harrier | 0 | 5 | 9 |
| Sharp-shinned Hawk | 1 | 52 | 80 |
| Cooper’s Hawk | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| American Goshawk | 0 | 6 | 18 |
| Broad-winged Hawk | 0 | 0 | 5 |
| Swainson’s Hawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Red-tailed Hawk | 3 | 11 | 23 |
| Ferruginous Hawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Rough-legged Hawk | 1 | 11 | 14 |
| Golden Eagle | 66 | 1000 | 1266 |
| American Kestrel | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Merlin | 0 | 5 | 7 |
| Gyrfalcon | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Peregrine Falcon | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Prairie Falcon | 0 | 2 | 4 |
| Unknown Accipitrine | 0 | 4 | 9 |
| Unknown Buteo | 0 | 2 | 2 |
| Unknown Falcon | 0 | 4 | 9 |
| Unknown Eagle | 0 | 3 | 6 |
| Unknown Raptor | 0 | 12 | 16 |
| Total: | 73 | 1137 | 1503 |
| Observation start time: | 07:00:00 |
| Observation end time: | 18:00:00 |
| Total observation time: | 10.3 hours |
| Official Counter | Ethan Denton |
| Observers: | Allison Zukewich, Linda Hickey |
Visitors:
Around 40 people stopped by today. Massive thanks to the 12 or so people who stayed for varying lengths to help spot!
Weather:
A gorgeous day out at Hay Meadows saw temperatures rise from 2�C to a whopping 15�C, with the sun beaming down for most of the afternoon. Winds ranged from 45 to almost 100 at ridgelevel, and came consistently from the SW. The pressure dropped throughout the day, which was relatively dry at around 24% humidity.
Raptor Observations:
It didn’t take long for the Eagles to start moving. The first bird came through at around 0830 and from thence on they trickled through at a relatively steady pace before drying up in the late afternoon. For much of the morning, clouds and sun conspired to create a harsh backlighting which made ageing difficult for birds on the Eastern ridgeline. Early on, the Eagles were clearly struggling for height and battled their way through the valley well below the peaks. This changed by evening and a comfortable proportion of the later Eagles cruised over high enough to put a serious crook in our necks.
In total, 66 Golden Eagles were observed, with a split of 29ad, 7sub, 1 juv, 1ui and 28 unknown.
Other raptors included 2 Bald Eagles (1ad 1sub), 3 Red-tailed Hawks, a Rough-legged Hawk, and a solitary Sharp-shinned Hawk over Olympic Summit.
The resident Goshawk and an apparent resident Golden both made appearances.
Non-raptor Observations:
It felt like winter today! Bohemian Waxwings, Pine Siskins and Canada Jay’s were around, while a Pine Grosbeak sang heartily from the far side of the river. The couple migrants still around included a Ruby-crowned Kinglet and an American Tree Sparrow.
Report submitted by Ethan Denton (ethan@suechick.com)
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 Oct 2026) 52 Raptors
Alberta, Canada
| Daily Raptor Counts: Oct 15, 2026 | |||
| Species | Day’s Count | Month Total | Season Total |
| Turkey Vulture | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Osprey | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Bald Eagle | 2 | 18 | 28 |
| Northern Harrier | 0 | 5 | 9 |
| Sharp-shinned Hawk | 0 | 51 | 79 |
| Cooper’s Hawk | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| American Goshawk | 0 | 6 | 18 |
| Broad-winged Hawk | 0 | 0 | 5 |
| Swainson’s Hawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Red-tailed Hawk | 1 | 8 | 20 |
| Ferruginous Hawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Rough-legged Hawk | 1 | 10 | 13 |
| Golden Eagle | 47 | 934 | 1200 |
| American Kestrel | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Merlin | 0 | 5 | 7 |
| Gyrfalcon | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Peregrine Falcon | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Prairie Falcon | 0 | 2 | 4 |
| Unknown Accipitrine | 0 | 4 | 9 |
| Unknown Buteo | 0 | 2 | 2 |
| Unknown Falcon | 0 | 4 | 9 |
| Unknown Eagle | 0 | 3 | 6 |
| Unknown Raptor | 1 | 12 | 16 |
| Total: | 52 | 1064 | 1430 |
| Observation start time: | 07:00:00 |
| Observation end time: | 18:00:00 |
| Total observation time: | 10.52 hours |
| Official Counter | Lynette MacCulloch |
| Observers: | Caroline Lambert |
Visitors:
40 visitors walked by , 10 stopped to chat and one family sat for about half an hour looking for eagles with us and chatting . Huge thanks to Caroline for spending 4 hours of her day helping with the count.
Weather:
Another beautiful day in Hay Meadows. The temperature started out a minus 1 went up to plus 10 and stayed there till home time, but plus 10 with sunshine and plus 10 without sunshine is not the same temperature! Absolutely cloudless sky for most of the day.Around 4pm, the clouds started to fill; in cirrus, stratus, cumulus and some lenticular clouds high in the sky never obscuring any of the ridges. The wind was almost non-existent, till mid afternoon and then only small gusts of south-westerly wind were noted. Ridge winds were also low from the southwest and high winds were moderate from the west-south-west.
Raptor Observations:
The early Golden eagles were low in the sky,just over Lorette and Patrick and moving very slowly. Later in the day the wind had picked up and the eagles were sailing high over the eastern ridges, usually still turning over the bumps as if to get a bit more height.IN all there were 47 golden Eagles,(15a, 5 sa, 6 ju, 3 ui, 18ua) A Rough-legged hawk and a Red-tailed Hawk came over Hummingbird plume before continuing on, 2 Bald eagles(1ju,1 second year) and one unknown raptor made the total raptors 52
Non-raptor Observations:
Other birds seen today included, Black-capped Chickadees, A Varied thrush flew in front of me on my way into the site, 1 Red-breasted Nuthatch, several American Tree Swallows, 2 Canada Jays, 1 Magpie, Several Juncos, a small flock of Pine Siskins, 6 Ravens followed by a big flock of 24 Ravens pooling over the Big smile, 1 Northern Shrike a Blackbird species and the Adult Goshawk was seen hunting.
Predictions:
Tomorrow’s weather forecast is for higher temperature and wind, so it may be a very good day to count eagles.
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 Oct 2026) 159 Raptors
Alberta, Canada
| Daily Raptor Counts: Oct 14, 2026 | |||
| Species | Day’s Count | Month Total | Season Total |
| Turkey Vulture | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Osprey | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Bald Eagle | 4 | 16 | 26 |
| Northern Harrier | 0 | 5 | 9 |
| Sharp-shinned Hawk | 6 | 51 | 79 |
| Cooper’s Hawk | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| American Goshawk | 0 | 6 | 18 |
| Broad-winged Hawk | 0 | 0 | 5 |
| Swainson’s Hawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Red-tailed Hawk | 0 | 7 | 19 |
| Ferruginous Hawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Rough-legged Hawk | 0 | 9 | 12 |
| Golden Eagle | 142 | 887 | 1153 |
| American Kestrel | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Merlin | 0 | 5 | 7 |
| Gyrfalcon | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Peregrine Falcon | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Prairie Falcon | 0 | 2 | 4 |
| Unknown Accipitrine | 0 | 4 | 9 |
| Unknown Buteo | 1 | 2 | 2 |
| Unknown Falcon | 1 | 4 | 9 |
| Unknown Eagle | 1 | 3 | 6 |
| Unknown Raptor | 4 | 11 | 15 |
| Total: | 159 | 1012 | 1378 |
| Observation start time: | 06:45:00 |
| Observation end time: | 18:00:00 |
| Total observation time: | 11.25 hours |
| Official Counter | Graeme Dunlop |
| Observers: | Christina Furtado, Ethan Denton, Peter Lloyd |
Visitors:
About 20 people stopped to have a chat. Thanks to Ethan, Toby and Jeff for helping to spot eagles in the afternoon.
Weather:
The temperature at 0745 was 7C, the high was 12C at 1500 and it was still 8C at 1900. Ridge winds were SW-WSW all day, initially very strong with gusts just over 100 km/h and then 30-55 gusting 60 km/h for the rest of the day. A weak warm front had passed overnight so there was some varied early cloud cover with 50% altostratus (that formed a Chinook Arch), altocumulus, and cirrostratus. The Arch quickly began to slip out of sight to the east and the cloud soon lifted from the western ridges leaving 20-30% cumulus which gradually reduced through the afternoon becoming clear by 1400.
Raptor Observations:
The count was 152 birds of 3 species between 0835 and 1815 that comprised 4 Bald Eagles (2a, 2sa), 6 Sharp-shinned Hawks (1a, 5u), 142 Golden Eagles (53a, 4sa, 3j, 11ui, 71u), 1 unidentified eagle, 1 unidentified buteo, 4 unidentified raptors and an unidentified large falcon that was seen over Mt McDougall, too far to confirm identification unfortunately. The previous days count had decent numbers of eagles late in the day so I was hoping for a busy morning. The first 4 eagles were seen at 0835 and they were quickly followed by another 44 in the next 25 minutes, they were all using the Skogan Peak – Lorette – Fisher Range flyway. Movement then slowed but remained steady with a further 34 eagles seen up to 1030 when things suddenly became very quiet with few birds flying until activity picked up again mid afternoon with 49 eagles observed between 1500 and 1800. All but 4 of the Golden Eagles were seen using the eastern ridges. Most of them flew high and they were often quite difficult to find against the blue sky. A number of birds were not picked up until they flew closer to the ridgeline on Mt McDougall far to the south east.
Non-raptor Observations:
Other birds were a 2 American Robins, 1 Belted Kingfisher, 1 Northern Flicker, 1 Northern Shrike, two Canada Jays, 2 Black-billed Magpies, 1 Clark�s Nutcracker, about 20 Common Ravens and several 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 (13 Oct 2026) 176 Raptors
Alberta, Canada
| Daily Raptor Counts: Oct 13, 2026 | |||
| Species | Day’s Count | Month Total | Season Total |
| Turkey Vulture | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Osprey | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Bald Eagle | 1 | 12 | 22 |
| Northern Harrier | 0 | 5 | 9 |
| Sharp-shinned Hawk | 2 | 45 | 73 |
| Cooper’s Hawk | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| American Goshawk | 0 | 6 | 18 |
| Broad-winged Hawk | 0 | 0 | 5 |
| Swainson’s Hawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Red-tailed Hawk | 1 | 7 | 19 |
| Ferruginous Hawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Rough-legged Hawk | 0 | 9 | 12 |
| Golden Eagle | 170 | 745 | 1011 |
| American Kestrel | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Merlin | 0 | 5 | 7 |
| Gyrfalcon | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Peregrine Falcon | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Prairie Falcon | 1 | 2 | 4 |
| Unknown Accipitrine | 1 | 4 | 9 |
| Unknown Buteo | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Unknown Falcon | 0 | 3 | 8 |
| Unknown Eagle | 0 | 2 | 5 |
| Unknown Raptor | 0 | 7 | 11 |
| Total: | 176 | 853 | 1219 |
| Observation start time: | 07:00:00 |
| Observation end time: | 18:00:00 |
| Total observation time: | 10.7 hours |
| Official Counter | Caroline Lambert |
| Observers: | Linda Hickey, Peter Christensen |
Visitors:
There were many visitors, about 40 of whom stopped to chat and ask about the count. We were delighted with those that helped to spot, and were glad that most of them were able to see at least a few eagles.
Weather:
The day started out on the cool side, at -2C. The temperature rose to 8C, and was 5C by the end of the day. Altostratus and cirrus clouds dominated the sky most of the day, with some breaking up into altocumulus by day’s end. Ground wind stayed mostly calm, while ridge winds were low in the morning, becoming more moderate in the afternoon, mostly from the southwest, and never higher than 30kph.
Raptor Observations:
The low ridge winds resulted in a day of low and slow movement of eagles, which allowed for excellent views. Nearly all the unaged birds were in the last hour, when there was no light from the sun. There was a steady stream that we could follow from Skogan Peak to Lorette and then to the Fisher Range, where most of them came in at or below ridge level, then soared to gain height. Occasional scans of the west ridge yielded nothing. After a slow start, there were about 30 eagles per hour until just after sunset. The total was 170 (118a, 11sa, 8j, 17ui, 16u).
Other migrant raptors were 2 Sharp-shinned Hawks, one unidentified accipitrine hawk (probably Cooper’s), one Red-tailed Hawk (possibly Harlan’s), one Prairie Falcon, and an almost adult Bald Eagle.
The only non-migrant raptors were two separate incidences of an adult Golden Eagle – in the morning one was seen flying towards Lorette from the south, and in the afternoon one was seen hunting over Hummingbird Plume.
Non-raptor Observations:
Other birds were a couple of Mountain Chickadees, three Black-capped Chickadees, the Belted Kingfisher, an American Dipper, an American Three-toed Woodpecker, a Northern Shrike, two Canada Jays, two Black-billed Magpies, one Clark’s Nutcracker, and about 15 Common Ravens.
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 (12 Oct 2026) 49 Raptors
Alberta, Canada
| Daily Raptor Counts: Oct 12, 2026 | |||
| Species | Day’s Count | Month Total | Season Total |
| Turkey Vulture | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Osprey | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Bald Eagle | 0 | 11 | 21 |
| Northern Harrier | 0 | 5 | 9 |
| Sharp-shinned Hawk | 1 | 43 | 71 |
| Cooper’s Hawk | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| American Goshawk | 0 | 6 | 18 |
| Broad-winged Hawk | 0 | 0 | 5 |
| Swainson’s Hawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Red-tailed Hawk | 0 | 6 | 18 |
| Ferruginous Hawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Rough-legged Hawk | 1 | 9 | 12 |
| Golden Eagle | 46 | 575 | 841 |
| American Kestrel | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Merlin | 1 | 5 | 7 |
| Gyrfalcon | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Peregrine Falcon | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Prairie Falcon | 0 | 1 | 3 |
| Unknown Accipitrine | 0 | 3 | 8 |
| Unknown Buteo | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Unknown Falcon | 0 | 3 | 8 |
| Unknown Eagle | 0 | 2 | 5 |
| Unknown Raptor | 0 | 7 | 11 |
| Total: | 49 | 677 | 1043 |
| Observation start time: | 07:00:00 |
| Observation end time: | 18:00:00 |
| Total observation time: | 11 hours |
| Official Counter | Lori Anderson |
| Observers: | Christa Clifford |
Visitors:
About 100 people passed by, of whom 30 stopped to chat. Quite a few tried to use the binoculars, and a few stayed with us for longer periods to help localize the eagles. A special thanks to Jen and Stephan from New Hampshire for their help. A shout-out to Pam and Bill as well and 2 people who were too shy to give their names. (you know who you are :)))
Weather:
Temperatures rose from a very chilly -7�C at 8:00 a.m. to a high of 7�C around 5:00 p.m., and dropped to 0�C by the end of the count. The skies were completely clear all day and the wind didn�t start picking up until around 11 AM. Even the Ridge winds were completely calm until 11 and then, with the winds came the birds. Ground winds were mainly from the southwest when present, averaging approximately 6 km/h throughout the day. Ridge winds were completely calm until around 11:00 a.m., then shifted through varying westerly directions, ranging from west-northwest to south-southwest and southwest by the end of the day. Speed ranged between 7 and 28 Km/h.
Raptor Observations:
The first Golden Eagle of the day (a juvenile) appeared just before 2:00 p.m., flapping and gliding energetically in the face of Mount Patrick. It even had to land briefly on a cliff before continuing southward. Most of the birds seemed to be coming from behind Patrick, but later in the day many were found at Lorette before they made their way over to the Fisher range. The flight pattern was low, ridge level and below, mainly gliding and some soaring. All birds were found on the East Ridges. Between 4:30 and 7:00, we found 30 out of the 46 total Golden Eagles. The final count was 46 Golden Eagles: 26a, 6sa, 3j, 8ui, 3u; 1 Sharp-shinned Hawk, 1 Rough-legged Hawk, and 1 Merlin. Non-migrants: 2 American Goshawks, 3 Adult Bald Eagles
Non-raptor Observations:
Upon arriving at the site in the morning, I was greeted by a Varied Thrush. Unlike most mornings, it wasn�t singing but instead hopping from branch to branch in a tree. Later, two Varied Thrushes flew overhead.
I observed an American Goshawk perched at the top of a tree where it remained for about an hour. A Belted Kingfisher hung around the site throughout the day, singing at times. At one point, it began making a commotion, so I took a look through my telescope to see what was happening. A Goshawk had perched in a tree right beside it, but the Kingfisher didn�t budge. It simply stayed put and carried on chattering. Apparently, it wasn�t on the menu for the Goshawk�s next meal! So, here�s yet another Kingfisher tale. While perched on a dead branch on the opposite side of the river, it suddenly raised and spread its wings wide open. The sunlight shining through its outstretched wings made for a truly glorious sight. Another Kingfisher came flying in fast, and the two took to the sky, tumbling and rolling together as they descended toward the ground. A Pileated Woodpecker flew right over our heads, and we were graced with the company of 2 Whisky Jacks. And last but not least, Ravens were flying about all day long. A pair put on quite a show with a pre-nuptial dance, mirroring each other�s movements, rolling and diving through the air. It was quite a show!
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]
