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 (07 Apr 2026) 6 Raptors
Alberta, Canada
| Daily Raptor Counts: Apr 07, 2026 | |||
| Species | Day’s Count | Month Total | Season Total |
| Turkey Vulture | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Osprey | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Bald Eagle | 1 | 14 | 76 |
| Northern Harrier | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Sharp-shinned Hawk | 1 | 4 | 6 |
| Cooper’s Hawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| American Goshawk | 1 | 3 | 6 |
| Broad-winged Hawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Swainson’s Hawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Red-tailed Hawk | 0 | 9 | 17 |
| Ferruginous Hawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Rough-legged Hawk | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Golden Eagle | 3 | 53 | 1079 |
| American Kestrel | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Merlin | 0 | 2 | 3 |
| Gyrfalcon | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Peregrine Falcon | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Prairie Falcon | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Unknown Accipitrine | 0 | 1 | 2 |
| Unknown Buteo | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Unknown Falcon | 0 | 2 | 2 |
| Unknown Eagle | 0 | 2 | 17 |
| Unknown Raptor | 0 | 2 | 6 |
| Total: | 6 | 94 | 1218 |
| Observation start time: | 11:00:00 |
| Observation end time: | 17:00:00 |
| Total observation time: | 6 hours |
| Official Counter | Graeme Dunlop |
| Observers: | Peter Christensen |
Visitors:
8
Weather:
The start of the count was delayed until 1200 due to poor visibility and snowfall, at times heavy. The clouds began to lift about 1145 and it was quite sunny for much of the afternoon, with occasional brief flurries of light snow. The temperature at 1200 was -4C, the high at 1600 was 1C. Ground level winds were quite variable, initially light NE but then shifting to light SW for the rest of the day. There were some impressive snow plumes blowing off Mt Kidd and Mt Lorette indicating a strong NW to WSW airflow at ridge level. Cloud cover was mostly cumulus and stratocumulus. Thicker stratocumulus persisted to the south for most of the day. No Golden Eagles were seen after 1530 so the count was ended at 1800.
Raptor Observations:
Only 6 migrants were observed: 1 adult Bald Eagle, 1 adult male Sharp-shinned Hawk, 1 American Goshawk, 3 Golden Eagles (3u); all the eagles were seen gliding high above the eastern ridges. We had some nice views of the resident Golden Eagle and it was observed spending lots of time and energy chasing another Golden Eagle around the eastern ridges; it was joined by a third bird, perhaps in a territorial dispute.
Non-raptor Observations:
The most unusual bird of the day was an early Savannah Sparrow foraging at the parking lot. Other birds included 2 Canada Geese, 8 Mallards, 2 Common Mergansers, 1 Ruffed Grouse, 1 Belted Kingfisher, 2 Northern Flickers, 1 Hairy Woodpecker, 8 Common Ravens, 4 Black-capped Chickadees, 2 Mountain Chickadees, 1 Boreal Chickadee, 1 Golden Crowned Kinglet, 1 American Dipper, 45 European Starlings, 2 Varied Thrushes, 22 American Robins, 5 Bohemian Waxwings, 8 Redpolls and 2 Dark-eyed Juncos. We also had some good views of a Mink exploring along the opposite riverbank.
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 (06 Apr 2026) 23 Raptors
Alberta, Canada
| Daily Raptor Counts: Apr 06, 2026 | |||
| Species | Day’s Count | Month Total | Season Total |
| Turkey Vulture | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Osprey | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Bald Eagle | 4 | 13 | 75 |
| Northern Harrier | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Sharp-shinned Hawk | 0 | 3 | 5 |
| Cooper’s Hawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| American Goshawk | 1 | 2 | 5 |
| Broad-winged Hawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Swainson’s Hawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Red-tailed Hawk | 2 | 9 | 17 |
| Ferruginous Hawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Rough-legged Hawk | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Golden Eagle | 13 | 50 | 1076 |
| American Kestrel | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Merlin | 1 | 2 | 3 |
| Gyrfalcon | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Peregrine Falcon | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Prairie Falcon | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Unknown Accipitrine | 0 | 1 | 2 |
| Unknown Buteo | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Unknown Falcon | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| Unknown Eagle | 0 | 2 | 17 |
| Unknown Raptor | 0 | 2 | 6 |
| Total: | 23 | 88 | 1212 |
| Observation start time: | 08:00:00 |
| Observation end time: | 18:00:00 |
| Total observation time: | 9.5 hours |
| Official Counter | Lori Anderson |
| Observers: | Joseph Walters |
Visitors:
Many people passed through the area, and about 12 stopped by to inquire. A special thanks to travellers Sarah and Emma, who stayed with us for several hours to help out with spotting.
Weather:
The day began at -1�C, with temperatures rising to 3�C for several hours before settling back to around 2�C for the remainder of the count. Early morning conditions were characterized by low-lying fog, with most ridgelines obscured; however, by approximately 11:00, all ridges had cleared. Winds were completely calm for the first hour, then gradually increased, remaining light overall but predominantly from the north. Ground wind speeds averaged 5�10 km/h with occasional gusts, while ridge winds stayed relatively weak, though light snow plumes were observed developing toward the end of the day. Cloud cover was variable, ranging between approximately 40% and 100% throughout the day and never fully clearing. The sky consisted of a mix of stratus, altostratus, altocumulus, and cirrus, with lenticular clouds present for approximately three hours. Humidity remained high. A notable observation was the steady drop in barometric pressure, beginning at 859 hPa and decreasing by 1 hPa each hour, something I had not personally observed before.
Raptor Observations:
A large portion of the raptor movement occurred along and over the west ridges, with additional movement occurring to the east. The first bird of the day was observed at 11:44. Ongoing activity by resident Golden Eagles added extra work, as birds often had to be followed for longer periods to distinguish migrants from local individuals. Identification was further complicated by atmospheric haze caused by high moisture in the air and a bright white cloud background, which reduced contrast and resulted in softer, less defined images in the spotting scope. By the end of the count, a total of 13 Golden Eagles (2a, 1sa, 9u), 4 Bald Eagles (2a, 1j, 1u), 1 American Goshawk, 2 Red-tailed Hawks, 1 Merlin, and 2 unidentified falcons were recorded, for a total of 23 raptors.
Non-migrating raptors observed during the count included a pair of Golden Eagles that performed repeated display dives over the Olympic Summit throughout the day. A resident American Goshawk was seen hunting in the area, and a resident Red-tailed Hawk made several appearances, first being observed early in the morning perched in a tree at the north end of the meadow.
Non-raptor Observations:
Other birds observed in the area included Dark-eyed Juncos, which were abundant throughout the area, along with 1 Red-breasted Nuthatch, 1 Hairy Woodpecker, 1 Pileated Woodpecker, Varied Thrushes, 40 American Robins, 10 European Starlings, 40 Bohemian Waxwings, Northern Flickers, and 1 pair of Ravens. Notably, the first Tree Swallows of the season were recorded, with 3 individuals observed. Also present were 3 Golden-crowned Kinglets, Black-capped Chickadees, and 1 Common Merganser.1 Ruby-crowned Kinglet.
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 (05 Apr 2026) 21 Raptors
Alberta, Canada
| Daily Raptor Counts: Apr 05, 2026 | |||
| Species | Day’s Count | Month Total | Season Total |
| Turkey Vulture | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Osprey | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Bald Eagle | 3 | 9 | 71 |
| Northern Harrier | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Sharp-shinned Hawk | 2 | 3 | 5 |
| Cooper’s Hawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| American Goshawk | 0 | 1 | 4 |
| Broad-winged Hawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Swainson’s Hawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Red-tailed Hawk | 1 | 7 | 15 |
| Ferruginous Hawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Rough-legged Hawk | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Golden Eagle | 13 | 37 | 1063 |
| American Kestrel | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Merlin | 0 | 1 | 2 |
| Gyrfalcon | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Peregrine Falcon | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Prairie Falcon | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Unknown Accipitrine | 0 | 1 | 2 |
| Unknown Buteo | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Unknown Falcon | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Unknown Eagle | 1 | 2 | 17 |
| Unknown Raptor | 0 | 2 | 6 |
| Total: | 21 | 65 | 1189 |
| Observation start time: | 08:00:00 |
| Observation end time: | 18:00:00 |
| Total observation time: | 9.67 hours |
| Official Counter | Cameron Harvey |
| Observers: | Allison Zukewich |
Visitors:
The holiday weekend made for a busy trail with 40-50 stopping to chat. None stopped long enough to help spot.
Weather:
Today started out overcast with low cloud. All ridges were 100% obscured for the first 2.5 hours of the count. Around 11:30 MST we started to see blue sky and the East ridge opened up. The West ridge was obscured most of the day. The temperature started out -1C, rose to a high of +1C and was at 0C at count’s end. Ground winds were moderate with gusts up to 39 km/h from the NE. Ridge winds appeared moderate and also from the NE, but clouds not much higher than ridge top were heading W, so there must have been a point of considerable wind shear above the ridge top.
Raptor Observations:
The total migrant raptor count today was not very high, but it’s hard to say if that was a result of a lack of raptors or obscured ridges. We spotted a total of 13 Golden Eagles (5a, 2sa, 1ui, 5u) and 3 Bald Eagles (1a, 1sa, 1j). Other migrant raptors included 2 Sharp-shinned Hawks, 1 Red-tailed Hawk, 1 Unknown Eagle and 1 Unknown Buteo.
Flight path was low over Old Baldy, low across the bumps and below ridge top across Patrick. Eagles were flapping hard most of the day.
Non-migrant raptors included 2 adult Bald Eagles that made multiple appearances over the East ridge and Old Baldy. 2 Red-tailed Hawks heading South also spent time soaring over Old Baldy. The resident Golden Eagles were not seen today.
Non-raptor Observations:
Non-raptors today included: 3 Golden-crowned Kinglet, 26 American Robin, 3 Common Merganser, 1 Common Goldeneye, 1 Mallard, 3 Canada Goose, 1 Ruffed Grouse (drumming), 32 Dark-eyed Junco, 1 Belted Kingfisher (female), 3 Northern Flicker, 1 Varied Thrush, 1 American Dipper, 7 Bohemian Waxwing, 1 Northern Shrike, Raven and Black-capped Chickadee were present.
The Northern Shrike was a constant companion throughout the day. We got to see it chase after a group of Dark-eyed Juncos, unknown if it was successful.
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 (04 Apr 2026) 21 Raptors
Alberta, Canada
| Daily Raptor Counts: Apr 04, 2026 | |||
| Species | Day’s Count | Month Total | Season Total |
| Turkey Vulture | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Osprey | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Bald Eagle | 4 | 6 | 68 |
| Northern Harrier | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Sharp-shinned Hawk | 0 | 1 | 3 |
| Cooper’s Hawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| American Goshawk | 0 | 1 | 4 |
| Broad-winged Hawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Swainson’s Hawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Red-tailed Hawk | 2 | 6 | 14 |
| Ferruginous Hawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Rough-legged Hawk | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Golden Eagle | 12 | 24 | 1050 |
| American Kestrel | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Merlin | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| Gyrfalcon | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Peregrine Falcon | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Prairie Falcon | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Unknown Accipitrine | 0 | 1 | 2 |
| Unknown Buteo | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Unknown Falcon | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Unknown Eagle | 0 | 1 | 16 |
| Unknown Raptor | 1 | 2 | 6 |
| Total: | 21 | 44 | 1168 |
| Observation start time: | 08:00:00 |
| Observation end time: | 17:00:00 |
| Total observation time: | 9 hours |
| Official Counter | Blake Weis |
| Observers: | Jennifer Brand, Liam Mc Laughlin |
Visitors:
51 people stopped to talk. None stayed to look for migrants.
Weather:
The temperate was 0 at the start of observation, the high was 7, and it was 5 as we were leaving. Ridge wind was moderate to strong from the SW. Ground wind was also from the SW, occasionally gusting up to 20 km/h. Cloud cover was 40-80% cumulus and cirrus.
Raptor Observations:
It was another slow day for Golden Eagles despite what seemed to be decent conditions for migration. The count was 12 Golden Eagles (3 adults, 1 juvenile, 1 subadult, 4 undifferentiated immature, 3 unaged), 4 Bald Eagles (2 adults, 2 subadults), 1 Turkey Vulture, 2 Red-tailed Hawks, 1 Merlin, and 1 unidentified raptor. Movement was mostly on the western ridges and valley, but later in the day they were split between west and east. The most unusual bird of the day was the Turkey Vulture. Though TVs are the most abundant species at many sites, they are rarely counted at this location. Resident raptors were the Golden Eagle and Red-tailed Hawk pairs, a Bald Eagle, and an American Goshawk.
Non-raptor Observations:
Full list on eBird:
ebird.org/checklist/S317079358
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 (03 Apr 2026) 20 Raptors
Alberta, Canada
| Daily Raptor Counts: Apr 03, 2026 | |||
| Species | Day’s Count | Month Total | Season Total |
| Turkey Vulture | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Osprey | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Bald Eagle | 1 | 2 | 64 |
| Northern Harrier | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Sharp-shinned Hawk | 1 | 1 | 3 |
| Cooper’s Hawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| American Goshawk | 1 | 1 | 4 |
| Broad-winged Hawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Swainson’s Hawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Red-tailed Hawk | 4 | 4 | 12 |
| Ferruginous Hawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Rough-legged Hawk | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Golden Eagle | 10 | 12 | 1038 |
| American Kestrel | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Merlin | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Gyrfalcon | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Peregrine Falcon | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Prairie Falcon | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Unknown Accipitrine | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| Unknown Buteo | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Unknown Falcon | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Unknown Eagle | 1 | 1 | 16 |
| Unknown Raptor | 1 | 1 | 5 |
| Total: | 20 | 23 | 1147 |
| Observation start time: | 08:00:00 |
| Observation end time: | 18:00:00 |
| Total observation time: | 9.75 hours |
| Official Counter | Caroline Lambert |
| Observers: | Michelle Hart, Tiina Moore |
Visitors:
Since it was a holiday the trail was quite busy. 60-70 people walked by, and about a dozen stopped to ask what we were doing, or to watch for a bit.
Weather:
It was mostly cloudy most of the day, with the sun occasionally breaking through the low clouds to warm us. The east ridge stayed clear all day but the higher parts the west ridge occasionally faded away. The temperature started at -3C and rose to +5C, ending the day at +3C. Ground winds were light, mostly from between west and south, while ridge winds also seemed light judging by the lack of blowing snow most of the time. When we did see snow plumes, it seemed that the wind was swinging from west to south. High winds were low from the northwest.
Raptor Observations:
It was a disappointing day for migrating Golden Eagles, with just 10 spotted (5a, 2ui, 3u), mostly high over the east ridge, with the first seen just before noon and the last at 16:45. A few needed to soar to gain altitude. However, the local Golden Eagles put on quite a show – at one point we had a Golden Eagle doing display dives over Old Baldy at the same time another one was doing display dives at the other end of the valley over Skogan Pass near Collembola. Were these rival eagles, or a pair marking the boundary of their territory? Later we saw two together doing display dives and playing around with each other over Nakiska.
Other migrating raptors were more plentiful – four adult Red-tailed Hawks, one adult Bald Eagle, one American Goshawk, one Sharp-shinned Hawk, one small accipitrine hawk, one unknown eagle, and one small unidentified raptor.
Besides the two local Golden Eagles, one Red-tailed Hawk and one Bald Eagle were considered to be not migrating.
Non-raptor Observations:
There did not seem to be as many non-raptor species as might be expected for the time of year. There is still snow cover everywhere, which might impact the species that like to forage in the meadow. These other birds were one Mallard, one Canada Goose, one Killdeer, one Hairy Woodpecker, a Northern Flicker, about seven Common Ravens, a Black-capped Chickadee, a couple of Mountain Chickadees, a couple of Varied Thrushes, about five American Robins, and about 25 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]
Mount Lorette (01 Apr 2026) 3 Raptors
Alberta, Canada
| Daily Raptor Counts: Apr 01, 2026 | |||
| Species | Day’s Count | Month Total | Season Total |
| Turkey Vulture | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Osprey | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Bald Eagle | 1 | 1 | 63 |
| Northern Harrier | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Sharp-shinned Hawk | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Cooper’s Hawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| American Goshawk | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| Broad-winged Hawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Swainson’s Hawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Red-tailed Hawk | 0 | 0 | 8 |
| Ferruginous Hawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Rough-legged Hawk | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Golden Eagle | 2 | 2 | 1028 |
| American Kestrel | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Merlin | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Gyrfalcon | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Peregrine Falcon | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Prairie Falcon | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Unknown Accipitrine | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Unknown Buteo | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Unknown Falcon | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Unknown Eagle | 0 | 0 | 15 |
| Unknown Raptor | 0 | 0 | 4 |
| Total: | 3 | 3 | 1127 |
| Observation start time: | 08:00:00 |
| Observation end time: | 15:00:00 |
| Total observation time: | 6.5 hours |
| Official Counter | Ethan Denton |
| Observers: | Peter Lloyd |
Visitors:
34 people walled, skiied, or snowshoed by. About half stopped to chat and 3 stayed to help watch for a period.
Weather:
Opening at -10�C, the day warmed quickly to a balmy 0�C. Ground level winds were largely nonexistent, but unfortunately so were ridge level winds. The day started heavily overcast, and by 13:30 the Western ridge was mostly lost to a low bank of clouds. It did not take long for the rest of the valley to follow, and by 14:30 it started to snow. The forecast suggested nothing was going to change, but we waited for another hour after that, just in case. At15:30, with clouds and falling snow seemingly entrenched, we called it a day.
Raptor Observations:
In the hours before we lost the ridgeline, 4 eagles were seen. One of these was a resident Bald Eagle. Of the other three, two were adult Golden Eagles and one was a very pretty subadult Bald Eagle. All three followed the Eastern ridge, though one of the Goldens ended up coming almost over the river.
Non-raptor Observations:
The highlight of the day was the Spotted Towhee’s continued presence. At least three Northern Flickers were seen, as well as about 30 Robins, a Varied Thrush, pairs each of Mallard and Canada Goose, and a Killdeer calling somewhere downstream.
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 (31 Mar 2026) 13 Raptors
Alberta, Canada
| Daily Raptor Counts: Mar 31, 2026 | |||
| Species | Day’s Count | Month Total | Season Total |
| Turkey Vulture | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Osprey | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Bald Eagle | 1 | 62 | 62 |
| Northern Harrier | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Sharp-shinned Hawk | 0 | 2 | 2 |
| Cooper’s Hawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| American Goshawk | 0 | 3 | 3 |
| Broad-winged Hawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Swainson’s Hawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Red-tailed Hawk | 1 | 8 | 8 |
| Ferruginous Hawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Rough-legged Hawk | 0 | 2 | 2 |
| Golden Eagle | 11 | 1026 | 1026 |
| American Kestrel | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Merlin | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Gyrfalcon | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Peregrine Falcon | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Prairie Falcon | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Unknown Accipitrine | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Unknown Buteo | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Unknown Falcon | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Unknown Eagle | 0 | 15 | 15 |
| Unknown Raptor | 0 | 4 | 4 |
| Total: | 13 | 1124 | 1124 |
| Observation start time: | 08:00:00 |
| Observation end time: | 19:00:00 |
| Total observation time: | 10.52 hours |
| Official Counter | Caroline Lambert |
| Observers: | Susan Wilberg |
Visitors:
Of the two dozen or so passers-by, only three people stopped to chat for any length of time.
Weather:
The temperature started out unusually cold for the end of March, at -14C. It rose to 0C and ended the day at -1C. With yesterday’s snow still looking fresh, all signs of spring had disappeared, except for a few intrepid catkins on the willows. The ground wind started out calm and was never very strong. Around the middle of the day it was from the north and northeast, but by midafternoon was from the west to southwest. Initially the sky was overcast with thin stratus clouds, which gradually gave way to a mix of cirrus and cumulus that allowed enough sun through to keep us warm until the sun went behind the west ridge. Judging by the snow blowing off the ridges, the ridge wind was initially calm and stayed that way most of the day. Occasional plumes were seen coming off the ridges by late afternoon, indicating a southwest wind.
Raptor Observations:
The first migrant raptor, a Golden Eagle, wasn’t seen until after noon, after that there was a slow trickle of one Golden Eagle per hour, until late in the day when five were seen between 1800 and 1900. A couple were seen on the west ridge, but the rest were mostly coming up from behind the east ridge and then kiting high above the ridge before turning to head towards Mt Lorette. The total was a disappointing 11 (6a, 3sa, 1ui, 1u). Other migrants were an adult Bald Eagle and an adult dark morph Red-tailed Hawk.
Non-migrants spotted were an intermediate morph adult Red-tailed Hawk and a Bald Eagle.
Non-raptor Observations:
Other birds were very quiet, not surprising given the unusually cold start to the day. Seen or heard were 3 Canada Geese, 1 Common Goldeneye, 2 Common Mergansers, 1 Hairy Woodpecker, 1 Northern Flicker, about 8 Common Ravens, 2 Black-capped Chickadees, and 2 American Robins.
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]
