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 (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]
Mount Lorette (30 Mar 2026) 21 Raptors
Alberta, Canada
| Daily Raptor Counts: Mar 30, 2026 | |||
| Species | Day’s Count | Month Total | Season Total |
| Turkey Vulture | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Osprey | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Bald Eagle | 1 | 61 | 61 |
| Northern Harrier | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Sharp-shinned Hawk | 1 | 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 | 0 | 7 | 7 |
| Ferruginous Hawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Rough-legged Hawk | 0 | 2 | 2 |
| Golden Eagle | 19 | 1015 | 1015 |
| 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: | 21 | 1111 | 1111 |
| Observation start time: | 10:00:00 |
| Observation end time: | 20:00:00 |
| Total observation time: | 9.3 hours |
| Official Counter | Lori Anderson |
| Observers: | Neil Denton |
Visitors:
About 15 people stopped by to inquire about the count.
Weather:
The start of the count was delayed due to a snowstorm. We began at 11:00 a.m. with a temperature of -8�C. The sky was completely overcast, and snow fell. None of the ridges were visible at the outset, but as the day progressed, conditions gradually improved. The ridges began to clear, and by 2:00 p.m., they were fully visible. The temperature rose to a high of -3�C and measured -4�C by the end of the count. Ground winds were light, averaging around 5 km/h from the northwest until 3:00 p.m., when they shifted to the west. After 6:00 p.m., the winds returned to a north-northwest direction. The Nakiska weather station was once again not operational, so precise ridge wind measurements were unavailable. However, ridge winds appeared moderate to strong at times, inferred from visible plumes moving from the west. Cloud cover averaged approximately 60% and consisted primarily of cumulus and nimbostratus clouds.
Raptor Observations:
Raptor movement was observed primarily along a flight path that passed nearly straight overhead at times and high over the eastern ridges. Birds were located in the Mount Lorette area as well as over the Fisher Range. Flight behaviour was predominantly gliding. Most birds travelled past Mount Lorette and continued on towards Mount McGillivray. The final count for the day was 21 raptors, including 19 Golden Eagles (9 adults, 4 ui, 6 u), 1 subadult Bald Eagle, and 1 Sharp-shinned Hawk. A few other non-migrating raptors in the area included a Golden Eagle, a dark morph calurus Red-tailed Hawk, and a Northern Goshawk. We had the pleasure of observing the Goshawk fly a few metres in front of us along the river to the trees near the pumphouse, where it remained in plain sight for approximately 15 minutes.
Non-raptor Observations:
Needless to say, due to the snowstorm, there were not many small birds in the area. An American Dipper made a few flybys, and more than 50 American Robins flew overhead in small groups. One male White-winged Crossbill perched briefly at the top of a tree. A lone Canada Goose braved the snowy skies, and approximately seven Dark-eyed Juncos were observed in the area. In addition, three Mountain Chickadees, two Black-capped Chickadees, one Red-breasted Nuthatch, and a Northern Flicker were 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 (29 Mar 2026) 2 Raptors
Alberta, Canada
| Daily Raptor Counts: Mar 29, 2026 | |||
| Species | Day’s Count | Month Total | Season Total |
| Turkey Vulture | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Osprey | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Bald Eagle | 0 | 60 | 60 |
| Northern Harrier | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Sharp-shinned Hawk | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| 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 | 0 | 7 | 7 |
| Ferruginous Hawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Rough-legged Hawk | 0 | 2 | 2 |
| Golden Eagle | 1 | 996 | 996 |
| 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 | 1 | 15 | 15 |
| Unknown Raptor | 0 | 4 | 4 |
| Total: | 2 | 1090 | 1090 |
| Observation start time: | 08:00:00 |
| Observation end time: | 14:00:00 |
| Total observation time: | 5.02 hours |
| Official Counter | Lynette MacCulloch |
| Observers: |
Visitors:
17 visitors came by but only one couple stopped to visit.
Weather:
Temperature this morning was minus 9 Celsius and rose to minus 4. Cloud covered most of the sky for the day with some blue areas in the east. Cumulus and Stratus clouds filled the western ridges and spilled heavily into the south. There were scattered snow flurries during the morning and by 2 pm the whole sky was covered and it began to snow in earnest. The wind was light from the north, northeast. Ridge winds were moderate ,spinning columns of snow off the ridge tops and when visible the high clouds were moving quickly to the east. Once the heavier clouds socked in, there was no obvious movement.
Raptor Observations:
The first eagle was seen high over the eastern ridges sailing very fast. There was no time to identify it as more than an eagle. The only other eagle was seen flying low in front of Patrick and over to Lorette. As it dipped over the ridge, the base of it s tail showed white, indicating undifferentiated subadult.
Non-raptor Observations:
Other birds seen or heard were 4 Dark-eyed Juncos, 2 Varied Thrushes, 12 American Robins, 6 European Starlings, 4 Common Ravens, 4 Mountain chickadees, 2 Northern Flickers, 1 Golden-crowned Kinglet, 1 American Dipper 1 Belted Kingfisher and three flocks of silent, little brown birds 30-40 in each group.
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 (28 Mar 2026) 27 Raptors
Alberta, Canada
| Daily Raptor Counts: Mar 28, 2026 | |||
| Species | Day’s Count | Month Total | Season Total |
| Turkey Vulture | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Osprey | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Bald Eagle | 2 | 60 | 60 |
| Northern Harrier | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Sharp-shinned Hawk | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| 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 | 7 | 7 |
| Ferruginous Hawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Rough-legged Hawk | 0 | 2 | 2 |
| Golden Eagle | 21 | 995 | 995 |
| 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 | 3 | 14 | 14 |
| Unknown Raptor | 0 | 4 | 4 |
| Total: | 27 | 1088 | 1088 |
| Observation start time: | 08:00:00 |
| Observation end time: | 15:45:00 |
| Total observation time: | 7.75 hours |
| Official Counter | Blake Weis |
| Observers: | Erin Gilbert |
Visitors:
31 People stopped to talk. 4 came with binoculars to watch for eagles.
Weather:
The temperate was -3 C at the start of observation, it rose to a high of 2, then fell to 0 as we were leaving. Ground wind was from the N-NW, 5-10 km/h in the morning and gusting up to 20 in the afternoon. Ridge wind was light from the NE, up to 13. High wind was moderate to strong from the SW. The collision of weather systems created a haze that made identification of distant raptors very difficult, and ageing impossible in most cases. Cloud cover was 20-30% cumulus and cirrus in the morning, but increased in the afternoon as the storm approached. Around 4 PM low cloud and snow began to envelop the west ridges, then started creeping into the valley to the north and south of the site. The count was concluded at 4:45 PM as snow reached the meadow and the east ridges began to disappear.
Raptor Observations:
Migration was slowish and somewhat sporadic between 12:45 and 4 PM. The count for the day was 27 raptors including 21 Golden Eagles (2 adults, 1 subadult, 18 u), 2 Bald Eagles (1 adult, 1 subadult), 1 Red-tailed Hawk, and 3 unidentified eagles. Movement was split between east and west ridges, and migrants were relatively low (often passing behind or in front of the mountains) given the poor flying conditions. Resident raptors included the Golden Eagle pair, one of which was displaying over Olympic Summit, an adult Goshawk that flew over the meadow carrying unidentified prey, and a Red-tailed Hawk that was displaying and harassing the migrating Red-tail.
Non-raptor Observations:
The most unusual bird of the day was a Spotted Towhee foraging with a group of Juncos. Other birds were 2 Canada Geese, 1 Common Merganser, 1 Belted Kingfisher, 1 American Three-toed Woodpecker, 1 Hairy Woodpecker, 1 Northern Flicker, 8 Common Ravens, 1 Black-capped, 1 Mountain, and 2 Boreal Chickadees, 2 Golden Crowned Kinglets, 3 Red-breasted Nuthatches, 4 European Starlings, 2 Varied Thrushes, 6 American Robins, 15 Bohemain Waxwings, 3 Pine Siskins, and 7 Dark-eyed Juncos (3 Oregon, 4 u). 3 White-tailed Deer were 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 (27 Mar 2026) 37 Raptors
Alberta, Canada
| Daily Raptor Counts: Mar 27, 2026 | |||
| Species | Day’s Count | Month Total | Season Total |
| Turkey Vulture | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Osprey | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Bald Eagle | 2 | 58 | 58 |
| Northern Harrier | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Sharp-shinned Hawk | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| 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 | 4 | 6 | 6 |
| Ferruginous Hawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Rough-legged Hawk | 0 | 2 | 2 |
| Golden Eagle | 31 | 974 | 974 |
| 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 | 11 | 11 |
| Unknown Raptor | 0 | 4 | 4 |
| Total: | 37 | 1061 | 1061 |
| Observation start time: | 08:00:00 |
| Observation end time: | 19:00:00 |
| Total observation time: | 11 hours |
| Official Counter | Ethan Denton |
| Observers: | Tiina Moore |
Visitors:
About 28 people came by, and 14 stopped to chat and help look.
Weather:
Temperatures rose quickly from -8�C to 2�C, but sharp winds kept it brisk! For much of the days the ground winds blew around 15km/h, with gusts of up to 43km/h. Pressure dropped by a couple points throughout the day, and clouds cover varied from cirrus to cumulus to even a bit of lenticular, but rarely enough to fully cover the sky. Ridge winds looked strong from the SW based on the plumes of snow blowing off the peaks, but the Nakiska Ridgetop weather station was down so no exact numbers were obtained.
Raptor Observations:
Golden Eagles came slow and steady for most of the day after 11:00, apart from one burst between 12:30 and 1:00. This led to our highest hour, with 10 Goldens and 12 raptors in total. The final count was 31 Golden Eagles (18 adult, 11 unknown, and 2 subadults).
2 Bald Eagles (1a, 1s) and 4 Red-tailed Hawks also passed over. The Hawks were a fun mix, with three dark morphs – two ‘calurus’ and one Harlan’s – and one pale bird of the ‘abietacola’ subspecies.
Also entertaining was the resident Golden Eagle pair. The male performed an extended aerial display at various point across the Eastern slope, while the female feigned disinterest. The resident Goshawk, and an adult Bald Eagle made appearances.
Non-raptor Observations:
Perhaps because of the wind, it felt quiet today, but when there were birds it was a good variety. A male Red-winged Blackbird sang from several treetops, which were later occupied by the Northern Shrike. A Northern Flicker and a Hairy Woodpecker made absolutely sure they were heard by all around, and the first American Tree Sparrow of the year showed up at long last.
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 (26 Mar 2026) 28 Raptors
Alberta, Canada
| Daily Raptor Counts: Mar 26, 2026 | |||
| Species | Day’s Count | Month Total | Season Total |
| Turkey Vulture | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Osprey | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Bald Eagle | 4 | 56 | 56 |
| Northern Harrier | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Sharp-shinned Hawk | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| 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 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| Ferruginous Hawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Rough-legged Hawk | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| Golden Eagle | 20 | 943 | 943 |
| 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 | 11 | 11 |
| Unknown Raptor | 0 | 4 | 4 |
| Total: | 28 | 1024 | 1024 |
| Observation start time: | 08:00:00 |
| Observation end time: | 19:00:00 |
| Total observation time: | 10.33 hours |
| Official Counter | Graeme Dunlop |
| Observers: | Guy Kerr |
Visitors:
6 people stopped to chat, including a couple with binoculars who stayed for a while to help.
Weather:
The start of the count was delayed until 0900 due to poor visibility. The temperature at 0900 was -14C, the high at 1700 was -4C. It was initially calm at ground level then light variable for the rest of the day. Ridge winds were initially highly variable with different ridges having snow plumes blowing in opposite directions to the ones on the other side of the valley, but they became moderate to strong SW by late morning. Cloud cover was also mixed but generally the east ridges and overhead were clear with some cumulus. Much thicker stratocumulus and stratus clouds persisted to the south and west for most of the day. 100% stratus from 1445 to 1615 brought periods of light snow before gradually clearing again. No Golden Eagles were seen after 1630 so the count was ended a little early at 1920.
Raptor Observations:
The mixed conditions produced a disappointing count of 28 migrants that comprised 4 Bald Eagles (3a, 1sa), 2 adult light morph calurus Red-tailed Hawks, 2 Rough-legged Hawks and 20 Golden Eagles (15a, 5u). All Golden Eagles were seen over the eastern ridges. Before the mid-afternoon snowfall, the eagles were flapping and gliding just above ridge level before crossing the river valley, in quite a steep glide, taking them well to the east of Mt Lorette and quickly disappearing out of sight. When the snow cleared at 1615, 3 Golden Eagles appeared over Mt McDougall gliding north at a higher altitude, indicating that flying conditions had become more favourable. We hoped that we would have a busy evening but sadly we saw our last Golden Eagle of the day at 1630.
Non-raptor Observations:
The Northern Pygmy Owl was calling for much of the day but remained stubbornly out of sight. Other birds were: 15 Canada Geese, 6 Mallards, 1 Hairy Woodpecker, 1 Northern Flicker, 7 Common Ravens, 3 Black-capped Chickadees, 1 lone European Starling that hung around for much of the day, 16 American Robins, 2 Pine Siskins, 1 Dark-eyed Junco.
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 (25 Mar 2026) 54 Raptors
Mount Lorette
Alberta, Canada
| Daily Raptor Counts: Mar 25, 2026 | |||
| Species | Day’s Count | Month Total | Season Total |
| Turkey Vulture | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Osprey | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Bald Eagle | 0 | 52 | 52 |
| Northern Harrier | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Sharp-shinned Hawk | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| 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 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Ferruginous Hawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Rough-legged Hawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Golden Eagle | 53 | 923 | 923 |
| 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 | 1 | 11 | 11 |
| Unknown Raptor | 0 | 4 | 4 |
| Total: | 54 | 996 | 996 |
| Observation start time: | 12:00:00 |
| Observation end time: | 19:00:00 |
| Total observation time: | 6.83 hours |
| Official Counter | Ethan Denton |
| Observers: | Peter Lloyd |
Visitors:
The thick snow is likely at fault for our complete lack of visitors today. Coincidentally, the sk-hill was very busy!
Weather:
The day started out with a heavy snowstorm, which blanketed the valley in low clouds and dumped around 20-25cm over the course of a few hours. By noon it showed some signs of lifting, and by 1:00pm, ridgelines began to become visible. A pleasant calm settled, with very low winds, some sun, and a strong scattering of cumulus clouds up above. This lasted until around 6:30pm, when a sudden north wind swept into the clearing gusting up to 35km/h. The wind brought with it an increase in clouds and a decrease in temperature, and lasted until we lost the ridgelines again at 7:45pm. The temperature was -1ºC at 1:00, and held at zero until it dropped to -6ºC by 7:00.
Raptor Observations:
Within a few minutes of the ridgelines clearing, the first eagles of the day were spotted gliding over the Eastern ridgeline. Goldens continued in trickles until the final two hours of the day, when 11 Eagles in 15 minutes contributed to our busiest hour (17 between 6:00 and 7:00). In total, 53 Golden Eagles were counted, almost all along the Eastern side. One unidentified Eagle dipped behind Mt. Patrick and was never picked up again.
We did see a resident sub-adult Bald Eagle, which cruised southwards along the powerline.
Non-raptor Observations:
Upon arriving, a European Starling was unceremoniously evicted from the kiosk, where it had been taking shelter from the storm. This same Starling hung around and was seen over a dozen times during the afternoon. Also seen were a pair of Hooded Mergansers, which flew low overhead late in the day, as well as a smattering of Robins, Juncos, and Redpolls. Two male Mountain Bluebirds paused briefly in the meadow.
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]
