Mount Lorette (17 Mar 2024) 54 Raptors

Visitors:
There were a number of visitors who stopped by to chat during the day, approximately 25 throughout the day, and a couple of people stopped by to help spot.

Weather:
The morning was chilly at -2C, but once the sun arrived it warmed up quickly, with a high of 12C – some visitors were warm enough to wear shorts! There was a gentle morning breeze on the ground from the SW that shifted to a light, warm breeze from the WSW for the afternoon. The ridge winds seemed to vary a bit throughout the day, and it was a challenge to estimate, but at the strongest I believe approximately 40-80km WSW. There were some very light clouds throughout the day.

Raptor Observations:
Most eagles moved primarily along the eastern ridges, with an exception of two adults that chose the west. The birds were moving very high in the sky, often skipping Patrick altogether by moving across the valley to Lorette. In all, Golden Eagles included 1j, 6sa, 29s, 20u. There were also 2jlm Rough-Legged Hawks, 2a and 3sa Bald Eagles migrating. A local Goshawk was heard calling in the morning. The star of the show, however, was a juvenile dark-morph Ferruginous Hawk seen in the afternoon, flying a strange path much lower than other migrants. At the end of the day, one Golden Eagle flew low through the valley and landed on Mount Lorette – this bird was not included in the days’ migration count.

Non-raptor Observations:
Other birds included: 1 American Three-toed Woodpecker, 1 Hairy Woodpecker, 1 Norther Flicker, 1 Canada Jay, 1 Black-Billed Magpie, 6 Common Raven 6 Black-Capped Chickadee, 2 Mountain Chickadee, 1 Red-breasted Nuthatch, 1 American Robin, 10 Bohemian Waxwing, 2 Evening Grosbeak.

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Mount Lorette information may be found at: eaglewatch.ca
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