Mount Lorette (10 Oct 2024) 170 Raptors
Alberta, Canada
| Daily Raptor Counts: Oct 10, 2024 | |||
| Species | Day’s Count | Month Total | Season Total |
| Turkey Vulture | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Osprey | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Bald Eagle | 5 | 14 | 25 |
| Northern Harrier | 0 | 1 | 6 |
| Sharp-shinned Hawk | 2 | 32 | 50 |
| Cooper’s Hawk | 0 | 3 | 4 |
| American Goshawk | 0 | 6 | 6 |
| Broad-winged Hawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Swainson’s Hawk | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Red-tailed Hawk | 0 | 7 | 15 |
| Ferruginous Hawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Rough-legged Hawk | 1 | 3 | 3 |
| Golden Eagle | 160 | 635 | 898 |
| American Kestrel | 0 | 1 | 4 |
| Merlin | 0 | 1 | 4 |
| Gyrfalcon | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Peregrine Falcon | 1 | 4 | 6 |
| Prairie Falcon | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Unknown Accipiter | 0 | 2 | 4 |
| Unknown Buteo | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Unknown Falcon | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Unknown Eagle | 0 | 4 | 4 |
| Unknown Raptor | 0 | 1 | 7 |
| Total: | 170 | 716 | 1039 |
| Observation start time: | 07:00:00 |
| Observation end time: | 18:00:00 |
| Total observation time: | 10.28 hours |
| Official Counter | Caroline Lambert |
| Observers: | Ethan Denton, Mia Winklmeyer, Rick Robb |
Visitors:
Only about half a dozen visitors stopped to ask about the count.
Weather:
The day was one of the coolest of the count so far, but the lack of wind made it quite pleasant. The starting temperature was 0C. It rose to 9C and was 4C at the end of the day. Ground winds were mostly calm and variable all day. Ridge winds were low, ranging from south to southwest. Upper winds were low to moderate from the west. Cloud cover was at about 75% cumulus all day, with some cirrus and altostratus building up towards the end of the day.
Raptor Observations:
The first two Golden Eagles were seen before 0900, giving hope for a good day, but seeing none for the next hour diminished those hopes. But then the flood gates opened, with a steady parade on the east ridge for the next four hours, with up to seven kettling over Lorette at a time, peaking with 37 from 1100 to 1200. There was another lull in the afternoon, but then the flight built up again in the evening, with a steady stream of 21 in the last hour, the last one seen a few minutes before sunset. Only two raptors were spotted over the west ridge. There was a decent variety of other raptors too.
The total was 160 Golden Eagles (63a, 12sa, 11ui, 11j, 63u), 5 Bald Eagles (2a, 1sa, 2j), 1 Rough-legged Hawk, 2 Sharp-shinned Hawks, 1 very late Swainson’s Hawk, 1 Peregrine Falcon.
The only non-migrant raptor was a Golden Eagle seen flying northwest over the valley.
Non-raptor Observations:
All day long we heard drumming by a Ruffed Grouse north of the site that seemed to have its seasons mixed up. The two Ruffed Grouse that hang out south of the site were silent. Complete non-raptor list: Canada Geese (heard flying south while walking in), Ruffed Grouse 3, Belted Kingfisher 1 (Male), Northern Flicker 1, Northern Shrike 1, Canada Jay 3, Common Raven 5, Mountain Chickadee 1, Black-capped Chickadee 2, Ruby-crowned Kinglet 1, American Dipper 1, American Robin 4, Red Crossbill 2, Dark-eyed Junco 2, White-crowned Sparrow 1, Yellow-rumped Warbler 3
Report submitted by ()
Mount Lorette information may be found at: eaglewatch.ca
More information at hawkcount.org: [Site Profile] [Day Summary] [Month Summary]
