Mount Lorette (15 Mar 2025) 57 Raptors
Alberta, Canada
| Daily Raptor Counts: Mar 15, 2025 | |||
| Species | Day’s Count | Month Total | Season Total |
| Turkey Vulture | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Osprey | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Bald Eagle | 0 | 12 | 12 |
| Northern Harrier | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Sharp-shinned Hawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Cooper’s Hawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| American Goshawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 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 | 55 | 148 | 148 |
| American Kestrel | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Merlin | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Gyrfalcon | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Peregrine Falcon | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Prairie Falcon | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Unknown Accipitrine | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Unknown Buteo | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Unknown Falcon | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Unknown Eagle | 2 | 3 | 3 |
| Unknown Raptor | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Total: | 57 | 163 | 163 |
| Observation start time: | 08:30:00 |
| Observation end time: | 15:30:00 |
| Total observation time: | 7.5 hours |
| Official Counter | Blake Weis |
| Observers: | Allison Zukewich |
Visitors:
29 people stopped to talk.
Weather:
The start of observation was delayed slightly due to poor driving conditions on the highway, but the weather improved dramatically after reaching the Kananaskis Valley. On arrival to the site at 9:25 AM, cloud cover was 75% cirrus and cirrostratus which left plenty of room for sun to shine through, and a few low cumulus clouds obscured ridges up to 20%. Ground wind was light from the north, ridge wind was moderate from the SW, the temperature was -11 C, and about 20 cm of fresh snow was on the ground.
The temperature reached a high of -6 by 11 AM and hovered between -6 and -7 for the rest of the day. Dark clouds started building around the mountains to the west around 11 AM, gradually obscuring more of the ridges as the day progressed. At 2:30 PM, the clash of two weather systems over the valley became apparent. Gusts from the north at ground level increased to at least 20 km/h, ridge wind and clouds came from both SW and north, and it started snowing lightly. The count ended at 4:30 PM as the snow grew stronger and visibility continued to deteriorate.
Raptor Observations:
The first migrant wasn’t seen until 12:15 PM, but movement picked up quickly from there, resulting in a count of 55 Golden Eagles (26 adults & 29 unaged) and 2 unidentified eagles. Routes and flight styles were highly variable, probably due to the unusual wind patterns. Migrants were usually low, split between east and west ridges and the east side of the valley. Even though the ridges socked in and it started snowing at 2:30 PM, eagles continued to move for another hour, low below the clouds in front Mt. Patrick in the east and to Skogan Pass in the west. Visibility was often hampered by low cloud, ice crystal haze, and snow.
Local raptors included a Goshawk that caught a smaller bird (possibly a starling) over the east side of the valley in the morning, and a Bald Eagle soaring over the river in the afternoon.
Non-raptor Observations:
4 Common Ravens, 1 American Dipper, and 1 European Starling.
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Mount Lorette information may be found at: eaglewatch.ca
More information at hawkcount.org: [Site Profile] [Day Summary] [Month Summary]
