Mount Lorette (28 Sep 2026) 57 Raptors

Visitors:
I’m sure at least 100 came to visit us today. Prospect Human Services from NE Calgary brought 3 groups of 10 people to learn a bit about the Eagles. A big thanks to Allison for guiding them!

Weather:
The day started out with no wind and a few light cirrus clouds. Frost covered the ground and the temperature was -2C at the beginning of the count at 7:30 am. By 2pm we reached a high of 10C where it remained until sunset, registering 9.5C At 7:30pm. Gradually light winds appeared from the south and SW and averaged about 5km/h with a few gusts here and there, some registering at most 20 km/h. At the end of the day after sunset, it became very windy and it looked like a storm was brewing to the North. The ridges were clear all day, and shifting configurations of Cirrus, Cirrostratus, and Lenticular clouds partially covered the sky. Later in the afternoon, some small cumulus clouds appeared. SW Ridge winds kept fluctuating in speed all day.
The change to Autumn was apparent in the foliage. What a change from last Monday when the grass was strong, vibrant and glowing lime green. The air was teeming with insects and Mourning Cloak Butterflies. Last week the meadow felt like a jungle and today it felt weak and brown.

Raptor Observations:
Perhaps the highlight of the day was when, at precisely 12:50 pm, two juvenile Golden Eagles entered the steep cliffside sector of the Wasootch Ridge, unaware of the grave danger before them. They glided just above the tree line when a commander from the Elite Rogue Raven Squadron attacked, diving steeply upon them. One of the eagles retaliated swiftly and they exchanged blows, first one chasing then the other with fierce nips and swift calculated defense. They rolled and dipped in spinning dizzy vertiginous dives while attacking and evading, leaving a trail of fire and feathers. The battle lasted for what seemed like an eternity. At 8:15 the first Golden Eagle was located at the �bumps� of the North Fisher range gliding low as it headed south. There were sightings of golden Eagles every hour after that until sunset with the highest numbers observed between 12 and 3pm.
Golden Eagles 54 (23a, 3sa, 6j, 3ui, 19u), one Sharp-shinned Hawk, one American Goshawk, and one small Falcon.
Throughout the day, the flight path depended on the wind speed of the moment. At times they were found flapping low in the face of the mountains, and at other times high over our heads. But for the most part they were mainly found just above ridge level. Instead of following the ridges all the way to Baldy, most of them seemed to veer off to the Southeast after passing Fisher North.

Non-raptor Observations:
1 Belted Kingfisher, 60 Robins, 12 Ravens, 2 Black-capped Chickadees, 1 Common Merganser.

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Mount Lorette information may be found at: eaglewatch.ca
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Count data submitted via Trektellen.org – [Project Details]