Mount Lorette (12 Oct 2026) 49 Raptors

Visitors:
About 100 people passed by, of whom 30 stopped to chat. Quite a few tried to use the binoculars, and a few stayed with us for longer periods to help localize the eagles. A special thanks to Jen and Stephan from New Hampshire for their help. A shout-out to Pam and Bill as well and 2 people who were too shy to give their names. (you know who you are :)))

Weather:
Temperatures rose from a very chilly -7�C at 8:00 a.m. to a high of 7�C around 5:00 p.m., and dropped to 0�C by the end of the count. The skies were completely clear all day and the wind didn�t start picking up until around 11 AM. Even the Ridge winds were completely calm until 11 and then, with the winds came the birds. Ground winds were mainly from the southwest when present, averaging approximately 6 km/h throughout the day. Ridge winds were completely calm until around 11:00 a.m., then shifted through varying westerly directions, ranging from west-northwest to south-southwest and southwest by the end of the day. Speed ranged between 7 and 28 Km/h.

Raptor Observations:
The first Golden Eagle of the day (a juvenile) appeared just before 2:00 p.m., flapping and gliding energetically in the face of Mount Patrick. It even had to land briefly on a cliff before continuing southward. Most of the birds seemed to be coming from behind Patrick, but later in the day many were found at Lorette before they made their way over to the Fisher range. The flight pattern was low, ridge level and below, mainly gliding and some soaring. All birds were found on the East Ridges. Between 4:30 and 7:00, we found 30 out of the 46 total Golden Eagles. The final count was 46 Golden Eagles: 26a, 6sa, 3j, 8ui, 3u; 1 Sharp-shinned Hawk, 1 Rough-legged Hawk, and 1 Merlin. Non-migrants: 2 American Goshawks, 3 Adult Bald Eagles

Non-raptor Observations:
Upon arriving at the site in the morning, I was greeted by a Varied Thrush. Unlike most mornings, it wasn�t singing but instead hopping from branch to branch in a tree. Later, two Varied Thrushes flew overhead.
I observed an American Goshawk perched at the top of a tree where it remained for about an hour. A Belted Kingfisher hung around the site throughout the day, singing at times. At one point, it began making a commotion, so I took a look through my telescope to see what was happening. A Goshawk had perched in a tree right beside it, but the Kingfisher didn�t budge. It simply stayed put and carried on chattering. Apparently, it wasn�t on the menu for the Goshawk�s next meal! So, here�s yet another Kingfisher tale. While perched on a dead branch on the opposite side of the river, it suddenly raised and spread its wings wide open. The sunlight shining through its outstretched wings made for a truly glorious sight. Another Kingfisher came flying in fast, and the two took to the sky, tumbling and rolling together as they descended toward the ground. A Pileated Woodpecker flew right over our heads, and we were graced with the company of 2 Whisky Jacks. And last but not least, Ravens were flying about all day long. A pair put on quite a show with a pre-nuptial dance, mirroring each other�s movements, rolling and diving through the air. It was quite a show!

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Mount Lorette information may be found at: eaglewatch.ca
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