Mount Lorette (17 Mar 2023) 37 Raptors
Alberta, Canada
| Daily Raptor Counts: Mar 17, 2023 | |||
| Species | Day’s Count | Month Total | Season Total |
| Turkey Vulture | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Osprey | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Bald Eagle | 4 | 33 | 33 |
| Northern Harrier | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Sharp-shinned Hawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Cooper’s Hawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Northern Goshawk | 1 | 2 | 2 |
| 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 | 32 | 199 | 199 |
| American Kestrel | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Merlin | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Gyrfalcon | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Peregrine Falcon | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Prairie Falcon | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Unknown Accipiter | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Unknown Buteo | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Unknown Falcon | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Unknown Eagle | 0 | 4 | 4 |
| Unknown Raptor | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Total: | 37 | 238 | 238 |
| Observation start time: | 05:45:00 |
| Observation end time: | 19:00:00 |
| Total observation time: | 13.25 hours |
| Official Counter | Graeme Dunlop |
| Observers: | Caroline Lambert, Ruth Morrow |
Visitors:
Nine visitors came with binoculars to watch migration. Six others stopped to talk.
Weather:
The temperature started at -14C, rising to 1C by afternoon. Cloudless skies early morning, then variable amounts of cirrus. Ground winds mostly light from the south, becoming slightly stronger westerly later in the day.
Raptor Observations:
The first Golden Eagle was seen at 11am, gliding quite low northwards from Mt. Kidd before disappearing behind Nakiska Ridge. A further 6 eagles were seen using this flight path before noon, after that all migrants were seen gliding quite high over the east ridges and on towards Mt. Lorette where they often had to soar to regain height. Eagle movement was slow but steady through the afternoon. The count consisted of 32 Golden Eagles (27 adults and 5 of unknown age), 4 Bald Eagles (3 adults and 1 undifferentiated immature) and 1 adult Northern Goshawk.
Non-raptor Observations:
Canada Goose 10, Canada Jay 1, Common Raven 8, Pine Siskin 4, Black-capped Chickadee 1, Mountain Chickadee 4, Boreal Chickadee 2, Belted Kingfisher 1, Hairy Woodpecker 1.
Report submitted by ()
Mount Lorette information may be found at: eaglewatch.ca
More information at hawkcount.org: [Site Profile] [Day Summary] [Month Summary]
Count data submitted via Dunkadoo – [Project Details]
Mount Lorette (16 Mar 2023) 27 Raptors
Alberta, Canada
| Daily Raptor Counts: Mar 16, 2023 | |||
| Species | Day’s Count | Month Total | Season Total |
| Turkey Vulture | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Osprey | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Bald Eagle | 3 | 29 | 29 |
| Northern Harrier | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Sharp-shinned Hawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Cooper’s Hawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Northern Goshawk | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| 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 | 24 | 167 | 167 |
| American Kestrel | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Merlin | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Gyrfalcon | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Peregrine Falcon | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Prairie Falcon | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Unknown Accipiter | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Unknown Buteo | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Unknown Falcon | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Unknown Eagle | 0 | 4 | 4 |
| Unknown Raptor | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Total: | 27 | 201 | 201 |
| Observation start time: | 07:00:00 |
| Observation end time: | 19:00:00 |
| Total observation time: | 11.75 hours |
| Official Counter | Ethan Denton |
| Observers: | Rick Robb |
Visitors:
23
Weather:
It was a crisp and cloudless day, with a powerful sun that warmed us from -14°C up to a balmy +1°C. Winds at all levels appeared to be low.
Raptor Observations:
A low eagle day, despite what appeared to be reasonable conditions. We hadn’t seen any by 1pm, but the late afternoon provided a good burst with 4 Bald Eagles (including the adult resident) and 24 Goldens. They were somewhat frustrating, following a number of different flight paths, and almost all quite high. Most Goldens passed high over the Eastern side of the valley, where the pastel blue skies made it hard to catch them in the scope.
Non-raptor Observations:
Singles each of Canada Goose and American Robin flew northwards over us, while some winter residents showed well. Bohemian Waxwings are still around, and we observed small groups of White-winged Crossbills and Pine Siskins. During the dusky stroll out to the parking lot, a Ruffed Grouse sat over the path nibbling away at some fresh aspen buds.
Report submitted by Ethan Denton (ethan@suechick.com)
Mount Lorette information may be found at: eaglewatch.ca
More information at hawkcount.org: [Site Profile] [Day Summary] [Month Summary]
Count data submitted via Dunkadoo – [Project Details]
Mount Lorette (15 Mar 2023) 34 Raptors
Alberta, Canada
| Daily Raptor Counts: Mar 15, 2023 | |||
| Species | Day’s Count | Month Total | Season Total |
| Turkey Vulture | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Osprey | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Bald Eagle | 1 | 26 | 26 |
| Northern Harrier | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Sharp-shinned Hawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Cooper’s Hawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Northern Goshawk | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| 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 | 33 | 143 | 143 |
| American Kestrel | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Merlin | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Gyrfalcon | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Peregrine Falcon | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Prairie Falcon | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Unknown Accipiter | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Unknown Buteo | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Unknown Falcon | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Unknown Eagle | 0 | 4 | 4 |
| Unknown Raptor | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Total: | 34 | 174 | 174 |
| Observation start time: | 07:00:00 |
| Observation end time: | 19:00:00 |
| Total observation time: | 11.58 hours |
| Official Counter | Caroline Lambert |
| Observers: | Sandy Graham |
Visitors:
There were 25 visitors, including one hiking group of 6 and another of 12. One person came with binoculars and spotted several eagles during the few hours she was with us – thanks, Tina!
Weather:
The day started with almost no clouds and a chilly temperature of -15C. The sun was warm when it appeared over the ridge and the temperature quickly rose, reaching a high of -1C and dipping to -3C at the end of the day. Cloud cover gradually increased to about 70% coverage, mostly cumulus clouds, which allowed for good viewing conditions. There was little ground wind, and there appeared to be little ridge wind as well, as there was almost no snow pluming off the ridges. Upper clouds moved slowly from the west and then northwest.
Raptor Observations:
In spite of there being little sign of ridge winds, nearly all the eagles seen were gliding high above the east ridge. Early in the day they were going almost overhead, and as the day wore on more of them were seen soaring to gain height over the east ridge before gliding to Lorette. After a flurry of activity at 10:00, the main movement didn’t begin until after 14:00. After that the movement was relatively steady, with a peak around 17:00.
The tally was 33 migrating Golden Eagles (32a, 1u) and one adult Bald Eagle. The last eagle of the day was a Golden Eagle that flew from the east ridge over our heads towards Mt Kidd – we wondered if this was one of the resident eagle pair.
Non-raptor Observations:
The only non-raptor bird seen that was a spring migrant was a Canada Goose that flew in and sat on the river for a while before flying off again. Besides that, the other birds were: Hairy Woodpecker 1, Canada Jay 2, Common Raven 6, Black-capped Chickadee 2, White-winged Crossbill 1, Pine Siskin 6
Report submitted by ()
Mount Lorette information may be found at: eaglewatch.ca
More information at hawkcount.org: [Site Profile] [Day Summary] [Month Summary]
Count data submitted via Dunkadoo – [Project Details]
Mount Lorette (14 Mar 2023) 72 Raptors
Alberta, Canada
| Daily Raptor Counts: Mar 14, 2023 | |||
| Species | Day’s Count | Month Total | Season Total |
| Turkey Vulture | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Osprey | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Bald Eagle | 7 | 25 | 25 |
| Northern Harrier | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Sharp-shinned Hawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Cooper’s Hawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Northern Goshawk | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| 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 | 65 | 110 | 110 |
| American Kestrel | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Merlin | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Gyrfalcon | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Peregrine Falcon | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Prairie Falcon | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Unknown Accipiter | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Unknown Buteo | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Unknown Falcon | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Unknown Eagle | 0 | 4 | 4 |
| Unknown Raptor | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Total: | 72 | 140 | 140 |
| Observation start time: | 07:00:00 |
| Observation end time: | 19:00:00 |
| Total observation time: | 10.75 hours |
| Official Counter | Ethan Denton |
| Observers: | Bill McKeeman |
Visitors:
We had 11 visitors today, including a young birder from Calgary who got to see his lifer Golden Eagles.
Weather:
A still-falling layer of snow coated the sight at dawn, but the clouds lightened quickly. By 10, it was a gorgeous day, largely sunny and with no more precipitation of significance. It was warm, between -3 and +1 for the whole day.
Raptor Observations:
The floodgates finally opened on the eagle front today! We observed 65 Golden Eagles, and 7 migratory Bald Eagles. Almost all of our birds were moving quite fast, relatively low, and on the eastern Ridgeline. There were two non-migratory Bald Eagles – one adult which showed several times, and an immature bird which I’ve observed flying along the river numerous times in recent weeks.
Non-raptor Observations:
Of the most note, the first migratory American Robins of the season flew up the valley in the morning. There’s not too much else to report – a flock of Bohemian Waxwings, plus some chickadees and a Brown Creeper on the walk in.
Report submitted by Ethan Denton (ethan@suechick.com)
Mount Lorette information may be found at: eaglewatch.ca
More information at hawkcount.org: [Site Profile] [Day Summary] [Month Summary]
Count data submitted via Dunkadoo – [Project Details]
Mount Lorette (13 Mar 2023) 11 Raptors
Alberta, Canada
| Daily Raptor Counts: Mar 13, 2023 | |||
| Species | Day’s Count | Month Total | Season Total |
| Turkey Vulture | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Osprey | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Bald Eagle | 0 | 18 | 18 |
| Northern Harrier | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Sharp-shinned Hawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Cooper’s Hawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Northern Goshawk | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| 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 | 10 | 45 | 45 |
| American Kestrel | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Merlin | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Gyrfalcon | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Peregrine Falcon | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Prairie Falcon | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Unknown Accipiter | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Unknown Buteo | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Unknown Falcon | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Unknown Eagle | 0 | 4 | 4 |
| Unknown Raptor | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Total: | 11 | 68 | 68 |
| Observation start time: | 07:00:00 |
| Observation end time: | 19:00:00 |
| Total observation time: | 11 hours |
| Official Counter | Lori Anderson |
| Observers: | Lynette MacCulloch |
Visitors:
23 curious people stopped by to ask what we were doing. Some experienced birders even offered to volunteer. Yay! Ed stopped by for an hour and helped out by talking to the visitors.
Weather:
The temperature started at -11C but rose quickly to -1C over two hours and finally reached a high of +3C by noon. Winds were fairly calm at the onset of the count but soon picked up and averaged between 10-15 km/h, gusting to 20 from the SSW. 60- 100% of the western ridges were affected all day by snow. The eastern ridges were clear until 13:00 after which they were slowly consumed by snow/rain clouds. Light drizzle fell for most of the afternoon and got much worse after 17:00. We ended the count a bit earlier than was planned. Ridge winds were very strong creating snow plumes.
Raptor Observations:
In spite of the inclement weather, 10 Golden Eagles (8a, 2u) found a way around to venture north. All were located gliding past Mt. Lorette and must have come from Wasootch because none could be located over the eastern ridges nor overhead. The first Goshawk of the season, an adult male, appeared at Mt McGillivray and was seen a few more times over the river and at Hummingbird plume. It may be one of our residents.
Non-raptor Observations:
A few of my personal observations: Today it feels like Spring is really on its way finally. It rained instead of snowed. A little moth flew by. Four ravens (3+1) danced around the valley all day in prenuptial courtship. A pair of ravens danced with careful synchronization and then landed to take a bath in the river together. A solo soggy starling withstood the rain from his perch, high in a leafless tree. The Wisakajacks dipped into my breakfast jar of overnight oatmeal to get the walnuts. Little tricksters! A hairy woodpecker pip squeaked while flying over my head and went on to drum holes into the pumphouse. A dipper did the dipper-dubstep on an icy shelf just upstream.
Hairy Woodpecker 1, Raven 8, European Starling 1, Mountain Chickadee 2, Canada Jay 2, American Dipper 1, Bohemian Waxwings 20, duck sp. 1 Red Squirrel 2
Report submitted by ()
Mount Lorette information may be found at: eaglewatch.ca
More information at hawkcount.org: [Site Profile] [Day Summary] [Month Summary]
Count data submitted via Dunkadoo – [Project Details]
