Mount Lorette (12 Mar 2023) 8 Raptors
Alberta, Canada
| Daily Raptor Counts: Mar 12, 2023 | |||
| Species | Day’s Count | Month Total | Season Total |
| Turkey Vulture | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Osprey | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Bald Eagle | 2 | 18 | 18 |
| Northern Harrier | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Sharp-shinned Hawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Cooper’s Hawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Northern 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 | 5 | 35 | 35 |
| 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 | 1 | 4 | 4 |
| Unknown Raptor | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Total: | 8 | 57 | 57 |
| Observation start time: | 06:45:00 |
| Observation end time: | 18:30:00 |
| Total observation time: | 12.25 hours |
| Official Counter | Blake Weis |
| Observers: | Allison Zukewich |
Visitors:
31 visitors stopped to talk. Two came to watch migration.
Weather:
2 AM on March 12 marks the change from MST to MDT in Alberta, so times noted in comments will be one hour ahead of times shown on Hawkcount which only shows MST.
In the morning it was a chilly -18C with a totally clear sky and almost no wind. The first clouds appeared around noon, then for the rest of the day cloud cover varied from 10% to 60%. Ground and ridge winds were from the SW. At ground level gusts reached 20 km/h in the afternoon, and at ridge level wind was light to moderate in the morning and moderate to strong in the afternoon. The temperature reached a high of 0C around noon.
Raptor Observations:
It was a slow day with 5 Golden Eagles (4a 1u), 2 adult Bald Eagles and one unidentified eagle migrating. Most of the Golden Eagles and the unidentified eagle were detected far to the north near Mt. Lorette, though one Golden Eagle was soaring relatively low along the west side of the valley. The Bald Eagles were seen soaring over Hummingbird Plume Hill. Migration was scattered throughout the afternoon without any notable peak.
Two resident Bald Eagles were flying low along the river, an adult and a sub-adult. A resident adult Golden Eagle was observed flying north to south over the Fisher Range.
Non-raptor Observations:
Common Merganser 3 Canada Jay 2 Common Raven 11 Black-capped Chickadee 4 Boreal Chickadee 6 Red-breasted Nuthatch 2 Pine Grosbeak 2 Red Crossbill 1 Pine Siskin 1
Red Squirrel 3
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 (11 Mar 2023) 17 Raptors
Alberta, Canada
| Daily Raptor Counts: Mar 11, 2023 | |||
| Species | Day’s Count | Month Total | Season Total |
| Turkey Vulture | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Osprey | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Bald Eagle | 6 | 16 | 16 |
| Northern Harrier | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Sharp-shinned Hawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Cooper’s Hawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Northern 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 | 11 | 30 | 30 |
| 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 | 3 | 3 |
| Unknown Raptor | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Total: | 17 | 49 | 49 |
| Observation start time: | 07:30:00 |
| Observation end time: | 18:30:00 |
| Total observation time: | 11 hours |
| Official Counter | Blake Weis |
| Observers: | Mustafa Onder Ersin |
Visitors:
16 visitors stopped to talk. None came to watch migration.
Weather:
Upon arrival it was snowing lightly with low cloud obscuring ridges up to 20%. Around 10 AM the sky began to clear, with 20-50% cloud cover making for good observing conditions into the afternoon. Later in the afternoon cloud increased and by 5 PM light snow was again falling, obscuring ridges up to 20%. Ground wind was from the north, light in the morning but gusting up to 30 km/h in the afternoon. Despite the north wind at ground level ridge wind was from the southwest, light to moderate in the morning and usually strong in the afternoon. The temperature was -17C in the morning and it reached a high of -5C around 1 PM.
Raptor Observations:
11 Golden Eagles (9a, 1sa, 1u) and 6 adult Bald Eagles braved the cold conditions. Most of them used the eastern ridges and were detected around the north side of the Fisher Range or Mt. Lorette. One Bald Eagle used the west side of the valley. Peak migration was between 2 and 3 PM when 7 Golden Eagles and 3 Bald Eagles passed by.
Non-raptor Observations:
Common Merganser 3 Hairy Woodpecker 1 Canada Jay 2 Common Raven 7 Black-capped Chickadee 2 Boreal Chickadee 1 American Dipper 1 Pine Grosbeak 1 Red Crossbill 1 Pine Siskin 3
Red Squirrel 4
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 (09 Mar 2023) 5 Raptors
Alberta, Canada
| Daily Raptor Counts: Mar 09, 2023 | |||
| Species | Day’s Count | Month Total | Season Total |
| Turkey Vulture | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Osprey | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Bald Eagle | 4 | 10 | 10 |
| Northern Harrier | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Sharp-shinned Hawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Cooper’s Hawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Northern 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 | 1 | 19 | 19 |
| 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 | 3 | 3 |
| Unknown Raptor | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Total: | 5 | 32 | 32 |
| Observation start time: | 07:15:00 |
| Observation end time: | 18:45:00 |
| Total observation time: | 11.33 hours |
| Official Counter | Caroline Lambert |
| Observers: |
Visitors:
Only six people stopped to chat.
Weather:
It was -26C on arrival in the parking lot, but there were no clouds in the sky to start with, so after the sun rose over the east ridge the temperature rose quickly, hitting a high of -3C in the afternoon, and lowering to -8C at the end of the day. Ground winds were initially light from the southwest, but became a bit stronger and from the northeast in the afternoon. When clouds appeared late in the morning, they were moving slowly from the west. What was happening at ridge level is not certain, but there appeared to be not much wind at that level since no snow was blowing off the ridges. At the Centennial Ridge weather station, the wind was mostly from the south and very light.
Raptor Observations:
Viewing conditions were excellent all day, but unfortunately there were few eagles to view. The one Golden Eagle (adult) seen (in the early afternoon) was following the usual route from the east ridge to Lorette, using powered flight to maintain altitude. Three of the four Bald Eagles seen were soaring to gain altitude; a couple over Hummingbird Plume, and one over the east ridge.
Non-raptor Observations:
The shock of the cold to start the day was offset a bit by hearing a Pine Grosbeak singing. Four Black-capped Chickadees were entertaining during the morning as they sang their “cheese burger” song and chased each other around. Other birds were: Common Raven 4, Mountain Chickadee 2, American Dipper 1, Pine Grosbeak 2, White-winged Crossbill 1, Pine Siskin 4
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 (08 Mar 2023) 3 Raptors
Alberta, Canada
| Daily Raptor Counts: Mar 08, 2023 | |||
| Species | Day’s Count | Month Total | Season Total |
| Turkey Vulture | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Osprey | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Bald Eagle | 1 | 6 | 6 |
| Northern Harrier | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Sharp-shinned Hawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Cooper’s Hawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Northern 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 | 2 | 18 | 18 |
| 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 | 3 | 3 |
| Unknown Raptor | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Total: | 3 | 27 | 27 |
| Observation start time: | 08:00:00 |
| Observation end time: | 18:00:00 |
| Total observation time: | 10 hours |
| Official Counter | Annie Finch |
| Observers: | David Finch |
Visitors:
34 people stopped by the site today, including a class from Crescent Heights High School.
Weather:
Another chilly day in the meadow, this time with north winds gusting up to 25 km/h. Temperatures ranged from -23 C in the morning to a high of -10 C, falling to -12 C by the end of the day. Ground-level winds increased steadily throughout the day and were predominantly from the north.
Raptor Observations:
Three eagles successfully made their way north through the valley despite the blustery headwinds. The first, an unaged Golden Eagle, appeared over the eastern valley near Fisher South and proceeded north in front of Mt. Patrick under powered flight. The second of the day, an adult Bald Eagle, appeared low over the river directly east of the count site and made its way north against a stiff headwind by a method I can only describe as tacking into the wind in a vertical fashion. The third and final eagle was an adult Golden which seemed immune to the headwind, moving rapidly from low in front of the Bumps to the shoulder of Mt. Lorette in five minutes.
Non-raptor Observations:
A vocal Snow Bunting was the passerine highlight of the day. Red and White-Winged Crossbills were also observed, as were Common Ravens, Canada Jays, and a smattering of assorted chickadees.
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 (07 Mar 2023) 11 Raptors
Alberta, Canada
| Daily Raptor Counts: Mar 07, 2023 | |||
| Species | Day’s Count | Month Total | Season Total |
| Turkey Vulture | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Osprey | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Bald Eagle | 0 | 5 | 5 |
| Northern Harrier | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Sharp-shinned Hawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Cooper’s Hawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Northern 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 | 10 | 16 | 16 |
| 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 | 1 | 3 | 3 |
| Unknown Raptor | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Total: | 11 | 24 | 24 |
| Observation start time: | 07:00:00 |
| Observation end time: | 18:00:00 |
| Total observation time: | 11 hours |
| Official Counter | Ethan Denton |
| Observers: | Rick Robb |
Visitors:
7
Weather:
A beautiful day, it started out cold at -20 and rose to -3 by the afternoon. There’s barely a cloud in the sky, and winds were relatively low through most of the day, only picking up in the final hour or two.
Raptor Observations:
All of our Golden Eagles were quite low, split between either side of the valley. There was one group of five together above Nakiska, but otherwise they were all single birds. In the later afternoon, an immature resident Bald Eagle made a flyby fown the river.
Non-raptor Observations:
Our most notable bird was a Steller’s Jay, though our resident Canada Jays kept us company for part of the afternoon as well.
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]
