Mount Lorette (11 Apr 2025) 26 Raptors
Alberta, Canada
| Daily Raptor Counts: Apr 11, 2025 | |||
| Species | Day’s Count | Month Total | Season Total |
| Turkey Vulture | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Osprey | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Bald Eagle | 0 | 8 | 64 |
| Northern Harrier | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Sharp-shinned Hawk | 0 | 4 | 6 |
| Cooper’s Hawk | 0 | 2 | 2 |
| American Goshawk | 1 | 2 | 3 |
| Broad-winged Hawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Swainson’s Hawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Red-tailed Hawk | 2 | 15 | 17 |
| Ferruginous Hawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Rough-legged Hawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Golden Eagle | 19 | 114 | 1052 |
| American Kestrel | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Merlin | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Gyrfalcon | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Peregrine Falcon | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Prairie Falcon | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Unknown Accipitrine | 2 | 2 | 3 |
| Unknown Buteo | 1 | 1 | 6 |
| Unknown Falcon | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Unknown Eagle | 0 | 3 | 10 |
| Unknown Raptor | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Total: | 26 | 152 | 1166 |
| Observation start time: | 09:00:00 |
| Observation end time: | 16:00:00 |
| Total observation time: | 7 hours |
| Official Counter | Graeme Dunlop |
| Observers: | Glenn Webber, Neil Denton |
Visitors:
12
Weather:
A sunny, windy day. The temperature rose to a high of 11C at 1600 from a low of 7C, ground winds were S to SW moderate and ridge winds were SW moderate to strong. Cloud cover was 20 to 50 % cumulus.
Raptor Observations:
A total of 26 migrant raptors occurred between 10:30 and 15:50, comprising 19 Golden Eagles (12a, 2sa, 5u), 1 adult American Goshawk, 1 adult light morph and 1 undifferentiated dark morph Red-tailed Hawk, 2 unidentified accipiters, 1 unidentified buteo and 1 unidentified small raptor. All migrant Golden Eagles were seen over the eastern ridges, gliding high and fast over to Mt Lorette. Non migrants comprised 3 adult Bald Eagles and 1 adult Golden Eagle.
Non-raptor Observations:
8 Common Ravens, 15 American Crows, 2 Black-capped Chickadee, 1 Mountain Chickadee, about 20 American Robins, 12 Dark-eyed Juncos, 2 Common Mergansers.
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Mount Lorette information may be found at: eaglewatch.ca
More information at hawkcount.org: [Site Profile] [Day Summary] [Month Summary]
Mount Lorette (10 Apr 2025) 1 Raptors
Alberta, Canada
| Daily Raptor Counts: Apr 10, 2025 | |||
| Species | Day’s Count | Month Total | Season Total |
| Turkey Vulture | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Osprey | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Bald Eagle | 0 | 8 | 64 |
| Northern Harrier | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Sharp-shinned Hawk | 0 | 4 | 6 |
| Cooper’s Hawk | 0 | 2 | 2 |
| American Goshawk | 0 | 1 | 2 |
| Broad-winged Hawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Swainson’s Hawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Red-tailed Hawk | 0 | 13 | 15 |
| Ferruginous Hawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Rough-legged Hawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Golden Eagle | 0 | 95 | 1033 |
| American Kestrel | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Merlin | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Gyrfalcon | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Peregrine Falcon | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Prairie Falcon | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Unknown Accipitrine | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Unknown Buteo | 0 | 0 | 5 |
| Unknown Falcon | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Unknown Eagle | 1 | 3 | 10 |
| Unknown Raptor | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Total: | 1 | 126 | 1140 |
| Observation start time: | 09:00:00 |
| Observation end time: | 16:00:00 |
| Total observation time: | 7 hours |
| Official Counter | Lynette MacCulloch |
| Observers: | Bill McKeeman |
Visitors:
There were 41 visitors , most stopped to chat. Thank you to Lynn, Richard, Kevin and Cliff for helping to search the skies.
Weather:
Today was a balmy day at Hay Meadows. The temperature upon arrival was 3 degrees climbing to 13 by the end of the day. The wind was light from the west rising midafternoon to slight gusts. High winds and ridge were from the west, light to moderate. There were only a few cirrus clouds in the north east with a predominantly clear sky. As the day wore on, thin cirrus cloud changing more to haze cam and went with a few cumulus clouds and several lenticular clouds forming in the northern sky.
Raptor Observations:
There was only one migrating raptor sighted going North over Patrick, too far to tell if it was Golden or Bald as it simply looked dark. One of the resident Golden eagles hunted over Skogan Pass and then on the right side of Mt Lorette. The Goshawk appeared several times overhead and near Lorette , at different times than the golden eagle. A Bald eagle flew south from Patrick a the end of the day.
Non-raptor Observations:
A Three-toed woodpecker was busy drumming on a powerline pole in the parking lot and was responded to by another Woodpecker in the trees. Two varied thrush, Two Mountain Chickadees and two Ruby-crowned Kinglets sang in the trees on the way to the observation site. More Mountain chickadees collected in the Spruce trees behind us, joined by several Black capped Chickadees and Dark -eyed Juncos. A big flock of Robins played in the meadow, a Northern Flicker flew around numerous times, 7 Ravens swooped over the trees and the Dipper flew upstream in a big hurry. A male Common Merganser came down river, two Canada Geese flew over head and tree Mallards also flew up and down the valley. the Ruffed Grouse could be heard drumming in the woods for the first hour.
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Mount Lorette information may be found at: eaglewatch.ca
More information at hawkcount.org: [Site Profile] [Day Summary] [Month Summary]
Mount Lorette (09 Apr 2025) 2 Raptors
Alberta, Canada
| Daily Raptor Counts: Apr 09, 2025 | |||
| Species | Day’s Count | Month Total | Season Total |
| Turkey Vulture | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Osprey | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Bald Eagle | 0 | 8 | 64 |
| Northern Harrier | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Sharp-shinned Hawk | 0 | 4 | 6 |
| Cooper’s Hawk | 1 | 2 | 2 |
| American Goshawk | 0 | 1 | 2 |
| Broad-winged Hawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Swainson’s Hawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Red-tailed Hawk | 1 | 13 | 15 |
| Ferruginous Hawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Rough-legged Hawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Golden Eagle | 0 | 95 | 1033 |
| American Kestrel | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Merlin | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Gyrfalcon | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Peregrine Falcon | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Prairie Falcon | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Unknown Accipitrine | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Unknown Buteo | 0 | 0 | 5 |
| Unknown Falcon | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Unknown Eagle | 0 | 2 | 9 |
| Unknown Raptor | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Total: | 2 | 125 | 1139 |
| Observation start time: | 09:00:00 |
| Observation end time: | 16:00:00 |
| Total observation time: | 6.97 hours |
| Official Counter | Annie Finch |
| Observers: | Xavier Gorloo |
Visitors:
Nine people stopped by to chat about the count, some staying for a while to see if any eagles would pass by.
Weather:
The morning started out at 3°C, rose to 9°C by 3 pm where it remains for the duration of the count. Ground winds moved from the NW in the morning around to the south in the afternoon. Three snow squalls blew through the valley, one in the morning from Skogan Pass and two in the afternoon from Mt. Bogart. Cloud cover was partial through the day otherwise, primarily due to cumulus clouds.
Raptor Observations:
Migrant Eagles No migrant eagles were observed.
Migrant Raptors Two migrant raptors were observed, an adult Cooperâs Hawk over the centre of the valley and an adult Red-tailed Hawk north of Lorette.
Non-migrant Raptors The resident Golden Eagles were observed a few times throughout the day flying west over the centre of the valley and later together over Olympic Summit.
Non-raptor Observations:
The highlight of the day was a Mountain Goat on Patrick about half way between Tonyâs Peak and the right edge of the Big Smile. It was intermittently harassed by four ravens. A dozen Mountain Bluebirds moved through the meadow in the morning. Other species observed were Canada goose, Ruffed Grouse, Northern Flicker, Boreal Chickadee, Golden-crowned Kinglet, American Robin, and Dark-eyed Junco.
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Mount Lorette information may be found at: eaglewatch.ca
More information at hawkcount.org: [Site Profile] [Day Summary] [Month Summary]
Mount Lorette (08 Apr 2025) 11 Raptors
Alberta, Canada
| Daily Raptor Counts: Apr 08, 2025 | |||
| Species | Day’s Count | Month Total | Season Total |
| Turkey Vulture | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Osprey | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Bald Eagle | 2 | 8 | 64 |
| Northern Harrier | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Sharp-shinned Hawk | 0 | 4 | 6 |
| Cooper’s Hawk | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| American Goshawk | 0 | 1 | 2 |
| Broad-winged Hawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Swainson’s Hawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Red-tailed Hawk | 1 | 12 | 14 |
| Ferruginous Hawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Rough-legged Hawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Golden Eagle | 8 | 95 | 1033 |
| American Kestrel | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Merlin | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Gyrfalcon | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Peregrine Falcon | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Prairie Falcon | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Unknown Accipitrine | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Unknown Buteo | 0 | 0 | 5 |
| Unknown Falcon | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Unknown Eagle | 0 | 2 | 9 |
| Unknown Raptor | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Total: | 11 | 123 | 1137 |
| Observation start time: | 08:00:00 |
| Observation end time: | 17:00:00 |
| Total observation time: | 9 hours |
| Official Counter | Caroline Lambert |
| Observers: | Xavier Gorloo |
Visitors:
It was a quiet day for visitors – only six, in two groups, stopped to talk.
Weather:
The morning started off gloomy with the south end of the valley shrouded in mist. The clouds gradually broke up, but in a non-linear fashion as the west ridge and the south end of the east ridge appeared and disappeared in clouds and what appeared to be snow. A few stray snowflakes reached us. By the end of the day cloud cover was about 50% cumulus and the ridges were mostly clear. The temperature started out as a cool 2C and rose to 9C, but like the clouds the temperature rise was non-linear in response to cloud cover and wind. The final temperature was 8C. Ground wind oscillated between west and south, picking up substantially in the late afternoon. Ridge winds appeared to be from the south or south-southwest. The upper winds were strong from the west.
Raptor Observations:
The first migrants, a group of three Golden Eagles, were seen shortly before 1100, giving hope for a good day. But it was not to be. Of the 11 migrants, only one Bald Eagle and one Golden Eagle were seen after 1200. Most were gliding along the east ridge, but some needed to soar. The total was 8 Golden Eagles (1a, 1ui, 6u), 2 Bald Eagles (1a, 1j), and 1 adult Red-tailed Hawk.
An American Goshawk was seen various times during the day, and a Red-tailed Hawk hunted over Hummingbird Plume.
The resident Golden Eagles were active – at one point one of them landed about half-way down Patrick below the Little Smile. Another one landed on the snow beside it. Then they shuffled together behind some trees, and we could see an occasional wing flapping. After a few minutes, one flew away, shortly followed by the other. Exactly what they were up to is left to the imagination.
Non-raptor Observations:
There was much activity in the meadow in the morning, with at least 15 Mountain Bluebirds flitting around. Other birds were: 4 Canada Geese, 1 Ruffed Grouse (drumming), 2 Northern Flickers, 1 Northern Shrike, about 8 Common Ravens, 1 Black-capped Chickadee, 1 Mountain Chickadee, 1 kinglet (too far away to determine species), about 8 American Robins, 1 American Tree Sparrow, 6 Dark-eyed Juncos, and 1 Red-winged Blackbird.
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Mount Lorette information may be found at: eaglewatch.ca
More information at hawkcount.org: [Site Profile] [Day Summary] [Month Summary]
Mount Lorette (07 Apr 2025) 16 Raptors
Alberta, Canada
| Daily Raptor Counts: Apr 07, 2025 | |||
| Species | Day’s Count | Month Total | Season Total |
| Turkey Vulture | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Osprey | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Bald Eagle | 0 | 6 | 62 |
| Northern Harrier | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Sharp-shinned Hawk | 0 | 4 | 6 |
| Cooper’s Hawk | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| American Goshawk | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| Broad-winged Hawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Swainson’s Hawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Red-tailed Hawk | 1 | 11 | 13 |
| Ferruginous Hawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Rough-legged Hawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Golden Eagle | 13 | 87 | 1025 |
| American Kestrel | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Merlin | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Gyrfalcon | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Peregrine Falcon | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Prairie Falcon | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Unknown Accipitrine | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Unknown Buteo | 0 | 0 | 5 |
| Unknown Falcon | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Unknown Eagle | 0 | 2 | 9 |
| Unknown Raptor | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Total: | 16 | 112 | 1126 |
| Observation start time: | 08:00:00 |
| Observation end time: | 20:00:00 |
| Total observation time: | 10 hours |
| Official Counter | Lori Anderson |
| Observers: | Peter Lloyd |
Visitors:
15 visitors including Rachelle Gauvin from the Inglewood Bird Sanctuary and Jim St. Laurent. Thanks to both for your visit and your help!
Weather:
The forecast called for 30% chance of rain all day and indeed, it was a fairly grey day. The sun only popped through the clouds a few times and we were lightly showered with drizzle and windâdriven droplets of rain at intervals throughout the day. The thermometer registered 3C at 9:00 and rose to a high of 11.5C by noon after which it dropped to 11C for the rest of the afternoon. At the end of the count the reading was 9.5. SW ground winds averaged between 5-10 Km/h with gusts up to 20 Km/h. Ridge winds appeared to be moderately strong from the SW all day. Having said all this I must add that the first hours of the morning were calm and, with all the birdsong and prenuptial activity, it felt like a glorious spring morning.
Raptor Observations:
All of the migrating raptors were located between 12:00 and 4:00 pm. The final count was 13 Golden Eagles (1a, 2sa, 3j, 7u), 1 Coopers Hawk, 1 American Goshawk, 1 Red-tailed Hawk. The first migrants appeared very high over the Fisher Range and glided to Lorette then on to Mcgillivray. Later we found most of the eagles coming into Lorette from the east side. Some passed right over top and continued North and others passed in front or behind and continued onward. No flapping was necessary today. It was exceedingly difficult to age the eagles due to the white/grey cloud back-drop, low light conditions and, humidity in the air creating a diffused effect in the telescope. Resident raptors seen were 1 adult Golden Eagle, 2 adult Bald Eagles and, 1 Goshawk.
Non-raptor Observations:
As I walked into the site this morning I came upon a frozen statue of a Ruffed-grouse with his black ruff out. The mate he was trying to entice was up in the tree beside him. He would not budge even as I approached. She eventually flew to the ground, and he wrapped up his show unveiling a full peacock tail before he strutted away following her into the forest. An orchestra of bird sounds filled the air with drumming and singing, buzzing and clucking. The deep wing beats of the Ruffed-Grouse vibrated in my throat. Other players in the orchestra were: 1 Pileated Woodpecker, 1 Hairy woodpecker, 4 Varied Thrush, 1 European Starling, 1 Canada Geese, 5 Dark-eyed Juncos, Robins everywhere, 9 Ravens, 2 Red-winged Blackbirds (not usual to see them here), 3 Mallards, 5 Mountain Bluebirds (3 male, 2 female), 3 Common Mergansers, 1 Northern flicker, 1 Black-capped Chickadee, 9 White-tailed deer, 1 Red Squirrel.
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Mount Lorette information may be found at: eaglewatch.ca
More information at hawkcount.org: [Site Profile] [Day Summary] [Month Summary]
