Mount Lorette (15 Nov 2022) 12 Raptors
Alberta, Canada
| Daily Raptor Counts: Nov 15, 2022 | |||
| Species | Day’s Count | Month Total | Season Total |
| Turkey Vulture | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Osprey | 0 | 0 | 4 |
| Bald Eagle | 9 | 69 | 154 |
| Northern Harrier | 0 | 0 | 8 |
| Sharp-shinned Hawk | 0 | 0 | 47 |
| Cooper’s Hawk | 0 | 0 | 24 |
| Northern Goshawk | 0 | 1 | 26 |
| Broad-winged Hawk | 0 | 0 | 4 |
| Swainson’s Hawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Red-tailed Hawk | 0 | 0 | 31 |
| Ferruginous Hawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Rough-legged Hawk | 0 | 5 | 16 |
| Golden Eagle | 3 | 138 | 2365 |
| American Kestrel | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Merlin | 0 | 0 | 15 |
| Gyrfalcon | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Peregrine Falcon | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| Prairie Falcon | 0 | 0 | 4 |
| Unknown Accipiter | 0 | 0 | 14 |
| Unknown Buteo | 0 | 0 | 12 |
| Unknown Falcon | 0 | 0 | 4 |
| Unknown Eagle | 0 | 6 | 27 |
| Unknown Raptor | 0 | 0 | 11 |
| Total: | 12 | 219 | 2769 |
| Observation start time: | 08:15:00 |
| Observation end time: | 17:00:00 |
| Total observation time: | 8.67 hours |
| Official Counter | Caroline Lambert |
| Observers: | Rosemary Power |
Visitors:
12 people came by the site. Some knew about the flooded path but wanted to drop by anyway. No one attempted to venture onto the flooded section – a wise decision!
Weather:
The temperature started at -9C, rose all the way to 1C, and dropped to -4C at the end of the day. Cloud cover was initially 70% altostratus, eventually giving way to cloudless skies. Ground wind was non-existent, and ridge winds were light and variable. The ice on the river had built up even more than in previous days, making more of the path flooded and more of the meadow under ice. The warmth, if +1C can be called “warm”, allowed the river to make some headway against the ice in the river channel, but at 4pm the water level starting rising again, and it was clear that more ice was about to be created. This was the last day of the count for this season; it will be interesting to see what awaits us when we return in March.
Raptor Observations:
Most of the passing eagles were seen in the morning, when there was cloud in the sky. After the clouds cleared up, only 2 more eagles were seen, both Bald Eagles. The count was 3 Golden Eagles (2a, 1u), and 9 Bald Eagles (6a, 1j, 2u), most using powered flight to make any progress, and most barely reaching ridge level. One additional adult Bald Eagle was seen flying north. The total count of 2365 Golden Eagles for the season is one of the lowest (if not the lowest) counts so far, but the low number is likely attributable to the anomalous weather we had this season, with many days with winds like they were today – very light, making it difficult to spot them as they passed below ridge level. Only time will tell if this is representative of a true decline in population numbers, or whether the strange weather was the dominant factor in the final season numbers.
Non-raptor Observations:
Several mountain sheep were seen at the top of Patrick, crossing from one side of the Big Smile to the other. Of birds, there was one Hairy Woodpecker, 2 Canada Jays, 1 Black-billed Magpie, about 6 Common Ravens, 4 Black-capped Chickadees, 2 Boreal Chickadees, and the American Dipper.
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 Nov 2022) 19 Raptors
Alberta, Canada
| Daily Raptor Counts: Nov 14, 2022 | |||
| Species | Day’s Count | Month Total | Season Total |
| Turkey Vulture | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Osprey | 0 | 0 | 4 |
| Bald Eagle | 14 | 60 | 145 |
| Northern Harrier | 0 | 0 | 8 |
| Sharp-shinned Hawk | 0 | 0 | 47 |
| Cooper’s Hawk | 0 | 0 | 24 |
| Northern Goshawk | 0 | 1 | 26 |
| Broad-winged Hawk | 0 | 0 | 4 |
| Swainson’s Hawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Red-tailed Hawk | 0 | 0 | 31 |
| Ferruginous Hawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Rough-legged Hawk | 0 | 5 | 16 |
| Golden Eagle | 5 | 135 | 2362 |
| American Kestrel | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Merlin | 0 | 0 | 15 |
| Gyrfalcon | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Peregrine Falcon | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| Prairie Falcon | 0 | 0 | 4 |
| Unknown Accipiter | 0 | 0 | 14 |
| Unknown Buteo | 0 | 0 | 12 |
| Unknown Falcon | 0 | 0 | 4 |
| Unknown Eagle | 0 | 6 | 27 |
| Unknown Raptor | 0 | 0 | 11 |
| Total: | 19 | 207 | 2757 |
| Observation start time: | 08:00:00 |
| Observation end time: | 17:00:00 |
| Total observation time: | 9 hours |
| Official Counter | Lori Anderson |
| Observers: | Rick Robb |
Visitors:
Very few people showed up at Hay Meadow probably because there was a sign at the beginning of the path to warn hikers of the flooded area. The flooding has gotten worse and the entire SE end of the meadow is underwater as is the pathway near the site. We advised people to avoid using that route, and a few insisted but had to turn around. Five people came to the site expressing interest.
Weather:
It was a warm(ish) sunny day enhanced by the accompanying Icecracker Ballet. The low was only -9C and it even got up to -0.5C. Ground winds were nonexistent at times and at most 1-5 Km/h from the Southwest. 70% Cumulous in the morning, which gave way to clear skies after 11:00 returning to 30% coverage after 16:00. Ridge winds were low and ranged from N to WSW.
Raptor Observations:
The lack of wind made most of the Eagles flap and glide low laboriously. Most flew below ridge level into the face of Patrick and the North Fisher Range. Some that flew above the eastern ridges quickly dropped behind. This weekâs exodus of Bald Eagles continued with 14 today (9a, 2sa [III + I], 3j ). The Golden Eagles were better at flying in low winds than their counterparts as they glided gracefully above and between the ridges. Total Goldens: 5 (3a, 2u).
Non-raptor Observations:
Ravens were in full prenuptial swing, singing and dancing in synchronized pairs or flying playfully in groups. The funniest thing that happened today was when one of the two Canada Jays perched nearby, squawked out at us doing a totally authentic Raven imitation. Other sightings included one Black-capped Chickadee, one Black-billed Magpie, and one Hairy Woodpecker who flew into a bush nearby onto a flimsy twig and nearly fell as it bounced all over the place.
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 (13 Nov 2022) 9 Raptors
Alberta, Canada
| Daily Raptor Counts: Nov 13, 2022 | |||
| Species | Day’s Count | Month Total | Season Total |
| Turkey Vulture | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Osprey | 0 | 0 | 4 |
| Bald Eagle | 2 | 46 | 131 |
| Northern Harrier | 0 | 0 | 8 |
| Sharp-shinned Hawk | 0 | 0 | 47 |
| Cooper’s Hawk | 0 | 0 | 24 |
| Northern Goshawk | 0 | 1 | 26 |
| Broad-winged Hawk | 0 | 0 | 4 |
| Swainson’s Hawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Red-tailed Hawk | 0 | 0 | 31 |
| Ferruginous Hawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Rough-legged Hawk | 0 | 5 | 16 |
| Golden Eagle | 7 | 130 | 2357 |
| American Kestrel | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Merlin | 0 | 0 | 15 |
| Gyrfalcon | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Peregrine Falcon | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| Prairie Falcon | 0 | 0 | 4 |
| Unknown Accipiter | 0 | 0 | 14 |
| Unknown Buteo | 0 | 0 | 12 |
| Unknown Falcon | 0 | 0 | 4 |
| Unknown Eagle | 0 | 6 | 27 |
| Unknown Raptor | 0 | 0 | 11 |
| Total: | 9 | 188 | 2738 |
| Observation start time: | 08:00:00 |
| Observation end time: | 17:00:00 |
| Total observation time: | 8.92 hours |
| Official Counter | Caroline Lambert |
| Observers: | Lynette MacCulloch |
Visitors:
It was a beautiful day and there were quite a few people out enjoying the sun and gorgeous scenery. We intercepted about 30 people wanting to get to the parking lot along “our” trail after visiting Troll Falls. Several didn’t take our word for it that the flooded trail was impassable, and tried anyway, but only the very last person of the day, after 5:00pm, managed to make their way successfully across the ice.
Weather:
It was an interesting day, to say the least. The last section of path through the forest to the count site was flooded. At the start of the day that section of the path had about 20cm of water on it with a crust of ice. The water apparently was a result of the river overflowing its banks. This was most likely a result of ice building up in the river due to the intermittent daily release of water from the Lower Kananaskis Lake dam, at a higher volume than normal, combined with unseasonably cold temperatures (according to one source, the Bow Valley/Kananaskis area was the second coldest area on the *entire planet* on Nov 8!). By the end of the day some of the water had drained away, leaving behind a thick layer of slick ice, and we were entertained all day long by the sounds of ice cracking in various places. Photos of the ice can be found on our Instagram account at www.instagram.com/_eaglecount/ .
Today the temperature started at -17C, reached a high of -2C, and dropped to -6C at the end of the count. An initial covering of about 70% cirrus clouds gave way to blue sky by 10:00am. There was almost no ground wind, and ridge winds were light from the northwest, swinging around to west-southwest and becoming ever-so-slightly stronger by the end of the day.
Raptor Observations:
The flooding and ice were quite a distraction, but in spite of that, observation continued, and a relatively normal number of migrating eagles were seen throughout the day – 7 Golden Eagles (5a, 2u) and 2 Bald Eagles (1a, 1j). Early in the day the light winds meant that few of the eagles seen reached above ridge level. They were coming in low to Patrick and disappearing behind the ridge. By the end of the day, the stronger southwest winds allowed them to glide just above ridge level.
Non-raptor Observations:
The American Dipper didn’t seem too happy with all the ice. Other than that, we had the following birds: Downy Woodpecker 1, Canada Jay 4, Black-billed Magpie 1, Common Raven 4, Mountain Chickadee 4, Red-breasted Nuthatch 1, Brown Creeper 2, Dark-eyed Junco 3, and a small flock of Red Crossbills.
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 (12 Nov 2022) 25 Raptors
Alberta, Canada
| Daily Raptor Counts: Nov 12, 2022 | |||
| Species | Day’s Count | Month Total | Season Total |
| Turkey Vulture | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Osprey | 0 | 0 | 4 |
| Bald Eagle | 15 | 44 | 129 |
| Northern Harrier | 0 | 0 | 8 |
| Sharp-shinned Hawk | 0 | 0 | 47 |
| Cooper’s Hawk | 0 | 0 | 24 |
| Northern Goshawk | 0 | 1 | 26 |
| Broad-winged Hawk | 0 | 0 | 4 |
| Swainson’s Hawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Red-tailed Hawk | 0 | 0 | 31 |
| Ferruginous Hawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Rough-legged Hawk | 0 | 5 | 16 |
| Golden Eagle | 10 | 123 | 2350 |
| American Kestrel | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Merlin | 0 | 0 | 15 |
| Gyrfalcon | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Peregrine Falcon | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| Prairie Falcon | 0 | 0 | 4 |
| Unknown Accipiter | 0 | 0 | 14 |
| Unknown Buteo | 0 | 0 | 12 |
| Unknown Falcon | 0 | 0 | 4 |
| Unknown Eagle | 0 | 6 | 27 |
| Unknown Raptor | 0 | 0 | 11 |
| Total: | 25 | 179 | 2729 |
| Observation start time: | 08:00:00 |
| Observation end time: | 16:45:00 |
| Total observation time: | 8.75 hours |
| Official Counter | Blake Weis |
| Observers: | Deb Hornsby |
Visitors:
18 visitors
Weather:
At ground level the wind was light from variable N-W-S directions. At ridge level wind varied from any direction and was light for most of the day but increased up to 20 km/h in the afternoon. The sky was overcast with 80-100% cloud cover until the end of the day when it decreased to 30%. The low was -9 C in the morning and it reached a high of -5 C.
Raptor Observations:
Migrants were moving low with lots of flapping and relatively little gliding or soaring, which is typical on days with low wind. Most of them went down the east side of the valley in front of the Fisher Range, but some used the middle or west side of the valley. Peak migration was 1-2 pm with 10 migrants. The count consisted of 10 Golden Eagles (9 adults, 1 unaged) and 15 Bald Eagles (10 adults, 2 sub-adult 3, 2 sub-adult 1 or 2, 1 juvenile). No local raptors were observed.
Non-raptor Observations:
Belted Kingfisher 1 Canada Jay 2 Black-billed Magpie 1 Common Raven 7 Black-capped Chickadee 1 Boreal Chickadee 1 Red-breasted Nuthatch 1 Brown Creeper 1 American Dipper 2 Dark-eyed Junco 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 (11 Nov 2022) 25 Raptors
Alberta, Canada
| Daily Raptor Counts: Nov 11, 2022 | |||
| Species | Day’s Count | Month Total | Season Total |
| Turkey Vulture | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Osprey | 0 | 0 | 4 |
| Bald Eagle | 5 | 29 | 114 |
| Northern Harrier | 0 | 0 | 8 |
| Sharp-shinned Hawk | 0 | 0 | 47 |
| Cooper’s Hawk | 0 | 0 | 24 |
| Northern Goshawk | 0 | 1 | 26 |
| Broad-winged Hawk | 0 | 0 | 4 |
| Swainson’s Hawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Red-tailed Hawk | 0 | 0 | 31 |
| Ferruginous Hawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Rough-legged Hawk | 3 | 5 | 16 |
| Golden Eagle | 17 | 113 | 2340 |
| American Kestrel | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Merlin | 0 | 0 | 15 |
| Gyrfalcon | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Peregrine Falcon | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| Prairie Falcon | 0 | 0 | 4 |
| Unknown Accipiter | 0 | 0 | 14 |
| Unknown Buteo | 0 | 0 | 12 |
| Unknown Falcon | 0 | 0 | 4 |
| Unknown Eagle | 0 | 6 | 27 |
| Unknown Raptor | 0 | 0 | 11 |
| Total: | 25 | 154 | 2704 |
| Observation start time: | 08:00:00 |
| Observation end time: | 16:30:00 |
| Total observation time: | 8 hours |
| Official Counter | Graeme Dunlop |
| Observers: | Ruth Morrow |
Visitors:
15
Weather:
Cold with a low of -17 C and a high of -5 C. Quite calm at ground level. Ridge winds gradually increased through the day from calm in the morning to 25km/h SW by mid afternoon. Some cirrus clouds.
Raptor Observations:
Most migrants were seen flying along the eastern ridges at or near ridge level. Most eagles were able to glide but some were seen flapping and gliding. Days tally was 17 Golden Eagles (13 adults, 1 sub-adult, 2 juvenile, 1 unaged), 5 Bald Eagles (2 adults, 2 sub-adults, 1 juvenile), 3 Rough-legged Hawks.
Non-raptor Observations:
Other birds: Canada Jay 2 Black-billed Magpie 1 Common Raven 15 Black-capped Chickadee 2 Mountain Chickadee 1 Bohemian Waxwing 20
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]
