Mount Lorette (30 Oct 2022) 19 Raptors
Alberta, Canada
| Daily Raptor Counts: Oct 30, 2022 | |||
| Species | Day’s Count | Month Total | Season Total |
| Turkey Vulture | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Osprey | 0 | 4 | 4 |
| Bald Eagle | 0 | 72 | 85 |
| Northern Harrier | 0 | 5 | 8 |
| Sharp-shinned Hawk | 0 | 18 | 47 |
| Cooper’s Hawk | 0 | 13 | 24 |
| Northern Goshawk | 0 | 18 | 25 |
| Broad-winged Hawk | 0 | 0 | 4 |
| Swainson’s Hawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Red-tailed Hawk | 0 | 22 | 31 |
| Ferruginous Hawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Rough-legged Hawk | 0 | 11 | 11 |
| Golden Eagle | 19 | 2065 | 2220 |
| American Kestrel | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Merlin | 0 | 13 | 15 |
| Gyrfalcon | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Peregrine Falcon | 0 | 2 | 3 |
| Prairie Falcon | 0 | 3 | 4 |
| Unknown Accipiter | 0 | 8 | 14 |
| Unknown Buteo | 0 | 11 | 12 |
| Unknown Falcon | 0 | 2 | 4 |
| Unknown Eagle | 0 | 17 | 21 |
| Unknown Raptor | 0 | 8 | 11 |
| Total: | 19 | 2292 | 2543 |
| Observation start time: | 07:45:00 |
| Observation end time: | 14:30:00 |
| Total observation time: | 6.75 hours |
| Official Counter | Blake Weis |
| Observers: | Allison Zukewich, Rosemary Power |
Visitors:
10 visitors stopped at the site
Weather:
Early in the day wind was strong with gusts up to 40 km/h at ground level and up to 114 km/h at ridge level. Cloud cover varied from 20% to 70% until the afternoon. Between 1 and 3 pm the wind died down a bit and the storm that had been clinging to the Kananaskis Range to the west moved into the valley. The count was concluded at 3:30 pm as rain settled in.
Raptor Observations:
In the morning migrants were flying high, gliding in the strong wind over the Fisher Range. Most of them kept their wings and tail tucked in, were backlit in front of cloud and sometimes passed behind the low cumulus making them very difficult to age. As the wind died down in the afternoon the eagles dropped to more of an average height, still gliding but not far above ridge level. They moved through slowly but steadily until the ridges socked in around 3 pm. The final count included 19 Golden Eagles (7 adults and 12 unaged). One resident adult Bald Eagle was flying low over the river in the morning.
Non-raptor Observations:
Other birds: Belted Kingfisher 1 American Three-toed Woodpecker (Northwest) 1 Canada Jay 2 Black-billed Magpie 1 Common Raven 9 Black-capped Chickadee 2 Mountain Chickadee 1 Boreal Chickadee 1 Golden-crowned Kinglet 3 Bohemian Waxwing 30 Red Crossbill 2 Pine Siskin 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 (29 Oct 2022) 80 Raptors
Alberta, Canada
| Daily Raptor Counts: Oct 29, 2022 | |||
| Species | Day’s Count | Month Total | Season Total |
| Turkey Vulture | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Osprey | 0 | 4 | 4 |
| Bald Eagle | 8 | 72 | 85 |
| Northern Harrier | 0 | 5 | 8 |
| Sharp-shinned Hawk | 0 | 18 | 47 |
| Cooper’s Hawk | 0 | 13 | 24 |
| Northern Goshawk | 0 | 18 | 25 |
| Broad-winged Hawk | 0 | 0 | 4 |
| Swainson’s Hawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Red-tailed Hawk | 0 | 22 | 31 |
| Ferruginous Hawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Rough-legged Hawk | 0 | 11 | 11 |
| Golden Eagle | 68 | 2046 | 2201 |
| American Kestrel | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Merlin | 0 | 13 | 15 |
| Gyrfalcon | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Peregrine Falcon | 1 | 2 | 3 |
| Prairie Falcon | 0 | 3 | 4 |
| Unknown Accipiter | 0 | 8 | 14 |
| Unknown Buteo | 0 | 11 | 12 |
| Unknown Falcon | 0 | 2 | 4 |
| Unknown Eagle | 3 | 17 | 21 |
| Unknown Raptor | 0 | 8 | 11 |
| Total: | 80 | 2273 | 2524 |
| Observation start time: | 07:15:00 |
| Observation end time: | 17:30:00 |
| Total observation time: | 10.22 hours |
| Official Counter | Caroline Lambert |
| Observers: | Lynn Macintosh |
Visitors:
18 visitors stopped by to check out the scene and chat. Several people brought binoculars and scanned the ridges for a while.
Weather:
The weather was upside down again. The strongest winds were early in the morning with ridge winds up to 130kph, gusting to 155kph, then dying down a lot in the afternoon and picking up at the end of the day – quite the opposite to what is expected. In addition, the temperature high of 6C was not that much different from the morning low of 4C. Not much sun was seen between the cumulus clouds that raced across the sky from a westerly direction. Bits of the west ridge kept vanishing behind snow-laden clouds, but the east ridge remained clear.
Raptor Observations:
Again, the clouds were helpful in spotting the migrants which were all over the place on the east side of the valley. The wind allowed most of them to glide by quickly and effortlessly, not showing much in the way of ID marks. That, combined with the lack of light, resulted in another day with a high number of unaged eagles. The distribution was somewhat even throughout the day, but the hour with the most eagles was 10am to 11am, when we had 20. Nearly half of the migrants were seen in the morning, which, like the weather, was unusual. The tally was 68 Golden Eagles (27a, 5sa, 4j, 32u), 8 Bald Eagles (2a, 1sa, 1j, 4u), 3 eagles not identified to species, and 1 Peregrine Falcon.
Non-raptor Observations:
Many flocks of small birds, ranging in size from 10 to 50, zipped by us at high speed throughout the day. Most of these were determined to be Bohemian Waxwings. The total of waxwings in these flocks that could be identified was about 180, but there could have been more. Along the trail to the site 2 Mountain Chickadees, 2 Black-capped Chickadees, 1 Boreal Chickadee, 2 Golden-crowned Kinglets, and 1 Red-breasted Nuthatch were detected. 2 Common Mergansers were seen flying down the river, and 5 loons (presumably Common Loons) were seen flying high to the south. 3 Canada Jays were around, about 6 Common Ravens were spotted, and Tom the American Dipper serenaded us several times late in the day.
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 (28 Oct 2022) 15 Raptors
Alberta, Canada
| Daily Raptor Counts: Oct 28, 2022 | |||
| Species | Day’s Count | Month Total | Season Total |
| Turkey Vulture | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Osprey | 0 | 4 | 4 |
| Bald Eagle | 1 | 64 | 77 |
| Northern Harrier | 1 | 5 | 8 |
| Sharp-shinned Hawk | 0 | 18 | 47 |
| Cooper’s Hawk | 0 | 13 | 24 |
| Northern Goshawk | 0 | 18 | 25 |
| Broad-winged Hawk | 0 | 0 | 4 |
| Swainson’s Hawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Red-tailed Hawk | 0 | 22 | 31 |
| Ferruginous Hawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Rough-legged Hawk | 0 | 11 | 11 |
| Golden Eagle | 13 | 1978 | 2133 |
| American Kestrel | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Merlin | 0 | 13 | 15 |
| Gyrfalcon | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Peregrine Falcon | 0 | 1 | 2 |
| Prairie Falcon | 0 | 3 | 4 |
| Unknown Accipiter | 0 | 8 | 14 |
| Unknown Buteo | 0 | 11 | 12 |
| Unknown Falcon | 0 | 2 | 4 |
| Unknown Eagle | 0 | 14 | 18 |
| Unknown Raptor | 0 | 8 | 11 |
| Total: | 15 | 2193 | 2444 |
| Observation start time: | 13:00:00 |
| Observation end time: | 17:30:00 |
| Total observation time: | 4.5 hours |
| Official Counter | Annie Finch |
| Observers: | Ruth Morrow |
Visitors:
7 visitors stopped by the site to talk about the count, including a very cute baby.
Weather:
Sleet and low clouds delayed the start of the count until 2:00pm. The temperature ranged from 2C to 4C. From 3:00pm on, the clouds progressively cleared leaving the air crystal clear. Spotting and aging were complicated by the constantly changing conditions.
Raptor Observations:
13 Golden Eagles (1 adult, 1 undifferentiated immature, 13 of unknown age) were observed migrating south, all along the Fisher Range. An adult Bald Eagle and a Northern Harrier were the only other migrant raptors.
Resident/Non-migratory Raptors: a Northern Goshawk was seen hunting in the valley, and in the parking lot at the end of the day.
Non-raptor Observations:
Flocks of Bohemian Waxwings and Pine Siskins were noted through the day. And Tommy serenaded us for a bit; heâs getting quite good!
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 (27 Oct 2022) 16 Raptors
Alberta, Canada
| Daily Raptor Counts: Oct 27, 2022 | |||
| Species | Day’s Count | Month Total | Season Total |
| Turkey Vulture | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Osprey | 0 | 4 | 4 |
| Bald Eagle | 1 | 63 | 76 |
| Northern Harrier | 0 | 4 | 7 |
| Sharp-shinned Hawk | 0 | 18 | 47 |
| Cooper’s Hawk | 0 | 13 | 24 |
| Northern Goshawk | 0 | 18 | 25 |
| Broad-winged Hawk | 0 | 0 | 4 |
| Swainson’s Hawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Red-tailed Hawk | 0 | 22 | 31 |
| Ferruginous Hawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Rough-legged Hawk | 0 | 11 | 11 |
| Golden Eagle | 15 | 1965 | 2120 |
| American Kestrel | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Merlin | 0 | 13 | 15 |
| Gyrfalcon | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Peregrine Falcon | 0 | 1 | 2 |
| Prairie Falcon | 0 | 3 | 4 |
| Unknown Accipiter | 0 | 8 | 14 |
| Unknown Buteo | 0 | 11 | 12 |
| Unknown Falcon | 0 | 2 | 4 |
| Unknown Eagle | 0 | 14 | 18 |
| Unknown Raptor | 0 | 8 | 11 |
| Total: | 16 | 2178 | 2429 |
| Observation start time: | 07:15:00 |
| Observation end time: | 17:30:00 |
| Total observation time: | 10.25 hours |
| Official Counter | Caroline Lambert |
| Observers: | Bill McKeeman |
Visitors:
In spite of the wind warning, there were quite a few people out hiking. About 20 stopped to talk to us.
Weather:
Environment Canada issued a Wind Warning for today, and they weren’t kidding. Ridge winds were from the southwest at around 100kph, sometimes up to 121kph, with gusts up to 166kph. Ground winds were initially averaging around 35kph, with gusts over 60kph, causing us to scramble to make sure our equipment was not being knocked over or blown away. This continued for several hours, until a weather system (i.e. lower clouds and snow) approached and the wind died down. The temperature was fortunately relatively mild, ranging from 3C to 7C and ending at 5C. The sun shone briefly in the middle of the day, but for the most part cumulus clouds were racing across the sky from the west, becoming stratus by the end with sleet falling.
Raptor Observations:
A few eagles were not timid about the wind. Although the few that we saw were moving extremely fast (fastest I’ve ever seen), they were being tossed about quite a bit. Once again, it was an unusual day in that the highest hourly number of migrants (4) was seen in the first hour, and numbers gradually dwindled until the last Golden Eagle at 3pm, when the weather started gradually closing in. The speed and variability of flight, plus the lack of light in the morning, made aging virtually impossible. The end result was 15 Golden Eagles (2a, 1sa, 12u) and one unaged Bald Eagle.
Non-raptor Observations:
Other birds were mostly quiet on this blustery, windy day. One Bald Eagle was hanging out by the river, two Common Mergansers drifted down the river late in the day, not many ravens were seen (about four), the dipper passed by quickly, and on the walk in there were two Golden-crowned Kinglets and a Brown Creeper.
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 (26 Oct 2022) 27 Raptors
Alberta, Canada
| Daily Raptor Counts: Oct 26, 2022 | |||
| Species | Day’s Count | Month Total | Season Total |
| Turkey Vulture | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Osprey | 0 | 4 | 4 |
| Bald Eagle | 0 | 62 | 75 |
| Northern Harrier | 0 | 4 | 7 |
| Sharp-shinned Hawk | 0 | 18 | 47 |
| Cooper’s Hawk | 0 | 13 | 24 |
| Northern Goshawk | 0 | 18 | 25 |
| Broad-winged Hawk | 0 | 0 | 4 |
| Swainson’s Hawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Red-tailed Hawk | 0 | 22 | 31 |
| Ferruginous Hawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Rough-legged Hawk | 0 | 11 | 11 |
| Golden Eagle | 25 | 1950 | 2105 |
| American Kestrel | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Merlin | 0 | 13 | 15 |
| Gyrfalcon | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Peregrine Falcon | 0 | 1 | 2 |
| Prairie Falcon | 1 | 3 | 4 |
| Unknown Accipiter | 0 | 8 | 14 |
| Unknown Buteo | 0 | 11 | 12 |
| Unknown Falcon | 0 | 2 | 4 |
| Unknown Eagle | 0 | 14 | 18 |
| Unknown Raptor | 1 | 8 | 11 |
| Total: | 27 | 2162 | 2413 |
| Observation start time: | 07:30:00 |
| Observation end time: | 17:30:00 |
| Total observation time: | 10 hours |
| Official Counter | Annie Finch |
| Observers: | Ian Dowson |
Visitors:
We had three lovely visitors today, a couple from Saskatchewan in the morning, and a gentleman from Switzerland in the afternoon.
Weather:
Another beautiful day in the valley. The day started at -2C with warmer winds, bounced back and forth between 3C and 4C during the afternoon, and fell to 2C by sundown. The weather station at Nakiska reported high winds on the western ridges all day (SW/WSW 32-69km/h, gusting up to 93). The eastern seemed untouched, with only McDougall showing any spindrift all day. The air was clear and the many cumulus clouds made for comfortable spotting.
Raptor Observations:
A clear flight path failed to materialize. A few eagles flew fairly close overhead. The majority were spotted over Patrick or the Bumps flying low under power or high and tacking into the wind. With very few birds soaring, and most tucked in a glide, aging was mostly impossible.
25 Golden Eagles: 5 adult, 1 subadult, 1 juvenile, 18 unknown age. Additional migrant raptors were a Prairie Falcon and an unidentified raptor early in the morning.
Non-raptor Observations:
It was a slow day for non-raptors as well. The Varied Thrush continues on the path to the site.
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]
