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]
Mount Lorette (25 Oct 2022) 58 Raptors
Alberta, Canada
| Daily Raptor Counts: Oct 25, 2022 | |||
| Species | Day’s Count | Month Total | Season Total |
| Turkey Vulture | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Osprey | 0 | 4 | 4 |
| Bald Eagle | 2 | 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 | 55 | 1925 | 2080 |
| American Kestrel | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Merlin | 0 | 13 | 15 |
| Gyrfalcon | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Peregrine Falcon | 0 | 1 | 2 |
| Prairie Falcon | 0 | 2 | 3 |
| Unknown Accipiter | 0 | 8 | 14 |
| Unknown Buteo | 1 | 11 | 12 |
| Unknown Falcon | 0 | 2 | 4 |
| Unknown Eagle | 0 | 14 | 18 |
| Unknown Raptor | 0 | 7 | 10 |
| Total: | 58 | 2135 | 2386 |
| Observation start time: | 07:15:00 |
| Observation end time: | 17:45:00 |
| Total observation time: | 10.42 hours |
| Official Counter | Caroline Lambert |
| Observers: | Rick Robb |
Visitors:
Perhaps the most remarkable thing about the day was the paucity of visitors. Of the four people using the trail, only one spoke to us.
Weather:
There was nothing remarkable about today’s weather. The temperature stayed in a narrow range of -1C to +3C, well within “normal” for this time of year. Winds at all levels were from a westerly direction, at a speed (ranging from 24kph to 48kph at ridge level) that was very suitable for migrating eagles. After the first hour when the ridges were partly obscured by low clouds (which didn’t stop the eagles), cloud coverage stayed around 50% cumulus clouds, making it relatively easy to spot the migrants. The sun, however, seemed to be in the wrong place all the time relative to the clouds, hiding behind them most of the day, thus keeping us feeling cold, and not providing enough light to facilitate aging the migrants.
Raptor Observations:
We had high hopes for a substantial movement today, as the first hour yielded 13 Golden Eagles, as if yesterday’s flight was continuing. Right from the start the eagles were gliding fast at a good height over the east ridge, no soaring and no powered flight needed. However, the numbers dwindled after the first hour, with no more than 10 in any hour, and the total of 55 Golden Eagles (24a, 8sa, 2j, 21u), was, like the weather, not remarkable. Besides the Golden Eagles, there were two adult Bald Eagles, and one unidentified buteo that was likely a Rough-legged Hawk.
Non-raptor Observations:
Two skeins of geese were seen flying high over the ridge. Most were Canada Geese, but there were varying sizes, and with the poor light it was hard to tell what the smaller ones were (Snow Geese, Cackling Geese, Lesser Canada Geese, Greater White-front Geese, Ross’s Geese ??? so many choices). The Belted Kingfisher was heard nearby. Other than that, there were the two Canada Jays, about six Common Ravens, two Black-capped Chickadees, three Golden-crowned Kinglets, one Brown Creeper, one (maybe two) Varied Thrush, and one American Robin.
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 (24 Oct 2022) 153 Raptors
Alberta, Canada
| Daily Raptor Counts: Oct 24, 2022 | |||
| Species | Day’s Count | Month Total | Season Total |
| Turkey Vulture | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Osprey | 0 | 4 | 4 |
| Bald Eagle | 0 | 60 | 73 |
| Northern Harrier | 0 | 4 | 7 |
| Sharp-shinned Hawk | 0 | 18 | 47 |
| Cooper’s Hawk | 1 | 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 | 149 | 1870 | 2025 |
| American Kestrel | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Merlin | 2 | 13 | 15 |
| Gyrfalcon | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Peregrine Falcon | 0 | 1 | 2 |
| Prairie Falcon | 0 | 2 | 3 |
| Unknown Accipiter | 0 | 8 | 14 |
| Unknown Buteo | 0 | 10 | 11 |
| Unknown Falcon | 1 | 2 | 4 |
| Unknown Eagle | 0 | 14 | 18 |
| Unknown Raptor | 0 | 7 | 10 |
| Total: | 153 | 2077 | 2328 |
| Observation start time: | 07:00:00 |
| Observation end time: | 17:30:00 |
| Total observation time: | 10.5 hours |
| Official Counter | Lori Anderson |
| Observers: | Sandy Graham |
Visitors:
Not too many people stopped by today maybe because of the weather for the past few days. A big shout out to Kirsten and her two twin sons Nikolas and Patrick who were visiting from Edmonton where they have been involved with some recent Owl banding projects. We appreciate their eagle eyes and passion. And once again, a huge thank you to James Bannon and Theresa Gawron for spending the whole day with us to help out with spotting and following the birds. It was a very busy day! In addition, about another eight people stopped by, including a man from Tennessee who stayed and observed for a long time until he could no longer withstand the cold.
Weather:
The day started out with a temperature of -1C and rose to 3C, where it remained for five hours. The ground winds started out low and later became a bit stronger with some noticeable gusts. WSW and SW Ridge winds were fairly strong, averaging around 60 km/h with gusts to 106 at the highest. Cloud coverage averaged about 80% with Cumulus Alto Status and some Cirrus. The Eastern ridges were clear all day and the farther Western ridges had some snowfall all day. During the last hour, some of the snowfall from the southwest reached the site but just a sprinkling.
Raptor Observations:
The first bird of the day, a Sub adult Golden Eagle, appeared low to the west of Mount Lorette and soared to a great height above Lorette after which it started its journey across to Patrick. It flew into the face of Patrick and found its way up into the big smile and then on to the Fisher Range. This was the same Route use by many of todayâs migrants. At one point later in the day they started flying higher and were not seen until they reached the Fisher Range. Many migrants would fly in front of the middle peak of the North Fisher Range and then go behind it only to come out again and fly in front of the rest of the peaks until they finally crossed to Fisher south. The final count was 149 Golden Eagles (75a, 18sa, 11j, 45u), 1 Coopers Hawk, 2 Merlins acting like little pests and nipping at eagle tails and wings, and one large Falcon harassing an Eagle as it journeyed south along the Fisher range.
Non-raptor Observations:
One Downy Woodpecker drumming, Two Varied Thrushes, (one was on the path again as we left the site), Four Loons flying together, and one flying alone later on. Eight Ravens, Two Canada Jays, One Boreal Chickadee, Three Black-capped Chickadees, One Red-breasted Nuthatch, One American Dipper, and another six Chickadees sp.
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 (23 Oct 2022) 84 Raptors
Alberta, Canada
| Daily Raptor Counts: Oct 23, 2022 | |||
| Species | Day’s Count | Month Total | Season Total |
| Turkey Vulture | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Osprey | 0 | 4 | 4 |
| Bald Eagle | 1 | 60 | 73 |
| Northern Harrier | 0 | 4 | 7 |
| Sharp-shinned Hawk | 1 | 18 | 47 |
| Cooper’s Hawk | 0 | 12 | 23 |
| 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 | 81 | 1721 | 1876 |
| American Kestrel | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Merlin | 0 | 11 | 13 |
| Gyrfalcon | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Peregrine Falcon | 0 | 1 | 2 |
| Prairie Falcon | 0 | 2 | 3 |
| Unknown Accipiter | 0 | 8 | 14 |
| Unknown Buteo | 1 | 10 | 11 |
| Unknown Falcon | 0 | 1 | 3 |
| Unknown Eagle | 0 | 14 | 18 |
| Unknown Raptor | 0 | 7 | 10 |
| Total: | 84 | 1924 | 2175 |
| Observation start time: | 08:45:00 |
| Observation end time: | 17:30:00 |
| Total observation time: | 8.25 hours |
| Official Counter | Blake Weis |
| Observers: | Allison Zukewich |
Visitors:
24 visitors passed through Hay Meadow.
Weather:
For the first couple hours of the day all ridges were obscured by low cloud and snow. The count commenced at 9:45 am when the snow stopped and the ridges started clearing. Low cloud lingered covering about 80% of the surrounding mountains until 2 pm. The clearing allowed for a decent movement of Golden Eagles in the late afternoon and evening. The temperature remained fairly steady between 0 and 2 C. Wind at ground level was light from the NW. At ridge level wind was light from the NE until the early afternoon when it started blowing from the SW, though only reaching 36 km/h. About 30 cm of snow had fallen in the last 24 hours.
Raptor Observations:
The first migrant was sighted flying relatively low along the valley shortly after noon. Migration built up over the next few hours with a peak of 29 migrants between 2 and 3 PM. They continued to trickle in until late in the evening. The last one was recorded 10 minutes before sunset. Most of the migrants were using the eastern ridges, though one used the Kananaskis Range to the west, and a few early birds flew down the valley while the ridges were still shrouded in clouds. The lack of significant wind or thermals forced most of them to use powered flight. No non-migrant raptors were observed.
Non-raptor Observations:
One snowshoe hare was uncharacteristically visible near the path in the morning, starting to change color almost (but not quite) in time for the recent snowfall: inaturalist.ca/observations/139827994
Other Birds: Green-winged Teal (Anas crecca) 1 Common Merganser (Mergus merganser) 5 Belted Kingfisher (Megaceryle alcyon) 1 Hairy Woodpecker (Dryobates villosus) 1 Canada Jay (Perisoreus canadensis) 2 Black-billed Magpie (Pica hudsonia) 1 Common Raven (Corvus corax) 10 Black-capped Chickadee (Poecile atricapillus) 2 Mountain Chickadee (Poecile gambeli) 1 Boreal Chickadee (Poecile hudsonicus) 3 Golden-crowned Kinglet (Regulus satrapa) 6 Brown Creeper (Certhia americana) 1 European Starling (Sturnus vulgaris) 13 Varied Thrush (Ixoreus naevius) 1 American Robin (Turdus migratorius) 2 American Pipit (Anthus rubescens) 1 Cassin’s Finch (Haemorhous cassinii) 1 Lapland Longspur (Calcarius lapponicus) 1 Dark-eyed Junco (Junco hyemalis) 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 (22 Oct 2022) Raptors
Alberta, Canada
| Daily Raptor Counts: Oct 22, 2022 | |||
| Species | Day’s Count | Month Total | Season Total |
| Turkey Vulture | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Osprey | 0 | 4 | 4 |
| Bald Eagle | 0 | 59 | 72 |
| Northern Harrier | 0 | 4 | 7 |
| Sharp-shinned Hawk | 0 | 17 | 46 |
| Cooper’s Hawk | 0 | 12 | 23 |
| 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 | 0 | 1640 | 1795 |
| American Kestrel | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Merlin | 0 | 11 | 13 |
| Gyrfalcon | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Peregrine Falcon | 0 | 1 | 2 |
| Prairie Falcon | 0 | 2 | 3 |
| Unknown Accipiter | 0 | 8 | 14 |
| Unknown Buteo | 0 | 9 | 10 |
| Unknown Falcon | 0 | 1 | 3 |
| Unknown Eagle | 0 | 14 | 18 |
| Unknown Raptor | 0 | 7 | 10 |
| Total: | 0 | 1840 | 2091 |
(No count conducted today)
Weather:
There was light snow falling all day long, and the mountains were completely obscured by low clouds. No observation was attempted.
Raptor Observations:
Non-raptor Observations:
Report submitted by ()
Mount Lorette information may be found at: eaglewatch.ca
More information at hawkcount.org: [Site Profile] [Day Summary] [Month Summary]
