Mount Lorette (30 Oct 2023) 15 Raptors
Alberta, Canada
| Daily Raptor Counts: Oct 30, 2023 | |||
| Species | Day’s Count | Month Total | Season Total |
| Turkey Vulture | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Osprey | 0 | 1 | 5 |
| Bald Eagle | 8 | 80 | 82 |
| Northern Harrier | 0 | 7 | 8 |
| Sharp-shinned Hawk | 0 | 108 | 138 |
| Cooper’s Hawk | 0 | 7 | 8 |
| American Goshawk | 0 | 29 | 33 |
| Broad-winged Hawk | 0 | 1 | 5 |
| Swainson’s Hawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Red-tailed Hawk | 0 | 19 | 24 |
| Ferruginous Hawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Rough-legged Hawk | 0 | 12 | 12 |
| Golden Eagle | 7 | 2726 | 2883 |
| American Kestrel | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Merlin | 0 | 10 | 14 |
| Gyrfalcon | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Peregrine Falcon | 0 | 1 | 2 |
| Prairie Falcon | 0 | 2 | 2 |
| Unknown Accipiter | 0 | 27 | 45 |
| Unknown Buteo | 0 | 0 | 10 |
| Unknown Falcon | 0 | 2 | 3 |
| Unknown Eagle | 0 | 8 | 9 |
| Unknown Raptor | 0 | 9 | 14 |
| Total: | 15 | 3049 | 3298 |
| Observation start time: | 08:30:00 |
| Observation end time: | 18:30:00 |
| Total observation time: | 10 hours |
| Official Counter | Lori Anderson |
| Observers: | Lynette MacCulloch |
Visitors:
One very interested man showed us a picture he’d taken of a raptor. It was Golden Eagle! A large number of young students passed by the site.
Weather:
The day started out on the chilly side at -14.5 and reached -2 at 15:00, falling short of the forecast. It stayed at that temperature for the rest of the afternoon and only fell to -3 at sunset when we finished. The storybook cirrus clouds painted many tales throughout the day increasing in thickness until a 100 % layer was formed by 17:00. Luckily it was a cirrus layer and none of the ridges were affected. The wind was very slow and even calm at times and consequently, there was very little raptor movement. The wind speed did pick up a bit after 15:00 and brought with it a few more raptors. Those that ventured out had to flap their way south and were seen low on the slopes or ridge level at most.
Raptor Observations:
All of the Goldens glided along the Eastern route and the Balds flapped laboriously along the Western slopes. One Bald glided low along Valley Center. 7 adult Golden Eagles, 8 Bald Eagles, (3a, 4j, 1sa) We also saw the two resident Goshawks, one adult and one juvenile.
Non-raptor Observations:
My binocularâs field of view today came with Ravens included with every sweep. Iâm sure it must have been a regional celebration concerning freedom of flight for Ravens. Near the end of the day, we even witnessed a harassment event involving two Ravens and a lone Golden over the bumps. Non-human visitors to the site included two Wihsakecahkw, doing of course what they are known best for, scavenging campsites, and the sweetest little short-tailed weasel with its triangular clown eyes and black-tipped tail. It seemed to be involved in the same activity as the birds, checking out tidbits in the snow and investigating Lynetteâs backpack. Other birds seen were: a White-throated Sparrow, a Ruffed Grouse, an American Dipper, 5 Ducks sp. 2 American Robins, a Woodpecker(maybe Downy), 7 Bohemian Waxwings, 10 Pine Siskins, 1 Pine Grosbeak, 1 Magpie and a few Dark-eyed Juncos.
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 2023) 101 Raptors
Alberta, Canada
| Daily Raptor Counts: Oct 29, 2023 | |||
| Species | Day’s Count | Month Total | Season Total |
| Turkey Vulture | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Osprey | 0 | 1 | 5 |
| Bald Eagle | 10 | 72 | 74 |
| Northern Harrier | 0 | 7 | 8 |
| Sharp-shinned Hawk | 0 | 108 | 138 |
| Cooper’s Hawk | 0 | 7 | 8 |
| American Goshawk | 0 | 29 | 33 |
| Broad-winged Hawk | 0 | 1 | 5 |
| Swainson’s Hawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Red-tailed Hawk | 0 | 19 | 24 |
| Ferruginous Hawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Rough-legged Hawk | 0 | 12 | 12 |
| Golden Eagle | 91 | 2719 | 2876 |
| American Kestrel | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Merlin | 0 | 10 | 14 |
| Gyrfalcon | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Peregrine Falcon | 0 | 1 | 2 |
| Prairie Falcon | 0 | 2 | 2 |
| Unknown Accipiter | 0 | 27 | 45 |
| Unknown Buteo | 0 | 0 | 10 |
| Unknown Falcon | 0 | 2 | 3 |
| Unknown Eagle | 0 | 8 | 9 |
| Unknown Raptor | 0 | 9 | 14 |
| Total: | 101 | 3034 | 3283 |
| Observation start time: | 07:00:00 |
| Observation end time: | 17:30:00 |
| Total observation time: | 10.25 hours |
| Official Counter | James Bannon |
| Observers: | Allison Zukewich, Theresa Gawron |
Visitors:
12
Weather:
Our start time at 8:15am was cold, temperature at -14C, humidity 53% and clear skies. The west ridge lit up with sun but as the sun rose the moisture in the air became cirrostratus cloud, cutting off our sunshine, until the sun finally rose over Fisher Range and dried out the air, humidity lowering to 32% for most of the rest of the day. Temperature rose to -2C in the late afternoon. Clouds disappeared with several strands of lenticular cloud showing up over Mt Lorette for a brief period in the afternoon. We finished at 6:30 pm.
Winds were light to missing altogether at ground level, mostly from the S, SW.
Raptor Observations:
Flight paths were irregular, with most birds flying mid valley level, landing on Patrick at treeline and desperately hugging the rock to finally gain opposite ridge. Four GE stopped to take a break on the rock. Other birds came from Baldy direction, flew towards Hummingbird plume and over the ski hill. One Bald Eagle was high on ridge top but most others flew up the valley over the Kananaskis river N to S. Flight speeds were slow and many of the birds flapping. One of the eagles took over 5 mins to cross the valley at the end of the day to potentially land near Olympic summit ridge where he was attacked by a treachery of Ravens! Majority of the birds were adults. It was an excellent golden light show with sun bouncing off the ground snow and lighting them up even on the undersides!
Totals were: 91 Golden Eagles (63a, 9sa, 7j, 12u) and 10 Bald Eagles (7a, 2sa3, 1j).
Non-raptor Observations:
Other birds included: gull (sp), Robin, Townsend solitaire, Junco, Redpoll & Pine Grosbeak
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 2023) 22 Raptors
Alberta, Canada
| Daily Raptor Counts: Oct 28, 2023 | |||
| Species | Day’s Count | Month Total | Season Total |
| Turkey Vulture | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Osprey | 0 | 1 | 5 |
| Bald Eagle | 0 | 62 | 64 |
| Northern Harrier | 0 | 7 | 8 |
| Sharp-shinned Hawk | 1 | 108 | 138 |
| Cooper’s Hawk | 0 | 7 | 8 |
| American Goshawk | 0 | 29 | 33 |
| Broad-winged Hawk | 0 | 1 | 5 |
| Swainson’s Hawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Red-tailed Hawk | 0 | 19 | 24 |
| Ferruginous Hawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Rough-legged Hawk | 0 | 12 | 12 |
| Golden Eagle | 21 | 2628 | 2785 |
| American Kestrel | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Merlin | 0 | 10 | 14 |
| Gyrfalcon | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Peregrine Falcon | 0 | 1 | 2 |
| Prairie Falcon | 0 | 2 | 2 |
| Unknown Accipiter | 0 | 27 | 45 |
| Unknown Buteo | 0 | 0 | 10 |
| Unknown Falcon | 0 | 2 | 3 |
| Unknown Eagle | 0 | 8 | 9 |
| Unknown Raptor | 0 | 9 | 14 |
| Total: | 22 | 2933 | 3182 |
| Observation start time: | 08:00:00 |
| Observation end time: | 17:00:00 |
| Total observation time: | 10 hours |
| Official Counter | Blake Weis |
| Observers: | Caroline Lambert, Lynn Macintosh |
Visitors:
18 people stopped to talk, none came to watch migration.
Weather:
The temperature was -15 C at the start of observation, it warmed to -4, then fell to -5 as we were leaving. Ground wind was light and varied between SW and NW. Ridge wind hardly exceeded 20 km/h and varied between W and N. Cloud cover was 90-100% throughout the day. The clouds occasionally threatened to lower, resulting in haze partially obscuring some peaks. A few flakes of snow fell late in the day but no significant precipitation occurred.
Raptor Observations:
The days count totaled 22 migrants including 21 Golden Eagles (10a, 3sa, 8u) and 1 Sharp-shinned Hawk. Weather conditions were poor for migration. The lack of wind or thermals kept the migrants low using primarily powered flight, and a few even landed to rest. One landed on a tree high on the Fisher Range just after 4:30 pm and apparently didn’t think it was worth continuing as it was still there when we left the site near sunset. The migrating eagles used the eastern ridges, low enough to pass in front of or behind the mountain peaks. The local juvenile American Goshawk made several very close flybys while hunting near the site. At least two Bald Eagles were hanging around the area, one immature bird and one or more adults seen several times.
Non-raptor Observations:
Other birds included: 4 Trumpeter Swans, 2 Common Mergansers, 1 Northern Shrike, 2 Canada Jays, 7 Common Ravens, 1 American Dipper, 1 Evening Grosbeak, 3 Pine Grosbeaks, 2 Common Redpolls, 1 White-winged Crossbill, 6 American Tree Sparrows, and 5 Dark-eyed Juncos. A Short-tailed weasel made two appearances near the site, carrying a mouse or vole both times.
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 2023) 220 Raptors
Alberta, Canada
| Daily Raptor Counts: Oct 27, 2023 | |||
| Species | Day’s Count | Month Total | Season Total |
| Turkey Vulture | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Osprey | 0 | 1 | 5 |
| Bald Eagle | 4 | 62 | 64 |
| Northern Harrier | 0 | 7 | 8 |
| Sharp-shinned Hawk | 2 | 107 | 137 |
| Cooper’s Hawk | 0 | 7 | 8 |
| American Goshawk | 2 | 29 | 33 |
| Broad-winged Hawk | 0 | 1 | 5 |
| Swainson’s Hawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Red-tailed Hawk | 1 | 19 | 24 |
| Ferruginous Hawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Rough-legged Hawk | 0 | 12 | 12 |
| Golden Eagle | 209 | 2607 | 2764 |
| American Kestrel | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Merlin | 1 | 10 | 14 |
| Gyrfalcon | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Peregrine Falcon | 0 | 1 | 2 |
| Prairie Falcon | 0 | 2 | 2 |
| Unknown Accipiter | 1 | 27 | 45 |
| Unknown Buteo | 0 | 0 | 10 |
| Unknown Falcon | 0 | 2 | 3 |
| Unknown Eagle | 0 | 8 | 9 |
| Unknown Raptor | 0 | 9 | 14 |
| Total: | 220 | 2911 | 3160 |
| Observation start time: | 08:00:00 |
| Observation end time: | 16:30:00 |
| Total observation time: | 9 hours |
| Official Counter | Graeme Dunlop |
| Observers: | Ruth Morrow |
Visitors:
8
Weather:
The temperature at 0900 was -19C, the high by mid-afternoon was -7C. Winds were light all day, calm at ground level, mainly light NW at ridge level. Cloud cover was initially 80-100% thin stratocumulus that thinned by late morning to 30-50% cumulus and some cirrus. Observing conditions were excellent.
Raptor Observations:
Raptor movement was slow in the morning. Unexpectedly, large numbers of Golden Eagles were seen from midday continuing for most of the rest of the day. All raptors used the eastern ridges, sometimes gliding across from Mt Lorette but more often appearing from behind the Fisher Range. Most of the Golden Eagles spent some time soaring at various points along the eastern ridge. It seemed as though the combination of a light tail wind and weak thermals was enough to create favourable conditions for the eagles. The count was 220 birds of 6 species that comprised 2a, 2sa Bald Eagles, 2a Sharp-shinned Hawks, 1a, 1juv American Goshawks, 1 unidentified accipiter, 1a light Red-tailed Hawk, 209 Golden Eagles (158a, 12sa, 12j, 27u), and 1u Merlin.
Non-raptor Observations:
Other birds identified were 10 Snow Geese, 42 Canada Geese, 6 Dark-eyed Juncos, 1 Downy Woodpecker, 3 Black-billed Magpies, 14 Common Ravens, 1 American Robin, 2 Canada Jays.
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 2023) 2 Raptors
Alberta, Canada
| Daily Raptor Counts: Oct 26, 2023 | |||
| Species | Day’s Count | Month Total | Season Total |
| Turkey Vulture | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Osprey | 0 | 1 | 5 |
| Bald Eagle | 2 | 58 | 60 |
| Northern Harrier | 0 | 7 | 8 |
| Sharp-shinned Hawk | 0 | 105 | 135 |
| Cooper’s Hawk | 0 | 7 | 8 |
| American Goshawk | 0 | 27 | 31 |
| Broad-winged Hawk | 0 | 1 | 5 |
| Swainson’s Hawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Red-tailed Hawk | 0 | 18 | 23 |
| Ferruginous Hawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Rough-legged Hawk | 0 | 12 | 12 |
| Golden Eagle | 0 | 2398 | 2555 |
| American Kestrel | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Merlin | 0 | 9 | 13 |
| Gyrfalcon | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Peregrine Falcon | 0 | 1 | 2 |
| Prairie Falcon | 0 | 2 | 2 |
| Unknown Accipiter | 0 | 26 | 44 |
| Unknown Buteo | 0 | 0 | 10 |
| Unknown Falcon | 0 | 2 | 3 |
| Unknown Eagle | 0 | 8 | 9 |
| Unknown Raptor | 0 | 9 | 14 |
| Total: | 2 | 2691 | 2940 |
| Observation start time: | 09:00:00 |
| Observation end time: | 14:00:00 |
| Total observation time: | 4.25 hours |
| Official Counter | Caroline Lambert |
| Observers: | Rick Robb |
Visitors:
There were no visitors.
Weather:
Some uncertainty about the weather had a couple of observers out at the count site for a few hours today. The dominant weather features were low clouds, poor visibility, and light snow. Ridge winds and ground winds were light from the northeast. The temperature started out at -11C and rose to -8C before the count was abandoned. Shortly before noon the sun was visible through the clouds, which gave hope for improving conditions. Although visibility did improve a bit, the surrounding mountains remained barely visible in a misty haze, light snow kept falling, and with nothing but more of the same in the forecast, the count was terminated by mid-afternoon.
Raptor Observations:
In spite of the weather, two Bald Eagles (1 wb1/2, 1j) were seen flying low to the south up the river, so the day’s effort was not all in vain.
Non-raptor Observations:
Few other birds were around – only one raven was seen. Nine American Wigeons were seen flying south up the river. Two Canada Jays came by, and a single Pine Grosbeak.
Report submitted by Caroline Lambert (caroline144@gmail.com)
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]
