Mount Lorette (02 Apr 2024) 12 Raptors
Alberta, Canada
| Daily Raptor Counts: Apr 02, 2024 | |||
| Species | Day’s Count | Month Total | Season Total |
| Turkey Vulture | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Osprey | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Bald Eagle | 2 | 5 | 64 |
| Northern Harrier | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Sharp-shinned Hawk | 0 | 1 | 2 |
| Cooper’s Hawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| American Goshawk | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Broad-winged Hawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Swainson’s Hawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Red-tailed Hawk | 1 | 7 | 10 |
| Ferruginous Hawk | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Rough-legged Hawk | 0 | 1 | 5 |
| Golden Eagle | 8 | 43 | 1628 |
| American Kestrel | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Merlin | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| Gyrfalcon | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Peregrine Falcon | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Prairie Falcon | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Unknown Accipiter | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Unknown Buteo | 0 | 1 | 3 |
| Unknown Falcon | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Unknown Eagle | 0 | 0 | 13 |
| Unknown Raptor | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Total: | 12 | 59 | 1732 |
| Observation start time: | 06:00:00 |
| Observation end time: | 19:00:00 |
| Total observation time: | 11.5 hours |
| Official Counter | Caroline Lambert |
| Observers: | Lynette MacCulloch |
Visitors:
Seven people stopped to inquire about the count.
Weather:
The temperature started at 4C, rose to 11C, and had only dropped to 10C at the end of the count. Altostratus and cumulus clouds dominated the sky all day, ranging from 50% coverage to 90%. Some lenticular clouds were east of Lorette in the morning, but moved off to the east before noon. The cumulus clouds were moving very fast from the west. Ground winds started out light and variable, but by noon it was gusting to over 30 kph from the southwest, and built from there. The strongest gust recorded at the site was over 70 kph, up into the knock-the-humans-off-balance strength. The wind did not die down before departure. With such strong gusty wind at ground level, and clouds racing across the sky, the ridge winds were likely over 100 kph. We know from when the weather station on the top of Nakiska was working that the eagles do not seem to like flying in such conditions, and that seemed to be the case today with low numbers of migrants.
Raptor Observations:
The first Golden Eagle was not seen until after 2pm, and in the next four hours only seven more were seen (2a, 2sa, 4u), all flying very high and very fast from the east ridge to Lorette, most clearing Lorette by several binocular views. No migrants were seen on the west ridge. Two Bald Eagles (1sa3, 1wb1) were seen following the same route. Early in the day a juvenile Red-tailed Hawk was seen heading north.
Several non-migrant Golden Eagles (possibly multiple sightings of one or two individuals) were seen at times during the day, seemingly struggling with the gusty winds. One adult Red-tailed Hawk was hunting over Hummingbird Plume in the morning before the wind picked up, and there were two sightings of American Goshawks, also battling the wind.
Non-raptor Observations:
Non-raptors were plentiful in the morning: Canada Goose 2, Pileated Woodpecker 1, Northern Shrike 1, Common Raven 7, Black-capped Chickadee 3, Mountain Chickadee 2, Boreal Chickadee 1, Red-breasted Nuthatch 1, Brown Creeper 1, Varied Thrush 2, American Robin 8, Bohemian Waxwing 12, Dark-eyed Junco 4
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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 (01 Apr 2024) 47 Raptors
Alberta, Canada
| Daily Raptor Counts: Apr 01, 2024 | |||
| Species | Day’s Count | Month Total | Season Total |
| Turkey Vulture | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Osprey | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Bald Eagle | 3 | 3 | 62 |
| Northern Harrier | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Sharp-shinned Hawk | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| Cooper’s Hawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| American Goshawk | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Broad-winged Hawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Swainson’s Hawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Red-tailed Hawk | 6 | 6 | 9 |
| Ferruginous Hawk | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Rough-legged Hawk | 1 | 1 | 5 |
| Golden Eagle | 35 | 35 | 1620 |
| American Kestrel | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Merlin | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| Gyrfalcon | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Peregrine Falcon | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Prairie Falcon | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Unknown Accipiter | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Unknown Buteo | 1 | 1 | 3 |
| Unknown Falcon | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Unknown Eagle | 0 | 0 | 13 |
| Unknown Raptor | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Total: | 47 | 47 | 1720 |
| Observation start time: | 07:45:00 |
| Observation end time: | 18:45:00 |
| Total observation time: | 11 hours |
| Official Counter | Graeme Dunlop |
| Observers: | Cameron Harvey |
Visitors:
23 Visitors stopped to talk. Thanks to Glenn Webber, Mark and Suzanne who came to help spot migrants.
Weather:
A sunny day. The temperature rose to 9C at 1400 from a low of -2C and was 5C at 1930, ground winds were light in the morning becoming S to SW 10-20 gusting 30 km/h in the afternoon and ridge winds were WSW moderate. Clear blue skies until late in the day when a few cumulus clouds appeared. Some lenticular clouds could be seen far to the north and west.
Raptor Observations:
There was a slow but steady raptor movement throughout most of the day apart from a 2 hour period with no raptors seen between 12:15 and 14:15. Eagles used both sides of the valley without the usual morning/afternoon switch and this plus the clear blue skies made locating birds quite challenging. A number of eagles were found soaring over Mt Kidd summit before gliding NW in front of Ribbon Peak/Mt Bogart and disappearing behind Olympic summit. The count consisted of 35 Golden Eagles (23a, 3sa, 1ui, 8u), 2 adult and 1 sa Bald Eagles, 1 unidentified buteo, 6 Red-tailed Hawks, 1 Rough-legged Hawk and 1 Sharp-shinned Hawk. The resident Golden Eagles were seen frequently. The male displayed several times over the east ridges.
Non-raptor Observations:
Other birds included: 4 Canada Geese, 2 Pileated Woodpeckers, 1 Northern Flicker, 4 Black-billed Magpie, 9 Common Ravens, 10 European Starlings, 35 American Robins, 2 Varied Thrushes, 1 Mountain Bluebird, 15 Bohemian Waxwings and 1 Tree Swallow
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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 (31 Mar 2024) 33 Raptors
Alberta, Canada
| Daily Raptor Counts: Mar 31, 2024 | |||
| Species | Day’s Count | Month Total | Season Total |
| Turkey Vulture | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Osprey | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Bald Eagle | 0 | 59 | 59 |
| Northern Harrier | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Sharp-shinned Hawk | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Cooper’s Hawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| American Goshawk | 0 | 2 | 2 |
| Broad-winged Hawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Swainson’s Hawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Red-tailed Hawk | 0 | 3 | 3 |
| Ferruginous Hawk | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Rough-legged Hawk | 0 | 4 | 4 |
| Golden Eagle | 33 | 1585 | 1585 |
| American Kestrel | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Merlin | 0 | 3 | 3 |
| Gyrfalcon | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Peregrine Falcon | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Prairie Falcon | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Unknown Accipiter | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Unknown Buteo | 0 | 2 | 2 |
| Unknown Falcon | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Unknown Eagle | 0 | 13 | 13 |
| Unknown Raptor | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Total: | 33 | 1673 | 1673 |
| Observation start time: | 06:15:00 |
| Observation end time: | 17:15:00 |
| Total observation time: | 11 hours |
| Official Counter | Jessica Banas |
| Observers: | Colin Stallknecht |
Visitors:
There were a couple of visitors who stopped by to do some raptor observations, and about 20 people stopped by to chat.
Weather:
The day started out chilly at -6C but warmed to 4C by the end of the day. The ground winds were quite low from the WSW most of the day but picked up quite a bit in the late afternoon. There were a few clouds scattered, but generally blue skies and sunshine.
Raptor Observations:
When the golden eagles started moving, it seemed as though it might be quite a busy day, however the migrants tapered off around lunchtime, with only a few birds passing after. The total number of goldens was 33 (21sa, 7a, 4j, 1u). They primarily moved on the west ridges with only a couple of birds seen on the east. There were no other migrating raptors during the day. A local subadult golden was seen in the early afternoon, as well as a local Goshawk, and then later in the evening a few local birds were seen soaring: an adult bald eagle, a local subadult golden eagle, and an intermediate/dark-morph Harlan’s red-tail.
Non-raptor Observations:
A nice sign of spring, many Robins were seen moving through the valley. Other observations included: American Three-toed Woodpecker 1, Black-billed Magpie 1, Common Raven 6, Black-capped Chickadee 3, Mountain Chickadee 1, American Robin 25, Bohemian Waxwing 10
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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 (30 Mar 2024) 129 Raptors
Alberta, Canada
| Daily Raptor Counts: Mar 30, 2024 | |||
| Species | Day’s Count | Month Total | Season Total |
| Turkey Vulture | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Osprey | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Bald Eagle | 8 | 59 | 59 |
| Northern Harrier | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Sharp-shinned Hawk | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Cooper’s Hawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| American Goshawk | 0 | 2 | 2 |
| Broad-winged Hawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Swainson’s Hawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Red-tailed Hawk | 2 | 3 | 3 |
| Ferruginous Hawk | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Rough-legged Hawk | 0 | 4 | 4 |
| Golden Eagle | 116 | 1552 | 1552 |
| American Kestrel | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Merlin | 2 | 3 | 3 |
| Gyrfalcon | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Peregrine Falcon | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Prairie Falcon | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Unknown Accipiter | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Unknown Buteo | 0 | 2 | 2 |
| Unknown Falcon | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Unknown Eagle | 1 | 13 | 13 |
| Unknown Raptor | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Total: | 129 | 1640 | 1640 |
| Observation start time: | 07:00:00 |
| Observation end time: | 19:00:00 |
| Total observation time: | 11.83 hours |
| Official Counter | Blake Weis |
| Observers: | Cameron Harvey |
Visitors:
44 Visitors stopped to talk. Thanks to the 5 people who stopped to help spot migrants!
Weather:
The temperature was -13 C at the start of observation, it rose to +3 by the middle of the day, then fell to +1 as we were leaving. Ground wind was from the SW and light in the morning but a bit blustery in the afternoon with gusts around 20 km/h. Ridge wind was moderate to strong from the S-SW. The sky was nearly cloudless until 3 PM, when a sheet of altostratus moved in, covering most of the sky. The cloud cover was very helpful for spotting the high-flying migrants but created backlit conditions which made ageing difficult.
Raptor Observations:
Most of the morning and afternoon was slow, but there was a big rush starting around 4 PM which included 100 of the days 129 migrants. Almost all of them were using the east ridges and the east side of the valley. Migrants late in the day were usually flying very high. The count consisted of 116 Golden Eagles (68a, 3sa, 5ui, 40u), 8 adult Bald Eagles, 1 unidentified eagle, 2 Red-tailed Hawks and 2 Merlins.
Resident raptors included an adult Golden Eagle that was doing display dives near the Fisher Range late in the day. An Adult American Goshawk was soaring over Hummingbird Plume Hill, and an Adult Bald Eagle was flying low along the river.
Non-raptor Observations:
Other birds included: 1 American Three-toed Woodpecker, 2 Pileated Woodpeckers, 1 Black-billed Magpie, 9 Common Ravens, 2 Red-breasted Nuthatches, 10 European Starlings, 6 American Robins, 50 Bohemian Waxwings, and 1 Common Redpoll. A mink was spotted swimming in the river in the afternoon. One white-tailed deer was also seen.
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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 (29 Mar 2024) Raptors
Alberta, Canada
| Daily Raptor Counts: Mar 29, 2024 | |||
| Species | Day’s Count | Month Total | Season Total |
| Turkey Vulture | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Osprey | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Bald Eagle | 0 | 51 | 51 |
| Northern Harrier | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Sharp-shinned Hawk | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Cooper’s Hawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| American Goshawk | 0 | 2 | 2 |
| Broad-winged Hawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Swainson’s Hawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Red-tailed Hawk | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Ferruginous Hawk | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Rough-legged Hawk | 0 | 4 | 4 |
| Golden Eagle | 0 | 1436 | 1436 |
| American Kestrel | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Merlin | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Gyrfalcon | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Peregrine Falcon | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Prairie Falcon | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Unknown Accipiter | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Unknown Buteo | 0 | 2 | 2 |
| Unknown Falcon | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Unknown Eagle | 0 | 12 | 12 |
| Unknown Raptor | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Total: | 0 | 1511 | 1511 |
(No count conducted today)
Weather:
No count was conducted today due to poor migration conditions. The cloud ceiling was below 2000m in the morning; it began to snow at noon.
Raptor Observations:
Non-raptor Observations:
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Mount Lorette information may be found at: eaglewatch.ca
More information at hawkcount.org: [Site Profile] [Day Summary] [Month Summary]
