Mount Lorette (31 Oct 2024) 33 Raptors
Alberta, Canada
| Daily Raptor Counts: Oct 31, 2024 | |||
| Species | Day’s Count | Month Total | Season Total |
| Turkey Vulture | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Osprey | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Bald Eagle | 4 | 64 | 75 |
| Northern Harrier | 0 | 2 | 7 |
| Sharp-shinned Hawk | 0 | 75 | 93 |
| Cooper’s Hawk | 0 | 3 | 4 |
| American Goshawk | 0 | 15 | 15 |
| Broad-winged Hawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Swainson’s Hawk | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Red-tailed Hawk | 0 | 10 | 18 |
| Ferruginous Hawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Rough-legged Hawk | 3 | 19 | 19 |
| Golden Eagle | 26 | 2344 | 2607 |
| American Kestrel | 0 | 1 | 4 |
| Merlin | 0 | 1 | 4 |
| Gyrfalcon | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Peregrine Falcon | 0 | 4 | 6 |
| Prairie Falcon | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Unknown Accipiter | 0 | 5 | 7 |
| Unknown Buteo | 0 | 2 | 2 |
| Unknown Falcon | 0 | 1 | 2 |
| Unknown Eagle | 0 | 7 | 7 |
| Unknown Raptor | 0 | 4 | 10 |
| Total: | 33 | 2558 | 2881 |
| Observation start time: | 08:00:00 |
| Observation end time: | 17:00:00 |
| Total observation time: | 9 hours |
| Official Counter | Caroline Lambert |
| Observers: | Lynette MacCulloch |
Visitors:
Six people came by, but only four stopped to talk.
Weather:
The temperature started at -5C and rose to a high of 3C, finishing the day at 0C. Initially the sky was blue with just a few cirrus clouds, but the cirrus clouds built up as the day went on, thickening and giving us little warmth from the sun. Cumulus clouds were appearing at the end of the day. Fortunately for us, there was not much wind at ground level, but there was also, once again, very little wind at ridge level. By the end of the day the ridge winds topped 20kph, mostly from the south-southwest.
Raptor Observations:
Despite the light ridge winds, there were some migrants determined to head south. Most were coming in low to the east ridge, then spending some time soaring to gain height, and there was frequent flapping of wings too. Some of the birds were seen over Mt Lorette, where they also spent quite a bit of time soaring to gain altitude. With so much soaring and slow movement, none of the eagles went unaged this time. The totals were 26 Golden Eagles (23a, 1sa, 1ui, 1j), 4 Bald Eagles (3a, 1wb), and 3 Rough-legged Hawks.
The only non-migrant seen was a Merlin on the walk in.
Non-raptor Observations:
Perhaps the highlight of the day was a Northern Pygmy-Owl perched high on a spruce tree near the pump houses in the late afternoon. Other birds were: Canada Goose 15, Belted Kingfisher 1 (juvenile), Northern Flicker 1, Canada Jay 3, Common Raven 6, Black-capped Chickadee 2, Boreal Chickadee 1
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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 Oct 2024) 11 Raptors
Alberta, Canada
| Daily Raptor Counts: Oct 30, 2024 | |||
| Species | Day’s Count | Month Total | Season Total |
| Turkey Vulture | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Osprey | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Bald Eagle | 0 | 60 | 71 |
| Northern Harrier | 0 | 2 | 7 |
| Sharp-shinned Hawk | 0 | 75 | 93 |
| Cooper’s Hawk | 0 | 3 | 4 |
| American Goshawk | 0 | 15 | 15 |
| Broad-winged Hawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Swainson’s Hawk | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Red-tailed Hawk | 0 | 10 | 18 |
| Ferruginous Hawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Rough-legged Hawk | 0 | 16 | 16 |
| Golden Eagle | 10 | 2318 | 2581 |
| American Kestrel | 0 | 1 | 4 |
| Merlin | 0 | 1 | 4 |
| Gyrfalcon | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Peregrine Falcon | 0 | 4 | 6 |
| Prairie Falcon | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Unknown Accipiter | 0 | 5 | 7 |
| Unknown Buteo | 0 | 2 | 2 |
| Unknown Falcon | 0 | 1 | 2 |
| Unknown Eagle | 1 | 8 | 8 |
| Unknown Raptor | 0 | 4 | 10 |
| Total: | 11 | 2526 | 2849 |
| Observation start time: | 08:00:00 |
| Observation end time: | 17:15:00 |
| Total observation time: | 9.25 hours |
| Official Counter | Caroline Lambert |
| Observers: | Colin Stallknecht |
Visitors:
No passers by stopped to talk. We thank Numi for showing up in the afternoon with binoculars and helping spot for a while.
Weather:
The starting temperature was -4C. It rose to +4C and finished at 0C. The sky was clear all day, apart from a few wisps of cirrus cloud. Ground winds were light. Ridge winds were also light, mostly from a southerly direction, never exceeding 17kph. Upper winds were unknown.
Raptor Observations:
No migrating raptors were seen until after 14:00. The few that were spotted were flying low along the east ridge – none of them got higher than the highest point on Patrick. The end total was just 10 Golden Eagles (6a, 1sa, 1ui, 2u), and one unidentified eagle.
The only raptors seen on the west ridge did not appear to be migrating – two appearances of an adult Golden Eagle, and one adult Bald Eagle. An American Goshawk flew low across the meadow at one point, disappearing into the forest north of the site.
Non-raptor Observations:
There was one unusual sight in the early morning – three American Dippers together at the edge of the river. After a brief stop in front of the site, they flew off together down the river. It’s unusual to see two together, let alone three! Later a single dipper came by.
Other birds were: 3 Canada Jays, 15 Common Ravens, 2 Pine Siskins
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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 Oct 2024) 16 Raptors
Alberta, Canada
| Daily Raptor Counts: Oct 29, 2024 | |||
| Species | Day’s Count | Month Total | Season Total |
| Turkey Vulture | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Osprey | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Bald Eagle | 0 | 60 | 71 |
| Northern Harrier | 0 | 2 | 7 |
| Sharp-shinned Hawk | 0 | 75 | 93 |
| Cooper’s Hawk | 0 | 3 | 4 |
| American Goshawk | 0 | 15 | 15 |
| Broad-winged Hawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Swainson’s Hawk | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Red-tailed Hawk | 0 | 10 | 18 |
| Ferruginous Hawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Rough-legged Hawk | 0 | 16 | 16 |
| Golden Eagle | 16 | 2308 | 2571 |
| American Kestrel | 0 | 1 | 4 |
| Merlin | 0 | 1 | 4 |
| Gyrfalcon | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Peregrine Falcon | 0 | 4 | 6 |
| Prairie Falcon | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Unknown Accipiter | 0 | 5 | 7 |
| Unknown Buteo | 0 | 2 | 2 |
| Unknown Falcon | 0 | 1 | 2 |
| Unknown Eagle | 0 | 7 | 7 |
| Unknown Raptor | 0 | 4 | 10 |
| Total: | 16 | 2515 | 2838 |
| Observation start time: | 08:00:00 |
| Observation end time: | 16:45:00 |
| Total observation time: | 8.75 hours |
| Official Counter | Dan Parliament |
| Observers: | Rick Robb |
Visitors:
There were six visitors
Weather:
The opening temperature at 0900 hrs (MDT) was 0 C, increasing to + 4 C at 1500 hrs (MDT). The ground winds were predominantly from the SW at 0-5 km/hr and increasing to 5-10 km/hr in the later afternoon. The ridge winds were WSW at 30 with gusts as high as 60 km/hr. The upper winds were assessed as S to SW “Low” increasing to “Med” around noon. For the first hour both ridges were obscured and low cloud hung over the valley. The clouds cleared the ridges after 1000 hrs (MDT) leading to a blue sky day in the afternoon.
Raptor Observations:
A total of 16 migrant Golden Eagles were observed during the day (Adults x 12, Subadult x 1, Juvenile x 1, Unaged x 2). A resident adult Bald Eagle was observed flying low over the valley in a Northerly direction. The first migrant was spotted at 1211 hrs (MDT) and the peak hour of six Golden Eagles was between 1600-1700 hrs (MDT). The migration flight was over the East Ridges, and was generally low and often through the face with some flapping.
Non-raptor Observations:
Three-toed Woodpecker x 1, Hairy woodpecker x 1, Canada Jay x 1, Common Raven x 10, Black capped Chickadee x 1, Boreal Chickadee x 2, American Dipper x 1, Gray-crowned Rosy-Finch x 40
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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 Oct 2024) 16 Raptors
Alberta, Canada
| Daily Raptor Counts: Oct 29, 2024 | |||
| Species | Day’s Count | Month Total | Season Total |
| Turkey Vulture | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Osprey | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Bald Eagle | 0 | 60 | 71 |
| Northern Harrier | 0 | 2 | 7 |
| Sharp-shinned Hawk | 0 | 75 | 93 |
| Cooper’s Hawk | 0 | 3 | 4 |
| American Goshawk | 0 | 15 | 15 |
| Broad-winged Hawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Swainson’s Hawk | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Red-tailed Hawk | 0 | 10 | 18 |
| Ferruginous Hawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Rough-legged Hawk | 0 | 16 | 16 |
| Golden Eagle | 16 | 2308 | 2571 |
| American Kestrel | 0 | 1 | 4 |
| Merlin | 0 | 1 | 4 |
| Gyrfalcon | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Peregrine Falcon | 0 | 4 | 6 |
| Prairie Falcon | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Unknown Accipiter | 0 | 5 | 7 |
| Unknown Buteo | 0 | 2 | 2 |
| Unknown Falcon | 0 | 1 | 2 |
| Unknown Eagle | 0 | 7 | 7 |
| Unknown Raptor | 0 | 4 | 10 |
| Total: | 16 | 2515 | 2838 |
| Observation start time: | 08:00:00 |
| Observation end time: | 16:45:00 |
| Total observation time: | 8.75 hours |
| Official Counter | Dan Parliament |
| Observers: | Rick Robb |
Visitors:
There were six visitors
Weather:
The opening temperature at 0900 hrs (MDT) was 0 C, increasing to + 4 C at 1500 hrs (MDT). The ground winds were predominantly from the SW at 0-5 km/hr and increasing to 5-10 km/hr in the later afternoon. The ridge winds were WSW at 30 with gusts as high as 60 km/hr. The upper winds were assessed as S to SW “Low” increasing to “Med” around noon. For the first hour both ridges were obscured and low cloud hung over the valley. The clouds cleared the ridges after 1000 hrs (MDT) leading to a blue sky day in the afternoon.
Raptor Observations:
A total of 16 migrant Golden Eagles were observed during the day (Adults x 12, Subadult x 1, Juvenile x 1, Unaged x 2). A resident adult Bald Eagle was observed flying low over the valley in a Northerly direction. The first migrant was spotted at 1211 hrs (MDT) and the peak hour of six Golden Eagles was between 1600-1700 hrs (MDT). The migration flight was over the East Ridges, and was generally low and often through the face with some flapping.
Non-raptor Observations:
Three-toed Woodpecker x 1, Hairy woodpecker x 1, Canada Jay x 1, Common Raven x 10, Black capped Chickadee x 1, Boreal Chickadee x 2, American Dipper x 1, Gray-crowned Rosy-Finch x 40
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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 (28 Oct 2024) 36 Raptors
Alberta, Canada
| Daily Raptor Counts: Oct 28, 2024 | |||
| Species | Day’s Count | Month Total | Season Total |
| Turkey Vulture | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Osprey | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Bald Eagle | 0 | 60 | 71 |
| Northern Harrier | 1 | 2 | 7 |
| Sharp-shinned Hawk | 0 | 75 | 93 |
| Cooper’s Hawk | 0 | 3 | 4 |
| American Goshawk | 1 | 15 | 15 |
| Broad-winged Hawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Swainson’s Hawk | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Red-tailed Hawk | 0 | 10 | 18 |
| Ferruginous Hawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Rough-legged Hawk | 0 | 16 | 16 |
| Golden Eagle | 33 | 2292 | 2555 |
| American Kestrel | 0 | 1 | 4 |
| Merlin | 0 | 1 | 4 |
| Gyrfalcon | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Peregrine Falcon | 0 | 4 | 6 |
| Prairie Falcon | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Unknown Accipiter | 1 | 5 | 7 |
| Unknown Buteo | 0 | 2 | 2 |
| Unknown Falcon | 0 | 1 | 2 |
| Unknown Eagle | 0 | 7 | 7 |
| Unknown Raptor | 0 | 4 | 10 |
| Total: | 36 | 2499 | 2822 |
| Observation start time: | 07:30:00 |
| Observation end time: | 18:00:00 |
| Total observation time: | 10 hours |
| Official Counter | Lori Anderson |
| Observers: | Glenn Webber |
Visitors:
7
Weather:
It was a serene fall morning which started out calm, then winds gradually increased throughout the day blowing light snow sprinkles from the west. A squall finally invaded the meadow at around 1500 hrs (MDT) after which the weather slowly returned to the early matinal conditions. Ground winds blew from the SW and WSW ranging from 1-10 km/h. At ridge level, winds were strong from the SW and WSW with gusts up to 76 km/h at times. Cloud coverage ranged from 50-90% and consisted of a combination of cumulus, cirrus, altostratus, and cirrocumulus. The western ridges were partially covered all day between 10 and 90%, while the eastern ridges were only affected during the snowstorm. The temperature started at 2C, rose to 6C at 1400 hrs (MDT), and fell to 4C by the end of the count.
Raptor Observations:
A pair of Golden Eagles appeared just before 10:00 (MDT), gliding from Mt. Lorette to the Fisher range and off to the South. Most of the migrants appeared to come from the Wasooch area, then glided to the North Fisher range and disappeared behind the peaks without following the ridges towards Mt McDougal. Throughout the day the flight elevation varied depending on the wind speed. For the most part, they flew just above the ridges but near the end of the count, they came in a bit higher. Some flew in and out, around and about the peaks of the North Fisher âBumpsâ. The final count was 33 Golden Eagles (27 adults, 2 subadults, 1 juvenile, 3 unaged). American Goshawk 1, Northern Harrier 1. Unknown Accipiter (Large) 1. We had three sightings of a resident Golden Eagle.
Non-raptor Observations:
Today the local Belted King Fisher seemed to need our company and spent a lot of time near us fishing, sleeping, and chattering as it flew to different trees. There seemed to be fewer Ravens (6) in the area and at one point two pairs flew together, mirroring each other in courtship. A solitary Black-capped Chickadee flew down to the bushes by the river. Other birds included 4 Dark-eyed juncos and a small flock of Pine Siskins. 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]
