Mount Lorette (04 Apr 2023) 39 Raptors
Alberta, Canada
| Daily Raptor Counts: Apr 04, 2023 | |||
| Species | Day’s Count | Month Total | Season Total |
| Turkey Vulture | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Osprey | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Bald Eagle | 1 | 9 | 95 |
| Northern Harrier | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Sharp-shinned Hawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Cooper’s Hawk | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Northern Goshawk | 1 | 3 | 14 |
| Broad-winged Hawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Swainson’s Hawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Red-tailed Hawk | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| Ferruginous Hawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Rough-legged Hawk | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Golden Eagle | 36 | 107 | 1546 |
| American Kestrel | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Merlin | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Gyrfalcon | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Peregrine Falcon | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Prairie Falcon | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Unknown Accipiter | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Unknown Buteo | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Unknown Falcon | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Unknown Eagle | 0 | 0 | 10 |
| Unknown Raptor | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Total: | 39 | 121 | 1674 |
| Observation start time: | 06:00:00 |
| Observation end time: | 20:00:00 |
| Total observation time: | 13.83 hours |
| Official Counter | Ethan Denton |
| Observers: | Lynette MacCulloch |
Visitors:
We had 12 visitors, and five stayed for varying lengths to help observe.
Weather:
It was a frigid start to the day, at -16°C, and though it warmed to 0°C, it never really felt warm thanks to the ground winds. Cumulus clouds built and collapsed with varying degrees of threat, but the vast majority of the snow that did fall came in short bursts which didn’t affect visibility too much.
Raptor Observations:
In keeping with this season’s trend, eagles began the day around 10:00 and on the western ridge. It was 15:00 by the time one appeared on the eastern ridge, and from then on it was either there or directly overhead in neck-wrecking fashion. One light-morph Red-tailed Hawk flapped northwards over Hummingbird Plume, and singles each of Northern Goshawk and Bald Eagle rounded out the migrant list.
The resident Goldens displayed above Himmingbird and popped up elsewhere throughout the day. Both resident Goshawks were quite vocal in the morning, and both offered good views on the fly-by. A seemingly resident Merlin was also spotted, in rapid pursuit of a small flock of Waxwings.
Non-raptor Observations:
6 Mallards flew over high, and Varied Thrushes called from across the river. Two Northern Flickers and a Hairy Woodpecker were also rather vocal. Later in the day, Tom the Dipper whizzed down the river, and a pair of Hooded Mergansers were seen settling in for the night.
Report submitted by Ethan Denton (ethan@suechick.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]
