Mount Lorette (06 Apr 2026) 23 Raptors

Visitors:
Many people passed through the area, and about 12 stopped by to inquire. A special thanks to travellers Sarah and Emma, who stayed with us for several hours to help out with spotting.

Weather:
The day began at -1�C, with temperatures rising to 3�C for several hours before settling back to around 2�C for the remainder of the count. Early morning conditions were characterized by low-lying fog, with most ridgelines obscured; however, by approximately 11:00, all ridges had cleared. Winds were completely calm for the first hour, then gradually increased, remaining light overall but predominantly from the north. Ground wind speeds averaged 5�10 km/h with occasional gusts, while ridge winds stayed relatively weak, though light snow plumes were observed developing toward the end of the day. Cloud cover was variable, ranging between approximately 40% and 100% throughout the day and never fully clearing. The sky consisted of a mix of stratus, altostratus, altocumulus, and cirrus, with lenticular clouds present for approximately three hours. Humidity remained high. A notable observation was the steady drop in barometric pressure, beginning at 859 hPa and decreasing by 1 hPa each hour, something I had not personally observed before.

Raptor Observations:
A large portion of the raptor movement occurred along and over the west ridges, with additional movement occurring to the east. The first bird of the day was observed at 11:44. Ongoing activity by resident Golden Eagles added extra work, as birds often had to be followed for longer periods to distinguish migrants from local individuals. Identification was further complicated by atmospheric haze caused by high moisture in the air and a bright white cloud background, which reduced contrast and resulted in softer, less defined images in the spotting scope. By the end of the count, a total of 13 Golden Eagles (2a, 1sa, 9u), 4 Bald Eagles (2a, 1j, 1u), 1 American Goshawk, 2 Red-tailed Hawks, 1 Merlin, and 2 unidentified falcons were recorded, for a total of 23 raptors.
Non-migrating raptors observed during the count included a pair of Golden Eagles that performed repeated display dives over the Olympic Summit throughout the day. A resident American Goshawk was seen hunting in the area, and a resident Red-tailed Hawk made several appearances, first being observed early in the morning perched in a tree at the north end of the meadow.

Non-raptor Observations:
Other birds observed in the area included Dark-eyed Juncos, which were abundant throughout the area, along with 1 Red-breasted Nuthatch, 1 Hairy Woodpecker, 1 Pileated Woodpecker, Varied Thrushes, 40 American Robins, 10 European Starlings, 40 Bohemian Waxwings, Northern Flickers, and 1 pair of Ravens. Notably, the first Tree Swallows of the season were recorded, with 3 individuals observed. Also present were 3 Golden-crowned Kinglets, Black-capped Chickadees, and 1 Common Merganser.1 Ruby-crowned Kinglet.

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Mount Lorette information may be found at: eaglewatch.ca
More information at hawkcount.org: [Site Profile] [Day Summary] [Month Summary]
Count data submitted via Trektellen.org – [Project Details]