Mount Lorette (06 Nov 2023) 17 Raptors
Alberta, Canada
| Daily Raptor Counts: Nov 06, 2023 | |||
| Species | Day’s Count | Month Total | Season Total |
| Turkey Vulture | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Osprey | 0 | 0 | 5 |
| Bald Eagle | 7 | 19 | 103 |
| Northern Harrier | 0 | 0 | 8 |
| Sharp-shinned Hawk | 0 | 0 | 138 |
| Cooper’s Hawk | 0 | 0 | 8 |
| American Goshawk | 0 | 0 | 33 |
| Broad-winged Hawk | 0 | 0 | 5 |
| Swainson’s Hawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Red-tailed Hawk | 0 | 0 | 24 |
| Ferruginous Hawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Rough-legged Hawk | 0 | 0 | 12 |
| Golden Eagle | 10 | 96 | 3000 |
| American Kestrel | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Merlin | 0 | 0 | 14 |
| Gyrfalcon | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Peregrine Falcon | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Prairie Falcon | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Unknown Accipiter | 0 | 0 | 45 |
| Unknown Buteo | 0 | 0 | 10 |
| Unknown Falcon | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| Unknown Eagle | 0 | 0 | 9 |
| Unknown Raptor | 0 | 0 | 14 |
| Total: | 17 | 115 | 3436 |
| Observation start time: | 09:00:00 |
| Observation end time: | 17:15:00 |
| Total observation time: | 8.25 hours |
| Official Counter | Lori Anderson |
| Observers: | Lynette MacCulloch |
Visitors:
7 visitors
Weather:
The morning was temperate with a first reading of -2.5C. It reached a high of 4.5C at 14:00 and dropped to 1C by the end of the count at 17:00. Initially the west winds at ground level were discouragingly slow but picked up a bit as the day progressed. At ridge level, wind blew from the SW all day varying between 5 and 19km/h. The assorted cirrus cloud coverage high above the ridges did not interfere with the migration but I wonder if the appearance of lenticular clouds may have something to do with the slow migration today. The sun shone through at intervals, keeping us warm and creating some thermals for the eagles.
Raptor Observations:
In spite of the fact that we only saw 10 today, I am extraordinarily satisfied that we reached 3000 GOLDEN eagles today. Most of them used the eastern route and found enough wind to gracefully glide and soar, albeit not very high. Many were escorted by the local undercover agents in black, who rushed them through the area with menacing pecks and plucks. One of the last Golden Eagles of the day tried to stop for the night on a ridge at the end of the âbumpsâ but was quickly and vigorously encouraged to continue on its way by two of the aforementioned agents. The Bald Eagles took the customary western route and valley center. In general, they lacked elevation and had to flap intensely due to the slower winds. In total: 10 Golden Eagles (7a, 1j, 2u) and 7 Bald eagles (4a, 2j, 1sa). Aging was relatively easy because they were low and flew in front of slopes. One of the local Goshawks was heard calling out in the morning. Between 15:15 and 16:30 the migratory movement intensified when ten out of today’s seventeen birds passed by.
Non-raptor Observations:
Two dippers arrived together just before 10:00 and spent the entire day with us. The juvenile delighted us with its many spontaneous and gentle outbursts of song.
3 Canada Jays, 12 Common Ravens, 1 Black-capped Chickadees, 1 Mountain Chickadee, 1 Boreal Chickadees, 2 American Dippers, 25 Bohemian Waxwings, 2 Trumpeter/Tundra Swans, 3 Pine Grosbeaks, 1 Black-billed Magpie, 20 Northern shovelers
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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 Dunkadoo – [Project Details]
