Mount Lorette (19 Mar 2024) 88 Raptors

Visitors:
Very few people came by. Of those, three stopped to chat.

Weather:
It was an interesting day for weather. The temperature started at -2C, rose to 6C, and dropped to 3C by the end of the day. Ground wind was from the northeast, light at first and then moderate, gusting up to 30 kph. Ridge winds were unknown. Cloud cover started out as cirrostratus across the sky. In the early afternoon cumulus clouds started appearing. There was a bank of dark clouds to the northeast that gradually came closer, but at the same time, clouds were forming over all the ridges, gradually becoming thicker and lower and darker as the afternoon wore on. The count was terminated at 18:30 when all the ridges were obscured and dark clouds covered the whole valley, the wind was slowing, and shortly after one eagle was seen flying into the trees on Hummingbird Plume, presumably to roost since it did not re-appear. That was our signal to leave.

Raptor Observations:
With northeast winds we were not expecting much, but there was quite a bit of movement on both ridges all day. Initially most of the movement was on the west ridge, with much soaring. Some eagles chose to use the east ridge, where they were barely getting above ridge level, yet were able to move quickly without soaring or using powered flight. After a slight lull in mid-afternoon most of the movement switched to the east side of the valley, with a few birds dodging clouds on the west side. Although there were clouds low on the ridges there must have been quite a bit of wind, as the eagles were able to fly high and fast apparently without using the ridge, more over the valley than over the ridge, and almost right over us. We could see some of them without using binoculars.
The totals were 81 Golden Eagles (59a, 2sa, 20u), three Bald Eagles (2a, 1u), two unidentified eagles, one Rough-legged Hawk, and one American Goshawk.
The only non-migrant was an American Goshawk hunting over Hummingbird Plume.

Non-raptor Observations:
In the morning there was quite a bit of bird activity, with several chickadees upset at a Northern Shrike in the meadow, and a few robins and starlings flitting around. At one point a faint drumming from a Ruffed Grouse could be heard. The non-raptor list was: Canada Goose 11, Ruffed Grouse 1, Hairy Woodpecker 1, Northern Shrike 1, Canada Jay 2, Common Raven 10, Black-capped Chickadee 1, Mountain Chickadee 2, European Starling 4, American Robin 3, Red Crossbill 2

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