Mount Lorette (18 Apr 2025) 19 Raptors
Alberta, Canada
| Daily Raptor Counts: Apr 18, 2025 | |||
| Species | Day’s Count | Month Total | Season Total |
| Turkey Vulture | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Osprey | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Bald Eagle | 2 | 20 | 76 |
| Northern Harrier | 0 | 2 | 2 |
| Sharp-shinned Hawk | 1 | 6 | 8 |
| Cooper’s Hawk | 1 | 3 | 3 |
| American Goshawk | 1 | 7 | 8 |
| Broad-winged Hawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Swainson’s Hawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Red-tailed Hawk | 2 | 21 | 23 |
| Ferruginous Hawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Rough-legged Hawk | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Golden Eagle | 6 | 146 | 1084 |
| American Kestrel | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Merlin | 3 | 3 | 4 |
| Gyrfalcon | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Peregrine Falcon | 1 | 2 | 2 |
| Prairie Falcon | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Unknown Accipitrine | 0 | 3 | 4 |
| Unknown Buteo | 0 | 2 | 7 |
| Unknown Falcon | 2 | 5 | 5 |
| Unknown Eagle | 0 | 3 | 10 |
| Unknown Raptor | 0 | 3 | 3 |
| Total: | 19 | 227 | 1241 |
| Observation start time: | 08:15:00 |
| Observation end time: | 16:00:00 |
| Total observation time: | 7.75 hours |
| Official Counter | Graeme Dunlop |
| Observers: | Bill McKeeman |
Visitors:
45
Weather:
The temperature at 0915 was 0C which rose to a high at 1600 of 14C. Ground winds were light WSW-SSW. Ridge winds were difficult to assess but occasional snow plumes indicated they were from NW to NE. The count began with a layer of altocumulus covering 90% of the sky but this quickly dissipated to 20% cumulus by 1000 before increasing again to 80% cirrostratus at 1200 then gradually clearing for the rest of the afternoon with some interesting cirrocumulus cloud formations.
Raptor Observations:
Raptor movement was sporadic and slow with 19 migrants seen between 1030 and 1620 with birds gliding high to very high above both the east and west ridges. The flight comprised 2a Bald Eagles, 1u Sharp-shinned Hawk, 1a Cooper’s Hawk, 1a American Goshawk, 2 Red-tailed Hawks (1a light, 1u), 6 Golden Eagles (5a, 1u), 3 Merlin (2a, 1u), 1u Peregrine Falcon and 2 unidentified large falcons. Of note were the 5 falcons that flew along the western ridges between 1155 and 1225. Unfortunately I could only get an identification on the 2 Merlins that were flying together and 1 Peregrine. The other 2 large falcons were at extreme range in the binoculars and flew separately but on the same flight path from near the summit of Ribbon Peak northwards behind Mt Allan. Resident birds were a pair of Red-tailed Hawks and an adult Golden Eagle that was seen a few times throughout the day gliding high above the Fisher Range. An adult Golden Eagle could be seen perched near Olympic summit for about 2 hours. The resident American Goshawk was also seen a couple of times, displaying low over the river and later in the afternoon it was soaring very high overhead.
Non-raptor Observations:
4 Canada Geese, 2 Mallard, 1 Common Merganser, 1 Downy Woodpecker, 1 Pileated Woodpecker, 1 Northern Flicker, 1 Black-billed Magpie, 25 Common Ravens, 2 Black-capped Chickadee, 2 Mountain Chickadees, 3 Boreal Chickadees, 1 European Starling, 4 Mountain Bluebirds, 1 Varied Thrush singing, 30 American Robins, 11 Dark-eyed Juncos, 1 Fox Sparrow singing, 1 Belted Kingfisher, 1 American Dipper, 1 Ruffed Grouse, 1 Tree Swallow
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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 (17 Apr 2025) 3 Raptors
Alberta, Canada
| Daily Raptor Counts: Apr 17, 2025 | |||
| Species | Day’s Count | Month Total | Season Total |
| Turkey Vulture | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Osprey | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Bald Eagle | 2 | 18 | 74 |
| Northern Harrier | 1 | 2 | 2 |
| Sharp-shinned Hawk | 0 | 5 | 7 |
| Cooper’s Hawk | 0 | 2 | 2 |
| American Goshawk | 0 | 6 | 7 |
| Broad-winged Hawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Swainson’s Hawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Red-tailed Hawk | 0 | 19 | 21 |
| Ferruginous Hawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Rough-legged Hawk | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Golden Eagle | 0 | 140 | 1078 |
| American Kestrel | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Merlin | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Gyrfalcon | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Peregrine Falcon | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Prairie Falcon | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Unknown Accipitrine | 0 | 3 | 4 |
| Unknown Buteo | 0 | 2 | 7 |
| Unknown Falcon | 0 | 3 | 3 |
| Unknown Eagle | 0 | 3 | 10 |
| Unknown Raptor | 0 | 3 | 3 |
| Total: | 3 | 208 | 1222 |
| Observation start time: | 09:00:00 |
| Observation end time: | 14:30:00 |
| Total observation time: | 5.5 hours |
| Official Counter | Dan Parliament |
| Observers: | Susan Wilberg |
Visitors:
Thank you to Yumi H for staying and assisting with the observation during the afternoon. About 30 seniors from the Fifth Dimension Seniors Outdoor Club stopped by at various stages to learn more about the Eagle migration.
Weather:
The day was characterized by strong (>40 km/hr) Northerly ridge winds, and cloudy/blustery conditions. The opening temperature was -2C increasing to +3 by noon and steady for the remainder of the day at 2 C. The initial clear and sunny conditions deteriorated steadily after 1200 hrs (MDT) until by 1330 hr (MDT) the Mt Lorette and Eastern ridges were completely obscured with cloud and continuous light snow. The ground winds were from the North at generally 5-10 km/hr with gusts at intervals to 20 km/hr. The wind conditions were not favourable for migration! The count was suspended at 1530 hrs (MDT) due to the continued low clouds and obscured ridges.
Raptor Observations:
The total migrant count was three raptors (Bald Eagle x 2 adults & Northern Harrier x 1 adult). The Northern Harrier put on a flight display very low across the middle of the meadow during a particularly bad spell of snow and North wind. No migrant Golden Eagles were observed. The resident Golden Eagle was observed hunting several times during the day on the slopes of Patrick and Hummingbird Plume. A resident adult Bald Eagle and a resident adult American Goshawk were observed hunting over the valley and Hummingbird Plume.
Non-raptor Observations:
Canada Goose x 2 Common Merganser x 2 Ruffed Grouse x 2 (drumming) Pileated Woodpecker x 1 Northern Flicker x 1 Common Raven x 20 Red-breasted Nuthatch x 1 Varied Thrush x 3 American Robin x 6 Fox Sparrow x 1 (singing) Dark-eyed Junco x 3
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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 (15 Apr 2025) 27 Raptors
Alberta, Canada
| Daily Raptor Counts: Apr 15, 2025 | |||
| Species | Day’s Count | Month Total | Season Total |
| Turkey Vulture | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Osprey | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Bald Eagle | 7 | 16 | 72 |
| Northern Harrier | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Sharp-shinned Hawk | 1 | 5 | 7 |
| Cooper’s Hawk | 0 | 2 | 2 |
| American Goshawk | 1 | 6 | 7 |
| Broad-winged Hawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Swainson’s Hawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Red-tailed Hawk | 2 | 19 | 21 |
| Ferruginous Hawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Rough-legged Hawk | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Golden Eagle | 12 | 140 | 1078 |
| American Kestrel | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Merlin | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Gyrfalcon | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Peregrine Falcon | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Prairie Falcon | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Unknown Accipitrine | 0 | 3 | 4 |
| Unknown Buteo | 1 | 2 | 7 |
| Unknown Falcon | 0 | 3 | 3 |
| Unknown Eagle | 0 | 3 | 10 |
| Unknown Raptor | 1 | 3 | 3 |
| Total: | 27 | 205 | 1219 |
| Observation start time: | 08:45:00 |
| Observation end time: | 16:00:00 |
| Total observation time: | 7.25 hours |
| Official Counter | Graeme Dunlop |
| Observers: | Ethan Denton, Mia Winklmeier |
Visitors:
14
Weather:
The temperature at 1000 was 9C, the high at 1500 was 13C. Winds were SW light increasing to moderate from early afternoon. Ridge winds were NW light increasing to moderate SW in the afternoon. Cloud cover was 30-60% cumulus.
Raptor Observations:
27 raptors of 7 species moved between 1005 and 1615 comprising 7 Bald Eagles (6a, 1j), 1a Sharp-shinned Hawk, 1a American Goshawk, 2a light calurus Red-tailed Hawks, 1a dark Rough-legged Hawk, 12 Golden Eagles (3a, 5sa, 1j, 3u), 1u Peregrine Falcon, 1 unidentified buteo and 1 unidentified small raptor. Most of the Golden Eagles were seen gliding high on the east ridges, sometimes almost overhead, with occasional soaring esp. over Mt Lorette and Skogan Peak. Non migrants were 2 Bald Eagles, 3 Golden Eagles and 2 Red-tailed Hawks.
Non-raptor Observations:
A Fox Sparrow was heard singing just across the river in the morning and briefly again in the afternoon. Other birds were 1 Ruffed Grouse (drumming), 2 Northern Flickers, 10 Common Ravens, 1 Black-capped Chickadee, 3 Mountain Chickadee, 1 Ruby-crowned Kinglet, 1 Golden-crowned Kinglet, 10 American Robins, 1 Varied Thrush, 6 Dark-eyed Juncos, 1 Brown Creeper, 1 White-breasted Nuthatch, 2 Red-breasted Nuthatch
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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 (14 Apr 2025) 15 Raptors
Alberta, Canada
| Daily Raptor Counts: Apr 14, 2025 | |||
| Species | Day’s Count | Month Total | Season Total |
| Turkey Vulture | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Osprey | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Bald Eagle | 0 | 9 | 65 |
| Northern Harrier | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Sharp-shinned Hawk | 0 | 4 | 6 |
| Cooper’s Hawk | 0 | 2 | 2 |
| American Goshawk | 2 | 5 | 6 |
| Broad-winged Hawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Swainson’s Hawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Red-tailed Hawk | 0 | 17 | 19 |
| Ferruginous Hawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Rough-legged Hawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Golden Eagle | 10 | 128 | 1066 |
| American Kestrel | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Merlin | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Gyrfalcon | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Peregrine Falcon | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Prairie Falcon | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Unknown Accipitrine | 0 | 3 | 4 |
| Unknown Buteo | 0 | 1 | 6 |
| Unknown Falcon | 2 | 3 | 3 |
| Unknown Eagle | 0 | 3 | 10 |
| Unknown Raptor | 0 | 2 | 2 |
| Total: | 15 | 178 | 1192 |
| Observation start time: | 08:00:00 |
| Observation end time: | 18:00:00 |
| Total observation time: | 10 hours |
| Official Counter | Lori Anderson |
| Observers: | Glenn Webber |
Visitors:
15 people stopped by to ask questions about the migration.
Weather:
At sunrise the fragile ice veil at the river bend fractured, echoing a crystaline song of glass breaking. The chill ofâ3C warmed steadily climbing to a mild 11C. Despite a tranquil start, the day saw sustained SW ground winds averaging 11 km/h with periodic gusts reaching 22 kms/h. Ridge winds from the West were strong enough to create plumes.
A thin layer of Cirrostratus covered the sky for most of the day and a spooky lenticular ghost cloud show started at 16:00. Soft round and vibrant silken clouds expanded slowly and gradually overtook the entire sky.
Raptor Observations:
Migrants: Almost every migrant Golden Eagle came into view above the North Fisher range, then glided high towards Lorette. Once at Lorette, they either glided in front and then disappeared behind or flew directly behind the peak. Final count: 10 Golden Eagles (4a, 1sa, 2j, 3u), 2 American Goshawks, 1 Northern Harrier. 2 Falcons. Non-migrants: 4 Bald Eagles (3a,1J) flying south over Patrick and east ridges at 6:20 maybe to roost together. 2 Resident Golden Eagles, 2 Red-tailed Hawks, 2 American Goshawks.
Non-raptor Observations:
1 Ruffed-Grouse 3 Pileated Woodpeckers, 2 Varied Thrush, 2 Canada Geese, 2 Dark-eyed Juncos, 6 Robins, 10 Ravens, 3 Mountain Chickadees, 1 Hairy woodpecker, 2 Northern Flickers, 1 Common Merganser, 2 Mountain Bluebirds, 2 golden-crowned Kinglets, 3 Mallards, 3 Swallows.
Report submitted by ()
Mount Lorette information may be found at: eaglewatch.ca
More information at hawkcount.org: [Site Profile] [Day Summary] [Month Summary]
Mount Lorette (13 Apr 2025) 11 Raptors
Alberta, Canada
| Daily Raptor Counts: Apr 13, 2025 | |||
| Species | Day’s Count | Month Total | Season Total |
| Turkey Vulture | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Osprey | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Bald Eagle | 1 | 9 | 65 |
| Northern Harrier | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Sharp-shinned Hawk | 0 | 4 | 6 |
| Cooper’s Hawk | 0 | 2 | 2 |
| American Goshawk | 1 | 3 | 4 |
| Broad-winged Hawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Swainson’s Hawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Red-tailed Hawk | 2 | 17 | 19 |
| Ferruginous Hawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Rough-legged Hawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Golden Eagle | 4 | 118 | 1056 |
| American Kestrel | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Merlin | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Gyrfalcon | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Peregrine Falcon | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Prairie Falcon | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Unknown Accipitrine | 1 | 3 | 4 |
| Unknown Buteo | 0 | 1 | 6 |
| Unknown Falcon | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Unknown Eagle | 0 | 3 | 10 |
| Unknown Raptor | 1 | 2 | 2 |
| Total: | 11 | 163 | 1177 |
| Observation start time: | 09:00:00 |
| Observation end time: | 16:00:00 |
| Total observation time: | 7 hours |
| Official Counter | Cameron Harvey, Lynette MacCulloch |
| Observers: |
Visitors:
11 visitors stopped to talk and ask about the count. 4 brought binoculars and helped spot for 5-30 minutes each.
Weather:
Sunny day with fresh snow. The temperature started at -1° C and slowly rose during the day to a high of 4 ° C. Ground winds were from the SW for most of the day. Ridge winds were from the west and started out light, but gained strength by the early afternoon. Ridges were partially obscured during the first hour of count but cleared off for the remainder of the day. Partial cloud cover throughout day due to cumulus clouds.
Raptor Observations:
A total of 11 migrant raptors were seen from 10:13 to 16:45 comprising 4 Golden Eagles (1a, 2j, 1u), 1 Bald Eagle juvenile, 1 adult American Goshawk, 2 undifferentiated light morph Red-tailed Hawk, 1 unidentified accipiter, 1 unidentified falcon and 1 unidentified small raptor. Most eagles were seen flying over East ridge, but one GOEA and one RTHA were over the West ridge. Some of the smaller migrants were over the valley.
Non-migrant raptors included 1 adult Golden Eagle, 2 Bald Eagles (1a, 1j), 1 Sharp-shinned Hawk and 1 American Goshawk.
Non-raptor Observations:
4 Canada Goose, 1 Northern Flicker, 8 Common Raven, 3 Mountain Chickadee, 1 Ruby-crowned Kinglet, 3 Golden-crowned Kinglet, 1 Red-breasted Nuthatch, 2 Mountain Bluebird, 2 Varied Thrush, 8 American Robin, 20 Dark-eyed Junco.
Report submitted by ()
Mount Lorette information may be found at: eaglewatch.ca
More information at hawkcount.org: [Site Profile] [Day Summary] [Month Summary]
Mount Lorette (12 Apr 2025) Raptors
Alberta, Canada
| Daily Raptor Counts: Apr 12, 2025 | |||
| Species | Day’s Count | Month Total | Season Total |
| Turkey Vulture | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Osprey | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Bald Eagle | 0 | 8 | 64 |
| Northern Harrier | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Sharp-shinned Hawk | 0 | 4 | 6 |
| Cooper’s Hawk | 0 | 2 | 2 |
| American Goshawk | 0 | 2 | 3 |
| Broad-winged Hawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Swainson’s Hawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Red-tailed Hawk | 0 | 15 | 17 |
| Ferruginous Hawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Rough-legged Hawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Golden Eagle | 0 | 114 | 1052 |
| American Kestrel | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Merlin | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Gyrfalcon | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Peregrine Falcon | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Prairie Falcon | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Unknown Accipitrine | 0 | 2 | 3 |
| Unknown Buteo | 0 | 1 | 6 |
| Unknown Falcon | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Unknown Eagle | 0 | 3 | 10 |
| Unknown Raptor | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Total: | 0 | 152 | 1166 |
(No count conducted today)
Weather:
No count was conducted as a snowfall warning was issued for the area with heavy snow forecast to begin around the same time as the start of the count.
Raptor Observations:
Non-raptor Observations:
Report submitted by ()
Mount Lorette information may be found at: eaglewatch.ca
More information at hawkcount.org: [Site Profile] [Day Summary] [Month Summary]
Mount Lorette (11 Apr 2025) 26 Raptors
Alberta, Canada
| Daily Raptor Counts: Apr 11, 2025 | |||
| Species | Day’s Count | Month Total | Season Total |
| Turkey Vulture | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Osprey | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Bald Eagle | 0 | 8 | 64 |
| Northern Harrier | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Sharp-shinned Hawk | 0 | 4 | 6 |
| Cooper’s Hawk | 0 | 2 | 2 |
| American Goshawk | 1 | 2 | 3 |
| Broad-winged Hawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Swainson’s Hawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Red-tailed Hawk | 2 | 15 | 17 |
| Ferruginous Hawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Rough-legged Hawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Golden Eagle | 19 | 114 | 1052 |
| American Kestrel | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Merlin | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Gyrfalcon | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Peregrine Falcon | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Prairie Falcon | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Unknown Accipitrine | 2 | 2 | 3 |
| Unknown Buteo | 1 | 1 | 6 |
| Unknown Falcon | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Unknown Eagle | 0 | 3 | 10 |
| Unknown Raptor | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Total: | 26 | 152 | 1166 |
| Observation start time: | 09:00:00 |
| Observation end time: | 16:00:00 |
| Total observation time: | 7 hours |
| Official Counter | Graeme Dunlop |
| Observers: | Glenn Webber, Neil Denton |
Visitors:
12
Weather:
A sunny, windy day. The temperature rose to a high of 11C at 1600 from a low of 7C, ground winds were S to SW moderate and ridge winds were SW moderate to strong. Cloud cover was 20 to 50 % cumulus.
Raptor Observations:
A total of 26 migrant raptors occurred between 10:30 and 15:50, comprising 19 Golden Eagles (12a, 2sa, 5u), 1 adult American Goshawk, 1 adult light morph and 1 undifferentiated dark morph Red-tailed Hawk, 2 unidentified accipiters, 1 unidentified buteo and 1 unidentified small raptor. All migrant Golden Eagles were seen over the eastern ridges, gliding high and fast over to Mt Lorette. Non migrants comprised 3 adult Bald Eagles and 1 adult Golden Eagle.
Non-raptor Observations:
8 Common Ravens, 15 American Crows, 2 Black-capped Chickadee, 1 Mountain Chickadee, about 20 American Robins, 12 Dark-eyed Juncos, 2 Common Mergansers.
Report submitted by ()
Mount Lorette information may be found at: eaglewatch.ca
More information at hawkcount.org: [Site Profile] [Day Summary] [Month Summary]
