Mount Lorette (06 Apr 2024) 17 Raptors
Alberta, Canada
| Daily Raptor Counts: Apr 06, 2024 | |||
| Species | Day’s Count | Month Total | Season Total |
| Turkey Vulture | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Osprey | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Bald Eagle | 7 | 12 | 71 |
| Northern Harrier | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Sharp-shinned Hawk | 0 | 2 | 3 |
| Cooper’s Hawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| American Goshawk | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Broad-winged Hawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Swainson’s Hawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Red-tailed Hawk | 2 | 9 | 12 |
| Ferruginous Hawk | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Rough-legged Hawk | 2 | 3 | 7 |
| Golden Eagle | 6 | 56 | 1641 |
| American Kestrel | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Merlin | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| Gyrfalcon | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Peregrine Falcon | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Prairie Falcon | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Unknown Accipiter | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Unknown Buteo | 0 | 1 | 3 |
| Unknown Falcon | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Unknown Eagle | 0 | 0 | 13 |
| Unknown Raptor | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Total: | 17 | 84 | 1757 |
| Observation start time: | 11:00:00 |
| Observation end time: | 19:00:00 |
| Total observation time: | 7.08 hours |
| Official Counter | Blake Weis |
| Observers: | Lynn Macintosh |
Visitors:
16 visitors stopped to talk. None came to watch raptors.
Weather:
The start of the count was delayed because snow fell throughout the morning which obscured all ridges. It commenced at 12:40 PM as the snow stopped and the sky partially cleared. It was mostly cloudy but there were some sunny breaks in the afternoon. The west ridges remained 80% obscured by low cloud and the east 20-40% until the last hour of observation, when they almost fully cleared. Ground wind was light from variable directions, and ridge wind was light to moderate from the SSW. The temperature was 3 C at the start, the high was 5, and the low was 2.
Raptor Observations:
The count consisted of 6 Golden Eagles (5 adults, 1 unaged), 7 Bald Eagles (3 adults, 4 sub-adults), 2 Red-tailed Hawks and 2 Rough-legged Hawks. Migrants moved through in a slow trickle between 1:30 and 5:50 PM. They were flying low over the center and west side of the valley. Most of them stayed below the level of the clouds, but a few soared up higher between cloud layers, disappearing from view. Local raptors included an adult Golden Eagle that flew south down the west side of the valley, a Red-tailed Hawk hunting over Hummingbird Plume Hill, and a Merlin that was seen twice hunting in the meadow.
Non-raptor Observations:
Other birds included: 18 Snow Geese migrating over the Fisher Range, 2 Canada Geese, 1 American Three-toed Woodpecker, 1 Hairy Woodpecker, 1 American Crow, 5 Common Ravens, 8 Chickadee sp., 1 Red-breasted Nuthatch, 1 Brown Creeper, 2 Varied Thrushes singing in the evening, 20 American Robins, 65 Bohemian Waxwings, and 1 Dark-eyed Junco (Male Oregon) A mink made an appearance swimming in the river near the site. 2 distant bighorn sheep were spotted. Some adult stoneflies have emerged.
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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 (05 Apr 2024) 2 Raptors
Alberta, Canada
| Daily Raptor Counts: Apr 05, 2024 | |||
| Species | Day’s Count | Month Total | Season Total |
| Turkey Vulture | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Osprey | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Bald Eagle | 0 | 5 | 64 |
| Northern Harrier | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Sharp-shinned Hawk | 0 | 2 | 3 |
| Cooper’s Hawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| American Goshawk | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Broad-winged Hawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Swainson’s Hawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Red-tailed Hawk | 0 | 7 | 10 |
| Ferruginous Hawk | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Rough-legged Hawk | 0 | 1 | 5 |
| Golden Eagle | 2 | 50 | 1635 |
| American Kestrel | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Merlin | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| Gyrfalcon | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Peregrine Falcon | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Prairie Falcon | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Unknown Accipiter | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Unknown Buteo | 0 | 1 | 3 |
| Unknown Falcon | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Unknown Eagle | 0 | 0 | 13 |
| Unknown Raptor | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Total: | 2 | 67 | 1740 |
| Observation start time: | 09:00:00 |
| Observation end time: | 14:00:00 |
| Total observation time: | 4.5 hours |
| Official Counter | |
| Observers: | Michael Yeoman |
Visitors:
Five people stopped to chat about the count.
Weather:
The morning started out at -5°C and rose to 1°C by 3:00 pm when the count attempt was concluded. Ground winds were low and out of the NE all day. Falling snow delayed the start of the count. Cloud cover was significant throughout the day with the could ceiling below ridge level; the summit of Patrick made a few appearances but no birds seemed to notice. The count was concluded early due to low cloud obscuring the ridges and obstructing access to the valley.
Raptor Observations:
Migrant Eagles Two migrant Golden Eagles were observed, both along the east side of the valley below the low clouds.
Non-migrant Raptors The resident Golden Eagle pair made a few appearances to the west of the site around Olympic Summit. The resident American Goshawk pair were also spotted in the valley.
Non-raptor Observations:
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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 (04 Apr 2024) Raptors
Alberta, Canada
| Daily Raptor Counts: Apr 04, 2024 | |||
| Species | Day’s Count | Month Total | Season Total |
| Turkey Vulture | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Osprey | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Bald Eagle | 0 | 5 | 64 |
| Northern Harrier | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Sharp-shinned Hawk | 0 | 2 | 3 |
| Cooper’s Hawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| American Goshawk | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Broad-winged Hawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Swainson’s Hawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Red-tailed Hawk | 0 | 7 | 10 |
| Ferruginous Hawk | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Rough-legged Hawk | 0 | 1 | 5 |
| Golden Eagle | 0 | 48 | 1633 |
| American Kestrel | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Merlin | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| Gyrfalcon | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Peregrine Falcon | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Prairie Falcon | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Unknown Accipiter | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Unknown Buteo | 0 | 1 | 3 |
| Unknown Falcon | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Unknown Eagle | 0 | 0 | 13 |
| Unknown Raptor | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Total: | 0 | 65 | 1738 |
(No count conducted today)
Weather:
No count was conducted today due to low clouds, snow all day long, and poor visibility.
Raptor Observations:
Non-raptor Observations:
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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 (03 Apr 2024) 6 Raptors
Alberta, Canada
| Daily Raptor Counts: Apr 03, 2024 | |||
| Species | Day’s Count | Month Total | Season Total |
| Turkey Vulture | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Osprey | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Bald Eagle | 0 | 5 | 64 |
| Northern Harrier | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Sharp-shinned Hawk | 1 | 2 | 3 |
| Cooper’s Hawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| American Goshawk | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Broad-winged Hawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Swainson’s Hawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Red-tailed Hawk | 0 | 7 | 10 |
| Ferruginous Hawk | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Rough-legged Hawk | 0 | 1 | 5 |
| Golden Eagle | 5 | 48 | 1633 |
| American Kestrel | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Merlin | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| Gyrfalcon | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Peregrine Falcon | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Prairie Falcon | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Unknown Accipiter | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Unknown Buteo | 0 | 1 | 3 |
| Unknown Falcon | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Unknown Eagle | 0 | 0 | 13 |
| Unknown Raptor | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Total: | 6 | 65 | 1738 |
| Observation start time: | 10:30:00 |
| Observation end time: | 16:15:00 |
| Total observation time: | 4.75 hours |
| Official Counter | Dan Parliament |
| Observers: | Dan Parliament, Rick Robb |
Weather:
The weather for the day was rain/snow, with some mid day clearing. The observers spent the first two hours in the parking lot under heavy rain conditions. The rain subsided allowing the count to commence at 1130 (MDT). Rain/snow squalls were present for about 10-15 minutes every hour until the clouds descended to tree top level at 1615 hrs (MDT), resulting in termination of the day’s count. The temperatures ranged from +3C to +4 C. Ground winds were from the SE before switching to northerly at 1500 hrs (MDT). Ridge winds were from the South and assessed as medium (11-40 km/hr) to high (41-100 km/hr).
Raptor Observations:
There were five migrant Golden Eagles (Adults) and one Sharp-shinned Hawk (unaged). The resident adult Golden Eagle was observed hunting over Hummingbird Plume mid afternoon. A resident Bald Eagle was observed hunting over the valley.
Non-raptor Observations:
Trumpeter/Tundra Swan x 10, Mallard x 4, Ruffed Grouse x 1 (Drumming), Northern Shrike x 2, Common Raven x 6, Black-capped Chickadee x 2, Mountain Chickadee x 1, American Robin x 23 – (one large flock of 20 flying North), Bohemian Waxwing x 10, Dark-eyed Junco x 10
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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 (02 Apr 2024) 12 Raptors
Alberta, Canada
| Daily Raptor Counts: Apr 02, 2024 | |||
| Species | Day’s Count | Month Total | Season Total |
| Turkey Vulture | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Osprey | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Bald Eagle | 2 | 5 | 64 |
| Northern Harrier | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Sharp-shinned Hawk | 0 | 1 | 2 |
| Cooper’s Hawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| American Goshawk | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Broad-winged Hawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Swainson’s Hawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Red-tailed Hawk | 1 | 7 | 10 |
| Ferruginous Hawk | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Rough-legged Hawk | 0 | 1 | 5 |
| Golden Eagle | 8 | 43 | 1628 |
| American Kestrel | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Merlin | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| Gyrfalcon | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Peregrine Falcon | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Prairie Falcon | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Unknown Accipiter | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Unknown Buteo | 0 | 1 | 3 |
| Unknown Falcon | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Unknown Eagle | 0 | 0 | 13 |
| Unknown Raptor | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Total: | 12 | 59 | 1732 |
| Observation start time: | 06:00:00 |
| Observation end time: | 19:00:00 |
| Total observation time: | 11.5 hours |
| Official Counter | Caroline Lambert |
| Observers: | Lynette MacCulloch |
Visitors:
Seven people stopped to inquire about the count.
Weather:
The temperature started at 4C, rose to 11C, and had only dropped to 10C at the end of the count. Altostratus and cumulus clouds dominated the sky all day, ranging from 50% coverage to 90%. Some lenticular clouds were east of Lorette in the morning, but moved off to the east before noon. The cumulus clouds were moving very fast from the west. Ground winds started out light and variable, but by noon it was gusting to over 30 kph from the southwest, and built from there. The strongest gust recorded at the site was over 70 kph, up into the knock-the-humans-off-balance strength. The wind did not die down before departure. With such strong gusty wind at ground level, and clouds racing across the sky, the ridge winds were likely over 100 kph. We know from when the weather station on the top of Nakiska was working that the eagles do not seem to like flying in such conditions, and that seemed to be the case today with low numbers of migrants.
Raptor Observations:
The first Golden Eagle was not seen until after 2pm, and in the next four hours only seven more were seen (2a, 2sa, 4u), all flying very high and very fast from the east ridge to Lorette, most clearing Lorette by several binocular views. No migrants were seen on the west ridge. Two Bald Eagles (1sa3, 1wb1) were seen following the same route. Early in the day a juvenile Red-tailed Hawk was seen heading north.
Several non-migrant Golden Eagles (possibly multiple sightings of one or two individuals) were seen at times during the day, seemingly struggling with the gusty winds. One adult Red-tailed Hawk was hunting over Hummingbird Plume in the morning before the wind picked up, and there were two sightings of American Goshawks, also battling the wind.
Non-raptor Observations:
Non-raptors were plentiful in the morning: Canada Goose 2, Pileated Woodpecker 1, Northern Shrike 1, Common Raven 7, Black-capped Chickadee 3, Mountain Chickadee 2, Boreal Chickadee 1, Red-breasted Nuthatch 1, Brown Creeper 1, Varied Thrush 2, American Robin 8, Bohemian Waxwing 12, Dark-eyed Junco 4
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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 (01 Apr 2024) 47 Raptors
Alberta, Canada
| Daily Raptor Counts: Apr 01, 2024 | |||
| Species | Day’s Count | Month Total | Season Total |
| Turkey Vulture | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Osprey | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Bald Eagle | 3 | 3 | 62 |
| Northern Harrier | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Sharp-shinned Hawk | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| Cooper’s Hawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| American Goshawk | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Broad-winged Hawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Swainson’s Hawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Red-tailed Hawk | 6 | 6 | 9 |
| Ferruginous Hawk | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Rough-legged Hawk | 1 | 1 | 5 |
| Golden Eagle | 35 | 35 | 1620 |
| American Kestrel | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Merlin | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| Gyrfalcon | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Peregrine Falcon | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Prairie Falcon | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Unknown Accipiter | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Unknown Buteo | 1 | 1 | 3 |
| Unknown Falcon | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Unknown Eagle | 0 | 0 | 13 |
| Unknown Raptor | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Total: | 47 | 47 | 1720 |
| Observation start time: | 07:45:00 |
| Observation end time: | 18:45:00 |
| Total observation time: | 11 hours |
| Official Counter | Graeme Dunlop |
| Observers: | Cameron Harvey |
Visitors:
23 Visitors stopped to talk. Thanks to Glenn Webber, Mark and Suzanne who came to help spot migrants.
Weather:
A sunny day. The temperature rose to 9C at 1400 from a low of -2C and was 5C at 1930, ground winds were light in the morning becoming S to SW 10-20 gusting 30 km/h in the afternoon and ridge winds were WSW moderate. Clear blue skies until late in the day when a few cumulus clouds appeared. Some lenticular clouds could be seen far to the north and west.
Raptor Observations:
There was a slow but steady raptor movement throughout most of the day apart from a 2 hour period with no raptors seen between 12:15 and 14:15. Eagles used both sides of the valley without the usual morning/afternoon switch and this plus the clear blue skies made locating birds quite challenging. A number of eagles were found soaring over Mt Kidd summit before gliding NW in front of Ribbon Peak/Mt Bogart and disappearing behind Olympic summit. The count consisted of 35 Golden Eagles (23a, 3sa, 1ui, 8u), 2 adult and 1 sa Bald Eagles, 1 unidentified buteo, 6 Red-tailed Hawks, 1 Rough-legged Hawk and 1 Sharp-shinned Hawk. The resident Golden Eagles were seen frequently. The male displayed several times over the east ridges.
Non-raptor Observations:
Other birds included: 4 Canada Geese, 2 Pileated Woodpeckers, 1 Northern Flicker, 4 Black-billed Magpie, 9 Common Ravens, 10 European Starlings, 35 American Robins, 2 Varied Thrushes, 1 Mountain Bluebird, 15 Bohemian Waxwings and 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 (31 Mar 2024) 33 Raptors
Alberta, Canada
| Daily Raptor Counts: Mar 31, 2024 | |||
| Species | Day’s Count | Month Total | Season Total |
| Turkey Vulture | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Osprey | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Bald Eagle | 0 | 59 | 59 |
| Northern Harrier | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Sharp-shinned Hawk | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Cooper’s Hawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| American Goshawk | 0 | 2 | 2 |
| Broad-winged Hawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Swainson’s Hawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Red-tailed Hawk | 0 | 3 | 3 |
| Ferruginous Hawk | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Rough-legged Hawk | 0 | 4 | 4 |
| Golden Eagle | 33 | 1585 | 1585 |
| American Kestrel | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Merlin | 0 | 3 | 3 |
| Gyrfalcon | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Peregrine Falcon | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Prairie Falcon | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Unknown Accipiter | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Unknown Buteo | 0 | 2 | 2 |
| Unknown Falcon | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Unknown Eagle | 0 | 13 | 13 |
| Unknown Raptor | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Total: | 33 | 1673 | 1673 |
| Observation start time: | 06:15:00 |
| Observation end time: | 17:15:00 |
| Total observation time: | 11 hours |
| Official Counter | Jessica Banas |
| Observers: | Colin Stallknecht |
Visitors:
There were a couple of visitors who stopped by to do some raptor observations, and about 20 people stopped by to chat.
Weather:
The day started out chilly at -6C but warmed to 4C by the end of the day. The ground winds were quite low from the WSW most of the day but picked up quite a bit in the late afternoon. There were a few clouds scattered, but generally blue skies and sunshine.
Raptor Observations:
When the golden eagles started moving, it seemed as though it might be quite a busy day, however the migrants tapered off around lunchtime, with only a few birds passing after. The total number of goldens was 33 (21sa, 7a, 4j, 1u). They primarily moved on the west ridges with only a couple of birds seen on the east. There were no other migrating raptors during the day. A local subadult golden was seen in the early afternoon, as well as a local Goshawk, and then later in the evening a few local birds were seen soaring: an adult bald eagle, a local subadult golden eagle, and an intermediate/dark-morph Harlan’s red-tail.
Non-raptor Observations:
A nice sign of spring, many Robins were seen moving through the valley. Other observations included: American Three-toed Woodpecker 1, Black-billed Magpie 1, Common Raven 6, Black-capped Chickadee 3, Mountain Chickadee 1, American Robin 25, Bohemian Waxwing 10
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Mount Lorette information may be found at: eaglewatch.ca
More information at hawkcount.org: [Site Profile] [Day Summary] [Month Summary]
