Mount Lorette (28 Sep 2024) 55 Raptors
Alberta, Canada
| Daily Raptor Counts: Sep 28, 2024 | |||
| Species | Day’s Count | Month Total | Season Total |
| Turkey Vulture | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Osprey | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Bald Eagle | 2 | 8 | 8 |
| Northern Harrier | 2 | 5 | 5 |
| Sharp-shinned Hawk | 9 | 18 | 18 |
| Cooper’s Hawk | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| American Goshawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Broad-winged Hawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Swainson’s Hawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Red-tailed Hawk | 3 | 8 | 8 |
| Ferruginous Hawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Rough-legged Hawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Golden Eagle | 36 | 153 | 153 |
| American Kestrel | 0 | 3 | 3 |
| Merlin | 0 | 3 | 3 |
| Gyrfalcon | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Peregrine Falcon | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Prairie Falcon | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Unknown Accipiter | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Unknown Buteo | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Unknown Falcon | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Unknown Eagle | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Unknown Raptor | 3 | 5 | 5 |
| Total: | 55 | 207 | 207 |
| Observation start time: | 08:00:00 |
| Observation end time: | 18:00:00 |
| Total observation time: | 10 hours |
| Official Counter | Blake Weis |
| Observers: | Lynn Macintosh |
Visitors:
The beautiful weather and scenery brought lots of visitors to the meadow today. 80 people stopped to talk, including a group of at least 27, and 8 stayed for a while to look for migrants. Special thanks to Nancy & Christa who hung around long enough to catch the peak of migration and helped to spot some eagles, come back anytime!
Weather:
The temperature was 2C at the start of observation, it rose to a high of 14, then fell to 11 as we were leaving. Cloud cover was 25-50% cirrus, altocumulus and cumulus. Ground wind was light in the morning and gusting around 20 km/h in the afternoon, mostly from the N-NE, but occasionally from the NW. Until 1 PM the ridge wind was also light and varied from S, to SE, to NE. The ridge wind changed to SW and increased around 1 PM, reaching 50 km/h later in the afternoon.
Raptor Observations:
The day started off slow. There was a short bust of activity between 11:30 AM and 12:00 PM, but not much was moving in the morning or early afternoon. Then the change to SW wind seemed to produce an influx of migrants, culminating in an evening rush of 30 raptors between 4 and 6 PM. Almost all the movement was low on the west ridges or over the valley before 4 PM, between 4 and 5 migrants were gaining height and using both ridges, then after 5 they had fully transitioned the east. The last Golden Eagle landed high on the South Fisher Range near Mount McDougall just after 6 PM.
The total count for the day was 55 raptors including 36 Golden Eagles (10 adults, 6 sub-adults, 7 juveniles, 5 undifferentiated immature, 8 unaged), 2 Bald Eagles, 2 Northern Harriers, 9 Sharp-shinned Hawks, 3 Red-tailed Hawks, and 3 small unidentified raptors. Local raptors included one Golden Eagle flying north over Olympic Summit, and an American Goshawk hunting above the Nakiska Ski Area.
Non-raptor Observations:
Other birds included: 3 Common Mergansers, 1 Ruffed Grouse, 1 Belted Kingfisher, 1 Downy Woodpecker, 11 Northern Flickers (10 flew south past the site within about a minute, 1 was by itself), 3 Canada Jays, 1 Black-billed Magpie, 13 Common Ravens, 1 Black-capped Chickadee, 5 Mountain Chickadees, 1 Boreal Chickadee, 8 Ruby-crowned Kinglets, 8 Golden-crowned Kinglets, 1 Brown Creeper, 1 American Dipper, 26 American Robins, 17 Pine Siskins, 7 Dark-Eyed Juncos, 5 White-crowned Sparrows, 1 Palm Warbler, 3 Yellow-rumped Warblers, and 1 Wilson’s Warbler. A Mourning Cloak butterfly and a Nearctic Bumble Bee were also seen.
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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 (27 Sep 2024) 28 Raptors
Alberta, Canada
| Daily Raptor Counts: Sep 27, 2024 | |||
| Species | Day’s Count | Month Total | Season Total |
| Turkey Vulture | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Osprey | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Bald Eagle | 0 | 6 | 6 |
| Northern Harrier | 0 | 3 | 3 |
| Sharp-shinned Hawk | 2 | 9 | 9 |
| Cooper’s Hawk | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| American Goshawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Broad-winged Hawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Swainson’s Hawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Red-tailed Hawk | 1 | 5 | 5 |
| Ferruginous Hawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Rough-legged Hawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Golden Eagle | 25 | 117 | 117 |
| American Kestrel | 0 | 3 | 3 |
| Merlin | 0 | 3 | 3 |
| Gyrfalcon | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Peregrine Falcon | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Prairie Falcon | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Unknown Accipiter | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Unknown Buteo | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Unknown Falcon | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Unknown Eagle | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Unknown Raptor | 0 | 2 | 2 |
| Total: | 28 | 152 | 152 |
| Observation start time: | 08:00:00 |
| Observation end time: | 18:00:00 |
| Total observation time: | 9.32 hours |
| Official Counter | Caroline Lambert |
| Observers: | Carol McTavish |
Visitors:
About 20 stopped to ask about the count. Many thanks to Paul from Cochrane and the Australian quartet, who stayed several hours and were most helpful in spotting the dots in the sky.
Weather:
It was an unusual day in that the winds were strongest in the morning, and gradually diminished as the day went by. The temperature started at 12C, rose to 16C, and was 15C at the end of the day. It was mostly cloudy in the morning, with cumulus clouds, racing over the sky from the west initially, then veering to the southwest before going back to being from the west. The clouds had mostly disappeared by the end of the count. Ground winds gusted up 40kph. Ridge winds were in the range of 40-50kph most of the day, gusting over 100kph at times. The ridge winds were mostly from the southwest, but moved around to a more southerly direction midday, which resulted in a bit of headwind for the eagles. Most used that headwind to kite high above the ridge.
Raptor Observations:
Golden Eagles flew by in a trickle of 2-4 per hour, with 5 each hour between 1400 and 1600. The total of 25 (11a, 3j, 11u) was respectable for this time of the season. All the eagles flew over the east ridge, most high and fast (and challenging to age), and only a couple needing to soar to gain altitude later in the day. A couple of Sharp-shinned Hawks were spotted, and one adult Red-tailed Hawk.
Non-raptor Observations:
Other avian fauna consisted mostly of the usual suspects: 7 Common Mergansers, 1 Belted Kingfisher, 2 Canada Jays, 6 Common Ravens, 2 Black-billed Magpies, 1 American Dipper, 2 Mountain Chickadees, 2 Black-capped Chickadees, 1 Boreal Chickadee, 1 Ruby-crowned Kinglet, 2 Pine Siskins, and 1 Oregon Dark-sided Junco.
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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 (26 Sep 2024) 21 Raptors
Alberta, Canada
| Daily Raptor Counts: Sep 26, 2024 | |||
| Species | Day’s Count | Month Total | Season Total |
| Turkey Vulture | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Osprey | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Bald Eagle | 0 | 6 | 6 |
| Northern Harrier | 0 | 3 | 3 |
| Sharp-shinned Hawk | 2 | 7 | 7 |
| Cooper’s Hawk | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| American Goshawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Broad-winged Hawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Swainson’s Hawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Red-tailed Hawk | 1 | 4 | 4 |
| Ferruginous Hawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Rough-legged Hawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Golden Eagle | 13 | 92 | 92 |
| American Kestrel | 2 | 3 | 3 |
| Merlin | 1 | 3 | 3 |
| Gyrfalcon | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Peregrine Falcon | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Prairie Falcon | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Unknown Accipiter | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Unknown Buteo | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Unknown Falcon | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Unknown Eagle | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Unknown Raptor | 0 | 2 | 2 |
| Total: | 21 | 124 | 124 |
| Observation start time: | 09:00:00 |
| Observation end time: | 19:00:00 |
| Total observation time: | 9.08 hours |
| Official Counter | Caroline Lambert |
| Observers: | Cliff Hansen, Kevin Barker, Peter Lloyd |
Visitors:
Five people stopped to chat, and two old friends, Cliff and Kevin, stayed for a couple of hours to help spot.
Weather:
The weather forecast that indicated rain diminishing at 9:00am should have said rain *increasing* at 9:00am. The start of the count was delayed until the rain stopped at 10:30am. In spite of the precipitation, the temperature was warm, starting at 9C, rising to 14C, and ending at 12C. It felt colder as the ground wind was blustery, though never over 20kph, and the sun was often behind clouds. Ridge winds were strong from the southwest, gusting up to 84kph. Cumulus clouds scudded across the sky from the west.
Raptor Observations:
In spite of the apparently good migration conditions, the number of Golden Eagles, 13 (7a, 1j, 5u), was low for this time of year. There was a good variety of other migrating raptors – 1 adult Red-tailed Hawk, 2 Sharp-shinned Hawks, 1 Cooper’s Hawk, one accipiter sp., 2 American Kestrels, and 1 Merlin.
Non-raptor Observations:
There was a good variety of other birds, including several dozen ravens that flew from the east ridge over our heads to the west, and several flocks of robins all heading south: Belted Kingfisher 1, Canada Jay 2, Black-billed Magpie 1, Common Raven 35, Black-capped Chickadee 2, Mountain Chickadee 1, Ruby-crowned Kinglet 3, Golden-crowned Kinglet 3, Red-breasted Nuthatch 1, American Dipper 1, American Robin 60, American Pipit 10, Pine Siskin 1, Yellow-rumped Warbler 6
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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 (25 Sep 2024) 8 Raptors
Alberta, Canada
| Daily Raptor Counts: Sep 25, 2024 | |||
| Species | Day’s Count | Month Total | Season Total |
| Turkey Vulture | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Osprey | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Bald Eagle | 0 | 6 | 6 |
| Northern Harrier | 0 | 3 | 3 |
| Sharp-shinned Hawk | 1 | 5 | 5 |
| Cooper’s Hawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| American Goshawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Broad-winged Hawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Swainson’s Hawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Red-tailed Hawk | 0 | 3 | 3 |
| Ferruginous Hawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Rough-legged Hawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Golden Eagle | 7 | 79 | 79 |
| American Kestrel | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Merlin | 0 | 2 | 2 |
| Gyrfalcon | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Peregrine Falcon | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Prairie Falcon | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Unknown Accipiter | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Unknown Buteo | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Unknown Falcon | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Unknown Eagle | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Unknown Raptor | 0 | 2 | 2 |
| Total: | 8 | 103 | 103 |
| Observation start time: | 08:00:00 |
| Observation end time: | 16:45:00 |
| Total observation time: | 8.75 hours |
| Official Counter | Rick Robb |
| Observers: | Glenn Webber |
Visitors:
33 Visitors Some very interested in the count
Weather:
Very warm and windy day 17c at start ,22c as high , 21c at end of day Cloud cover 10 to 15 % Cu clouds mostly, some Ci Ground winds SW 10 to 45 kph Ridge winds Moderate to High No precipitation
Raptor Observations:
All eagles seen over eastern ridges , most traveling high and fast Raptor count 7 6 GOEA 5u,1j 1 SSHA
Non-raptor Observations:
Wind kept most small birds to ground 1 Ruffed Grouse, 1 Common Merganser 4 Pine Siskins
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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 (24 Sep 2024) 9 Raptors
Alberta, Canada
| Daily Raptor Counts: Sep 24, 2024 | |||
| Species | Day’s Count | Month Total | Season Total |
| Turkey Vulture | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Osprey | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Bald Eagle | 0 | 6 | 6 |
| Northern Harrier | 0 | 3 | 3 |
| Sharp-shinned Hawk | 0 | 4 | 4 |
| Cooper’s Hawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| American Goshawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Broad-winged Hawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Swainson’s Hawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Red-tailed Hawk | 0 | 3 | 3 |
| Ferruginous Hawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Rough-legged Hawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Golden Eagle | 9 | 72 | 72 |
| American Kestrel | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Merlin | 0 | 2 | 2 |
| Gyrfalcon | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Peregrine Falcon | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Prairie Falcon | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Unknown Accipiter | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Unknown Buteo | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Unknown Falcon | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Unknown Eagle | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Unknown Raptor | 0 | 2 | 2 |
| Total: | 9 | 95 | 95 |
| Observation start time: | 08:00:00 |
| Observation end time: | 17:00:00 |
| Total observation time: | 8.98 hours |
| Official Counter | Caroline Lambert |
| Observers: | Ruth Morrow |
Visitors:
About 10 visitors came by early in the day, many with binoculars, but only the ones willing to wait around saw any eagles.
Weather:
It was an unusually warm day – the temperature started at 13C and rose to 21C by mid-afternoon. It was still 21C at departure time. Initially the sky was nearly 100% covered with altostratus and cirrostratus clouds, but those gradually moved off to the east and the day ended with just a few cirrus clouds. A Chinook arch hung behind the east ridge for a while – the cloud made spotting eagles relatively easy, but aging them a challenge. Ground winds were mostly calm with gusts from the southwest up to 30kph. A helicopter landed on top of Nakiska, and someone was seen fiddling with the weather station up there. By the end of the day, the Environment Canada Nakiska page was showing ridge winds (for the first time in weeks), which, by the end of the day, were up to 60kph.
Raptor Observations:
In spite of the apparently favourable winds, only 9 migrating Golden Eagles were seen (2a, 1sa, 2j, 2ui, 2u). No other migrant raptors were spotted. The only non-migrant was a Golden Eagle sitting on the rocks at the top of Nakiska early in the morning.
Non-raptor Observations:
Other birds were also not plentiful – only two very small flocks of migrating passerines (not identifiable) flew by. Even ravens were few and far between – we saw only two briefly above the ridge, and a couple in the valley. Other birds were: Canada Goose 2, Belted Kingfisher 1, Canada Jay 2, Black-capped Chickadee 3, Boreal Chickadee 1, Ruby-crowned Kinglet 2, Red-breasted Nuthatch 1, American Dipper 1, American Robin 2, Pine Siskin 1
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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 (23 Sep 2024) 15 Raptors
Alberta, Canada
| Daily Raptor Counts: Sep 23, 2024 | |||
| Species | Day’s Count | Month Total | Season Total |
| Turkey Vulture | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Osprey | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Bald Eagle | 3 | 6 | 6 |
| Northern Harrier | 1 | 3 | 3 |
| Sharp-shinned Hawk | 1 | 4 | 4 |
| Cooper’s Hawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| American Goshawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Broad-winged Hawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Swainson’s Hawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Red-tailed Hawk | 0 | 3 | 3 |
| Ferruginous Hawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Rough-legged Hawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Golden Eagle | 7 | 63 | 63 |
| American Kestrel | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Merlin | 0 | 2 | 2 |
| Gyrfalcon | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Peregrine Falcon | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Prairie Falcon | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Unknown Accipiter | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Unknown Buteo | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Unknown Falcon | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Unknown Eagle | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Unknown Raptor | 1 | 2 | 2 |
| Total: | 15 | 86 | 86 |
| Observation start time: | 07:15:00 |
| Observation end time: | 17:30:00 |
| Total observation time: | 10.75 hours |
| Official Counter | Lori Anderson |
| Observers: | Lynette MacCulloch |
Visitors:
72 Thanks to Jim St. Laurent for helping out. I would like to give a special mention to a Scottish gentleman who is currently working on a re-wilding project in the Scottish Highlands. Thanks to all who passed by and showed interest in our project!
Weather:
It was a wonderful fall day, sunny and warm most of the time with a few gusty periods to cool us down. The temperature at the start was 12 C. It reached a high of 18C at 3 pm, then cooled down to 16 C when we finalized at 18:00. Between 12:00 and 17:00 gusts reached up to 25 Kmh. Cumulous, Cirrus and Lenticular clouds covered between 30 and 70 % of the sky throughout the day and a bit of stratus formed at times to the west and to the east but never overhead.
Raptor Observations:
Most of the raptors were located gliding above the Eastern ridges. A sharp-shinned Hawk hunted in the meadow for a brief period. The total count was: Golden Eagle 7 (3a,3sa,1u), Bald Eagle 3 adults, Sharp-shinned Hawk 1 adult male, Peregrin Falcon 1, Northern Harrier 1 adult female, Unidentified large falcon 1, Unidentified raptor 1.
Non-raptor Observations:
Robins 60, Black-capped chickadee 2, Pine siskin. Northern Flicker 1, Ruby-crowned Kinglet 1, Raven 12, Common Merganser 4, Lincoln Sparrow 1 Savanna Sparrow 1. A flamboyant Herald Moth drank from my closed bottle of strawberry water Kefir all day. It even went away to take a nap and found the way back an hour later to continue eating. I thought I was going to have to take it home. 2 red squirrels. 1 chipmunk in the parking lot.
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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 (22 Sep 2024) 20 Raptors
Alberta, Canada
| Daily Raptor Counts: Sep 22, 2024 | |||
| Species | Day’s Count | Month Total | Season Total |
| Turkey Vulture | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Osprey | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Bald Eagle | 0 | 3 | 3 |
| Northern Harrier | 0 | 2 | 2 |
| Sharp-shinned Hawk | 0 | 3 | 3 |
| Cooper’s Hawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| American Goshawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Broad-winged Hawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Swainson’s Hawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Red-tailed Hawk | 0 | 3 | 3 |
| Ferruginous Hawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Rough-legged Hawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Golden Eagle | 19 | 56 | 56 |
| American Kestrel | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Merlin | 1 | 2 | 2 |
| Gyrfalcon | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Peregrine Falcon | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Prairie Falcon | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Unknown Accipiter | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Unknown Buteo | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Unknown Falcon | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Unknown Eagle | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Unknown Raptor | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Total: | 20 | 71 | 71 |
| Observation start time: | 07:00:00 |
| Observation end time: | 18:00:00 |
| Total observation time: | 9.63 hours |
| Official Counter | Caroline Lambert |
| Observers: | Allison Zukewich |
Visitors:
57, including five with binoculars eager to spot some Golden Eagles.
Weather:
It was a strangely warm day for being overcast most of the time. The temperature started out 11C and stayed in a narrow range, reaching a high of 14C and staying at that level. Ground winds were blustery; occasionally calm, then raising some concern about toppling some gear, then going back to calm. High level winds were moderate to strong, starting from the northwest and swinging to the west. Ridge winds were hard to assess – the first group of eagles were gliding both high and low on the east ridge, but later in the day were quite low. Cloud cover started out at 100% stratus, which gradually broke up to become cumulus clouds, but the coverage never was less than 75%, and by evening was back to a gloomy 100%.
Raptor Observations:
The first two migrants seen were on the west ridge, but after that all activity happened on the east ridge. After a burst of movement around noon, activity was sporadic for the rest of the day. The totals were 19 Golden Eagles (5a, 4sa, 1j, 2ui, 7u), and one Merlin.
Two non-migrant Golden Eagles were seen flying northwest across the valley, and an American Goshawk was hunting over Hummingbird Plume.
Non-raptor Observations:
Other species were mostly quiet on this dark and gloomy day. A couple of flocks of robins, about 35 in total, were seen heading south. The dipper put in brief appearance on the river. A Ruffed Grouse was hanging out on the path near the site. Other birds were 7 Common Ravens, 2 Black-capped Chickadees, 10 Pine Siskins, and a Savannah Sparrow.
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Mount Lorette information may be found at: eaglewatch.ca
More information at hawkcount.org: [Site Profile] [Day Summary] [Month Summary]
