The main observation site is the Hay Meadow, Mt. Lorette Site. The site is located in Kananaskis on the bank of the Kananaskis River. It has a view of the open valley. which allows excellent (though rather distant) viewing of the Fisher Range to the east. The bulk of the Golden Eagles and other raptors use this ridge as part of their preferred migration route.
Mt. Lorette Observations
See the seasonal count reports and daily summaries for historical observation counts. The following observations started in Fall 2021.
10/03/2021
Observers: Ethan Denton, Neil Denton
07:40 AM
07:30 PM
9°C - 16°C
Although the day was pleasant for observers, flying conditions were far from ideal. Clear blue skies made aging birds difficult, but the tricky conditions meant that for much of the day, there weren't many birds to age anyways. Right at the end of the day, a change in winds saw a late push made, to bring the day's numbers up a bit. Almost every raptor seen flew low into Mt. Patrick before hitting a strong thermal and rising several 100m to coast across the rest of the Fisher range. Overall a very nice, but slow, day at the site.
44
3 Sharp-shinned Hawk, 3 Cooper's Hawk, 1 Northern Goshawk, 5 Bald Eagle, 1 Broad-winged Hawk, 3 Red-tailed Hawk, 1 Rough-legged Hawk, 1 buteo sp., 2 Peregrine Falcon
18:00 - 19:00
65
1 Golden Eagle, 1 Merlin (Taiga)
40 Snow Goose, 2 Belted Kingfisher, 1 Orange-crowned Warbler, 1 Common Loon
2 White-tailed Deer
1
