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.
10/11/2021
Observers: Lori Anderson, Glenn Webber
08:00 AM
07:00 PM
-8C to +3C
It was a wee bit chilly first thing in the morning at -8C and there was no wind. The complete calmness spelled out a grim forecast for the day’s activity but in spite of the low winds, we had quite a good turnout. Ridge winds varied between 3-20 km/h from the WNW/WSW and two squalls snuck in from the north, one at 14:45 and another around 17:30. For some reason, it was very easy to identify the plumage of the Raptors today even with white/grey cloud and at great distances, although most flew at a lower altitude due to the lower winds. The light seemed more subdued. Most of the birds were found on the Eastern route.
126 ( 71 Adults, 15 Subadults, 21 Juveniles, 19 unidentified)
(11) 1 Bald Eagle, 4 Sharp-shinned Hawks, 2 Northern Goshawks, 2 Rough-legged Hawks, 1 unidentified Buteo, 1 unidentified Falcon.
12:00-13:00 (33) and 16:00-17:00 (28)
137
1 Golden Eagle
1 Varied Thrush, 2 Great-horned Owls, 2 Canada Jays, Northern Shrikes(1 adult and 1 juvenile), 2 Black-capped Chickadees, 2 Mountain Chickadees, 1 Ruffed Grouse, 6 common Ravens, 1 Black-billed Magpie, 1 Clarks Nutcracker, 2 Robins, 1 Common Loon, 9 Dark-eyed Juncos.
1 Skunk, 2 Red Squirrels.
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