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.
03/21/2022
Observers: Lori Anderson, Glenn Webber, Jim St.Laurent, Roger Montgomery, Rachel Boekel with her children and their friends.
07:00 AM
08:00 PM
-1C to 5C
The cloud coverage averaged about 40-50% throughout the day, mainly cumulus, altocumulus with some cirrus and cirrostratus clouds until midday. SW Ridge winds averaged 24km/h. Ground winds blew from the SW between 5-15 km/h, with regular gusts of up to 25 km/h. This made for a cold day in spite of the intermittent sunshine. The first Golden Eagle of the day appeared at 8:00, flying from the north end of Patrick over to Lorette and passing in front of Lorette near the ridge and then around to the other side. Many Eagles used this flight pattern throughout the day and quite a few were found very high above the Fisher Range. After 12:00, traffic was light but constant, averaging 10 to 20 per hour. The highlight of the day was the presence of Rachel’s children and friends. It was so uplifting to be around children with so much interest in what we are doing. They asked amazingly intelligent questions and offered anecdotes and information throughout their stay as they helped look for eagles. We found it odd that there were so few small birds in the area. Predators maybe? At one point, a Goshawk swooped across the meadow, presumably hunting, and two Wisakedjaks complained as they flew off into the woods.
87 ( 61 adult, 10 subadult, 2 juvenile, 14 unidentified).
Bald Eagle 5, Northern Goshawk 2, Unclassified Eagle 1
12:00 - 14:00 35 Migrants
95
Northern Goshawk, Bald Eagle, Golden Eagle
Starlings, Canada Jays, Bohemian Waxwings, and Ravens.
30
