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.
03/28/2022
Observers: Lori Anderson, Glenn Webber
07:00 AM
06:30 PM
-1C to +8C
We had a beautiful calm morning with lots of Spring activity in the meadow. At around 11 AM the winds picked up from the north and subsequently raptor movement augmented. After 16:00 the winds increased and gusts between 20- 40 km/h became more frequent. The ridges were clear all day until about 18:00 when the predicted storm finally broke through and we had to end the count early. Once again, the viewing conditions were poor. The sun was usually shrouded by clouds (80 -90 % all day) and high humidity created the dreaded bleeding effect in the telescope. This made it very difficult to get the necessary clear image for plumage id. Most eagles took the high road from The Fisher Range to Lorette, and most took shelter from the strong northerly winds by flying in front of the face of Lorette. Some chose the western route, flying behind the Olympic Summit and Mount Allen.
58 (33 adults, 1 subadult, 1 juvenile, 23 unaged).
5 Bald Eagles (2 adults, 1 immature, 1 juvenile, 1 unaged), 1 Sharp-shinned Hawk, 1 Indeterminate Eagle, 3 Indeterminate Falcons (large),
13:00-14:00 with 18 and 16:00-17:00 with 17 migrants.
68
2 Golden Eagles (adult), 3 Bald Eagles (1 adult 2 Juveniles) , 2 Northern Goshawks.
1 Northern Shrike, 6 Dark-eyed Juncos, 39 Canada Geese, 1 Pileated Woodpecker, 2 Northern Flickers, 4 Canada Jays, 1 Black-billed Magpie, 2 European Starlings, 1 Varied Thrush, 47 American Robins, 12 Bohemian Waxwings, 2 Black-capped Chickadees, Common Ravens, 1 Red-winged Blackbird, 1 Red-breasted Nuthatch.
1 Coyote, 1 Snowshoe Hare, 1 Red Squirrel.
32
