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.
03/31/2022
Observers: Caroline Lambert, Rick Robb
07:20 AM
08:20 PM
The temperature ranged from -1 to +4, ending at +2.
Conditions appeared perfect for migration, with the east ridge clear all day and westerly winds strong enough to blow snow off the ridges at times. However, weather disturbances to the south, as seen on the weather radar map, appear to have affected the migration. The first Golden Eagle was seen at 11:00, but no more were seen until well after 16:00. The strong winds enabled them to fly high over the east ridge. Most had enough height they flew well over the top of Lorette. The height and the fading light late in the day made ageing difficult.
25 (15 adult, 2 subadult, 1 juvenile, 7 unaged)
2 Bald Eagles (1 adult, 1 juvenile), 1 unidentified eagle.
Nearly half the migrants were seen between 18:00 and 19:00.
28
Two resident Golden Eagles, one on each side of the valley. One Northern Goshawk was seen flying low across the meadow twice.
Snow Goose 28 (flying north)
Canada Goose 7
Ruffed Grouse 1 (drumming)
Northern Flicker 1
Northern Shrike 1
Canada Jay 2
Common Raven 8
Black-capped Chickadee 5
Mountain Bluebird 2
Varied Thrush 3
American Robin 20
Pine Siskin 1
Dark-eyed Junco 2
Song Sparrow 1
9
