Date: 10/27/2016

Number: 1

Mount Lorette Raptor Count, 2016 Fall

www.eaglewatch.ca

PETER SHERRINGTON
Introduction: This is the 25th consecutive year that RMERF has conducted at least one fall count in the Front Ranges of the Alberta Rocky Mountains.

October 27 [Day 37] (Blake Weis, assisted by Cliff Hansen) 0815-1830. The temperature at 0815 was -4C, the high at 1600 and 1700 was 6C and it was 4C at 1830 when observation ceased. Ground winds were mainly S 5-10 gusting 15-20 km/h and ridge winds were moderate WSW-SW all day. Cloud cover was 100% stratocumulus, altocumulus and altostratus all day with the exception of 1100-1400 when it cleared to 70%, and moderate to light rain fell to 1300 and at 1700 light rain resumed. All ridges were obscured to 0900 after which they slowly cleared and were completely clear by 1400. As on the previous three days raptor movement was light with 18 birds of 4 species moving between 1420 and 1734. The flight was 2a Bald Eagles, 1u Northern Goshawk, 1 light morph Rough-legged Hawk and 14 Golden Eagles (11a, 3u). The eagle movement was high gliding from Mount Lorette to the Fisher Range with half the birds detected at Lorette and half detected at the northern end of the Fisher Range. The busiest hour was 9 birds (1 Rough-legged Hawk and 8 Golden Eagles) between 1600 and 1700. Other birds detected included single singing Boreal and Northern Pygmy-Owls, 1 Northern Shrike, 3 Brown Creepers, 1 Ruby-crowned Kinglet, 5 Bohemian Waxwings, 2 Dark-eyed Juncos, 1 Grey-crowned Rosy-Finch and 1 Pine Siskin. Two visitors came to the site today.

10.25 (393.6) BAEA 2 (97), NOGO 1 (28), RLHA 1 (17), GOEA 14 (2323) TOTAL 18 (2692)

Turner Valley, AB

Latitude: 51 Longitude: -115.1

Observed by: Claire
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