Date: 10/28/2016

Number: 1

MOUNT LORETTE RAPTOR COUNT, FALL 2016

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 28 [Day 38] (George Halmazna, assisted by Dan Parliament) 0750-1800. The starting temperature was -2C, the high at 1600 was 2C and it was 1C at the end of observation. It was essentially calm all day and ridge winds were also calm or light. Cloud cover was 100% stratus to 1445 after which it thinned slightly to 90-80% stratus and cumulus for the rest of the day. All ridges were obscured to almost 1500 when the east began to clear and after 1700 it was 10-20% obscured; the west was 90% obscured to 1700 and was 70% obscured for the last hour of observation. Snow that turned to drizzle mixed with snow fell to 1100. Not surprisingly movement was very sparse with only 5 Golden Eagles (3a, 1sa, 1j) moving between 1530 and 1635. All 5 birds were located in the face of the northern end of the Fisher Range from where they soared to ridge level before moving slowly down the range. Other birds noted included 2 Belted Kingfishers, 1 Pileated Woodpecker, 1 Ruby-crowned Kinglet, 2 American Pipits, 1 American Tree Sparrow, 4 Dark-eyed [Oregon] Juncos and 1 Pine Grosbeak. No visitors were seen today.

10.16 hours (403.7) GOEA 5 (2328) TOTAL 5 (2697)


MOUNT LORETTE SUMMARY COUNT (September 20 to November 15)



DAYS 38

HOURS 403.7

TURKEY VULTURE (TUVU) 0

OSPREY (OSPR) 5

BALD EAGLE (BAEA) 97

NORTHERN HARRIER (NOHA) 9

SHARP-SHINNED HAWK (SSHA) 125

COOPER’S HAWK (COHA) 9

NORTHERN GOSHAWK (NOGO) 28

Accipiter sp. (UA) 12

BROAD-WINGED HAWK (BWHA) 5

SWAINSON’S HAWK (SWHA) 1

RED-TAILED HAWK (RTHA) 26

FERRUGINOUS HAWK (FEHA) 1

ROUGH-LEGGED HAWK (RLHA) 17

Buteo sp. (UB) 6

GOLDEN EAGLE (GOEA) 2328

Eagle sp. (UE) 2

AMERICAN KESTREL (AMKE) 4

MERLIN (MERL) 6

GYRFALCON (GYRF) 0

PEREGRINE FALCON (PEFA) 8

PRAIRIE FALCON (PRFA) 1

Falco sp. (UF) 1

Unidentified Raptor (UU) 5



TOTAL 2697

Turner Valley, AB

Latitude: 51 Longitude: -115.1

Observed by: Claire
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