The Road to the Place of the Eagles
Feature Article by Peter Sherrington
t is late afternoon on December 9, 2007, Photo: Ron Ridout and I have finally called a halt to the Isecond season-long autumn raptor count at our Piitaistakis-South Livingstone site near the Crowsnest Pass in southwestern Alberta. We started on August 25 and have spent 100 days in the field. We have survived temperatures in the minus twenties and wind gusts to 150 km/h on the 1900 m high ridge. And we have tallied almost 8300 southbound migrating raptors of 17 species. Included in the total were 700 Bald Eagles, 1219 Sharp-shinned Hawks, 166 Northern Goshawks, 188 Red-tailed Hawks, 35 Peregrine Falcons, and a truly astounding 5445 Golden Eagles. Finally, I am convinced that we have found our long- sought El Dorado! It has long been known that Golden Eagles migrate through the western cordillera. In 1970, Dick Dekker reported Golden Eagle movement in the Alberta Eagle watchers at Mt. Lorette Photo: Cliff Hansen foothills near the Bow Valley. In 1974, well-known falconer and artist Frank Eagles migrating in the mountains were birds convinced me that the migration event Beebe noted that “a major flight of Golden generally considered anomalous. merited follow-up investigation. Eagles moves along the eastern front of the Particularly noteworthy was the almost In fall 1992, I returned to the Mount Rocky Mountains from central Alberta to complete lack of migration records from Lorette site to see if the route was also used Mexico in the fall, and back along the same Banff and Jasper National Parks. for southward migration. With a growing route in the spring.” He speculated that Sixteen years ago, Des Allen and I number of keen volunteers, including Jack many thousands of eagles were involved, stumbled on an eagle ‘highway’ following Steeves and Bill Wilson, I spent 33 days at a but provided no supporting details. In the the Front Ranges of the Alberta Rocky site close to the base of Mount Lorette. We mid-1980s, Wayne Smith began Mountains while conducting a general bird recorded the passage of 2044 Golden conducting fall reconnaissance counts at survey in the Mount Lorette area of the Eagles, including a single-day count of 476 Windy Point in the Sheep River valley Kananaskis Valley west of Calgary. It all on October 6. I was now becoming southwest of Calgary, and recorded steady started on March 20, 1992 with a single seriously intrigued. I decided to do a full movements of Golden Eagles following the soaring Golden Eagle that I saw at 11:30. count in spring 1993 at a valley bottom site mountain front. By the end of the day, we had counted over in the Hay Meadow beside the Kananaskis Nearly all previous records of 100 of the birds gliding high from the Fisher River, immediately east of the Nakiska ski migrating eagles had been from the Range across the valley to Mount Lorette hill. After 48 days, we had counted 4140 foothills area, and it was generally assumed where they soared before disappearing, Golden Eagles – 849 of which were counted that migration was concentrated there. Rare following the ridges to the northwest. Over on March 25 alone, giving me the first real sightings of concentrations of Golden the next seven days, our final tally of 389 intimation of the massive numbers of birds
4 BIRDWATCH CANADA Rosemary Power, we founded and E incorporated the Rocky Mountain Eagle Research Foundation as a charitable R organization. U George Halmazna and Doug and T
Te r e s a D o l m e n c o n t i n u e d t o A
independently explore for migration E
routes in southernmost Alberta. In fall F 1998, Doug and Teresa watched for the first time at a site they called South Livingstone. This 1900 m site at the
southern end of the Livingstone Range is H near the town of Frank in the Crowsnest Pass. In just three days, they recorded C
210 Golden Eagles. T
That same fall, Harvey Kuszmaniuk A and I travelled to the Pine Pass area west
of Chetwynd in northeastern British W
Columbia. After two weeks of rain and snow, we eventually found Golden Eagles moving south along the ridges of E
the Front Ranges east of the pass. H Subsequent reconnaissance counts by
T
Sandra Kinsey and Laird Law, out of Prince George, found that although the
movement there is steady and N p r ed ictab le, th e n u mb er s ar e
Photo: Ron Ridout O consistently much less than those at that might be involved in this migration. There is a general narrowing of the Mount Lorette. The movement at this Volunteers started watching at other Front Ranges to the south. Reconnaissance latitude is likely more diffuse, with the sites. We quickly traced a fairly linear route counts were conducted by George birds using a number of mountain and moving through the Front Ranges of Banff Halmazna at Highwood Pass and Plateau foothills ridges. and Jasper National Parks to the north and Mountain (about 60 km and 100 km south Explorations in the Tumbler Ridge along the Fisher, Misty, and Livingstone of Mount Lorette, respectively) and by Liz area slightly to the south suggest a Ranges to the south. By this time it had Saunders at the Livingstone Gap (140 km similar situation there. For a number of become obvious that we were dealing with a south of Mount Lorette). These counts years around this time we reconnoitered true migration involving both adult and produced encouraging results. various places on the western flanks of immature birds. With most of the adult birds In the meantime we continued counting the Rocky Mountains in the Columbia moving in March, we suspected their final at Mount Lorette, spending increasingly Valley, BC, but generally with destination was far to the north in Alaska more time at the site. We found that Golden disappointing results. Mount Lorette and the Yukon. Eagle movement extended from mid- continued to be our principal site in both The first full fall count in 1993 yielded February to late May in the spring, and from spring and fall. 5605 migrant raptors of 16 species, late August to early or mid-December in the Doug and Teresa continued their including 4599 Golden Eagles in 75 days. In fall. During the height of migration in pilot surveys at South Livingstone, 70 days the following spring, we counted March and October, birds could be seen counting 1137 Golden Eagles in nine 4695 migrants, of which 4213 were Golden migrating from dawn to dusk on any given days in fall 1999, and 1304 in just five Eagles. During these count periods we day. days in 2000. The year 2000 proved to be continued to explore other sites. In fall In 1997 we decided to conduct a full the most spectacular count to date, with 1994, we decided to count both at Mount count on Plateau Mountain, and spent 75 October 6 yielding 436 Golden Eagles at Lorette and at a site near Barrier Lake, some days watching from elevations up to 2500 Mount Lorette, and Wayne Smith 10 km to the north. This second site, which m. We had excellent views of the birds here counting 420 at Windy Point. The could not be seen from the Lorette site, (we assigned an age class to over 99% of following day, George saw 535 birds tapped a stream of birds moving along the them), but at the end we had ‘only’ counted pass Plateau Mountain, and on the 8th mountain front and high foothills, possibly 3853 Golden Eagles – a number similar to Doug and Teresa saw an amazing 1071 connecting with Wayne Smith’s Windy what we would have expected to have Golden Eagles at South Livingstone, Point site. This count was organized by counted at Mount Lorette. Although it was a with birds already in flight when they Rodger Dunn. Over a period of 48 days, splendid place to view raptors, Plateau arrived at the site. This still remains the they recorded 2195 Golden Eagles moving Mountain was obviously not El Dorado. largest single-day Golden Eagle count parallel to and east of the 3836 birds counted Because of its remoteness and the logistical ever recorded. It looked as if this could at Mount Lorette in 70 days of observation, difficulties of conducting a full-season be El Dorado, but it would be a few more for a total of 6031 Golden Eagles. We now count there, we decided to return to Mount years until we could confirm this. wondered whether there was a place where Lorette. By 1997 we realized that to ensure We continued gathering valuable these two streams came together to produce the continuation of this ever-expanding data at Mount Lorette and conducting the greatest concentration of Golden project, we needed to become more reconnaissance counts elsewhere. On Eagles. If so, where was this El Dorado? organized. Largely through the efforts of October 15, 2004 we experienced
SPRING 2008, NUMBER 43 5 return to Mount Lorette for the 15th consecutive year. In 83 days we tallied the lowest spring Golden Eagle total ever, just 2141 birds, which continued a declining trend that started in about 1995. To put it another way, the average count from 1993- 95 was 4165 Golden Eagles tallied over an average of 544 hours per season; the average for 2003-07 was 2566 birds counted in 1135 hours a season. Analysis of age classes of migrant raptors in fall counts at Mount Lorette show a remarkably close correlation with the number of birds fledged in Denali National Park, Alaska in a long-term study conducted by Carol McKintyre, which in turn correlate closely with the snowshoe hare population cycle in the north. The declining trend in our fall eagle counts appears to be related to over-winter survival rates of young birds in their principal wintering areas, which are mainly in the western Great Plains of the U.S. and northern Mexico, and in the Intermountain Basin of Idaho, Utah, and Nevada. Our counts indicate that up to 65% of juvenile Peregrine Falcon/Faucon pèlerin Photo: Gord Court birds flying south fail to return north in the another flood of Golden Eagles. In a period Despite the weather, the combined spring. The reasons for this are almost of just six hours, 573 birds moved south – species total of 7217 birds was the highest- certainly various, but could be linked to much to the delight and amazement of a ever western Canadian raptor count by over human population growth and drought in group of Japanese eagle researchers who 1000 birds, and the Golden Eagle tally the wintering areas. Spring population were visiting the site for four days. (4400) was apparently the third-highest trend data from western North American In 2006, thanks to generous support total counted anywhere in the world. On sites are currently being analyzed to get a from Enbridge and unstinting logistical October 25, 2006 we recorded our 100,000th clear picture of the situation. A recently support from the Crowsnest Conservation Golden Eagle at the principal observation completed analysis of fall data also Society, we were able to conduct the first site, and it took us only 23,255 count-hours indicates a diminishing trend for the full fall count at South Livingstone. We to do it! A 30-day count for comparison species. started on August 27 in smoke from forest purposes at Mount Lorette, spearheaded by I continue to study the migrations of fires in the northern U.S., and finished on Cliff Hansen, demonstrated that 45% more this wonderful bird because of what such November 29 in a full-blown blizzard. I Golden Eagles passed the South top predators can tell us about the spent 84 of a possible 95 days at the site. At Livingstone site in the period. The count environment we share with them. But this is the end of October the site was assailed by a was an unqualified success, but because of not the only reason. There is the sheer series of storms, producing very high the poor weather I felt certain that we had beauty of the wild places where I watch winds, snow, and wind-chill temperatures not yet seen it at its best. these majestic birds for seven months of the below -50º C. Spring 2007 saw the main count effort year, and the companionship of those with whom I share the experience. There are also the opportunities for teaching people to see and hear the everyday miracles that surround them, and my daily opportunity to learn in what I think of as the ‘Open University.’ There are the close encounters with eagles, cougars, and bears, and with butterflies, spiders, and plants. It turns out that the traditional Piikani Blackfoot name for the ridge system on which the South Livingstone site is located is Piitaistakis, meaning the Place of the Eagles. Now we call the site Piitaistakis- South Livingstone. Some things were just meant to be.
Peter Sherrington is the Research Director of the Rocky Mountain Eagle Research Foundation. Visit www.eaglewatch.ca to Photo: Cliff Hansen learn more.
6 BIRDWATCH CANADA La place des aigles
ous savons depuis longtemps En 1998, Doug et Teresa Dolmen ont le plus faible d’Aigles royaux qui n’ait qu’au cours de sa migration, a m o r c é d e s d é n o m b r e m e n t s d e jamais été recensé (2141), ce qui suivait Nl’Aigle royal passe par la reconnaissance dans un site qu’ils ont l’importante tendance à la baisse cordillère occidentale, mais jusqu’à tout baptisé « South Livingstone » soit observée sur les lieux à compter de 1995. récemment, nous ne possédions aucune Livingstone Sud. (Puisque le nom En automne de 2007, où a eu lieu le autre précision sur ce parcours. Au cours traditionnellement attribué par les Piikanis deuxième dénombrement échelonné sur des années 1970 et 1980, presque toutes de la nation des Pieds-Noirs au système de tout l’automne à South Livingstone, les observations de l’Aigle royal pendant crête à cet endroit est Piitaistakis, qui nous avons observé près de 8300 rapaces sa migration ont été effectuées dans la signifie « la place des aigles », nous parlons de 17 espèces distinctes en cours de région des contreforts, en Alberta. On donc maintenant de Piitaistakis-South migration. Ce nombre englobait 700 estimait alors que les rares observations Livingstone.) D’une altitude de 1900 m, ce Pygargues à tête blanche, 1219 Éperviers dans les Rocheuses de grands nombres de lieu se trouve à l’extrémité sud du chaînon bruns, 166 Autours des palombes, 188 ces aigles en cours de migration étaient Livingstone, près de la ville de Frank, dans Buses à queue rousse, 35 Faucons exceptionnelles. le pas du Nid-de-Corbeau. Les résultats pèlerins et un total remarquable de 5445 Il y a seize ans, Des Allen et moi obtenus en 1999 et 2000 étaient Aigles royaux. avons réalisé un recensement général des prometteurs. Le 8 octobre 2000, Doug et Je continue d’étudier la migration oiseaux dans la vallée de Kananaskis, qui Teresa y ont dénombré 1071 Aigles royaux. de ces prédateurs de niveau trophique est située à l’ouest de Calgary. Le 20 mars Ce nombre étonnant d’Aigles royaux supérieur, mais non pas seulement en 1992, nous avons dénombré plus de 100 demeure le plus élevé qui ait été répertorié raison des précieux renseignements que Aigles royaux longeant les chaînons en une seule journée. frontaux des montagnes Rocheuses, en Alberta. Les oiseaux planaient au-dessus Tableau 1. Dénombrements d’échantillons au mont Lorette. du mont Lorette, puis disparaissaient le Période de Durée Total des Aigles long des crêtes situées au nord-ouest. Pendant les sept autres jours consacrés au dénombrement (jours) royaux relev és recensement dans cette zone, au Automne de 1999 9 11 37 printemps, nous avons observé un total Automne de 2000 5 13 04 de 389 Aigles royaux effectuant le même Automne de 2006 95 4400 parcours. L’automne de la même année, je me Automne de 2007 100 544 5 suis de nouveau rendu au mont Lorette avec un groupe de bénévoles. Nous avons À South Livingstone, le premier ceux-ci nous permettent de recueillir au pu alors confirmer que ce parcours dénombrement ayant duré tout l’automne a sujet de notre environnement. Tous les faisaient aussi partie intégrante de la voie été réalisé en 2006 grâce au généreux appui ans, pendant sept mois, je profite de la migratoire vers le sud. Nous nous de la Enbridge et de la Crowsnest beauté des paysages à l’état sauvage où sommes rapidement rendu compte qu’il Conservation Society. En dépit d’un certain j’observe les aigles, de la compagnie des s’agissait bel et bien d’une migration nombre de tempêtes qui ont eu lieu en bénévoles se consacrant au projet et des d’adultes que de jeunes oiseaux. Au cours octobre, le dénombrement a connu un franc occasions quotidiennes de partager mon des quinze années qui ont suivi, nous succès. Par rapport aux résultats d’un savoir et d’acquérir des connaissances avons dénombré les rapaces migrateurs recensement de 30 jours effectué au mont nouvelles. au mont Lorette tout au long du Lorette à des fins de comparaison, le printemps et de l’automne. Nous avons pourcentage d’Aigles royaux ayant passé Peter Sherrington est directeur de pu constater que le nombre d’oiseaux par South Livingstone était supérieur de recherche de la Rocky Mountain Eagle atteignait un pic en mars et en octobre et 45 %. Research Foundation, qui a été que la migration s’étendait de la mi- Au printemps de 2007, le recensement incorporée en société sans but lucratif en février à la fin de mai, au printemps, et de principal a de nouveau eu lieu au mont 1997. Pour plus de renseignements au la fin d’août à la mi-décembre, à Lorette. Nous avons alors relevé le nombre sujet de la fondation, veuillez consulter l’automne. son site à l’adresse www.eaglewatch.ca. Les observations de reconnaissance effectuées à d’autres endroits en 1994 Tableau 2. Dénombrements d’échantillons à South Livingstone. nous ont permis de déterminer que deux « groupes » d’Aigles royaux se Période de Durée (jours) Total des Aigl es déplaçaient en parallèle. Nous nous dénombrement royaux relevés sommes alors demandé si les deux Automne de 1992 33 2044 groupes se rassemblaient à un endroit Printemps de 1993 4 8 4 140 particulier pour former la concentration Automne de 1993 75 4 599 la plus importante d’Aigles royaux. Nous Printemps de 1994 7 0 4 213 avons exploré diverses zones, mais ce n’est qu’au bout de plusieurs années que Automne de 1994 70 3 836 nous avons trouvé un lieu où les Aigles Automne de 2000 9 4 4 753 royaux étaient plus nombreux qu’au mont Lorette.
SPRING 2008, NUMBER 43 7