A Special Day

The Canmore Eagle Watch is a volunteer-run bird count targeting the Golden Eagle Migration. Everyday from late February to mid April and mid August to mid October. The purpose is to count all the migrating eagles and others that pass through our area.

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A Golden that was released a few years ago, after being treated for lead poisoning.

Last week, I was invited to join some of the people who were on duty on Thursday (April 7). I gladly accepted, and so it was that I was out of the door by 6:30 on the day. we drove to Hay Meadows, where the viewing point is, and were set up by 8:15.

Ruffed Grouse
Ruffed Grouse

There were Varied Thrushes calling every 30 seconds, a pair of Golden-crowned Kinglets and a Northern Shrike among many others. We didn’t see an eagle until just past 11:00 , but on the two short walks I took that morning, I saw Mountain Chickadees, Black-capped Chickadees, Northern Flickers and a Ruffed Grouse on it’s drumming log.

 

At about 11:45, our main observer was checking the temperature a short distance away and I was scanning the skies when the third member of our trio tapped me on the shoulder and pointed behind me. As soon as I saw it, I was groping for my camera.

Lynx

That’s right. A Lynx. Literally, a once in a lifetime experience.

Lynx
Lynx

That seemed to cost us some eagles, though, as by 7:00 we had seen only 3 Golden and 2 Bald, but, as soon as we had packed up our scopes, we started seeing them every 5 minutes! by the time we left (about 8:45), we had seen 7 more Goldens!

We ended the day having seen 10 migrant and 2 resident Golden Eagles, and 2 resident Balds. And of course, a Lynx.

9 thoughts on “A Special Day”

  1. Aha! This is the post I was waiting for! When you told me you got saw a lynx and got pictures of it, I was expecting pictures of it from far away through trees and branches. But these are spectacular! Goed zo! 😉

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