Colorado, USA
| Daily Raptor Counts: Apr 27, 2016 | |||
| Species | Day's Count | Month Total | Season Total |
| Black Vulture | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Turkey Vulture | 0 | 74 | 89 |
| Osprey | 4 | 9 | 10 |
| Bald Eagle | 0 | 3 | 12 |
| Northern Harrier | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| Sharp-shinned Hawk | 1 | 35 | 44 |
| Cooper's Hawk | 1 | 42 | 49 |
| Northern Goshawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Red-shouldered Hawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Broad-winged Hawk | 0 | 3 | 3 |
| Red-tailed Hawk | 2 | 68 | 250 |
| Rough-legged Hawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Swainson's Hawk | 0 | 7 | 7 |
| Ferruginous Hawk | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Golden Eagle | 0 | 1 | 2 |
| American Kestrel | 1 | 25 | 38 |
| Merlin | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Peregrine Falcon | 2 | 7 | 10 |
| Prairie Falcon | 0 | 7 | 12 |
| Mississippi Kite | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Unknown Accipiter | 1 | 15 | 25 |
| Unknown Buteo | 0 | 4 | 17 |
| Unknown Falcon | 0 | 3 | 8 |
| Unknown Eagle | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Unknown Raptor | 0 | 6 | 8 |
| Total: | 12 | 310 | 590 |
| Observation start time: | 08:00:00 |
| Observation end time: | 14:00:00 |
| Total observation time: | 6 hours |
| Official Counter | Bill Flowers |
| Observers: | Paul Slingsby |
Visitors:
We had two sets of hikers come by and look around. Bikers and joggers were out on the trail. One set of joggers asked us if we knew any birds and it turns out they wanted to know the name of the Black-billed Magpies around the site
Weather:
Another Colorado Spring day with some to lots of clouds, wind direction and speed continuously changing, and spitting of precipitation on us during the afternoon. The temperature ranged from 39 to 50 degrees F and the wind ranged from less than 5 mph to gusts of 20 mph.
Raptor Observations:
We had migrating raptors every period except for the last period (2-3 PM MDT). The highlights for migrating raptors were four Osprey and two Peregrine Falcons. But we had continuous raptor actions all day. We had a Golden Eagle come over the ridge several times during the day. Resident Red-tailed Hawks, American Kestrels, and Turkey Vultures provided opportunities to study long distance field marks and postures.
Non-raptor Observations:
We had the usual passerines and corvids around the site today. These include: Western Meadowlark, Black-billed Magpie, Western-scrub Jay, American Robin, Broadtail Hummingbird, Common Ravens, Townsend's Solitaire, Northern Flicker, White-throated Swift, and Violet-Green Swallows. First thing in the morning we had a Rock Wren come within 8 feet of the site and it stayed around a couple of minutes. Paul was almost beaned by an American Kestrel that came over the Ponderosa Pine just in front of the site, it went toward the ground, but lifted up to miss Paul and the Juniper at the site. It probably was within 1 foot of Paul's head when this happened. During the last period, we had about 40 gulls between the site and Green Mountain. They probably were Franklin's Gulls based on the field marks. Of course several elk and a few mule deer were on the Cabrini ridge, but not until about lunch time.
Predictions:
With the weather forecast, the observation of raptors may be limited. It probably will be miserable on the ridge if the snow and rain starts while people are on the Hawkwatch site.
Report submitted by Bird Conservancy of the Rockies (jeff.birek@birdconservancy.org)
Dinosaur Ridge information may be found at: http://www.birdconservancy.org/
Site Description
Dinosaur Ridge is the only regularly staffed hawkwatch in Colorado and is the
best place in the world to see migrating Ferruginous Hawks. Dinosaur Ridge may
be the best place in the country to see the rare dark morph of the Broad-winged
Hawk (a few are seen each spring). Hawkwatchers who linger long enough may see
resident Golden Eagles, Red-tailed Hawks and Prairie Falcons, in addition to
migrating Swainson's, Cooper's and Sharp-shinned Hawks, American Kestrels and
Turkey Vultures. Peregrine Falcons and Ferruginous Hawks are uncommon; Northern
Goshawk is rare but regular. Non-raptor species include Rock Wren, and sometimes
Bushtit, Western Bluebird, Sandhill Crane, White-throated Swift, American White
Pelican or Dusky Grouse. Birders are always welcome.
The hawkwatch is generally staffed by volunteers from Bird Conservancy of the
Rockies from about 9 AM to around 3 PM from March 1st to May 7th.
Directions to site:
From exit 259 on I-70 towards Morrison, drive south under freeway and take left
into first parking lot, the Stegosaurus lot. Follow small signs from the south
side of lot to hawkwatch site. The hike starts heading east on an old two-track
and quickly turns south onto a trail on the west side of the ridge. When the
trail nears the top of the ridge, turn left, head through the gate, and walk to
the clearly-visible, flat area at the crest of the ridge.
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