Colorado, USA
| Daily Raptor Counts: Apr 17, 2017 | |||
| Species | Day's Count | Month Total | Season Total |
| Black Vulture | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Turkey Vulture | 1 | 34 | 34 |
| Osprey | 1 | 3 | 3 |
| Bald Eagle | 0 | 4 | 13 |
| Northern Harrier | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Sharp-shinned Hawk | 4 | 22 | 32 |
| Cooper's Hawk | 9 | 42 | 47 |
| Northern Goshawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Red-shouldered Hawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Broad-winged Hawk | 0 | 3 | 3 |
| Red-tailed Hawk | 3 | 57 | 237 |
| Rough-legged Hawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Swainson's Hawk | 2 | 7 | 7 |
| Ferruginous Hawk | 0 | 2 | 7 |
| Golden Eagle | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| American Kestrel | 1 | 26 | 38 |
| Merlin | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Peregrine Falcon | 0 | 4 | 6 |
| Prairie Falcon | 1 | 5 | 6 |
| Mississippi Kite | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Unknown Accipiter | 0 | 4 | 8 |
| Unknown Buteo | 0 | 9 | 24 |
| Unknown Falcon | 0 | 5 | 8 |
| Unknown Eagle | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Unknown Raptor | 3 | 5 | 12 |
| Total: | 25 | 232 | 488 |
| Observation start time: | 08:00:00 |
| Observation end time: | 14:00:00 |
| Total observation time: | 6 hours |
| Official Counter | Joyce Commercon |
| Observers: | Richard Cuellar |
Visitors:
Lynne Forrester arrived early with her binocs and scope, ready for the migrants. Her spotting ability and skill at identifying accipiters were greatly appreciated today. Several hikers and one biker came up for the view. Two different couples, after looking from the platform, also inquired as to what we were watching and were interested to learn which migrating raptors we count. One couple then asked where to go to see the Dinosaur footprints. (It is, after all, Dinosaur Ridge.)
Weather:
The day was warm and mostly cloudy. The watch began with 50 percent cloud-cover (thin and scattered, none to the south) that increased by the end of the second hour to 80 to 90 percent. Temperatures rose from 12 C to about 20 C. Winds were predominantly from the east or northeast. Initially calm, they shifted to bft 3 at about the same time cloud-cover increased. Visibility was good (at least 10km) but hazy at distance.
Raptor Observations:
Accipiters made up about half of the migrants today, with about an equal number passing near Dinosaur Ridge as passed along the western ridges. An Osprey was one of the many other raptors observed moving north along the far western ridges. Two Swainson's Hawks were spotted heading north; one in the early morning and one near the end of the watch. About two-thirds of the migrants streamed through during a two-hour period from about 9am to 11am MST. Some local Red-tailed Hawks were active in the morning, but seemed less so later in the watch. Six local Turkey Vultures were seen to circle up south of Mount Morrison, in a very narrow kettle, before soaring up and down the ridges during the watch.
Non-raptor Observations:
Also seen or heard were Western Meadowlark, Spotted Towhee, Black-capped Chickadee, White-throated Swift, Black-billed Magpie, Townsend's Solitaire, Tree Swallow, Woodhouse's Scrub-Jay, American Crow, Chipping Sparrow, Bushtit and Common Raven.
Report submitted by Bird Conservancy of the Rockies (jeff.birek@birdconservancy.org)
Dinosaur Ridge - Bird Conservancy of the Rockies 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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