Saturday, 5 April 2025

[cobirds] Dinosaur Ridge - Denver Field Ornithologists (05 Apr 2025) 18 Raptors

Dinosaur Ridge - Denver Field Ornithologists
Golden, Colorado, USA

Daily Raptor Counts: Apr 05, 2025
SpeciesDay's CountMonth TotalSeason Total
Black Vulture000
Turkey Vulture21657
Osprey026
Bald Eagle1128
Northern Harrier0210
Sharp-shinned Hawk2634
Cooper's Hawk1352
American Goshawk001
Red-shouldered Hawk000
Broad-winged Hawk000
Red-tailed Hawk822287
Rough-legged Hawk002
Swainson's Hawk000
Ferruginous Hawk3318
Golden Eagle0019
American Kestrel09111
Merlin005
Peregrine Falcon014
Prairie Falcon113
Mississippi Kite000
Unknown Accipitrine001
Unknown Buteo000
Unknown Falcon000
Unknown Eagle000
Unknown Raptor001
Total:1866639


Observation start time: 10:00:00
Observation end time: 17:00:00
Total observation time: 7 hours
Official CounterAudrey Anderson
Observers: Buzz Schaumberg, Haley Caron, Laura Campbell



Visitors:
Thank you to our weekend observer Laura Campbell, our high school intern Haley, and our lovely volunteer Buzz for helping with the count today! A total of 9 visitors came up to the ridge today. Can't make it out to the ridge and still want to follow along? Check out our Trektellen page and follow along with live updates at https://www.trektellen.org/count/view/4515/20250301 .

Weather:
The count began an hour later than normal due to heavy snow and low visibility. Majority of the day consisted of heavy cloud cover and light flurries. The weather cleared in the late afternoon bringing blue skies with a strong haze. Temperatures were around 5C with light wind mainly out of the NE throughout the count.

Raptor Observations:
A great day for raptor diversity, both local and migrant. All migrants in the morning came low or directly above the ridge, providing extraordinary looks at BAEA, COHA, SSHA, TUVU, RTHA, and most impressively FEHA. An adult Ferruginous Hawk followed by a juvenile came directly over the platform, definitely the highlights of the day. The 3rd FRHA was seen moving N along the W ridge. The PRFA was seen moving N between the ridge and Green Mountain. The majority of migrant movement was seen in the E. Local raptor highlights includes a pair of adult GOEA, an adult SSHA with a full crop, the male AMKE, and a few local BAEA.

Non-raptor Observations:
Hairy Woodpecker 1, Northern Flicker 2, Black-billed Magpie 2, Common Raven 3, Horned Lark 5, Western Bluebird 1, American Robin 3, Pine Siskin 1, Dark-eyed Junco 8, Dark-eyed Junco (Oregon) 6, Spotted Towhee 2, Western Meadowlark 2

Predictions:
Overall sunny day predicted tomorrow with varying cloud cover. Temperatures will be around 12C with winds mainly out of the N up to 10mph. Trails will be muddy on the hike up so please plan accordingly.


Report submitted by Official Counter of the day shown above (dinoridgehw@gmail.com)
Dinosaur Ridge - Denver Field Ornithologists information may be found at: www.dinosaurridgehawkwatch.org
More information at hawkcount.org: [Site Profile] [Day Summary] [Month Summary]




Site Description
Dinosaur Ridge is the only regularly staffed hawk watch in Colorado and is the
best place in the world to see migrating Ferruginous Hawks. Hawk watchers may
see 17 species of migrating raptors; and it is an excellent site to see rare
dark morph buteos including Broad-winged hawk, Swainson’s hawk, Ferruginous
hawk, Rough-legged hawk and Red-tailed Hawk. Other raptors we see include Golden
and Bald Eagles, Northern harrier, Osprey, Peregrine Falcons, Prairie Falcons,
Cooper's and Sharp-shinned Hawks, American Kestrels, Merlin, and Turkey
Vultures. American Goshawk is uncommon but also counted each season. Non-raptor
species include Rock Wren, Bushtit, Western Bluebird, Sandhill Crane,
White-throated Swift, American White Pelican, and Dusky Grouse. Birders of any
skill level are always welcome. The hawk watch at Dinosaur Ridge is staffed by
Hawk Counter(s) and volunteers from March through early May.

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 hawk watch signs from the
southwest end of the parking lot to the hawk watch 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, and walk to
the flat area at the crest of the ridge. (Distance: 0.56 miles, Elevation gain:
259 feet)

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Friday, 4 April 2025

[cobirds] Mount Zion Hawk Watch at Windy Saddle Park (04 Apr 2025) 3 Raptors

Mount Zion Hawk Watch at Windy Saddle Park
Golden, Greater Denver, Colorado, USA

This is a new raptor migration site identified and designated in mid-September 2024. This is Colorado's 1st fall hawk watch site and the state's second spring watch site. Many raptors seen c. 1.5 miles to the West from Dinosaur Ridge, may be directly overhead at this site, we are hoping. To get to the site which is along Lookout Mountain Rd. in Golden, enter either Windy Saddle Park or Mount Zion into Google Maps on your favorite navigation app, or enter the coordinates 39.7368,-105.2454. From the parking lot ascend the stone steps to the watch site. EVERYONE IS WELCOME TO THE HAWK WATCH TO ENJOY THE SPECTACLE OF RAPTOR MIGRATION, EVEN IF YOU KNOW NOTHING ABOUT IDENTIFYING RAPTORS IN FLIGHT.

Daily Raptor Counts: Apr 04, 2025
SpeciesDay's CountMonth TotalSeason Total
Black Vulture000
Turkey Vulture007
Osprey000
Bald Eagle126
Northern Harrier001
Sharp-shinned Hawk003
Cooper's Hawk013
American Goshawk000
Broad-winged Hawk000
Red-tailed Hawk1133
Rough-legged Hawk000
Swainson's Hawk000
Ferruginous Hawk001
Golden Eagle1317
American Kestrel001
Merlin000
Peregrine Falcon000
Prairie Falcon004
Mississippi Kite000
Unknown Accipitrine000
Unknown Buteo000
Unknown Falcon000
Unknown Eagle000
Unknown Raptor011
Total:3877


Observation start time: 08:00:00
Observation end time: 11:30:00
Total observation time: 3.5 hours
Official CounterAjit Antony
Observers:



Visitors:
A young man, a city planner from Virginia after attending a conference at Winter Park and spending today sightseeing, describe this as the Stairway to Heaven; we had a long discussion on raptor migration, he told me he could see Bald Eagles from his office window. A family from Ohio was curious about my activities. A young man asked me whether I was from India, and when did I go home last, and this is a question a few of my patients used to ask me when I practiced urology in New York, and my answer was the same "Last night." He said his mother was English and came to the US when she was 8 months pregnant with him, and he thinks of England as home.

Weather:
The forecast was for light NNE winds with gusts to 18 mph with a 60% chance of snow by 10:00 a.m. and heavier snow by 1:00 p.m. According to earth.nullschool.net the winds at 700 hPa (which would correspond to an elevation of 9,800 ft, around 2700 ft above the level of the watch) were predicted from the NNE at 35 km/h, which direction corresponded to the surface forecast. At the watch the winds were variably from the SW but also from the NE and East at various times. The Soaring Forecast was poor with 0 m/s lift! Ridges and conifers were dusted with white, very pretty. There were a few flakes of snow in the first 2 hours, then began sleeting with 2 mm size pellets for the rest of the watch. I wondered whether raptors would migrate through sleet, and found from the internet that they could, so I stayed.

Raptor Observations:
The first migrant was at 10:07 a.m. MDT, an adult BE seen 5 Km to the NE at the North end of North Table Mountain, and which did not have much lift, and dropped, but soared NNE. At 10:25 a.m. an adult GE was seen using binoculars over Lookout Mountain, it perched on the microwave tower to the West of the mountain, and when two Ravens passed by a minute later, dove down on one of them, did the territorial rollercoaster dive, then came almost directly overhead quite low, then was chased by a raven and soared to the NE, where it had no lift and dropped. This was an eye opener for me in that I thought that an eagle could be seen with the naked eye over Lookout Mountain, however it is 1 km/0.6 miles away, and I learned that I need to do even more binocular scanning to the South to find smaller hawks. At 10:37 a.m. a small dot was seen at the top of Green Mountain next to the antenna, less than a minute later it probably caught a ridge lift and was high over the north end of Green Mountain, in my scope it was an adult RT which lost height, flapped and glided to the north. Non-migraine raptors: BE immature, at 10:51 a.m. a naked eye seen eagle over North Table Mountain flew SW along Clear Creek Canyon, it had a lot of white on the dorsal wings, either a very pale individual or one which was severely bleached; RT 1 kiting and hovering over Lookout Mountain, and me trying to make it into an RL, except it had an uniformly colored tail, an immature which landed on a tree.

Non-raptor Observations:
Townsend's Solitaire 2 both calling and singing, Dark-eyed Junco 1, Common Raven 2, American Crow 2.

Predictions:
Light North-based Winds becoming East by 10:00 a.m., later becoming NE.


Report submitted by Ajit Antony (aiantony@earthlink.net)
More information at hawkcount.org: [Site Profile] [Day Summary] [Month Summary]




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[cobirds] Dinosaur Ridge - Denver Field Ornithologists (04 Apr 2025) Raptors

Dinosaur Ridge - Denver Field Ornithologists
Golden, Colorado, USA

Daily Raptor Counts: Apr 04, 2025
SpeciesDay's CountMonth TotalSeason Total
Black Vulture000
Turkey Vulture01455
Osprey026
Bald Eagle0027
Northern Harrier0210
Sharp-shinned Hawk0432
Cooper's Hawk0251
American Goshawk001
Red-shouldered Hawk000
Broad-winged Hawk000
Red-tailed Hawk014279
Rough-legged Hawk002
Swainson's Hawk000
Ferruginous Hawk0015
Golden Eagle0019
American Kestrel09111
Merlin005
Peregrine Falcon014
Prairie Falcon002
Mississippi Kite000
Unknown Accipitrine001
Unknown Buteo000
Unknown Falcon000
Unknown Eagle000
Unknown Raptor001
Total:048621


Observation start time: 09:00:00
Observation end time: 12:00:00
Total observation time: 3 hours
Official CounterAudrey Anderson
Observers: Leslie Dixon, Ruth Artes



Visitors:
Thank you to our volunteer crew today! Thank you to Leslie and Ruth for your company this morning and thank you to our afternoon crew with their flexibly with the weather cancelation. No visitors came by the Hawkwatch today, no one was seen recreating either. Can't make it out to the ridge and still want to follow along? Check out our Trektellen page and follow along with live updates at https://www.trektellen.org/count/view/4515/20250301 .

Weather:
The Hawkwatch has been canceled for the rest of the day due to low visibility and hail on the ridge. Conditions are expected to continue into tomorrow. The volunteer calendar has also been updated to show today’s cancellation. Weather started with 100% cloud cover in the first hour of the count with decent visibility. As it began snowing visibility was lost to the N and the S leaving slight visibility of Green mountain and Mount Morrison. The final count hour brought total loss of sight lines along with hail. Temperatures consistent around 2C.

Raptor Observations:
No migrant raptors were observed during this count period. With the storm both N and S of the Hawkwatch platform, migrant movement was severely restricted. Local raptors included the probable nesting pair of Peregrines, one individual was seen hunting along the W slope of Morrison heading S, and the other individual was seen directly overhead moving S shortly after. A low S bound juvenile Turkey Vulture and local adult Red-tailed Hawk were also of note.

Non-raptor Observations:
Northern Flicker 2, Black-billed Magpie 2, Common Raven 2, Black-capped Chickadee 3, Western Bluebird 18, House Finch 5, Pine Siskin 3, Dark-eyed Junco 2, Spotted Towhee 2, Western Meadowlark 1

Predictions:
Tomorrow there is potentially for more flurries and snow. The morning should be overcast with possible sun before transitioning to 100% cloud cover in the afternoon. Expect muddy trail condition in the morning and temperatures around 0C. Due to the weather keeping migrants at bay for the past few days, there is potential for a push of movement the next two days as conditions improve.


Report submitted by Official Counter of the day shown above (dinoridgehw@gmail.com)
Dinosaur Ridge - Denver Field Ornithologists information may be found at: www.dinosaurridgehawkwatch.org
More information at hawkcount.org: [Site Profile] [Day Summary] [Month Summary]




Site Description
Dinosaur Ridge is the only regularly staffed hawk watch in Colorado and is the
best place in the world to see migrating Ferruginous Hawks. Hawk watchers may
see 17 species of migrating raptors; and it is an excellent site to see rare
dark morph buteos including Broad-winged hawk, Swainson’s hawk, Ferruginous
hawk, Rough-legged hawk and Red-tailed Hawk. Other raptors we see include Golden
and Bald Eagles, Northern harrier, Osprey, Peregrine Falcons, Prairie Falcons,
Cooper's and Sharp-shinned Hawks, American Kestrels, Merlin, and Turkey
Vultures. American Goshawk is uncommon but also counted each season. Non-raptor
species include Rock Wren, Bushtit, Western Bluebird, Sandhill Crane,
White-throated Swift, American White Pelican, and Dusky Grouse. Birders of any
skill level are always welcome. The hawk watch at Dinosaur Ridge is staffed by
Hawk Counter(s) and volunteers from March through early May.

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 hawk watch signs from the
southwest end of the parking lot to the hawk watch 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, and walk to
the flat area at the crest of the ridge. (Distance: 0.56 miles, Elevation gain:
259 feet)

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[cobirds] Next Wave of Birds Arriving

Yesterday, I birded the Monte Vista Refuge and other San Luis Valley hotspots. The cranes had been leaving all week and there were a scattered few left at MVNWR and at Smith Reservoir. But the next wave of other birds is arriving this week. 

Recent arrivals include Franklins Gull, Avocets, Lesser Yellowlegs, Marsh Wrens, swallows, Williamson's Sapsucker, and Blue-winged Teal. 

I will be leading a Valley birding trip for the Friends group on Saturday at Smith Reservoir at 9:00 -1200 am April 12 open to all and just show up. We will work on birding skills for all levels. We'll spend the morning at the lake. Might do a look for Mountain Plover nearby too. Be advised you need your new 2025 State Wildlife Area pass as well. Migration is ON!

John Rawinski
Monte Vista, CO 81144




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Thursday, 3 April 2025

[cobirds] Dinosaur Ridge - Denver Field Ornithologists (03 Apr 2025) 19 Raptors

Dinosaur Ridge - Denver Field Ornithologists
Golden, Colorado, USA

Daily Raptor Counts: Apr 03, 2025
SpeciesDay's CountMonth TotalSeason Total
Black Vulture000
Turkey Vulture11455
Osprey026
Bald Eagle0027
Northern Harrier2210
Sharp-shinned Hawk1432
Cooper's Hawk1251
American Goshawk001
Red-shouldered Hawk000
Broad-winged Hawk000
Red-tailed Hawk814279
Rough-legged Hawk002
Swainson's Hawk000
Ferruginous Hawk0015
Golden Eagle0019
American Kestrel69111
Merlin005
Peregrine Falcon014
Prairie Falcon002
Mississippi Kite000
Unknown Accipitrine001
Unknown Buteo000
Unknown Falcon000
Unknown Eagle000
Unknown Raptor001
Total:1948621


Observation start time: 09:00:00
Observation end time: 13:00:00
Total observation time: 4 hours
Official CounterEmma Riley, Audrey Anderson
Observers:



Visitors:
Despite the snow we still saw 4 visitors at the site today! There was a small number of people recreating on the trail today besides our visitors. Can't make it out to the ridge and still want to follow along? Check out our Trektellen page and follow along with live updates at https://www.trektellen.org/count/view/4515/20250301 .

Weather:
We had a cold and snowy day on the ridge today with snow seen falling north and south of us right when we got up. Snow fell on and off through the morning until 1300 MST when it rolled in and limited our visibility immensely. Winds were light from the NE.

Raptor Observations:
We saw a nice little push of migrants this morning including 2 Northern Harriers and a line of 6 Red-tailed Hawks, all moving along the western ridges. We also saw a small push of American Kestrels before the snow picked up. Local raptor activity was slow today but we still spotted TV, RT, and AK in the area.

Non-raptor Observations:
Non-raptor activity was generally low today, with some decent Raven activity for most of the morning. A few Western Bluebirds and American Robins were seen moving north early in the day. We also saw a few Canada Geese moving east. Canada Goose 4, Common Raven 3, Black-billed Magpie 1, Western Meadowlark 1, Dark-eyed Junco 1, Western Bluebird 7, American Robin 9, Spotted Towhee 1

Predictions:
Tomorrow looks to turn out similar to today, with snow predicted to move in in the afternoon, but may be present on and off in the morning. The trail may be muddy coming up. We are hopeful there will be another quick push of birds before tomorrow's snow.


Report submitted by Official Counter of the day shown above (dinoridgehw@gmail.com)
Dinosaur Ridge - Denver Field Ornithologists information may be found at: www.dinosaurridgehawkwatch.org
More information at hawkcount.org: [Site Profile] [Day Summary] [Month Summary]




Site Description
Dinosaur Ridge is the only regularly staffed hawk watch in Colorado and is the
best place in the world to see migrating Ferruginous Hawks. Hawk watchers may
see 17 species of migrating raptors; and it is an excellent site to see rare
dark morph buteos including Broad-winged hawk, Swainson’s hawk, Ferruginous
hawk, Rough-legged hawk and Red-tailed Hawk. Other raptors we see include Golden
and Bald Eagles, Northern harrier, Osprey, Peregrine Falcons, Prairie Falcons,
Cooper's and Sharp-shinned Hawks, American Kestrels, Merlin, and Turkey
Vultures. American Goshawk is uncommon but also counted each season. Non-raptor
species include Rock Wren, Bushtit, Western Bluebird, Sandhill Crane,
White-throated Swift, American White Pelican, and Dusky Grouse. Birders of any
skill level are always welcome. The hawk watch at Dinosaur Ridge is staffed by
Hawk Counter(s) and volunteers from March through early May.

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 hawk watch signs from the
southwest end of the parking lot to the hawk watch 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, and walk to
the flat area at the crest of the ridge. (Distance: 0.56 miles, Elevation gain:
259 feet)

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[cobirds] Dinosaur Ridge - Denver Field Ornithologists (02 Apr 2025) 10 Raptors

Dinosaur Ridge - Denver Field Ornithologists
Golden, Colorado, USA

Daily Raptor Counts: Apr 02, 2025
SpeciesDay's CountMonth TotalSeason Total
Black Vulture000
Turkey Vulture71354
Osprey126
Bald Eagle0027
Northern Harrier008
Sharp-shinned Hawk1331
Cooper's Hawk0150
American Goshawk001
Red-shouldered Hawk000
Broad-winged Hawk000
Red-tailed Hawk06271
Rough-legged Hawk002
Swainson's Hawk000
Ferruginous Hawk0015
Golden Eagle0019
American Kestrel13105
Merlin005
Peregrine Falcon014
Prairie Falcon002
Mississippi Kite000
Unknown Accipitrine001
Unknown Buteo000
Unknown Falcon000
Unknown Eagle000
Unknown Raptor001
Total:1029602


Observation start time: 09:00:00
Observation end time: 17:00:00
Total observation time: 8 hours
Official CounterEmma Riley, Audrey Anderson
Observers: Eleanor Meng , Karrie Lagon , Patricia Galli, Ryan Gannon



Visitors:
Thank you to both Kerrie, Patricia, and Chloe for volunteering this morning and for our lovely afternoon crew of Ellie and Ryan. Today was Ellie’s last day volunteering with Dinosaur Ridge this season before she goes off to work with warblers in North Carolina for a few months before heading off to Alaska! Thank you for all of the hours you put into the ridge this season! We had a total of 7 visitors on the ridge today. Can't make it out to the ridge and still want to follow along? Check out our Trektellen page and follow along with live updates at https://www.trektellen.org/count/view/4515/20250301

Weather:
Today was consistent with 20% cloud cover, winds up to 25 mph, and temperatures around 8C.

Raptor Observations:
Activity of local and migrating raptors was relatively low today. All migrant movement happened in the earlier hours of the count, a few highlights being an eye-level Osprey and a line of 6 Turkey Vultures. Local raptor highlights included a male AMKE and adult SSHA. They were seen consistently around the platform today, the SSHA even made a bold pass right between two of the volunteers!

Non-raptor Observations:
White-throated Swift 1, Northern Flicker 2, Black-billed Magpie 2, American Crow 1, Common Raven 2, Black-capped Chickadee 2, Mountain Chickadee 1, Mountain Bluebird 4, Western Bluebird 11, Dark-eyed Junco 1, Spotted Towhee 3

Predictions:
Mixture of rain and snow in the afternoon beginning around 14:00, winds up to 15 mph out of the NE, and temperatures right around 0C.


Report submitted by Official Counter of the day shown above (dinoridgehw@gmail.com)
Dinosaur Ridge - Denver Field Ornithologists information may be found at: www.dinosaurridgehawkwatch.org
More information at hawkcount.org: [Site Profile] [Day Summary] [Month Summary]




Site Description
Dinosaur Ridge is the only regularly staffed hawk watch in Colorado and is the
best place in the world to see migrating Ferruginous Hawks. Hawk watchers may
see 17 species of migrating raptors; and it is an excellent site to see rare
dark morph buteos including Broad-winged hawk, Swainson’s hawk, Ferruginous
hawk, Rough-legged hawk and Red-tailed Hawk. Other raptors we see include Golden
and Bald Eagles, Northern harrier, Osprey, Peregrine Falcons, Prairie Falcons,
Cooper's and Sharp-shinned Hawks, American Kestrels, Merlin, and Turkey
Vultures. American Goshawk is uncommon but also counted each season. Non-raptor
species include Rock Wren, Bushtit, Western Bluebird, Sandhill Crane,
White-throated Swift, American White Pelican, and Dusky Grouse. Birders of any
skill level are always welcome. The hawk watch at Dinosaur Ridge is staffed by
Hawk Counter(s) and volunteers from March through early May.

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 hawk watch signs from the
southwest end of the parking lot to the hawk watch 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, and walk to
the flat area at the crest of the ridge. (Distance: 0.56 miles, Elevation gain:
259 feet)

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Wednesday, 2 April 2025

[cobirds] Dinosaur Ridge - Denver Field Ornithologists (01 Apr 2025) 19 Raptors

Dinosaur Ridge - Denver Field Ornithologists
Golden, Colorado, USA

Daily Raptor Counts: Apr 01, 2025
SpeciesDay's CountMonth TotalSeason Total
Black Vulture000
Turkey Vulture6647
Osprey115
Bald Eagle0027
Northern Harrier008
Sharp-shinned Hawk2230
Cooper's Hawk1150
American Goshawk001
Red-shouldered Hawk000
Broad-winged Hawk000
Red-tailed Hawk66271
Rough-legged Hawk002
Swainson's Hawk000
Ferruginous Hawk0015
Golden Eagle0019
American Kestrel22104
Merlin005
Peregrine Falcon114
Prairie Falcon002
Mississippi Kite000
Unknown Accipitrine001
Unknown Buteo000
Unknown Falcon000
Unknown Eagle000
Unknown Raptor001
Total:1919592


Observation start time: 09:00:00
Observation end time: 15:00:00
Total observation time: 6.15 hours
Official CounterAudrey Anderson
Observers: Buzz Schaumberg, Lori Morton



Visitors:
Thank you to both Lori Morton in the morning and Buzz Schaumberg in the afternoon for your company and your help spotting on the ridge! We had a total of 3 visitors on the ridge. Can't make it out to the ridge and still want to follow along? Check out our Trektellen page and follow along with live updates at https://www.trektellen.org/count/view/4515/20250301

Weather:
The morning began with strong wind gusts around 20 mph which petered off after about an hour. Consistent cloud cover throughout the count with thunderstorms rolling in the afternoon. The count was called early due to thunder and sleet.

Raptor Observations:
Today was a day for close flacon and overall raptor interaction and movement. This morning a local juvenile PRFA came in from the NW giving us extraordinary looks. Probably the best look I've ever had at a PRFA, it circled overhead, fluttering with its tail fanned out directly over the platform, maybe 10 feet above, before shooting off towards the slope of Green Mtn. Shortly after 3 peregrine flacons and a Turkey Vulture appeared at the S end of the ridge. All 3 peregrines came shooting directly past us on the W side of the ridge, 2 locals - perhaps the nesting pair at Red Rocks were hounding the 3rd individual. The pair escorted the migrant N before turning back and flying directly S in the same line. Other highlights of the day included close views of an osprey in the valley W of the ridge as well as close movement of RTHA, AMKE, TUVU, COHA and SSHA. Both species of local adult eagles, one GOEA and a BAEA were also present. Overall raptor activity really dropped off during the 12:00 hour

Non-raptor Observations:
White-throated Swift 24, Ring-billed Gull 11, Northern Flicker 1, Woodhouse's Scrub Jay 2, Black-billed Magpie 2, Common Raven 3, Black-capped Chickadee 3, Tree Swallow 1, White-breasted Nuthatch 1, Mountain Bluebird 3, Western Bluebird 43, House Finch 3, Spotted Towhee 2, Western Meadowlark 2

Predictions:
Tomorrow's conditions will consist of varying cloud cover, winds out of the NW/WNW up to 20mph, and temperatures around 5-7C.


Report submitted by Official Counter of the day shown above (dinoridgehw@gmail.com)
Dinosaur Ridge - Denver Field Ornithologists information may be found at: www.dinosaurridgehawkwatch.org
More information at hawkcount.org: [Site Profile] [Day Summary] [Month Summary]




Site Description
Dinosaur Ridge is the only regularly staffed hawk watch in Colorado and is the
best place in the world to see migrating Ferruginous Hawks. Hawk watchers may
see 17 species of migrating raptors; and it is an excellent site to see rare
dark morph buteos including Broad-winged hawk, Swainson’s hawk, Ferruginous
hawk, Rough-legged hawk and Red-tailed Hawk. Other raptors we see include Golden
and Bald Eagles, Northern harrier, Osprey, Peregrine Falcons, Prairie Falcons,
Cooper's and Sharp-shinned Hawks, American Kestrels, Merlin, and Turkey
Vultures. American Goshawk is uncommon but also counted each season. Non-raptor
species include Rock Wren, Bushtit, Western Bluebird, Sandhill Crane,
White-throated Swift, American White Pelican, and Dusky Grouse. Birders of any
skill level are always welcome. The hawk watch at Dinosaur Ridge is staffed by
Hawk Counter(s) and volunteers from March through early May.

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 hawk watch signs from the
southwest end of the parking lot to the hawk watch 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, and walk to
the flat area at the crest of the ridge. (Distance: 0.56 miles, Elevation gain:
259 feet)

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