Sunday, 8 March 2026

[cobirds] Dinosaur Ridge - Denver Field Ornithologists (08 Mar 2026) 6 Raptors

Dinosaur Ridge - Denver Field Ornithologists
Golden, Colorado, USA

Daily Raptor Counts: Mar 08, 2026
SpeciesDay's CountMonth TotalSeason Total
Black Vulture000
Turkey Vulture000
Osprey000
Bald Eagle133
Northern Harrier000
Sharp-shinned Hawk000
Cooper's Hawk133
American Goshawk000
Red-shouldered Hawk000
Broad-winged Hawk000
Red-tailed Hawk31313
Rough-legged Hawk000
Swainson's Hawk000
Ferruginous Hawk133
Golden Eagle011
American Kestrel000
Merlin000
Peregrine Falcon000
Prairie Falcon000
Mississippi Kite000
Unknown Accipitrine000
Unknown Buteo000
Unknown Falcon011
Unknown Eagle000
Unknown Raptor000
Total:62424


Observation start time: 09:00:00
Observation end time: 17:00:00
Total observation time: 8 hours
Official CounterSoren Zappia
Observers: Marina Prado-Echeagaray



Visitors:
7 Visitors. One visitor used our spare binoculars to admire a distant Bald Eagle and pair of Red-tailed Hawks, then remarked that they now understand why people love birdwatching!

Weather:
It was a beautiful day, with sunny skies and moderate temperatures warming slightly as the day went on. Clouds were few and far between, and winds were calm and variable throughout the morning and early afternoon. By late afternoon, winds picked up from the northwest to a light breeze.

Raptor Observations:
The raptors were active today with lots of local activity observed in the morning. The first migrant of the day was a Ferruginous Hawk, observed distantly on the west side. Shortly after, a Cooper's Hawk took a similar path. Mid-day, we got fantastic views of a young Northern Harrier hunting along the east slope of the ridge below eye level. In the afternoon, three Red-tailed Hawks and an adult Bald Eagle took advantage of the warm sunny skies to rapidly gain height before streaming north. Activity slowed in the final hour of the count.

Non-raptor Observations:
Northern Flicker 1, Woodhouse's Scrub Jay 1, Black-billed Magpie 1, American Crow 32, Common Raven 4, American Bushtit 3, Canyon Wren 1, White-breasted Nuthatch 1, Mountain Bluebird 7, Townsend's Solitaire 1, House Finch 4, Pine Siskin 1, Dark-eyed Junco 2, Spotted Towhee 3

Predictions:
Tomorrow, expect more sun, slightly higher temperatures, and light to moderate winds from the west and southwest. Bring sunscreen and water, and prepare for some remaining mud on the trails.


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]
Count data submitted via Trektellen.org - [Project Details]




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, and American White Pelican. 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] There's More Than Just Cranes to Entertain You at the Monte Vista NWR Crane Festival

Hello Fellow Cobirders,
 
   Yesterday (3/7/26), while our team of CPW Volunteers was engaging the birders and other visitors who had gathered at one of the center-pivot fields where the cranes congregate in morning and evening to feast on the barley that is grown and cut (not harvested) to supplement their diet mid-journey to their nesting grounds, one of our team noticed two red-tailed hawks perched atop the center-pivot structure, one atop the pivot-point end of the structure, the other atop the other end of the first arch from the pivot-point.  Since the cranes hadn't yet shown up for dinner we put our scopes on the hawks and engaged the crowd in conversation about the hawks.  Apparently the hawks became aware of all the scopes and binoculars focused on them, because the male left his perch to copulate with the female, then returned to his perch.  A few minutes later he repeated the act, to ensure anyone who had missed the first photo op got a second chance.  A quick poll of the crowd revealed this was a first-ever experience for most of them.

Keep Smilin',
Kevin Corwin
west Centennial, Colorado
Sent from my Remington Rand Typewriter via my Rotary Dial Wall Phone
 
 

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Re: [cobirds] 8 day Peru trip anyone? --Thread Closed

Advertising for commercial trips is not permitted on CoBirds.

David Suddjian
List modeerator

On Sun, Mar 8, 2026 at 2:25 PM Bob Shade <wrshade3@gmail.com> wrote:
Three of us are signed up for Birding Ecotours "Cusco, Machu Picchu, and Apurimac Jewels" tour July 12-19, 2026. But the minimum is 4 persons and we need one more. The maximum is 8, so we could have five more. The cost is $4,771 plus $411 for domestic flights on the tour. The round-trip airfare from Denver will be in the $600- $700 range. You can check out the details, itinerary and expected birds, by googling Birding Ecotours under Peru. Peru birding is fantastic!

Bob Shade
720-256-4376

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[cobirds] 8 day Peru trip anyone?

Three of us are signed up for Birding Ecotours "Cusco, Machu Picchu, and Apurimac Jewels" tour July 12-19, 2026. But the minimum is 4 persons and we need one more. The maximum is 8, so we could have five more. The cost is $4,771 plus $411 for domestic flights on the tour. The round-trip airfare from Denver will be in the $600- $700 range. You can check out the details, itinerary and expected birds, by googling Birding Ecotours under Peru. Peru birding is fantastic!

Bob Shade
720-256-4376

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Saturday, 7 March 2026

[cobirds] Dinosaur Ridge - Denver Field Ornithologists (07 Mar 2026) 2 Raptors

Dinosaur Ridge - Denver Field Ornithologists
Golden, Colorado, USA

Daily Raptor Counts: Mar 07, 2026
SpeciesDay's CountMonth TotalSeason Total
Black Vulture000
Turkey Vulture000
Osprey000
Bald Eagle022
Northern Harrier000
Sharp-shinned Hawk000
Cooper's Hawk022
American Goshawk000
Red-shouldered Hawk000
Broad-winged Hawk000
Red-tailed Hawk21010
Rough-legged Hawk000
Swainson's Hawk000
Ferruginous Hawk022
Golden Eagle011
American Kestrel000
Merlin000
Peregrine Falcon000
Prairie Falcon000
Mississippi Kite000
Unknown Accipitrine000
Unknown Buteo000
Unknown Falcon011
Unknown Eagle000
Unknown Raptor000
Total:21818


Observation start time: 09:30:00
Observation end time: 15:30:00
Total observation time: 6 hours
Official Counter
Observers: Soren Zappia



Visitors:
5 visitors. Similar to the birds, the visitors appeared most active in the late morning and early afternoon. Thanks to Sara Painter and Cassandra Baird for volunteering today!

Weather:
Yesterday's snow made for a beautiful winter scene on the ridge. The sun was shining all day with blue skies, and temperatures cool but above freezing throughout the day. In the morning, the wind started as a light breeze from the northwest, picking up a bit as the morning went on. In the early afternoon wind briefly shifted to southwest before shifting back to northwest and increasing to moderately-strong.

Raptor Observations:
It was a quiet first few hours of the count, with local activity starting in the late hours of the morning with first an American Kestrel, then the resident Red-tailed Hawks and Golden Eagles. Mid-day, A juvenile Golden Eagle flew low directly overhead, and was relentlessly harassed by a resident pair of Red-tailed Hawks before eventually heading east. Shortly after, a migrant Red-tailed Hawk soared high before streaming north. A few minutes later a second went past, both birds distant and at the limits of our binoculars. Later in the afternoon, increasing winds appeared to dampen raptor activity. Regardless, a pair of local Red-tailed Hawks were out hunting, often seen below eye level. One bird appeared quite successful and presented its mate with a small rodent it had caught.

Non-raptor Observations:
Northern Flicker 1, Black-billed Magpie 1, Common Raven 6, Black-capped Chickadee 1, Mountain Bluebird 3, Townsend's Solitaire 1, Dark-eyed Junco 3, Spotted Towhee 1, Red-winged Blackbird 1

Predictions:
Tomorrow, expect more sun and warming temperatures. Winds are predicted to be moderate from the west. Prepare for muddy trail conditions - boots and hiking poles recommended.


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, and American White Pelican. 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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Re: [cobirds] Crane Festival Birds

Very good David!

On Saturday, March 7, 2026 at 8:16:51 AM UTC-7 David Suddjian wrote:
And 8 Sagebrush Sparrows were along Medano Road just east of the San Luis Lakes SWA in Alamosa on 3/4. Most were singing. 

David Suddjian
Littleton, CO

On Sat, Mar 7, 2026 at 8:09 AM John Rawinski <johnra...@gmail.com> wrote:
I lead a bird walk this morning to Home Lake. Then took some friends to the MV Refuge. Here is a brief update if you are headed out Saturday. 

Home Lake: At least 3 Greater Yellowlegs were apparent as well as numerous Killdeer. I had been away for 5 days so these birds migrated in recently. There are still good numbers of Cackling and Canada Geese there. A Townsend's Solitaire in the trees was unusual. Just as I started the walk, a BLAST of grapple sent us scurrying to the porch overhang of one of the Vet Ctr buildings so we weathered the storm there until it lessened. 

Monte Vista  Refuge:  Good numbers of Lesser and Greater Sandhill Cranes. Size difference is one way to tell them apart. Their journeys are different too. Greaters will breed in the Greater Yellowstone area, while Lessers head to the Arctic and even Siberia. 

Drive the auto tour loop for good looks at Cackling, Canada, and Snow Geese. There is an odd cackler that has a white body and the normal neck and head of a Cackler. We guessed it to be a leucistic bird. And, if it is not the same bird that has shown up in past years, it certainly is like a few I have photographed in the past. 

About 7 American Avocets flew in to the pond. A first for me this year. Lots of Mtn Bluebirds being seen. 

Finally, I received a report that Sagebrush Sparrows are in. Driving the county roads east of Antonito are a good place to find them. 

Get out and enjoy this magical time!!

John Rawinski
Monte Vista, CO

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Re: [cobirds] Crane Festival Birds

And 8 Sagebrush Sparrows were along Medano Road just east of the San Luis Lakes SWA in Alamosa on 3/4. Most were singing. 

David Suddjian
Littleton, CO

On Sat, Mar 7, 2026 at 8:09 AM John Rawinski <johnrawinski0@gmail.com> wrote:
I lead a bird walk this morning to Home Lake. Then took some friends to the MV Refuge. Here is a brief update if you are headed out Saturday. 

Home Lake: At least 3 Greater Yellowlegs were apparent as well as numerous Killdeer. I had been away for 5 days so these birds migrated in recently. There are still good numbers of Cackling and Canada Geese there. A Townsend's Solitaire in the trees was unusual. Just as I started the walk, a BLAST of grapple sent us scurrying to the porch overhang of one of the Vet Ctr buildings so we weathered the storm there until it lessened. 

Monte Vista  Refuge:  Good numbers of Lesser and Greater Sandhill Cranes. Size difference is one way to tell them apart. Their journeys are different too. Greaters will breed in the Greater Yellowstone area, while Lessers head to the Arctic and even Siberia. 

Drive the auto tour loop for good looks at Cackling, Canada, and Snow Geese. There is an odd cackler that has a white body and the normal neck and head of a Cackler. We guessed it to be a leucistic bird. And, if it is not the same bird that has shown up in past years, it certainly is like a few I have photographed in the past. 

About 7 American Avocets flew in to the pond. A first for me this year. Lots of Mtn Bluebirds being seen. 

Finally, I received a report that Sagebrush Sparrows are in. Driving the county roads east of Antonito are a good place to find them. 

Get out and enjoy this magical time!!

John Rawinski
Monte Vista, CO

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