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 second hawk watch in Colorado. 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. We will help you to learn Raptor ID. See https://groups.google.com/g/cobirds/c/Oznn4uc6MBk
| Daily Raptor Counts: Aug 09, 2026 |
| Species |
Day's Count |
Month Total |
Season Total |
| Black Vulture |
0 |
0 |
0 |
| Turkey Vulture |
0 |
2 |
2 |
| Osprey |
0 |
0 |
0 |
| Bald Eagle |
0 |
0 |
0 |
| Northern Harrier |
0 |
0 |
0 |
| Sharp-shinned Hawk |
0 |
0 |
0 |
| Cooper's Hawk |
0 |
1 |
1 |
| American Goshawk |
0 |
0 |
0 |
| Broad-winged Hawk |
0 |
0 |
0 |
| Red-tailed Hawk |
1 |
14 |
14 |
| Rough-legged Hawk |
0 |
0 |
0 |
| Swainson's Hawk |
0 |
0 |
0 |
| Ferruginous Hawk |
0 |
0 |
0 |
| Golden Eagle |
0 |
0 |
0 |
| American Kestrel |
0 |
2 |
2 |
| Merlin |
0 |
0 |
0 |
| Peregrine Falcon |
0 |
0 |
0 |
| Prairie Falcon |
0 |
0 |
0 |
| Mississippi Kite |
0 |
0 |
0 |
| Unknown Accipitrine |
0 |
0 |
0 |
| Unknown Buteo |
0 |
0 |
0 |
| Unknown Falcon |
0 |
0 |
0 |
| Unknown Eagle |
0 |
0 |
0 |
| Unknown Raptor |
0 |
0 |
0 |
| Total: |
1 |
19 |
19 |
| Observation start time: |
07:45:00 |
| Observation end time: |
09:45:00 |
| Total observation time: |
2 hours |
| Official Counter |
|
| Observers: |
Zak Hepler |
Visitors:
Many hikers came and went during my time birding. Maybe it was due to me having a scope, binoculars, a Rocky Mountain Raptor Program T-shirt, and wearing my golden eagle hat that nobody asked me questions about my activities.�
Weather:
The winds aloft suggested by earth.nullschool.net were light from the West, the same as yesterday when I had no migrant raptors, so I thought I'd give my muscles a rest as my peroneal and sartorius muscles have been cramping at night because of the unaccustomed exercise of climbing 294 ft to the watch daily carrying around 25 lb. of equipment, food and drink. I got a pleasant surprise email in the evening from Zak Hepler who had joined us last winter for one of our DFO winter raptor ID trips, and who had gone up to the watch. This is his report: The beginning of the shift started with winds blowing slightly South, but turned to winds blowing to the West by 9 AM DST. Sky conditions were still hazy from the wildfire smoke. The city of Denver was mostly lost in the haze, but the North and South Table Mountains could be seen.�
Raptor Observations:
Within the first 30 mins, I had seen 2 RTHAs use the same woody ridge that is found just South of Mount Zion. One soared and landed in a pine, but the other gained altitude and went around the eastern edge of the hills; keeping the ridges on its right. Later, 2 AMKE flew by both heading South in frantic falcon fashion. Were the AMKE migrating? Hard to say. Later, one juv RTHA was able to gain altitude right above the Watch! I watched the bird circle, and soar, starting only 30m above my head. The banded tail (no red) helped determine the age. This bird, once proper altitude was reached, headed North. The Western winds did not help the raptor sightings.�
Non-raptor Observations:
In total, 5 different paragliders were seen this morning. The raptor-adverse winds moving from the West helped the brave gliders take off and enjoy the hazy morning. With my binoculars I could see that the people were having a great time and their experiences were being recorded with a 'selfie stick'. These gliders started taking off around 10 AM near the windsock to the NE of the Watch. Before I left, somebody started playing tribal music around 10:40 AM. Native American drumming and chants sung and played very loudly. Sounded like a ceremony. The music was played live. Pretty neat. My hawk mentor/friend, Ajit, was not present today. Much to my dismay. BTHU 3, WOSJ 2, AMCR 2, BARS 2, PISI 2, LEGO 2, SPTO 3.
Predictions:
Earth.nullschool.net predicts light WNW which which may result in the same lack of migration as today, but Tuesday has winds streaming down from the north, blowing from the NE at the location of this watch, which could be favorable.
Report submitted by Ajit Antony (
aiantony@earthlink.net)
More information at
hawkcount.org: [
Site Profile] [
Day Summary] [
Month Summary]
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