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 18, 2026 |
| Species |
Day's Count |
Month Total |
Season Total |
| Black Vulture |
0 |
0 |
0 |
| Turkey Vulture |
0 |
8 |
8 |
| Osprey |
0 |
0 |
0 |
| Bald Eagle |
0 |
0 |
0 |
| Northern Harrier |
0 |
0 |
0 |
| Sharp-shinned Hawk |
0 |
2 |
2 |
| Cooper's Hawk |
1 |
3 |
3 |
| American Goshawk |
0 |
0 |
0 |
| Broad-winged Hawk |
0 |
0 |
0 |
| Red-tailed Hawk |
1 |
29 |
29 |
| Rough-legged Hawk |
0 |
0 |
0 |
| Swainson's Hawk |
0 |
5 |
5 |
| Ferruginous Hawk |
0 |
0 |
0 |
| Golden Eagle |
0 |
0 |
0 |
| American Kestrel |
0 |
7 |
7 |
| 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: |
2 |
54 |
54 |
| Observation start time: |
08:00:00 |
| Observation end time: |
11:30:00 |
| Total observation time: |
3.5 hours |
| Official Counter |
Ajit Antony |
| Observers: |
|
Visitors:
A woman hiker was curious as to what I was watching, when I told her, she wanted to know how I tell migrants from non-migrants, and what species I could see. I told her I could see 14 different species and she wanted to know what I had seen today. I hesitated to name them, as most non-birders have not heard of any of them, but I mentioned the CH and the RT, and she said she had a CH in her backyard. I discussed the increased urbanization of CH, which thrives in cities such as Seattle.
Weather:
Light ildfire smoke over Denver but none above the horizon. Altocumulus with lenticularis and cirrus clouds with a large swath of the latter developing overhead and to the north and east which would have been a wonderful backdrop to see migrants if there had been any. Later cumulus clouds developed as usual from the West over the Rockies , gradually blowing East over the watch. The synoptic winds were from the West which were rapidly overcome by locally caused East winds because of Denver.
Raptor Observations:
Looking at my reports last fall from Dinosaur Ridge, I realized that there were SW flying early so I got there by 9:00 a.m. DST which was fortunate because the only two migrants a CH which chased a local RT, and another RT were the only migrants for the day in that hour, even though I assiduously and systematically scanned the high clouds for migrants to no avail. Non-migrant raptor sightings: an adult dark morph RT, 11 RT in all; CH 1; adult BE 1; TV 5, one harassed by 2 CORA,
Non-raptor Observations:
9 paragliders, 3 starting at 10:00 a.m. DST when 3 of them had minimal lift, 35 minutes later I saw one of them far to the North and high. CONI 1, ROWR 1, VGSW 1, BTHU 1, SPTO 1, BCCH 1, CORA 4, AMCR 4.
Predictions:
A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms, mainly after 3pm. Mostly sunny, with a high near 87. Light and variable wind becoming north northeast 5 to 8 mph in the morning. The winds aloft are expected to be light and from the WNW/NW.
Report submitted by Ajit Antony (
aiantony@earthlink.net)
More information at
hawkcount.org: [
Site Profile] [
Day Summary] [
Month Summary]
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