Colorado, USA
| Daily Raptor Counts: Apr 10, 2013 | |||
| Species | Day's Count | Month Total | Season Total |
| Black Vulture | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Turkey Vulture | 3 | 51 | 60 |
| Osprey | 0 | 2 | 3 |
| Bald Eagle | 0 | 1 | 28 |
| Northern Harrier | 0 | 1 | 2 |
| Sharp-shinned Hawk | 2 | 9 | 17 |
| Cooper's Hawk | 1 | 25 | 36 |
| Northern Goshawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Red-shouldered Hawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Broad-winged Hawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Red-tailed Hawk | 4 | 42 | 176 |
| Rough-legged Hawk | 0 | 0 | 6 |
| Swainson's Hawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Ferruginous Hawk | 0 | 1 | 9 |
| Golden Eagle | 0 | 2 | 5 |
| American Kestrel | 0 | 44 | 66 |
| Merlin | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Peregrine Falcon | 0 | 4 | 5 |
| Prairie Falcon | 0 | 1 | 15 |
| Mississippi Kite | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Unknown Accipiter | 1 | 5 | 9 |
| Unknown Buteo | 0 | 19 | 28 |
| Unknown Falcon | 0 | 3 | 3 |
| Unknown Eagle | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Unknown Raptor | 0 | 5 | 8 |
| Total: | 11 | 216 | 477 |
| Observation start time: | 09:30:00 |
| Observation end time: | 14:30:00 |
| Total observation time: | 5 hours |
| Official Counter | Roger Rouch |
| Observers: | Bill Wuerthele |
Visitors:
None. Only one hardy trail runner on the trail.
Weather:
Cold(!) with temperatures rising from -10C to -7C. Mild winds from the east 0 to 1 Bft. Mostly sunny in the morning to partly cloudy in the afternoon. A beautiful post snow day with hoar frost and snow on the ponderosa pines and big snow pillows on the junipers.
Raptor Observations:
Slow but steady observations of migrating raptors through the day. Turkey Vulture were generally below the ridge and east. Other migrating raptors moderately high over Dino Ridge and a few over the western ridge line. Local raptors included Golden Eagle, Turkey Vulture, Cooper's Hawk, and a few Red-tailed Hawks.
Non-raptor Observations:
Also seen were Common Raven, Black-billed Magpie, American Robin, Townsend's Solitaire, and an interesting group of Northern Flicker numbering 15 or more that strafed the ridge north to south about mid-day. Coyotes were heard howling to the west and a group of three were sighted in Matthews-Winter Park.
Predictions:
Muddy.
Report submitted by Rocky Mountain Bird Observatory (jeff.birek@rmbo.org)
Dinosaur Ridge information may be found at: http://www.rmbo.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 the Rocky Mountain Bird
Observatory from about 9 AM to around 4 PM from the first week of March to the
first week of 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 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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