Colorado, USA
| Daily Raptor Counts: Apr 21, 2013 | |||
| Species | Day's Count | Month Total | Season Total |
| Black Vulture | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Turkey Vulture | 4 | 124 | 133 |
| Osprey | 0 | 15 | 16 |
| Bald Eagle | 0 | 2 | 29 |
| Northern Harrier | 0 | 4 | 5 |
| Sharp-shinned Hawk | 3 | 68 | 76 |
| Cooper's Hawk | 2 | 72 | 83 |
| Northern Goshawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Red-shouldered Hawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Broad-winged Hawk | 2 | 8 | 8 |
| Red-tailed Hawk | 6 | 75 | 209 |
| Rough-legged Hawk | 0 | 0 | 6 |
| Swainson's Hawk | 2 | 4 | 4 |
| Ferruginous Hawk | 0 | 1 | 9 |
| Golden Eagle | 0 | 5 | 8 |
| American Kestrel | 1 | 66 | 88 |
| Merlin | 0 | 3 | 3 |
| Peregrine Falcon | 2 | 10 | 11 |
| Prairie Falcon | 0 | 1 | 15 |
| Mississippi Kite | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Unknown Accipiter | 3 | 23 | 27 |
| Unknown Buteo | 0 | 21 | 30 |
| Unknown Falcon | 1 | 4 | 4 |
| Unknown Eagle | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Unknown Raptor | 4 | 9 | 12 |
| Total: | 30 | 516 | 777 |
| Observation start time: | 08:00:00 |
| Observation end time: | 14:00:00 |
| Total observation time: | 6 hours |
| Official Counter | Joyce Commercon |
| Observers: | Cyndy Johnson, Francis Commercon |
Visitors:
We were pleased to keep company for about an hour in the morning with Wayne and Jack Anthofer, who had heard of HawkWatch and came equipped with a camera and binoculars. There were fewer visitors than usual, particularly in the morning, perhaps due to the muddy, slick trail conditions.
Weather:
The day was mostly sunny with early cloud-cover thinning considerably to a few feathery clouds (except at the horizon) during midday but increasing again in late afternoon. A NorthWesterly morning wind calmed somewhat (to 1 and 2 B) and shifted for the day to the East/SouthEast. Temperatures rose from 8 C to about 20 C. General visibility was good.
Raptor Observations:
There was no discernible pattern as to where the migrants were passing in relation to the ridge-line, but as the day progressed and became warmer, nearly all the migrants were passing at much higher heights-of-flight. There were several highlights to the day. We enjoyed a quick but exceptional view of a black-helmeted migrating Peregrine, which passed by reasonably closely at eye-level. Two adult, light-morph Broad-winged Hawks came by one after the other. The first was directly over the Ridge, giving us a good view. The second, just a few minutes later, passed close by at eye-level on the West side of the Ridge. Two local juvenile Golden Eagles also flew near the HawkWatch site in the morning, with one coming by at eye-level.
Non-raptor Observations:
Also seen or heard were: Great Blue Heron, Townsend's Solitaire, Mountain Chickadee, Western Scrub-Jay, American Crow, American Robin, Mountain Bluebird, Western Meadowlark, Red-winged Blackbird, Black-billed Magpie, Common Raven, White-throated Swift, Bushtit, and Northern Flicker. At least two mule deer roamed the base of the Eastern slope of the Ridge. Nineteen elk were spotted East of Cabrini. The nice weather brought out a noticeable increase in small planes.
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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