Colorado, USA
| Daily Raptor Counts: Apr 25, 2013 | |||
| Species | Day's Count | Month Total | Season Total |
| Black Vulture | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Turkey Vulture | 1 | 136 | 145 |
| Osprey | 1 | 21 | 22 |
| Bald Eagle | 0 | 2 | 29 |
| Northern Harrier | 1 | 5 | 6 |
| Sharp-shinned Hawk | 3 | 73 | 81 |
| Cooper's Hawk | 3 | 78 | 89 |
| Northern Goshawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Red-shouldered Hawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Broad-winged Hawk | 7 | 23 | 23 |
| Red-tailed Hawk | 2 | 81 | 215 |
| Rough-legged Hawk | 0 | 0 | 6 |
| Swainson's Hawk | 1 | 5 | 5 |
| Ferruginous Hawk | 0 | 1 | 9 |
| Golden Eagle | 0 | 5 | 8 |
| American Kestrel | 17 | 85 | 107 |
| Merlin | 0 | 3 | 3 |
| Peregrine Falcon | 0 | 12 | 13 |
| Prairie Falcon | 0 | 3 | 17 |
| Mississippi Kite | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Unknown Accipiter | 2 | 27 | 31 |
| Unknown Buteo | 1 | 22 | 31 |
| Unknown Falcon | 1 | 6 | 6 |
| Unknown Eagle | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Unknown Raptor | 1 | 10 | 13 |
| Total: | 41 | 599 | 860 |
| Observation start time: | 08:00:00 |
| Observation end time: | 15:00:00 |
| Total observation time: | 7 hours |
| Official Counter | Claude Vallieres |
| Observers: | Roger Rouch |
Visitors:
5 visitors, one being from Virginia, all of which asked questions about our activity and about what we were seeing. By-passers were hikers, joggers and few bicyclists likely due to muddy trail.
Weather:
Temperatures were variable and ranged from 18-C to 10-C at end of watch. Sunny clear skies until early afterrnoon when winds picked up with increasing cloud cover at 100% and decreasing temperatures. Wind speeds ranged from 0 to 3 Bueford scale.
Raptor Observations:
Migrating raptors were: 1 Turkey Vulture, 1 Osprey attacked by an unknown Buteo and was also accompanied by an unknown Accipiter who both disappeared, 1 male Nothern Harrier accompanied by a Sharp-shinned Hawk, 3 Sharp-shinned Hawks, 3 Cooper's Hawks, 7 adult Broad-winged Hawks one being a dark-morph, 2 Red-tailed Hawks, 17 American Kestrels (individuals and groups), 2 unknown Accipiters, 1 unknown Buteo, 1 unknown Falcon, 1 unknown Raptor. The watch ended with 1 dark-morph adult Swainson's Hawk for a total of 41 Raptors. Cloud cover and poor lighting conditions along with distant and high flying raptors contributed to unknown identification. Afternoon changing weather conditions also led to raptors flying the far western ridge compared to earlier ones flying along and over Dino Ridge. Local raptors observed were: 7 Turkey Vultures, 7 Red-tailed Hawks, 1 female Northern Harrier who fled West to East and several American Kestrels.
Non-raptor Observations:
Also heard or seen were: 1 Steller's Jay, 1 Red-breasted Nurhatch, a Meadowlark, 3 Nothern Flickers, a pair of Common Ravens, 13 migrating American White Pelicans, numerous Townsend's Solitaires, numerous Black-billed Magpies, Western Scrub Jays, Spotted Towhees, Bushtits, 3 Mountain Chickadees, American Robins and numerous White-throated Swifts. Mammals were 13 Mule Deer and a Cotton-tail Rabbit.
Predictions:
Forecast for 60-F degrees and sunshine. Trail drying up and only muddy in spots.
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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