[cobirds] HSR: Dinosaur Ridge (30 Apr 2013) 29 Raptors

Dinosaur Ridge
Colorado, USA

Daily Raptor Counts: Apr 30, 2013
Species	Day's Count	Month Total	Season Total
Black Vulture	0	0	0
Turkey Vulture	1	147	156
Osprey	0	21	22
Bald Eagle	0	2	29
Northern Harrier	0	5	6
Sharp-shinned Hawk	4	89	97
Cooper's Hawk	1	99	110
Northern Goshawk	0	0	0
Red-shouldered Hawk	0	0	0
Broad-winged Hawk	0	33	33
Red-tailed Hawk	6	97	231
Rough-legged Hawk	0	0	6
Swainson's Hawk	0	6	6
Ferruginous Hawk	0	1	9
Golden Eagle	1	7	10
American Kestrel	7	129	151
Merlin	0	3	3
Peregrine Falcon	0	13	14
Prairie Falcon	0	3	17
Mississippi Kite	0	0	0
Unknown Accipiter	9	41	45
Unknown Buteo	0	24	33
Unknown Falcon	0	7	7
Unknown Eagle	0	1	1
Unknown Raptor	0	13	16
Total:	29	741	1002

Observation start time:	07:30:00
Observation end time:	15:00:00
Total observation time:	7.5 hours
Official Counter	Paul Slingsby
Observers:	Heather Jackson, Jim Banks

Visitors:
There were several hikers, including a very young girl who enjoyed trying to use binoculars. Visitor, Justin Dee of Vail, was very helpful in spotting and identifying raptors, 11:00 to 12:00. Visitor, Paul Walker, who is a volunteer at the Dinosaur Visitor Center and a raptor nest monitor at Chatfield was also helpful, 11:00 to 12:00

Weather:
Sunny during the first 2 hours, then 100% cloudy with very flat light. Temperature was nearly constant, 10 deg. C to 12.5 deg. C. Wind ranged 10 mph to nearly 20 mph. It began to sprinkle at 15:00

Raptor Observations:
Nearly all raptors sighted were soaring until high at the south end of Dinosaur Ridge and gliding very high going north along the ridge. Most identifications were based on silhouettes with little or no color pattern seen. There are therefore many unidentified falcons which may have been either Prairie Falcon or Peregrine Falcon.

Non-raptor Observations:
1 American Robin, 3 male Broad-tailed Hummingbirds, 4 Scrub Jays, over 20 White-throated Swifts, about 20 Violet-green Swallows, 4 Black-billed Magpies (one was a fledgling, 1 Hairy Woodpecker (intermountain w), 2 Spotted Towhees, 3 Yellow-rumped Warblers, 2 Common Ravens, 2 Western Meadowlarks. Thirty-eight White-faced Ibis migrated north along Rooney road, then veered east.

Predictions:
Too wet for raptors to migrate or hawkwatchers to watch.

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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.