Colorado, USA
| Daily Raptor Counts: Mar 05, 2014 | |||
| Species | Day's Count | Month Total | Season Total |
| Black Vulture | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Turkey Vulture | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Osprey | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Bald Eagle | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Northern Harrier | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Sharp-shinned Hawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Cooper's Hawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Northern Goshawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Red-shouldered Hawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Broad-winged Hawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Red-tailed Hawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Rough-legged Hawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Swainson's Hawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Ferruginous Hawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Golden Eagle | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| American Kestrel | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Merlin | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Peregrine Falcon | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Prairie Falcon | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Mississippi Kite | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Unknown Accipiter | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Unknown Buteo | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Unknown Falcon | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Unknown Eagle | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Unknown Raptor | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Total: | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Observation start time: | 09:00:00 |
| Observation end time: | 15:30:00 |
| Total observation time: | 6.5 hours |
| Official Counter | Roger Rouch |
| Observers: | Don Taves, Joyce Commercon |
Visitors:
One jogger stopped by briefly.
Weather:
A virtually cloudless mild day with occasional light winds mostly from the S.E. There was significant melting of the previous night's snow but most of the landscape remained snow covered by day's end.
Raptor Observations:
The raptor highlight of the day was a local Golden Eagle that passed low directly over the ridge travelling north to south. An immature Bald Eagle spiraled slowly south to north between the west ridges and the site and tallied as the only migrating raptor for the day. The first migrator of the season? Several local Red-tailed Hawks and a few raptors too distant to identify meandered around the far western ridges. The local Prairie Falcon lit on the power pole to the north of the site. Also a pair or more of local red tails on the power poles and cruising near ground level below the east side of the ridge.
Non-raptor Observations:
Also sighted: American Robin, Western Scrub Jay, Mountain Chickadee, Common Raven, Black-billed Magpie, Townsend's Solitare
Predictions:
A guess might be more activity as the snow melts and provides some rising air currents radiating from the bare ground. The site is fairly dry, but the trail will be slick and muddy at least through the morning.
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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