Colorado, USA
| Daily Raptor Counts: Mar 06, 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 | 0 | 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 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| Rough-legged Hawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Swainson's Hawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Ferruginous Hawk | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| 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: | 3 | 4 | 4 |
| Observation start time: | 09:00:00 |
| Observation end time: | 15:30:00 |
| Total observation time: | 6.5 hours |
| Official Counter | Roger Rouch |
| Observers: | Bill Wuerthele, Claude Vallieres, Pat Conner, Wendy Wibbens |
Visitors:
Two hikers stopped and asked a couple of questions but did not linger.
Weather:
Mostly cloudy with flat light all day with shifting and variable strength winds mostly from the W, stronger in the AM. Warm "flatland" temperatures were deceiving as the wind chill on the ridge made for a pretty cool day.
Raptor Observations:
Low migration activity, but included a dark morph Red-tail and a Ferruginous Hawk. Raptor of the day was the Ferruginous which tried to slip by vigilant observers late in the day below the ridge on the east side providing a good view of the light upper wing panels and rufous shoulders. A local Prairie Falcon(s) streaked up and down the ridge a couple of times and several local Red-tails with no real pattern of direction or height. Other local raptors were a Sharp-shinned Hawk and an immature Golden Eagle.
Non-raptor Observations:
Also observed: Dark-eyed Junco, Mountain Chickadee, Black- capped Chickadee, Northern Flicker, Black-billed Magpie, Common Raven, American Crow including two grouped murders, two small flights of Canada Geese, Townsend's Solitaire, House Finch, American Robin, Western Scrub Jay, and about a dozen elk below Cabrini.
Predictions:
Changing weather uncertainties, but the pattern seems to be low early season migrating activity.
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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