[cobirds] HSR: Dinosaur Ridge (12 Mar 2014) 8 Raptors

Dinosaur Ridge
Colorado, USA

Daily Raptor Counts: Mar 12, 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	2	7	7
Northern Harrier	0	0	0
Sharp-shinned Hawk	0	1	1
Cooper's Hawk	0	1	1
Northern Goshawk	0	0	0
Red-shouldered Hawk	0	0	0
Broad-winged Hawk	0	0	0
Red-tailed Hawk	3	17	17
Rough-legged Hawk	0	3	3
Swainson's Hawk	0	0	0
Ferruginous Hawk	1	3	3
Golden Eagle	1	1	1
American Kestrel	0	1	1
Merlin	0	0	0
Peregrine Falcon	0	0	0
Prairie Falcon	0	1	1
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	1	1	1
Total:	8	36	36

Observation start time:	09:00:00
Observation end time:	15:00:00
Total observation time:	6 hours
Official Counter	Roger Rouch
Observers:

Visitors:
3 visitors stopped briefly with a slight interest in things.

Weather:
A cold morning with temps near 20F rising to near 50F by day's end. A cloudless day with winds near 1 bft. mostly from the SE. The majority of the previous nights snow was melted by late afternoon.

Raptor Observations:
Not a high count day, but a very interesting one that included an adult Golden Eagle on a south to north course low and directly over the ridge and a Ferruginous Hawk below ridgeline between C-470 and the ridge. An adult Bald Eagle circled in tandem with an immature bald (showing distinct white axillaries) far to the south for several minutes until the mature eagle turned north in direct flight. The immature was lost. A second adult bald followed about a half hour later. Very few local raptors until late in the day when at one time at least eight Red-Tail Hawks were circling between Cabrini and Mt. Morrison with a probable local Golden Eagle popping up occasionally from behind the west ridge for a brief sighting. None of these Red-Tails were observed to turn north to migrate. Also, a local Prairie Falcon.

Non-raptor Observations:
Also observed: Black-capped Chickadee, Mountain Chickadee, Common Raven, Northern Flicker, Townsend's Solitare, two flights of Canada Geese, and Black-billed Magpie. An agitated group of 4 or 5 Western Scrub Jay strafed up and down the ridge a few times, and 10+ American Robin browsed in the brush east of the ridge all day.

Predictions:
Possibly another interesting day. The trail is about half dry and half mud.

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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.