[cobirds] HSR: Dinosaur Ridge (02 Mar 2015) Raptors

Dinosaur Ridge
Colorado, USA

Daily Raptor Counts: Mar 02, 2015
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	0	0
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:	0	0	0

Observation start time:	09:30:00
Observation end time:	14:00:00
Total observation time:	4.5 hours
Official Counter	Joyce Commercon
Observers:

Visitors:
A few hikers were out on the snowy trails--perhaps five in total. Two hikers, one with a dog, took in the view briefly at the HawkWatch site.

Weather:
The day was sunny and cold (just above freezing) with clear blue skies through the morning, with small cumulus and thin translucent clouds rising up in the west and south in the early afternoon. Wind was light and mostly from the east. Visibility was not as good as usual, but acceptable (>10 km) above the valleys, which held a haze that reduced visibility somewhat (maybe to 7 km). The haze was noticeably brownish to the northeast and over the I-70 corridor. Solid snow cover in the area made it easy to see anything that moved.

Raptor Observations:
There were few active locals and no active migrants observed today. The highlight of the day was an adult, light-morph Harlan's Hawk that was spotted flying low and slow in Rooney Valley, heading south. Not migrating today, but probably soon. One local adult Red-tailed Hawk was observed perching and hunting, mostly in Rooney Valley. A local Prairie Falcon perched on the power pole directly north of the HawkWatch site then headed east to Green Mountain where it circled low, presumably to hunt.

Non-raptor Observations:
A group of Bushtits made their way north along the west side of the Ridge in the morning; a few hours later over twenty-five bushtits (accompanied by a few individuals of a Chickadee species) bustled back south along the same section of Ridge. Also seen or heard were Black-billed Magpie, Raven, Townsend's Solitaire and House Finch.

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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.