Colorado, USA
| Daily Raptor Counts: Apr 30, 2017 | |||
| Species | Day's Count | Month Total | Season Total |
| Black Vulture | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Turkey Vulture | 1 | 69 | 69 |
| Osprey | 1 | 9 | 9 |
| Bald Eagle | 0 | 5 | 14 |
| Northern Harrier | 0 | 2 | 2 |
| Sharp-shinned Hawk | 1 | 38 | 48 |
| Cooper's Hawk | 0 | 58 | 63 |
| Northern Goshawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Red-shouldered Hawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Broad-winged Hawk | 2 | 19 | 19 |
| Red-tailed Hawk | 2 | 83 | 263 |
| Rough-legged Hawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Swainson's Hawk | 0 | 14 | 14 |
| Ferruginous Hawk | 0 | 3 | 8 |
| Golden Eagle | 0 | 1 | 4 |
| American Kestrel | 0 | 30 | 42 |
| Merlin | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Peregrine Falcon | 1 | 8 | 10 |
| Prairie Falcon | 0 | 5 | 6 |
| Mississippi Kite | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Unknown Accipiter | 0 | 7 | 11 |
| Unknown Buteo | 0 | 12 | 27 |
| Unknown Falcon | 0 | 5 | 8 |
| Unknown Eagle | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Unknown Raptor | 1 | 17 | 24 |
| Total: | 9 | 385 | 641 |
| Observation start time: | 08:00:00 |
| Observation end time: | 13:30:00 |
| Total observation time: | 5.5 hours |
| Official Counter | Mike Fernandez |
| Observers: |
Visitors:
There were very few trail users today (two hikers and a runner, all favoring shorts, skimpy shoes and shirtless served to amuse). No HawkWatch conversations today. So my favorite (and only) visitor on the platform was my new best friend, the Rock Wren.
Weather:
Snow about 6 inches deep covered the trail to the platform with deer tracks the only fresh prints ahead of me. Sunny and bright all around all day. Green Mountain covered in white blended with the high thin white 10-30% cloud cover to the east. No motocross or gunfire today. Wunderground PWS: Solera all day.
Raptor Observations:
Migrating Raptors: Early migrators flew close to the west side of the ridge at low height of flight. Second hour pattern changed to riding thermals at south end of the ridge and then gliding directly above the ridge. After that, migration shifted to the east, both low and high close to the ridge. I did not observe any migrating raptors over the higher western ridges today. Non-Migrating Raptors: A Golden Eagle drove up ridge and then seemed to be force east by an intercepting Common Raven, forcing him into a canyon fold below the antenna on Green Mountain. The Golden reappeared later in the day and stayed near the south end of the ridge. Frequent NM Red-tailed Hawks rose up high at the far south end of the ridge and then disappeared down that way. Later in the day the NM raptors ventured as far north as I-70. Local Raptor Count: Turkey Vulture (3), Golden Eagle (1), Red-tailed Hawks (4), American Kestrel (1), Unk Falcon Sp (1).
Non-raptor Observations:
Two Rock Wrens hung around close by my side for hours on exposed rocks on both sides of the platform. Sweet. Similar experience to what Debbie James described day prior. Non-Raptors seen or heard: White-throated Swift (2), hummingbird sp (2), Woodhouse's Scrub-Jay (4), Black-billed Magpie (2), American Crow (2), Common Raven (1), Bank Swallow (4), Black-capped Chickadee (2), Rock Wren (2), Canyon Wren (1), American Robin (1), Chipping Sparrow (1), Spotted Towhee (2), Western Meadowlark (1), House Finch (1).
Predictions:
The trail will likely be snowy and muddy. The surrounding landscape was still mostly snow covered when i departed.
Report submitted by Bird Conservancy of the Rockies (jeff.birek@birdconservancy.org)
Dinosaur Ridge - Bird Conservancy of the Rockies information may be found at: http://www.birdconservancy.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 Bird Conservancy of the
Rockies from about 9 AM to around 3 PM from March 1st to May 7th.
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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