Friday 11 March 2022

[cobirds] Dinosaur Ridge - Denver Field Ornithologists (11 Mar 2022) 7 Raptors

Dinosaur Ridge - Denver Field Ornithologists
Colorado, USA

Daily Raptor Counts: Mar 11, 2022
SpeciesDay's CountMonth TotalSeason Total
Black Vulture000
Turkey Vulture000
Osprey000
Bald Eagle166
Northern Harrier033
Sharp-shinned Hawk011
Cooper's Hawk000
Northern Goshawk022
Red-shouldered Hawk000
Broad-winged Hawk000
Red-tailed Hawk22525
Rough-legged Hawk000
Swainson's Hawk000
Ferruginous Hawk000
Golden Eagle31212
American Kestrel011
Merlin011
Peregrine Falcon000
Prairie Falcon122
Mississippi Kite000
Unknown Accipiter000
Unknown Buteo033
Unknown Falcon000
Unknown Eagle000
Unknown Raptor000
Total:75656


Observation start time: 09:30:00
Observation end time: 17:00:00
Total observation time: 7.5 hours
Official CounterEmma Riley
Observers: Chris Gearhart, Dale Campau , Dave Hill, Edie Israel



Visitors:
Visitor count today was 6, with 5 of them interacting with us. One couple stopped and talked with us for a minute, and we got on the subject of Ferruginous Hawks. Within three minutes we saw the first Ferruginous Hawk of the season.

Weather:
The temperatures hovered around freezing for most of the day, but the sun was out in full force this morning which made a drastic difference. Winds started out in the west, shifting to a northwest wind and picking up to 23 km/h at points in the afternoon.

Raptor Observations:
The morning started off with a bang with a migrating Prairie Falcon zipping by and a local Golden Eagle perched about 100 feet down the ridge from us. 5 local Red-tailed Hawks were seen throughout the day, with the pair we saw copulating yesterday sticking close together today. One local Sharp-shinned Hawk was also briefly seen. Golden Eagles were on the move, with three migrants and a handful of locals seen today, most of them relatively close. The highlight of the day was an adult Ferruginous Hawk that was seen gaining elevation just east of the ridge but flew directly south after a minute. This sighting is making us hopeful we will get to count a migrating Ferruginous here soon!

Non-raptor Observations:


Predictions:
Tomorrow is expected to be warm and windy, with winds out of the west mostly. The trail up to the ridge will most likely be disastrous.


Report submitted by DAVID HILL ()
Dinosaur Ridge - Denver Field Ornithologists information may be found at: http://www.dfobirds.org
More information at hawkcount.org: [Site Profile] [Day Summary] [Month Summary]




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 of any skill level are always welcome.
HawkWatch at Dinosaur Ridge is generally staffed by volunteers 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
southwest end of lot to the 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.
(Distance: 0.56 miles, Elevation gain: 259 feet)

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