Thursday 3 March 2022

[cobirds] Dinosaur Ridge - Denver Field Ornithologists (03 Mar 2022) 15 Raptors

Dinosaur Ridge - Denver Field Ornithologists
Colorado, USA

Daily Raptor Counts: Mar 03, 2022
SpeciesDay's CountMonth TotalSeason Total
Black Vulture000
Turkey Vulture000
Osprey000
Bald Eagle000
Northern Harrier022
Sharp-shinned Hawk000
Cooper's Hawk000
Northern Goshawk022
Red-shouldered Hawk000
Broad-winged Hawk000
Red-tailed Hawk111818
Rough-legged Hawk000
Swainson's Hawk000
Ferruginous Hawk000
Golden Eagle033
American Kestrel111
Merlin011
Peregrine Falcon000
Prairie Falcon011
Mississippi Kite000
Unknown Accipiter000
Unknown Buteo333
Unknown Falcon000
Unknown Eagle000
Unknown Raptor000
Total:153131


Observation start time: 09:30:00
Observation end time: 17:00:00
Total observation time: 7.5 hours
Official CounterEmma Riley
Observers: Crystal Reser , Karen Fernandez, Mike Fernandez



Visitors:
AM Observer was Mike Fernandez and his wife Karen Fernandez. They will be counting on Mondays this season so it was great to have them up as they are very familiar with the site. PM Observer was Crystal Reser, with Mariane and Dave Erickson also volunteering as observers. Total visitor count today was 33, with 12 of those visitors interested in the Hawk Watch. We also had a dog named Silk hang out with us for a bit as it decided we were more interesting than walking with its owner.

Weather:
Very warm day with temperatures reaching 21 C and little cloud cover. Winds started out from the west but switched to the east in the afternoon. Winds were light all day and humidity was low. At about 1600 a haze started to roll in from the west over the mountains but did not affect visibility much.

Raptor Observations:
Raptors were moving very high today, with some reaching the end of 10x binoculars. We had a total of 15 migrants today, with the highlight being two kettles of three RT that formed above the ridge. The first AK of the season was counted today. Four resident RT were seen, one of these birds holds its legs out very often in flight both with its pair and when escorting migrants out of the area. At about 1430 the local BE showed up. It will be interesting to see if we see the resident GE and PR in the next few days, or if they have moved.

Non-raptor Observations:
Had a great variety of non-raptors up at the ridge today, with the highlight being a flock of 8 Clark's Nutcrackers in the late afternoon. Other birds seen today include Black-billed Magpie (2), Northern Flicker (2), Mountain Bluebird (13), Bushtit (14), Townsend's Solitaire (2), Common Raven (12), Woodhouse's Scrub-Jay (2), Mountain Chickadee (2), and American Robin (7). Today is the first day of the season that MOBL and CLNU were seen. In the late morning we saw an all black, mostly unmarked helicopter that came incredibly close to us. This helicopter almost seemed to be looking for something, or someone.

Predictions:
Things cool down tomorrow with a high of 16 C and higher humidity than today. Winds are moving from the west and southwest. Winds look to be strongest in the early afternoon. There is a storm expected to come through this weekend so we are hoping to have a decent push of birds tomorrow before the storm.


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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