Friday 10 March 2023

[cobirds] Dinosaur Ridge - Denver Field Ornithologists (10 Mar 2023) 5 Raptors

Dinosaur Ridge - Denver Field Ornithologists
Colorado, USA

Daily Raptor Counts: Mar 10, 2023
SpeciesDay's CountMonth TotalSeason Total
Black Vulture000
Turkey Vulture000
Osprey000
Bald Eagle055
Northern Harrier000
Sharp-shinned Hawk011
Cooper's Hawk011
Northern Goshawk022
Red-shouldered Hawk000
Broad-winged Hawk000
Red-tailed Hawk43131
Rough-legged Hawk000
Swainson's Hawk000
Ferruginous Hawk11011
Golden Eagle066
American Kestrel000
Merlin011
Peregrine Falcon000
Prairie Falcon033
Mississippi Kite000
Unknown Accipiter000
Unknown Buteo000
Unknown Falcon000
Unknown Eagle000
Unknown Raptor000
Total:56061


Observation start time: 09:30:00
Observation end time: 15:00:00
Total observation time: 5.5 hours
Official CounterEmma Riley
Observers: Amy Walsh, Chris Gearheart, Dave Hill



Visitors:
Big thanks to Dave Hill, Amy Walsh, and Chris Gearheart for helping spot and observe birds today! Today we saw 19 visitors at the site, including a group from Ohio that had many questions about our work. One group of visitors stopped by twice during their hike along the Dakota Ridge Trail with more questions for us.

Weather:
This morning started out sunny with a very thick haze both over Denver and in the western valley. Clouds moved in late morning but temperatures were still warm for most of the day. Winds picked up in the afternoon, eventually reaching speeds of 24+ mph so we ended the day a little early.

Raptor Observations:
We had a slow day of migration but counted another FH today, our 11th for the season. Many of our migrants flew below horizon giving us a nice challenge. Overall we counted 5 birds, all RT except for the distant FH over the west ridge. Local raptor activity kept us busy with 3 BE, 2 GE, and 3 RT seen multiple times throughout the day, a few of them coming incredibly close to the ridge.

Non-raptor Observations:
Passerine activity was lower than it has been recently with CORA (6), AMCR (3), TOSO (3), AMRO (2), and SCJA (2) seen today. However, we were kept busy with local raptors so we surely could have missed other birds.

Predictions:
Tomorrows weather should bring a nice day for hawkwatching, with a little bit cooler temperature than today and partly cloudy skies. Winds are predicted to come from the east, with some moderately gusty conditions mid-day. We may get a nice flight!


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]
Count data submitted via Dunkadoo - [Project Details]




Site Description
Dinosaur Ridge is the only regularly staffed hawk watch in Colorado and is the
best place in the world to see migrating Ferruginous Hawks. Hawk watchers may
see 17 species of migrating raptors; and it is an excellent site to see rare
dark morph buteos including Broad-winged hawk, Swainson’s hawk, Ferruginous
hawk, Rough-legged hawk and Red-tailed Hawk. Other raptors we see include Golden
and Bald Eagles, Northern harrier, Osprey, Peregrine Falcons, Prairie Falcons,
Cooper's and Sharp-shinned Hawks, American Kestrels, Merlin, and Turkey
Vultures. Northern Goshawk is uncommon but also counted each season. Non-raptor
species include Rock Wren, Bushtit, Western Bluebird, Sandhill Crane,
White-throated Swift, American White Pelican, and Dusky Grouse. Birders of any
skill level are always welcome. The hawk watch at Dinosaur Ridge is staffed by a
Hawk Counter and volunteers from 9:30 AM to 5:30 PM from March 1st to May 14th,
weather permitting.

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 hawk watch signs from the
southwest end of the parking lot to the hawk watch 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, and walk to
the flat area at the crest of the ridge. (Distance: 0.56 miles, Elevation gain:
259 feet)

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