Thursday 2 March 2023

[cobirds] Dinosaur Ridge - Denver Field Ornithologists (02 Mar 2023) 11 Raptors

Dinosaur Ridge - Denver Field Ornithologists
Colorado, USA

Daily Raptor Counts: Mar 02, 2023
SpeciesDay's CountMonth TotalSeason Total
Black Vulture000
Turkey Vulture000
Osprey000
Bald Eagle000
Northern Harrier000
Sharp-shinned Hawk000
Cooper's Hawk000
Northern Goshawk000
Red-shouldered Hawk000
Broad-winged Hawk000
Red-tailed Hawk91414
Rough-legged Hawk000
Swainson's Hawk000
Ferruginous Hawk012
Golden Eagle000
American Kestrel000
Merlin111
Peregrine Falcon000
Prairie Falcon111
Mississippi Kite000
Unknown Accipiter000
Unknown Buteo000
Unknown Falcon000
Unknown Eagle000
Unknown Raptor000
Total:111718


Observation start time: 09:30:00
Observation end time: 16:30:00
Total observation time: 5.5 hours
Official CounterEmma Riley
Observers: Dave Erickson, Gary Rossmiller, Janet Peters, Marianne Erickson, Sammy Korengut



Visitors:
We had 12 visitors total today, and I had the help ofJanet Peters, Gary Rossmiller, Sammy Korengut, and Marianne & Dave Erickson for todays count.

Weather:
Today was a pleasant spring day with a high of 10 degrees Celsius and sunny conditions all day, a great change from yesterday. Wind was mild for most of the day, with a slight chill in the morning. Winds were predicted to be variable but instead were consistently coming from the NE. A haze was present and limiting visibility slightly for most of the day, lifting towards the end of the count.

Raptor Observations:
We had another great early season day with 11 raptors counted including RT (9), ML (1), and PR (1). We also had local GE, BE, and what we believe to be the nesting RT pair that was here last year. The flight was high today, with a westerly flight line in the morning. The flight line eventually shifted to overhead, but birds were still migrating at high altitudes.

Non-raptor Observations:
Non-raptor species seen today include WOSJ (2), HAWO (1), NOFL (1), AMCR (4), CORA (4), BCCH (2), TOSO (5), AMRO (3), and our first MOBL (5) of the season. We also spotted four elk just along the horizon right of the Mother Cabrini figure.

Predictions:
Another sunny day that will likely start out a bit brisk. Winds may have a westerly component tomorrow, which often brings a slow flight to Dinosaur Ridge. Cloud cover is variable but predicted to be sparse for most of the day. We are yet again hoping for a nice early season day.


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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