Thursday, 3 April 2025

[cobirds] Dinosaur Ridge - Denver Field Ornithologists (03 Apr 2025) 19 Raptors

Dinosaur Ridge - Denver Field Ornithologists
Golden, Colorado, USA

Daily Raptor Counts: Apr 03, 2025
SpeciesDay's CountMonth TotalSeason Total
Black Vulture000
Turkey Vulture11455
Osprey026
Bald Eagle0027
Northern Harrier2210
Sharp-shinned Hawk1432
Cooper's Hawk1251
American Goshawk001
Red-shouldered Hawk000
Broad-winged Hawk000
Red-tailed Hawk814279
Rough-legged Hawk002
Swainson's Hawk000
Ferruginous Hawk0015
Golden Eagle0019
American Kestrel69111
Merlin005
Peregrine Falcon014
Prairie Falcon002
Mississippi Kite000
Unknown Accipitrine001
Unknown Buteo000
Unknown Falcon000
Unknown Eagle000
Unknown Raptor001
Total:1948621


Observation start time: 09:00:00
Observation end time: 13:00:00
Total observation time: 4 hours
Official CounterEmma Riley, Audrey Anderson
Observers:



Visitors:
Despite the snow we still saw 4 visitors at the site today! There was a small number of people recreating on the trail today besides our visitors. Can't make it out to the ridge and still want to follow along? Check out our Trektellen page and follow along with live updates at https://www.trektellen.org/count/view/4515/20250301 .

Weather:
We had a cold and snowy day on the ridge today with snow seen falling north and south of us right when we got up. Snow fell on and off through the morning until 1300 MST when it rolled in and limited our visibility immensely. Winds were light from the NE.

Raptor Observations:
We saw a nice little push of migrants this morning including 2 Northern Harriers and a line of 6 Red-tailed Hawks, all moving along the western ridges. We also saw a small push of American Kestrels before the snow picked up. Local raptor activity was slow today but we still spotted TV, RT, and AK in the area.

Non-raptor Observations:
Non-raptor activity was generally low today, with some decent Raven activity for most of the morning. A few Western Bluebirds and American Robins were seen moving north early in the day. We also saw a few Canada Geese moving east. Canada Goose 4, Common Raven 3, Black-billed Magpie 1, Western Meadowlark 1, Dark-eyed Junco 1, Western Bluebird 7, American Robin 9, Spotted Towhee 1

Predictions:
Tomorrow looks to turn out similar to today, with snow predicted to move in in the afternoon, but may be present on and off in the morning. The trail may be muddy coming up. We are hopeful there will be another quick push of birds before tomorrow's snow.


Report submitted by Official Counter of the day shown above (dinoridgehw@gmail.com)
Dinosaur Ridge - Denver Field Ornithologists information may be found at: www.dinosaurridgehawkwatch.org
More information at hawkcount.org: [Site Profile] [Day Summary] [Month Summary]




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. American 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
Hawk Counter(s) and volunteers from March through early May.

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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[cobirds] Dinosaur Ridge - Denver Field Ornithologists (02 Apr 2025) 10 Raptors

Dinosaur Ridge - Denver Field Ornithologists
Golden, Colorado, USA

Daily Raptor Counts: Apr 02, 2025
SpeciesDay's CountMonth TotalSeason Total
Black Vulture000
Turkey Vulture71354
Osprey126
Bald Eagle0027
Northern Harrier008
Sharp-shinned Hawk1331
Cooper's Hawk0150
American Goshawk001
Red-shouldered Hawk000
Broad-winged Hawk000
Red-tailed Hawk06271
Rough-legged Hawk002
Swainson's Hawk000
Ferruginous Hawk0015
Golden Eagle0019
American Kestrel13105
Merlin005
Peregrine Falcon014
Prairie Falcon002
Mississippi Kite000
Unknown Accipitrine001
Unknown Buteo000
Unknown Falcon000
Unknown Eagle000
Unknown Raptor001
Total:1029602


Observation start time: 09:00:00
Observation end time: 17:00:00
Total observation time: 8 hours
Official CounterEmma Riley, Audrey Anderson
Observers: Eleanor Meng , Karrie Lagon , Patricia Galli, Ryan Gannon



Visitors:
Thank you to both Kerrie, Patricia, and Chloe for volunteering this morning and for our lovely afternoon crew of Ellie and Ryan. Today was Ellie’s last day volunteering with Dinosaur Ridge this season before she goes off to work with warblers in North Carolina for a few months before heading off to Alaska! Thank you for all of the hours you put into the ridge this season! We had a total of 7 visitors on the ridge today. Can't make it out to the ridge and still want to follow along? Check out our Trektellen page and follow along with live updates at https://www.trektellen.org/count/view/4515/20250301

Weather:
Today was consistent with 20% cloud cover, winds up to 25 mph, and temperatures around 8C.

Raptor Observations:
Activity of local and migrating raptors was relatively low today. All migrant movement happened in the earlier hours of the count, a few highlights being an eye-level Osprey and a line of 6 Turkey Vultures. Local raptor highlights included a male AMKE and adult SSHA. They were seen consistently around the platform today, the SSHA even made a bold pass right between two of the volunteers!

Non-raptor Observations:
White-throated Swift 1, Northern Flicker 2, Black-billed Magpie 2, American Crow 1, Common Raven 2, Black-capped Chickadee 2, Mountain Chickadee 1, Mountain Bluebird 4, Western Bluebird 11, Dark-eyed Junco 1, Spotted Towhee 3

Predictions:
Mixture of rain and snow in the afternoon beginning around 14:00, winds up to 15 mph out of the NE, and temperatures right around 0C.


Report submitted by Official Counter of the day shown above (dinoridgehw@gmail.com)
Dinosaur Ridge - Denver Field Ornithologists information may be found at: www.dinosaurridgehawkwatch.org
More information at hawkcount.org: [Site Profile] [Day Summary] [Month Summary]




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. American 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
Hawk Counter(s) and volunteers from March through early May.

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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Wednesday, 2 April 2025

[cobirds] Dinosaur Ridge - Denver Field Ornithologists (01 Apr 2025) 19 Raptors

Dinosaur Ridge - Denver Field Ornithologists
Golden, Colorado, USA

Daily Raptor Counts: Apr 01, 2025
SpeciesDay's CountMonth TotalSeason Total
Black Vulture000
Turkey Vulture6647
Osprey115
Bald Eagle0027
Northern Harrier008
Sharp-shinned Hawk2230
Cooper's Hawk1150
American Goshawk001
Red-shouldered Hawk000
Broad-winged Hawk000
Red-tailed Hawk66271
Rough-legged Hawk002
Swainson's Hawk000
Ferruginous Hawk0015
Golden Eagle0019
American Kestrel22104
Merlin005
Peregrine Falcon114
Prairie Falcon002
Mississippi Kite000
Unknown Accipitrine001
Unknown Buteo000
Unknown Falcon000
Unknown Eagle000
Unknown Raptor001
Total:1919592


Observation start time: 09:00:00
Observation end time: 15:00:00
Total observation time: 6.15 hours
Official CounterAudrey Anderson
Observers: Buzz Schaumberg, Lori Morton



Visitors:
Thank you to both Lori Morton in the morning and Buzz Schaumberg in the afternoon for your company and your help spotting on the ridge! We had a total of 3 visitors on the ridge. Can't make it out to the ridge and still want to follow along? Check out our Trektellen page and follow along with live updates at https://www.trektellen.org/count/view/4515/20250301

Weather:
The morning began with strong wind gusts around 20 mph which petered off after about an hour. Consistent cloud cover throughout the count with thunderstorms rolling in the afternoon. The count was called early due to thunder and sleet.

Raptor Observations:
Today was a day for close flacon and overall raptor interaction and movement. This morning a local juvenile PRFA came in from the NW giving us extraordinary looks. Probably the best look I've ever had at a PRFA, it circled overhead, fluttering with its tail fanned out directly over the platform, maybe 10 feet above, before shooting off towards the slope of Green Mtn. Shortly after 3 peregrine flacons and a Turkey Vulture appeared at the S end of the ridge. All 3 peregrines came shooting directly past us on the W side of the ridge, 2 locals - perhaps the nesting pair at Red Rocks were hounding the 3rd individual. The pair escorted the migrant N before turning back and flying directly S in the same line. Other highlights of the day included close views of an osprey in the valley W of the ridge as well as close movement of RTHA, AMKE, TUVU, COHA and SSHA. Both species of local adult eagles, one GOEA and a BAEA were also present. Overall raptor activity really dropped off during the 12:00 hour

Non-raptor Observations:
White-throated Swift 24, Ring-billed Gull 11, Northern Flicker 1, Woodhouse's Scrub Jay 2, Black-billed Magpie 2, Common Raven 3, Black-capped Chickadee 3, Tree Swallow 1, White-breasted Nuthatch 1, Mountain Bluebird 3, Western Bluebird 43, House Finch 3, Spotted Towhee 2, Western Meadowlark 2

Predictions:
Tomorrow's conditions will consist of varying cloud cover, winds out of the NW/WNW up to 20mph, and temperatures around 5-7C.


Report submitted by Official Counter of the day shown above (dinoridgehw@gmail.com)
Dinosaur Ridge - Denver Field Ornithologists information may be found at: www.dinosaurridgehawkwatch.org
More information at hawkcount.org: [Site Profile] [Day Summary] [Month Summary]




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. American 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
Hawk Counter(s) and volunteers from March through early May.

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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Tuesday, 1 April 2025

[cobirds] FOS House Wren - Golden - Jeffco

Birders,
Last Sunday we had our FOS HOWR in our yard. Otherwise, the birding around here is non-existent.


--
Ira Sanders
Golden, CO
"My mind is a raging torrent flooded with rivulets of thought cascading into a waterfall of creative alternatives."

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[cobirds] Mount Zion Hawk Watch at Windy Saddle Park (01 Apr 2025) 5 Raptors

Mount Zion Hawk Watch at Windy Saddle Park
Golden, Greater Denver, Colorado, USA

This is a new raptor migration site identified and designated in mid-September 2024. This is Colorado's 1st fall hawk watch site and the state's second spring watch site. Many raptors seen c. 1.5 miles to the West from Dinosaur Ridge, may be directly overhead at this site, we are hoping. To get to the site which is along Lookout Mountain Rd. in Golden, enter either Windy Saddle Park or Mount Zion into Google Maps on your favorite navigation app, or enter the coordinates 39.7368,-105.2454. From the parking lot ascend the stone steps to the watch site. EVERYONE IS WELCONE TO THE HAWK WATCH TO ENJOY THE SPECTACLE OF RAPTOR MIGRATION, EVEN IF YOU KNOW NOTHING ABOUT IDENTIFYING RAPTORS IN FLIGHT.

Daily Raptor Counts: Apr 01, 2025
SpeciesDay's CountMonth TotalSeason Total
Black Vulture000
Turkey Vulture007
Osprey000
Bald Eagle115
Northern Harrier001
Sharp-shinned Hawk003
Cooper's Hawk113
American Goshawk000
Broad-winged Hawk000
Red-tailed Hawk0032
Rough-legged Hawk000
Swainson's Hawk000
Ferruginous Hawk001
Golden Eagle2216
American Kestrel001
Merlin000
Peregrine Falcon000
Prairie Falcon004
Mississippi Kite000
Unknown Accipitrine000
Unknown Buteo000
Unknown Falcon000
Unknown Eagle000
Unknown Raptor111
Total:5574


Observation start time: 08:30:00
Observation end time: 13:30:00
Total observation time: 5 hours
Official CounterAjit Antony
Observers:



Visitors:
Two groups of women asked what I was doing, a trail runner asked whether I'd seen any birds, and when I said I hadn't, he confidently reassured me "They will come."

Weather:
The forecast was for NW winds at 15 mph with gusts to 30 mph, but there was constant wind at the watch from the West at Level 5 until the last 1.5 hours; thick overcast resulting in a poor Soaring Forecast of only 0.3 m/s with thermals up to 5,710 ft above ground level, and which would be blown apart with the strong winds; fair visibility. The winds aloft predicted by earth.nullschool.net was it 35 km/h r from the SW, rather different from the surface prediction. Virga all day in many directions, some fairly close. I had an insight - that it's easier to see virga tangentially against a lighter gray background as irregular streamers falling down, but when they are overhead against gray skies, it's close to impossible to see them, but knowing this fact I could see them as wavy slightly grayer lines.

Raptor Observations:
Interestingly, when the strong wind subsided, so did the raptor flight. The first migrant was a Cooper's Hawk at 9:56 a.m. MDT. One migrant GE at 10:37 a.m. was seen in the at a distance; the second one came from the south quite low and dropped to the North End of North Table Mountain, and I thought it was one of the nesting pair, but it then rose and went North. Non-migrant raptors:1. 10:23 a.m. Prairie Falcon flying south, sandy back and tail confirmed with a scope. 2. An American Crow harassing an adult GE 50 m NE, it flew SW along Clear Creek Canyon, then went West. 3. 11:42 a.m. BE adult going SW. 4. 11:55 a.m. subadult IV BE with a narrow black termimal tail band. 5. GE adult kiting, remaining almost motionless along the North face of Lookout Mountain, then landing on a rock. 6. 12:00 p.m. pale bluish-backed adult male Richardson's/Prairie ML going south seen against the trees on Lookout Mountain. 7. 12:52 p.m. adult GE at the peak of Lookout Mountain with an RT. 8. Adult GE going south, perched on the microwave tower for a few seconds before dropping. 9. 1:16 p.m. adult GE to the West circling and rising missing a first left secondary feather, flying south. 10. TV well north of Green Mountain, flew South going west of Green Mountain. 11. RT 4. 12. SS going south.

Non-raptor Observations:
Townsend Solitaire 1, Western Bluebird 5 flyby.

Predictions:
Similar to today.


Report submitted by Ajit Antony (aiantony@earthlink.net)
More information at hawkcount.org: [Site Profile] [Day Summary] [Month Summary]




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[cobirds] Fwd: Adopt a Colorado survey route for the Breeding Bird Survey

Hi CoBirders,

We have had a great response by many birders adopting Colorado routes for the Nor. Am. Breeding Bird Survey (BBS), including many observers who are new to the project. There are only 18 vacant CO routes still without an assigned observer. I've pasted a list of the vacant routes below with their county locations.  It is not too late to get involved, and I'd love to see some of the western and southern CO routes adopted, especially. See the forwarded post for more information. Contact me if you want to volunteer or have questions. The volunteer sign up function on the BBS website is currently not functioning for CO, so email me directly.

David Suddjian, Littleton
BBS Colorado state coordinator

Route # Route Name County
17007 Fleming Logan, Phillips
17020 Boyero Lincoln
17039 Willow Peak Eagle
17044 Bethune Kit Carson
17056 Trinchera Las Animas
17112 Kiowa 2 Elbert
17124 Blackhead Pk Archuleta
17209 Flattops Rio Blanco, Garfield
17210 Thomasville Pitkin, Eagle
17307 Julesburg Sedgwick, Logan
17309 Ragged Mtn. Gunnison, Delta, Mesa
17314 Burlington Kit Carson, Yuma
17321 Sheridan Lak Kiowa, Prowers
17327 Timpas Otero, Las Animas
17359 Rifle Falls Garfield
17376 Ludlow Las Animas
17423 Animas 2 La Plata
17478 Heeney 2 Summit


---------- Forwarded message ---------
From: David Suddjian <dsuddjian@gmail.com>
Date: Tue, Mar 18, 2025 at 12:16 PM
Subject: Adopt a Colorado survey route for the Breeding Bird Survey
To: David Suddjian <dsuddjian@gmail.com>, Colorado Birds <cobirds@googlegroups.com>


Hi CoBirders,

The North American Breeding Bird Survey (BBS) is our longest running continent-wide survey of breeding birds. Each year during the height of the avian breeding season (late May to early July), skilled birders collect bird population data along roadside BBS survey routes. Each survey route is 24.5 miles long with stops situated 0.5-mile apart. At each stop, a 3-minute point count is conducted, and every bird seen or heard within a 0.25-mile radius is recorded. Routes are surveyed once each season, following the same roads and making the same stops each year.

I've been surveying BBS routes for over 30 years and it is one of the highlights of my birding year. I've learned so much, and it is so fun to get to know the routes and the birds along the way, and to see first hand how things are changing. 

Can you adopt an available survey route? Observers should be skilled in identifying the birds of the region by sight and sound (sorry, you can't use Merlin sound ID to find and ID the birds for you). The BBS is looking for volunteers to make at least a three-year commitment to surveying a route. Interested?  Visit here for more information.  I've pasted a list of currently available routes below, and information on each can be found here Vacant BBS Routes

Please contact me with any questions.

David Suddjian
Littleton CO
Colorado BBS state coordinator

[This list is now outdated.See the current list above]
Route # Route Name County
17003 Yampa Routt
17006 Pinneo Morgan, Logan
17007 Fleming Logan, Phillips
17014 Abarr Yuma
17015 Delta Delta, Montrose
17017 Parlin Gunnison
17020 Boyero Lincoln
17028 Two Buttes Baca, Prowers
17037 Waverly Yuma
17039 Willow Peak Eagle
17042 Adams Co. Adams
17044 Bethune Kit Carson
17056 Trinchera Las Animas
17058 Campo Baca
17124 Blackhead Pk Archuleta
17125 San Luis Alamosa
17203 Buffalo Park Grand
17205 Grover Weld
17206 Stoneham Weld
17209 Flattops Rio Blanco
17210 Thomasville Pitkin, Eagle
17228 Edler Baca
17307 Julesburg Sedgwick, Logan
17309 Ragged Mtn. Delta, Mesa
17314 Burlington Kit Carson, Yuma
17320 Karval Lincoln
17321 Sheridan Lak Kiowa, Prowers
17327 Timpas Otero, Las Animas
17359 Rifle Falls Garfield
17376 Ludlow Las Animas
17412 Prospect Valley 2 Adams 
17419 Doyle Bridge 2 Pueblo
17423 Animas 2 La Plata
17425 Mesita Costilla
17478 Heeney 2 Summit

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Re: [cobirds] Early migrants, random comments

Interesting observations, Dave. Thank you. I better get my hummer feeders up. I think two other factors in increased early seasonal reports of migrant species is the gigantic increase in the number of Colorado birders in the last decade or more, and the correspondingly huge increase in reporting of sightings, mostly a result of eBird despite its data quality challenges. Most of the early reports trigger the county filters, so hopefully the eBird review process helps insure some quality control there.

David Suddjian
Littleton, CO

On Tue, Apr 1, 2025 at 10:41 AM DAVID A LEATHERMAN <daleatherman@msn.com> wrote:

I remember Harold Holt's stab at defining migration windows for CO birds. Overwintering individuals of species that are overwhelmingly migratory made establishing true early dates difficult. Other factors involved in making statements about "early" observations are the new normals in light of climate change and the fact of Colorado's immense and diverse geography (altitudes and habitats).  Of late the eBird alert I receive seems full of legitimate, remarkably-early birds but is concurrently littered with apparently erroneous reports attributable to mistaken humans and/or the Merlin app. Wish there was a way to weed out the latter before they end up on alerts and certainly before becoming part of a database.

This spring, early reports of migratory warblers not normally part of the species subset that winter on occasion at feeders, seem remarkable. I know of a Northern Parula, Orange-crowned and Black-and-white that are solid reports, all in March.  Is the Lucy's reported in Yellowjacket Canyon a tad early?

All the swallows have been reported.  A Vermilion Fly almost as far north as WY at Rawhide.  

Regarding the expressed worry about these early birds surviving, cold is probably not the direct issue for them as much as adverse weather might be for their food (especially insects). Bernd Heinrich's field measurements of temperature outside and under the feathers of a Golden-crowned Kinglet in a Maine winter should be comforting to us rooting for bird wellbeing. 80-degree difference!  That is, -20 F air temp, +60 F at the skin.  (See: Heinrich, B. 2003. Overnighting of Golden-crowned Kinglet during winter. Wilson Bulletin 115:113-114).

Dave Leatherman
Fort Collins (currently in Lamar)


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[cobirds] Early migrants, random comments


I remember Harold Holt's stab at defining migration windows for CO birds. Overwintering individuals of species that are overwhelmingly migratory made establishing true early dates difficult. Other factors involved in making statements about "early" observations are the new normals in light of climate change and the fact of Colorado's immense and diverse geography (altitudes and habitats).  Of late the eBird alert I receive seems full of legitimate, remarkably-early birds but is concurrently littered with apparently erroneous reports attributable to mistaken humans and/or the Merlin app. Wish there was a way to weed out the latter before they end up on alerts and certainly before becoming part of a database.

This spring, early reports of migratory warblers not normally part of the species subset that winter on occasion at feeders, seem remarkable. I know of a Northern Parula, Orange-crowned and Black-and-white that are solid reports, all in March.  Is the Lucy's reported in Yellowjacket Canyon a tad early?

All the swallows have been reported.  A Vermilion Fly almost as far north as WY at Rawhide.  

Regarding the expressed worry about these early birds surviving, cold is probably not the direct issue for them as much as adverse weather might be for their food (especially insects). Bernd Heinrich's field measurements of temperature outside and under the feathers of a Golden-crowned Kinglet in a Maine winter should be comforting to us rooting for bird wellbeing. 80-degree difference!  That is, -20 F air temp, +60 F at the skin.  (See: Heinrich, B. 2003. Overnighting of Golden-crowned Kinglet during winter. Wilson Bulletin 115:113-114).

Dave Leatherman
Fort Collins (currently in Lamar)


[cobirds] hummingbirds

The first reports in Colorado for the season have started turning up in the past few days - I hope these early ones make it!


Diana Beatty
El Paso County




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Monday, 31 March 2025

[cobirds] Chico Basin Ranch Opens April 29, El Paso/Pueblo Counites

Greetings, birders,

Spring access at Chico Basin Ranch will open Tuesday April 29th and run through Monday June 2nd. Bird banding, handled by Bird Conservancy of the Rockies, will run concurrently.

Registration will be the same as last year: you'll register through Aiken Audubon's website: aikenaudubon.com. The cost is $15/person, and you may register up to a week in advance. We are still limited to 20 birders/day. Registrations are not transferable.

Groups of 10-12  may register ahead of time by contacting us at chicoregistration@aikenaudubon.com. Please include the number in your party, as well as the name and email address of the leader. The leader will receive instructions for the group. Any additional members of the group (beyond 12) will be allowed to sign up one week ahead of your desired date.

Note that the hours of access are 7 a.m. to 1 p.m., and visitation is restricted to the Banding Station, Headquarters Pond and Rose Pond.

Thank you for abiding by these regulations, which are dictated by Chico's owner, the Colorado State Land Board. Aiken Audubon holds a birding lease at Chico and simply facilitates registration. Any abuse of the above requirements could cause us to lose the lease.

If you have questions, you may contact us at chicoregistration@aikenaudubon.com or reach out to me directly at conservation@aikenaudubon.com.

Linda Hodges
Aiken Audubon

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[cobirds] Dinosaur Ridge - Denver Field Ornithologists (31 Mar 2025) 46 Raptors

Dinosaur Ridge - Denver Field Ornithologists
Golden, Colorado, USA

Daily Raptor Counts: Mar 31, 2025
SpeciesDay's CountMonth TotalSeason Total
Black Vulture000
Turkey Vulture44141
Osprey144
Bald Eagle02727
Northern Harrier088
Sharp-shinned Hawk62828
Cooper's Hawk74949
American Goshawk011
Red-shouldered Hawk000
Broad-winged Hawk000
Red-tailed Hawk7265265
Rough-legged Hawk022
Swainson's Hawk000
Ferruginous Hawk01515
Golden Eagle01919
American Kestrel21102102
Merlin055
Peregrine Falcon033
Prairie Falcon022
Mississippi Kite000
Unknown Accipitrine011
Unknown Buteo000
Unknown Falcon000
Unknown Eagle000
Unknown Raptor011
Total:46573573


Observation start time: 09:00:00
Observation end time: 16:30:00
Total observation time: 7.5 hours
Official CounterEmma Riley
Observers: Amanda Baker, Clay Gibson, Dori Edwards, Ellie Meng, Mike Serruto, Ric Olson



Visitors:
Thank you to Clay Gibson, Amanda Baker, Ellie Meng, Dori Edwards, Ric Olson, and Michael Serruto for your help and company today on the ridge! As always it is a pleasure getting to experience the migration with you. We saw 27 visitors on the ridge today. Can't make it out to the ridge and still want to follow along? Check out our Trektellen page and follow along with live updates at https://www.trektellen.org/count/view/4515/20250301 .

Weather:
Today was warmer than yesterday with almost constant cloud cover. A haze settled into the area in the afternoon making some birds hard to spot until they were close. Winds were from the NE for much of the day, shifting to a more West wind in the late afternoon. The count was ended 30 minutes early due to high winds.

Raptor Observations:
The morning started off a touch slow but once it picked up migration was constant for a few hours. We had another eye level Osprey come on the East side of the ridge this morning, along with a few low Sharp-shinned and Coopers Hawks. SS and CH continue to come in great numbers. We had another stellar American Kestrel flight for a day in March, leaving us with 102 AK counted in March. Turkey Vultures continue to come, earlier than usual. This leaves us with the highest March count for TV ever at this site, and 4th highest March count for AK at this site! This March was our second highest count overall since 2006. Local raptor activity was high in the morning through mid-afternoon, with many RT escorting migrant birds. The local PG (2) from Red Rocks were seen harassing an adult BE above Mt. Morrison. The highlight of the day was the FOY Swainson's Hawk (!!!!) that unfortunately could not be counted as it was spotted overhead and moved South. Other local raptors seen today include one GE, a male AK on the power lines west of us, and TV (at least 2) that perched on a rock along Dakota Ridge and watched cars pass by.

Non-raptor Observations:
Passerine activity was high in the morning but significantly declined by the end of the day. SPTO were heard singing all day on either side of the ridge. WEME continue to also be heard throughout the day. 10 WTSW were seen in the afternoon. The lack of Townsend's Solitaires is getting more obvious by the day, as we typically see at least one every day by this time of year. 4 Elk were seen just below the ridge on the E side. 9 Mule Deer were seen on the hike out. White-throated Swift 10, Black-billed Magpie 2, Common Raven 2, Western Bluebird 9, Spotted Towhee 4, Western Meadowlark 2

Predictions:
Tomorrow looks like another cold and potentially wet spring day at Dinosaur Ridge, so bring your rain coats and a pair of gloves! We may have some strong gusts of wind but we are hopeful it won't be too bad.


Report submitted by Official Counter of the day shown above (dinoridgehw@gmail.com)
Dinosaur Ridge - Denver Field Ornithologists information may be found at: www.dinosaurridgehawkwatch.org
More information at hawkcount.org: [Site Profile] [Day Summary] [Month Summary]




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. American 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
Hawk Counter(s) and volunteers from March through early May.

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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