Dinosaur Ridge - Denver Field OrnithologistsGolden, Colorado, USA
| Daily Raptor Counts: Mar 30, 2025 |
| Species | Day's Count | Month Total | Season Total |
| Black Vulture | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Turkey Vulture | 4 | 37 | 37 |
| Osprey | 1 | 3 | 3 |
| Bald Eagle | 0 | 27 | 27 |
| Northern Harrier | 1 | 8 | 8 |
| Sharp-shinned Hawk | 8 | 22 | 22 |
| Cooper's Hawk | 10 | 42 | 42 |
| American Goshawk | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Red-shouldered Hawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Broad-winged Hawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Red-tailed Hawk | 8 | 258 | 258 |
| Rough-legged Hawk | 0 | 2 | 2 |
| Swainson's Hawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Ferruginous Hawk | 1 | 15 | 15 |
| Golden Eagle | 0 | 19 | 19 |
| American Kestrel | 8 | 81 | 81 |
| Merlin | 0 | 5 | 5 |
| Peregrine Falcon | 2 | 3 | 3 |
| Prairie Falcon | 0 | 2 | 2 |
| Mississippi Kite | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Unknown Accipitrine | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Unknown Buteo | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Unknown Falcon | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Unknown Eagle | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Unknown Raptor | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Total: | 44 | 527 | 527 |
| Observation start time: | 09:00:00 |
| Observation end time: | 17:00:00 |
| Total observation time: | 8 hours |
| Official Counter | Emma Riley |
| Observers: | Haley Caron, Janet Peters, June Peters , Laura Farnsworth |
Visitors:Thank you to Laura Farnsworth and Haley Caron for your continued work for Dinosaur Ridge! June and Janet Peters also stopped by for a few hours today, with snacks in hand. The trail was muddy and slow today, with 11 visitors stopping by the site. All of the trails in the surrounding area were slow today with the wintery conditions.
Weather:The morning started out with heavy fog and snow dusted across the ridge . The fog lifted but heavy cloud cover that limited visibility was present all day. The sun peaked out for a minute or two at a time in the afternoon. Winds were at low speeds from the E, and temperatures were low all day. The trail up was incredibly muddy in the morning, but already starting to dry up on the way out.
Raptor Observations:With heavy cloud cover came low birds! Almost immediately we had an eye-level male Northern Harrier come along the east side of the site. We saw a lot of Coopers and Sharp-shinned Hawks today, many coming close enough to age. Other highlights include two migrating Peregrine Falcons and an Osprey late in the day that followed the same line as the NH. Local raptor activity was relatively low today, but the usual species were seen. BE, GE, RT, TV, and AK were all seen today. The male AK was back on his usual spot along the power lines west of the ridge. RT activity in particular was low today, with locals only seen sporadically.
Non-raptor Observations:Bluebird movement continues with Western Bluebirds being the star today. Many small flocks stopped by the sites snags, giving us great looks. One lone DCCO was seen in front of Green Mountain. White-tailed Deer continue to be seen on the W slope of Dakota Ridge, typically seen on the hike out. Herds of deer and Elk continue to be seen on various hillsides. Two Coyote were seen near the Cabrini Shrine. Canada Goose 1, Double-crested Cormorant 1, Northern Flicker 1, Black-billed Magpie 12, American Crow 3, Common Raven 2, Mountain Bluebird 15, Western Bluebird 27, American Robin 52, Spotted Towhee 2, Western Meadowlark 2
Predictions:Tomorrow brings warmer temperatures and winds from the S. We are hopeful for another good day of migration! Be prepared for a muddy hike up.
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.orgMore information at
hawkcount.org: [
Site Profile] [
Day Summary] [
Month Summary]
Site DescriptionDinosaur 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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