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. Anyone is welcome to join us if they want to see the spectacle of spring raptor migration, whether they know nothing or know a lot regarding identifying raptor species.
| Daily Raptor Counts: Mar 16, 2025 | |||
| Species | Day's Count | Month Total | Season Total |
| Black Vulture | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Turkey Vulture | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Osprey | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Bald Eagle | 0 | 3 | 3 |
| Northern Harrier | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Sharp-shinned Hawk | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Cooper's Hawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| American Goshawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Broad-winged Hawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Red-tailed Hawk | 1 | 25 | 25 |
| Rough-legged Hawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Swainson's Hawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Ferruginous Hawk | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Golden Eagle | 0 | 7 | 11 |
| American Kestrel | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Merlin | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Peregrine Falcon | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Prairie Falcon | 0 | 4 | 4 |
| Mississippi Kite | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Unknown Accipitrine | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Unknown Buteo | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Unknown Falcon | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Unknown Eagle | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Unknown Raptor | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Total: | 1 | 42 | 46 |
| Observation start time: | 09:15:00 |
| Observation end time: | 14:15:00 |
| Total observation time: | 4 hours |
| Official Counter | Ajit Antony |
| Observers: |
Visitors:
All the introverts must have been the ones hiking, for no one asked me any questions.
Weather:
The forecast was for 14 mph winds from the West with gusts to 25 mph. I wasn't sure whether the winds may be too strong for the raptors or myself, so I looked up the CDOT website and found a live video cam nearby which showed shrubs and trees barely moving in the wind, so I decided to take my chances. The Soaring Forecast was excellent with lift of 6.8 m/s after 9:30 a.m. MDT, with the height of thermals reaching 15,876 ft above ground level. At the parking lot of Windy Saddle Gap it was calm, I wondered how the forecast could be so different, and all the way up the steps it was calm, and quite windy at the watch at Level 3-4-6 on the Beaufort scale. There were cirrus clouds north and south and overhead, which would make finding raptors easy, if there were any. It appears they don't like West winds in spring.
Raptor Observations:
I found only one migrant raptor, and it wasn't for lack of trying. The cloud cover was excellent, and I found plenty of locals. The migrant RT was at 11:07 a.m. MDT over Green Mountain, it then lost lift and soared North along the western flank of South Table Mountain. Non-migrant raptors: a dark morph adult RT initially seen over one of the tall antenna on Lookout Mountain, kept soaring West, I was able to see it and confirm the ID in my scope, eventually went WSW. 4 RT - local, over Lookout Mountain, soaring E-W or SW.
Non-raptor Observations:
My scope and tripod almost took off with the strong winds, so I laid it flat until I needed it. Common Raven 4, American Crow 2, Black-billed Magpie 1, Mountain Chickadee 1.
Predictions:
Similar winds and gusts as today except the winds would be from the WSW
Report submitted by Ajit Antony (aiantony@earthlink.net)
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