Friday, 6 March 2026

[cobirds] Dinosaur Ridge - Denver Field Ornithologists (06 Mar 2026) Raptors

Dinosaur Ridge - Denver Field Ornithologists
Golden, Colorado, USA

Daily Raptor Counts: Mar 06, 2026
SpeciesDay's CountMonth TotalSeason Total
Black Vulture000
Turkey Vulture000
Osprey000
Bald Eagle022
Northern Harrier000
Sharp-shinned Hawk000
Cooper's Hawk022
American Goshawk000
Red-shouldered Hawk000
Broad-winged Hawk000
Red-tailed Hawk088
Rough-legged Hawk000
Swainson's Hawk000
Ferruginous Hawk022
Golden Eagle011
American Kestrel000
Merlin000
Peregrine Falcon000
Prairie Falcon000
Mississippi Kite000
Unknown Accipitrine000
Unknown Buteo000
Unknown Falcon011
Unknown Eagle000
Unknown Raptor000
Total:01616


Observation start time: 09:30:00
Observation end time: 11:00:00
Total observation time: 1.5 hours
Official Counter
Observers:



Visitors:
3 visitors. Despite the weather, a few hikers stopped by the ridge to enjoy the winter scenery. I was surprised to see a proposal occur at the ridge this morning! They were both very happy and took many photos in the snow. Congratulations!

Weather:
It was a snowy day on the ridge with a few inches of snow already accumulated by the time the count began. Moderate-to-heavy snowfall throughout the morning limited visibility to a kilometer or less - both Mt. Morrison and Green Mountain were nowhere to be seen. Temperatures remained steady at slightly above freezing, and wind started calm but started to pick up from the northeast in the late morning. The count was cancelled at 11:00 AM due to worsening visibility and snowfall expected throughout the day.

Raptor Observations:
It was a quiet snowy day at the ridge with no raptor activity detected. The only bird observed, a single local Townsend's Solitaire, was spotted on the east slope among the junipers.

Non-raptor Observations:
Townsend's Solitaire 1

Predictions:
Tomorrow we expect a return to sunny weather, with cold temperatures warming a bit as the day goes on. Winds are predicted to be light and variable. Bring layers and sunscreen, and prepare for snowy and wet trail conditions.


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, and American White Pelican. 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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