Colorado, USA
| Daily Raptor Counts: Mar 29, 2013 | |||
| Species | Day's Count | Month Total | Season Total |
| Black Vulture | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Turkey Vulture | 1 | 9 | 9 |
| Osprey | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Bald Eagle | 1 | 27 | 27 |
| Northern Harrier | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Sharp-shinned Hawk | 2 | 6 | 6 |
| Cooper's Hawk | 5 | 9 | 9 |
| Northern Goshawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Red-shouldered Hawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Broad-winged Hawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Red-tailed Hawk | 12 | 118 | 118 |
| Rough-legged Hawk | 0 | 5 | 5 |
| Swainson's Hawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Ferruginous Hawk | 0 | 8 | 8 |
| Golden Eagle | 0 | 3 | 3 |
| American Kestrel | 4 | 12 | 12 |
| Merlin | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Peregrine Falcon | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Prairie Falcon | 1 | 13 | 13 |
| Mississippi Kite | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Unknown Accipiter | 0 | 4 | 4 |
| Unknown Buteo | 0 | 9 | 9 |
| Unknown Falcon | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Unknown Eagle | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Unknown Raptor | 0 | 2 | 2 |
| Total: | 28 | 227 | 227 |
| Observation start time: | 08:45:00 |
| Observation end time: | 15:00:00 |
| Total observation time: | 6.25 hours |
| Official Counter | Dave Hill |
| Observers: | Bill Schmoker, Cynthia Madsen, Janet Shin, Jim Schmoker |
Visitors:
9 Observers helped to make the day! Included were: Dave Hill, Cynthia Madsen, Janet Shin, Jim and Bill Schmoker, Fran Haas, Will Burt, Mary Geder and Patrick Brown. Dan Hicks visited for 45 minutes in the morning. A family of 3 joined us twice during the day to view the hawks! Also visiting was a family of 5. Bicycle riders numbered 4, Runners numbered 5, Hikers numbered 26, Dogs: 4.
Weather:
Temperatures ranged from 10.6 to 16.7 degrees Celsius. Cloud cover: 70% to 90%, Winds were variable in direction and ranged from calm to 10 mph for most of the day. The last 45 minutes had gusts to 25 mph as storm clouds moved in from the northwest.
Raptor Observations:
28 Individual Migrants: 1 Turkey Vulture, 1 Osprey, 1 Northern Harrier, 2 Sharp-shinned Hawk, 5 Cooper's Hawk, 1 Bald Eagle, 12 Red-tailed Hawk (includes 2 Harlan's subspecies), 4 American Kestrel, 1 Prairie Falcon. 9 Individual Non-migrants: 1 Golden Eagle, 1 Cooper's Hawk, 6 Red-tailed Hawk, 1 American Kestrel
Non-raptor Observations:
Note: (1) A local dark morph Red-tailed Hawk was missing central tail feathers and (2) A Harlan's Red-tailed Hawk hunting here (crop full) was missing secondary feathers in its right wing. Non-raptor Observations: 6 White-throated Swift, 2 Northern Flicker, 6 Western Scrub-Jay, 8 black-billed Magpie, 29 American Crow, 12 Common Raven, 2 Black-capped Chickadee, 1 Mountain Chickadee, 37 Western Bluebird, 103 Mountain Bluebird, 1 Townsend's Solitaire, 2 Spotted Towhee, 1 Western Meadowlark, 1 House Finch Approximately 20 elk were observed in the hills to the north of the Mother Cabrini Shrine.
Predictions:
It's been a great day (busy) for migrants, as was yesterday! ....more to come :-)
Report submitted by Rocky Mountain Bird Observatory (jeff.birek@rmbo.org)
Dinosaur Ridge information may be found at: http://www.rmbo.org/
Site Description
Dinosaur Ridge is the only regularly staffed hawkwatch in Colorado and is the
best place in the world to see migrating Ferruginous Hawks. Dinosaur Ridge may
be the best place in the country to see the rare dark morph of the Broad-winged
Hawk (a few are seen each spring). Hawkwatchers who linger long enough may see
resident Golden Eagles, Red-tailed Hawks and Prairie Falcons, in addition to
migrating Swainson's, Cooper's and Sharp-shinned Hawks, American Kestrels and
Turkey Vultures. Peregrine Falcons and Ferruginous Hawks are uncommon; Northern
Goshawk is rare but regular. Non-raptor species include Rock Wren, and sometimes
Bushtit, Western Bluebird, Sandhill Crane, White-throated Swift, American White
Pelican or Dusky Grouse. Birders are always welcome.
The hawkwatch is generally staffed by volunteers from the Rocky Mountain Bird
Observatory from about 9 AM to around 4 PM from the first week of March to the
first week of 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 small signs from the south
side of lot to hawkwatch 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, head through the gate, and walk to
the clearly-visible, flat area at the crest of the ridge.
