[cobirds] Boulder County Nature Association ecosymposium: Public Lands in Public Hands for the Public Good

I invite all of you to join the Boulder County Nature Association for our 2026 Ecosystem Symposium.  We are tackling an important topic, the protection of public lands at a time when they are being battered from all sides.  

Public Lands in Public Hands for the Public Good: 

Engaging law, policy, and advocacy to protect our shared natural heritage

This symposium examines the risks arising from recent changes in federal stewardship of public lands in Boulder County and beyond. Currently, about 242,000 acres of Boulder County's 474,000 total acres are held as public open space or federal lands—so this topic hits close to home as public lands now face complex, evolving challenges. To learn more and to get a ticket, visit https://bcna.org/2026ecosymposium/ 

The program includes:

• Lectures, moderated and informal conversations, poetry and images
• Expert speakers from law, natural resource management, public opinion research, anthropology, Tribal Relations, and elected office
• Outreach tables from local environmental organizations
• Lunch, coffee, and fellowship for registered attendees

Together we will celebrate our public lands, examine current threats to these lands, and build our courage and our toolkits for advocacy.

I've been working closely with the speakers and am quite excited about this program. If you are on the fence about the topic, or worried that it will be a downer, I encourage you to read the titles and abstracts recently added to the website. They are full of inspiring ideas and words: collective power, hopeful future, common ground, resilience.  These speakers are not going to paper over the problems we face, but they will remind us why our public lands are worth our best efforts to protect them and will give us some ideas about how we can do that.  

Our greatest strength in this work is our solidarity - join with others who care about public lands, on Saturday, April 4. Please join us if you can, and please share with your networks even if you cannot attend. I would love to see you there!

Sandra Laursen
Boulder County Nature Association volunteer

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[cobirds] Dinosaur Ridge - Denver Field Ornithologists (25 Mar 2026) 16 Raptors

Dinosaur Ridge - Denver Field Ornithologists
Golden, Colorado, USA

Daily Raptor Counts: Mar 25, 2026
Species	Day's Count	Month Total	Season Total
Black Vulture	0	0	0
Turkey Vulture	0	2	2
Osprey	0	0	0
Bald Eagle	0	8	8
Northern Harrier	0	3	3
Sharp-shinned Hawk	0	9	9
Cooper's Hawk	2	18	18
American Goshawk	0	0	0
Red-shouldered Hawk	0	0	0
Broad-winged Hawk	0	0	0
Red-tailed Hawk	5	129	129
Rough-legged Hawk	0	0	0
Swainson's Hawk	0	0	0
Ferruginous Hawk	0	9	9
Golden Eagle	0	4	4
American Kestrel	9	48	48
Merlin	0	2	2
Peregrine Falcon	0	0	0
Prairie Falcon	0	2	2
Mississippi Kite	0	0	0
Unknown Accipitrine	0	1	1
Unknown Buteo	0	0	0
Unknown Falcon	0	1	1
Unknown Eagle	0	0	0
Unknown Raptor	0	1	1
Total:	16	237	237

Observation start time:	09:00:00
Observation end time:	17:00:00
Total observation time:	8 hours
Official Counter	Emma Riley, Soren Zappia
Observers:

Visitors:
7 visitors. A few bikers and hikers were present today and were curious about what we were seeing, especially when the birds weren't visible to the unaided eye! Thank you to Janet Peters, Jerry Arni, and Kathi Moses for volunteering today.

Weather:
It was another hot day at the ridge, with record heat in the high 80s F. Winds started as moderate from the NW but died down in a few hours before shifting to a very slight E wind by the end of the count. Cloud cover was variable - the first and last hours were mostly cloudy, but there were few clouds in the midday.

Raptor Observations:
It was a quieter morning with less local and migrant raptor activity than the previous few days. Two Cooper's Hawks and a distant American Kestrel were counted in the first few hours. Later, a migrant juvenile Red-tailed Hawk was chased off by two local adults. In the final few hours of the count, we saw RTs and AKs stream past quite high overhead. AKs were our most numerous migrant raptors of the day with a total of 9. We had our first good flight of White-throated Swifts in the morning. A large Bullsnake and a few lizards were also active on the ridge.

Non-raptor Observations:
White-throated Swift 42, Black-billed Magpie 1, Common Raven 4, Black-capped Chickadee 2, Tree Swallow 2, American Bushtit 3, Mountain Bluebird 7, House Finch 2, Pine Siskin 1, Spotted Towhee 2, Western Meadowlark 1

Predictions:
Tomorrow, expect more high temperatures and mostly sunny skies with moderate winds shifting from W to N as the day goes on. There is a slight chance of showers after 3 PM. A visitor informed us that they had spotted a young rattlesnake on the trail a day or two ago - make sure to look out for them when hiking to or from the hawkwatch!

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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]
Count data submitted via Trektellen.org - [Project Details]

---

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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[cobirds] Dinosaur Ridge - Denver Field Ornithologists (24 Mar 2026) 18 Raptors

Dinosaur Ridge - Denver Field Ornithologists
Golden, Colorado, USA

Daily Raptor Counts: Mar 24, 2026
Species	Day's Count	Month Total	Season Total
Black Vulture	0	0	0
Turkey Vulture	0	2	2
Osprey	0	0	0
Bald Eagle	0	8	8
Northern Harrier	2	3	3
Sharp-shinned Hawk	0	9	9
Cooper's Hawk	4	16	16
American Goshawk	0	0	0
Red-shouldered Hawk	0	0	0
Broad-winged Hawk	0	0	0
Red-tailed Hawk	7	124	124
Rough-legged Hawk	0	0	0
Swainson's Hawk	0	0	0
Ferruginous Hawk	0	9	9
Golden Eagle	0	4	4
American Kestrel	5	39	39
Merlin	0	2	2
Peregrine Falcon	0	0	0
Prairie Falcon	0	2	2
Mississippi Kite	0	0	0
Unknown Accipitrine	0	1	1
Unknown Buteo	0	0	0
Unknown Falcon	0	1	1
Unknown Eagle	0	0	0
Unknown Raptor	0	1	1
Total:	18	221	221

Observation start time:	09:00:00
Observation end time:	17:00:00
Total observation time:	8 hours
Official Counter	Emma Riley
Observers:

Visitors:
We had 13 visitors along the ridge today! Sarah and Robert spent a few hours watching for us, unfortunately during the slow morning. We had two Denver Audubon employees visit in preparation for next weeks field trips up at the site. One man also came up when the Golden Eagle was present and got to enjoy the bird with us. Thanks to Chip Dawes for volunteering today! Chip has been at the ridge for some pretty incredible moments, and is a great testament to the payoff that comes with dedication to anything, especially birding.

Weather:
Today was a bit cooler than expected which was welcomed. Cloud cover was consistent throughout the day making for great spotting conditions. Winds were light all day and varied in direction from the E to the SW.

Raptor Observations:
Migration was all but absent for the first few hours of the day before birds started coming. It started with a few sparse birds before we had 8 Red-tailed Hawks up at one time, with 4-5 kettling together at once. When those birds cleared out we got a few more birds moving N before migration died down again. The absolute highlight of the day was when an adult Golden Eagle came and perched in a snag about 15 meters S right along the ridge in one of our snags. This bird stayed for 30 full minutes as people biked and hiked by. The bird seemed slightly bothered by this activity but not enough to move on. We had the best looks at a Golden Eagle either of us had ever seen (Emma and Chip) and we sat in awe as we could virtually count the golden feathers along the nape. This bird will be remembered for quite some time. We also had local Red-tailed Hawks up for most of the day, per usual.

Non-raptor Observations:
Northern Flicker 1, Steller's Jay 1, Black-billed Magpie 1, Common Raven 3, Black-capped Chickadee 1, American Bushtit 2, Eastern Bluebird 1, American Robin 3, House Finch 2, Spotted Towhee 1, Western Meadowlark 1

Predictions:
High temperatures and strong sun return tomorrow! We are hoping that another push of migrants will also come with stronger thermals tomorrow.

---

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]
Count data submitted via Trektellen.org - [Project Details]

---

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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[cobirds] young male Bullocks back for more fun

Gone for about a week. He returned 3 days ago and is making daily visits feeding in the blooming plum and Russian olive, foraging on ground and of course working over the suet feeder

Charlie

Potter Highlands

Denver

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[cobirds] Dinosaur Ridge - Denver Field Ornithologists (23 Mar 2026) 14 Raptors

Dinosaur Ridge - Denver Field Ornithologists
Golden, Colorado, USA

Daily Raptor Counts: Mar 23, 2026
Species	Day's Count	Month Total	Season Total
Black Vulture	0	0	0
Turkey Vulture	0	2	2
Osprey	0	0	0
Bald Eagle	0	8	8
Northern Harrier	0	1	1
Sharp-shinned Hawk	0	9	9
Cooper's Hawk	3	12	12
American Goshawk	0	0	0
Red-shouldered Hawk	0	0	0
Broad-winged Hawk	0	0	0
Red-tailed Hawk	5	117	117
Rough-legged Hawk	0	0	0
Swainson's Hawk	0	0	0
Ferruginous Hawk	0	9	9
Golden Eagle	0	4	4
American Kestrel	6	34	34
Merlin	0	2	2
Peregrine Falcon	0	0	0
Prairie Falcon	0	2	2
Mississippi Kite	0	0	0
Unknown Accipitrine	0	1	1
Unknown Buteo	0	0	0
Unknown Falcon	0	1	1
Unknown Eagle	0	0	0
Unknown Raptor	0	1	1
Total:	14	203	203

Observation start time:	09:00:00
Observation end time:	17:00:00
Total observation time:	8 hours
Official Counter	Emma Riley
Observers:

Visitors:
We started the day with a group of 7 women visiting the ridge from the local area. A few more visitors, including Jim Esten with DFO, stopped by throughout the day making the visitor count 13. Thanks to Clay Gibson and Mike Serruto for your help spotting birds today!

Weather:
Today was another extremely pleasant day after a long week of high winds and extreme temperatures. Clouds were scattered all day before becoming denser and heavier in the late afternoon. Winds varied in direction and reached speeds equivalent to a moderate breeze, according to the Beaufort scale. Humidity was in the 40-50% range, a great relief from the already extreme dryness we have experienced this season.

Raptor Observations:
Migration was slower today than yesterday with American Kestrels being seen more than any other species. Birds took a W/overhead route today and got incredibly high in the mid-afternoon. Most of our migrants came in the first half of the day, with the afternoon being void of movement at times. We continue to see one Turkey Vulture moving around the area but not going N. Red-tailed Hawks continue to be seen across the landscape throughout the day. We have noticed a significant decline in Golden Eagle presence, making us wonder if they have settled into the nest and spending less energy on courting. 5 Wild Turkeys were seen right on the ridge today! That's one species we don't see much of around the hawk watch. We also had 3 Sandhill Cranes move incredibly high overhead.

Non-raptor Observations:
Wild Turkey 5, White-throated Swift 3, Sandhill Crane 3, American White Pelican 7, Northern Flicker 3, Say's Phoebe 1, Black-billed Magpie 1, Common Raven 4, Black-capped Chickadee 1, Mountain Bluebird 3, Townsend's Solitaire 1, House Finch 2, Dark-eyed Junco 1, Spotted Towhee 2, Western Meadowlark 1

Predictions:
Temperatures are predicted to be a little bit higher tomorrow with continued cloud cover. Winds are predicted to be variable in direction so it's hard to say what the flight will bring.

---

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]
Count data submitted via Trektellen.org - [Project Details]

---

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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[cobirds] Sandhill Cranes Now - Centennial (Arapahoe)

Seventy-five (or so) Sandhill Cranes were flying northeast, high and vocalizing, just a few minutes ago (approx 2:40 PM), over University and Arapahoe in Centennial.

I'd guess they'll be over Cherry Creep SP and/or Aurora in not too long...

Jared Del Rosso
Centennial, CO

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[cobirds] Signs of Spring

Deb and I took a bike ride along the Platte yesterday, and encountered plenty of activity and signs of Spring:

Tree Swallows are back

Say's Phoebe heard

American Wigeon, Green-winged Teal, many Bufflehead pairs, Common and Hooded Mergansers, Ring-necked Duck, an apparent early Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, Song Sparrows, and some very animated courtship/territorial battling between 3 Killdeer.

Dave Cameron

Denver

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