Dinosaur Ridge
Colorado, USA
Daily Raptor Counts: Apr 14, 2016
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Species Day's Count Month Total Season Total
------------------ ----------- -------------- --------------
Black Vulture 0 0 0
Turkey Vulture 1 51 66
Osprey 0 2 3
Bald Eagle 0 3 12
Northern Harrier 0 0 3
Sharp-shinned Hawk 0 12 21
Cooper's Hawk 0 21 28
Northern Goshawk 0 0 0
Red-shouldered Hawk 0 0 0
Broad-winged Hawk 0 0 0
Red-tailed Hawk 2 53 235
Rough-legged Hawk 0 0 0
Swainson's Hawk 0 3 3
Ferruginous Hawk 0 0 2
Golden Eagle 0 1 2
American Kestrel 0 13 26
Merlin 0 0 0
Peregrine Falcon 0 2 5
Prairie Falcon 0 6 11
Mississippi Kite 0 0 0
Unknown Accipiter 0 7 17
Unknown Buteo 0 3 16
Unknown Falcon 0 0 5
Unknown Eagle 0 0 0
Unknown Raptor 0 5 7
Total: 3 182 462
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Observation start time: 08:00:00
Observation end time: 13:00:00
Total observation time: 5 hours
Official Counter: Roger Rouch
Observers: Bill Wuerthele, Kathie Moss, Lee Farrell, Linda Farrell,
Matt Smith
Visitors:
Many visitors all spent a few hours with binoculars helping spot and
learning about the HawkWatch. They were a gentleman named Ray, Rick and
Rachael Krohn, and four associates of Matt Smith who were playing hooky
from work. All seemed to enjoy the nice weather and good landscape views.
Weather:
A pleasant warm day with temperatures from the low 60's to low 70's with a
light wind around 2 bft from the SE in the morning and occasionally from
the NW in the afternoon. Mostly cloudless in the morning becoming partly
cloudy.
Raptor Observations:
A slow day for migrating raptors with three counted in the first two hours.
Local raptor activity also seemed relatively light with Turkey Vultures
mostly around Mt. Morrison with as many 6 in the sky at one time. Local
Red-tailed Hawk sightings often over the west ridges with a few close
fly-by's. A male Kestrel was observed a few times. Highlight of the day
was a local accipiter first sighted about two binocular fields high that
went into a hard stooped power dive to ground level SE of the ridge.
Non-raptor Observations:
Seen or heard were Spotted Towhee, American Robin, Dark-eyed Junco, Western
Meadowlark, Black-billed Magpie, Common Raven, Mountain Chickadee,
White-throated Swift, Western Scrub-jay.
Predictions:
Unsettled weather will possibly reinvigorate migration?
========================================================================
Report submitted by Bird Conservancy of the Rockies
(jeff.bi...@birdconservancy.org)
Dinosaur Ridge information may be found at:
http://www.birdconservancy.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 Bird Conservancy of
the Rockies from about 9 AM to around 3 PM from March 1st to May 7th.
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.
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