Dinosaur Ridge - Bird Conservancy of the Rockies
Colorado, USA
Daily Raptor Counts: Mar 19, 2018
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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 1 1
Northern Harrier 0 0 0
Sharp-shinned Hawk 0 1 1
Cooper's Hawk 0 2 2
Northern Goshawk 0 0 0
Red-shouldered Hawk 0 0 0
Broad-winged Hawk 0 0 0
Red-tailed Hawk 3 92 92
Rough-legged Hawk 0 0 0
Swainson's Hawk 0 0 0
Ferruginous Hawk 0 1 1
Golden Eagle 0 6 6
American Kestrel 0 1 1
Merlin 0 0 0
Peregrine Falcon 0 1 1
Prairie Falcon 0 0 0
Mississippi Kite 0 0 0
Unknown Accipiter 0 2 2
Unknown Buteo 0 3 3
Unknown Falcon 0 0 0
Unknown Eagle 0 0 0
Unknown Raptor 0 0 0
Total: 3 110 110
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Observation start time: 09:00:00
Observation end time: 14:00:00
Total observation time: 5 hours
Official Counter: Joyce Commercon
Observers:
Visitors:
Perhaps because of the snowy (then slushy, muddy) trail, there were very
few hikers and no bikers. No visitors came to the platform.
Weather:
Due to the snow covering the valleys and ridges, the partly-cloudy day was
very bright, especially in the morning, when the sun was not blocked by
clouds. Temperatures rose from 2 C to 7 C by the afternoon, although it
seemed chillier than in the morning since the clouds often covered the sun.
Winds were mostly from the east and were mild (bft 1-2) to calm.
Cloud-cover increased from 30% (mostly at the horizons) to 60-70%
scattered, thick clouds. For a good part of the watch, the clouds were
thicker and darker to the west (out I-70) and northward in the western
valley (toward Golden). Visibility was generally good.
Raptor Observations:
All three migrants were adult Red-tailed Hawks that passed within about an
hour after noon MST. The most dramatic of the three was the last one;
spotted in front of Mount Morrison, it slowly spiraled up and up just to
the limit of the unaided eye over the western valley, then sped north in a
steady glide.
Nearly all raptor activity occurred in the afternoon. In the morning, a
local female American Kestrel was spotted to the south in Rooney Valley.
After noon, a local male American Kestrel came from the same general area,
but then crossed over to the western valley to sit on a power line to
perch-hunt. A local pair of Red-tailed Hawks was seen in the afternoon a
few times in Rooney Valley as well as circling to the south on the Ridge.
Another pair of local Red-tails was observed soaring together over the
north end of WestRidge, where it slopes down to I-70, before they headed
south. A couple of large, dark, but distant, raptors were observed a few
times south of Mount Morrison; it is believed that they were local Golden
Eagles, one of which was spotted later near SubPeak and identified as such.
Non-raptor Observations:
In the morning, a bit of a Western Meadowlark’s tune was heard over the din
of C-470. Also in the morning, a group of about 25 American Robins
descended on the Ridge from the northwest. Some returned to the west, but
many stayed and could be heard often in the pines not far north of the
platform. At the end of the watch, it seemed most of these same robins came
to eat berries from the junipers near the platform. Also seen or heard were
Townsend’s Solitaire, Western Bluebird, Common Raven, Pink-sided Dark-eyed
Junco, Gray-headed Dark-eyed Junco, a male Red-shafted Northern Flicker,
and Mountain Bluebird.
========================================================================
Report submitted by Bird Conservancy of the Rockies
(jeff.bi...@birdconservancy.org)
Dinosaur Ridge - Bird Conservancy of the Rockies information may be found at:
http://www.birdconservancy.org/
More site information at hawkcount.org:
http://hawkcount.org/siteinfo.php?rsite=123
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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