Dinosaur Ridge - Bird Conservancy of the Rockies Colorado, USA Daily Raptor Counts: Apr 22, 2018 -------------------------------------------------------------------
Species Day's Count Month Total Season Total ------------------ ----------- -------------- -------------- Black Vulture 0 0 0 Turkey Vulture 5 73 75 Osprey 0 3 3 Bald Eagle 0 2 5 Northern Harrier 0 2 2 Sharp-shinned Hawk 1 12 16 Cooper's Hawk 1 25 33 Northern Goshawk 0 1 2 Red-shouldered Hawk 0 0 0 Broad-winged Hawk 0 2 2 Red-tailed Hawk 3 52 220 Rough-legged Hawk 0 0 1 Swainson's Hawk 0 3 3 Ferruginous Hawk 0 2 4 Golden Eagle 0 1 9 American Kestrel 1 14 28 Merlin 0 0 0 Peregrine Falcon 0 2 3 Prairie Falcon 0 1 3 Mississippi Kite 0 0 0 Unknown Accipiter 0 8 12 Unknown Buteo 1 15 20 Unknown Falcon 0 3 3 Unknown Eagle 0 0 0 Unknown Raptor 0 6 7 Total: 12 227 451 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Observation start time: 08:00:00 Observation end time: 12:30:00 Total observation time: 4.5 hours Official Counter: Mike Fernandez Observers: Visitors: Not much to say for today. Mostly walkers just hiking through after a brief stop for the view. No questions except for where's the trail. Weather: Early ground haze. Used WU PWS Solterra first hour but switched to Golden Heights because Solterra was not updating. Brilliant blue skies most of day with very little wind and no clouds. Raptor Observations: Migrating Raptors: In the early hours the HOF was below ridge, both sides: Kestrel very close to the west side of ridge, Turkey Vultures and RT Hawks stayed close to the east side of ridge. Later RT Hawk (HOF 3) seemed to thread his way through a group of 5 hang gliders near Apex. Did not see unidentified raptor (trying to cover both sides of ridge and below solo) until it passed the platform directly overhead, HOF 2; It was not flapping, pure gliding over table mtn, but only saw him from behind. Behavior and profile shape and size buteo-like. Non-Migrating Raptors: A local Sharpie flew through the junipers east side right next to platform. Last Sunday a Coopers perched in the dead pine next to (east of) the platform and now a Sharpie prowling the scrub (east) nearby. Several times I saw 2-3 raptors circling high over West Ridge and Two Pines but never saw them move north of there; they disappeared in the distance to the west. Several times local RT Hawks circled up over West Ridge and Sleeper House and dove down the hillside at Cabrini and Bare Slope. Turkey Vultures: 3 locals. Sharpie: 1 local. RT Hawks: 2 locals. Kestrel: 1 local. Non-raptor Observations: As many hang gliders (12) as migrators (12). Seen or heard: Woodhouse's Scrub-Jay (2), Black-billed Magpie (2), Common Raven (2), Black-capped/Mountain Chickadee (1), American Robin (2), Spotted Towhee (2), Western Meadowlark (2), House Finch (2). Predictions: This is my last time on the hill this season. I'll be out of town rest of DinoHawk 2018. Hopefully someone will fill in Sunday April 29 and May 6. ======================================================================== Report submitted by Matthew Smith ([email protected]) 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. -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Colorado Birds" group. 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