Dinosaur Ridge - Denver Field Ornithologists Colorado, USA Daily Raptor Counts: Mar 03, 2022 -------------------------------------------------------------------
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 0 0 Northern Harrier 0 2 2 Sharp-shinned Hawk 0 0 0 Cooper's Hawk 0 0 0 Northern Goshawk 0 2 2 Red-shouldered Hawk 0 0 0 Broad-winged Hawk 0 0 0 Red-tailed Hawk 11 18 18 Rough-legged Hawk 0 0 0 Swainson's Hawk 0 0 0 Ferruginous Hawk 0 0 0 Golden Eagle 0 3 3 American Kestrel 1 1 1 Merlin 0 1 1 Peregrine Falcon 0 0 0 Prairie Falcon 0 1 1 Mississippi Kite 0 0 0 Unknown Accipiter 0 0 0 Unknown Buteo 3 3 3 Unknown Falcon 0 0 0 Unknown Eagle 0 0 0 Unknown Raptor 0 0 0 Total: 15 31 31 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Observation start time: 09:30:00 Observation end time: 17:00:00 Total observation time: 7.5 hours Official Counter: Emma Riley Observers: Crystal Reser , Karen Fernandez, Mike Fernandez Visitors: AM Observer was Mike Fernandez and his wife Karen Fernandez. They will be counting on Mondays this season so it was great to have them up as they are very familiar with the site. PM Observer was Crystal Reser, with Mariane and Dave Erickson also volunteering as observers. Total visitor count today was 33, with 12 of those visitors interested in the Hawk Watch. We also had a dog named Silk hang out with us for a bit as it decided we were more interesting than walking with its owner. Weather: Very warm day with temperatures reaching 21 C and little cloud cover. Winds started out from the west but switched to the east in the afternoon. Winds were light all day and humidity was low. At about 1600 a haze started to roll in from the west over the mountains but did not affect visibility much. Raptor Observations: Raptors were moving very high today, with some reaching the end of 10x binoculars. We had a total of 15 migrants today, with the highlight being two kettles of three RT that formed above the ridge. The first AK of the season was counted today. Four resident RT were seen, one of these birds holds its legs out very often in flight both with its pair and when escorting migrants out of the area. At about 1430 the local BE showed up. It will be interesting to see if we see the resident GE and PR in the next few days, or if they have moved. Non-raptor Observations: Had a great variety of non-raptors up at the ridge today, with the highlight being a flock of 8 Clark's Nutcrackers in the late afternoon. Other birds seen today include Black-billed Magpie (2), Northern Flicker (2), Mountain Bluebird (13), Bushtit (14), Townsend's Solitaire (2), Common Raven (12), Woodhouse's Scrub-Jay (2), Mountain Chickadee (2), and American Robin (7). Today is the first day of the season that MOBL and CLNU were seen. In the late morning we saw an all black, mostly unmarked helicopter that came incredibly close to us. This helicopter almost seemed to be looking for something, or someone. Predictions: Things cool down tomorrow with a high of 16 C and higher humidity than today. Winds are moving from the west and southwest. Winds look to be strongest in the early afternoon. There is a storm expected to come through this weekend so we are hoping to have a decent push of birds tomorrow before the storm. ======================================================================== Report submitted by DAVID HILL () Dinosaur Ridge - Denver Field Ornithologists information may be found at: http://www.dfobirds.org More site information at hawkcount.org: https://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 of any skill level are always welcome. HawkWatch at Dinosaur Ridge is generally staffed by volunteers 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 southwest end of lot to the 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. (Distance: 0.56 miles, Elevation gain: 259 feet) -- -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Colorado Birds" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected] For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/cobirds?hl=en?hl=en * All posts should be signed with the poster's full name and city. Include bird species and location in the subject line when appropriate * Join Colorado Field Ornithologists https://cobirds.org/CFO/Membership/ --- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Colorado Birds" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [email protected]. 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