Dinosaur Ridge - Denver Field Ornithologists
Colorado, USA
Daily Raptor Counts: Mar 29, 2023
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Species Day's Count Month Total Season Total
------------------ ----------- -------------- --------------
Black Vulture 0 0 0
Turkey Vulture 11 15 15
Osprey 0 2 2
Bald Eagle 5 31 31
Northern Harrier 2 11 11
Sharp-shinned Hawk 1 8 8
Cooper's Hawk 10 18 18
Northern Goshawk 1 7 7
Red-shouldered Hawk 0 0 0
Broad-winged Hawk 0 0 0
Red-tailed Hawk 59 290 290
Rough-legged Hawk 0 0 0
Swainson's Hawk 0 0 0
Ferruginous Hawk 1 39 40
Golden Eagle 0 26 26
American Kestrel 16 60 60
Merlin 4 10 10
Peregrine Falcon 0 5 5
Prairie Falcon 1 5 5
Mississippi Kite 0 0 0
Unknown Accipiter 0 3 3
Unknown Buteo 0 1 1
Unknown Falcon 0 0 0
Unknown Eagle 0 0 0
Unknown Raptor 0 2 2
Total: 111 533 534
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Observation start time: 08:30:00
Observation end time: 16:30:00
Total observation time: 8 hours
Official Counter: Emma Riley
Observers: Debbie Seiden, Gary Rossmiller, Jim Lowe, Kathy Barnum,
Sammy Korengut, Taina Brin
Visitors:
Huge thank you to Gary Rossmiller, Sammy Korengut, Jim Lowe, Kathy Barnum,
Taina Brin, and Debbie Seiden for your help spotting distant migrants
today. Visitors were slow today with a total of 17 visitors at the count
site, most of them passing through briefly with one or two questions.
Weather:
Todays warm temperatures were a nice relief from the cold week we had last
week. Winds were mild and varied throughout the day, but we saw a nice east
wind during the bulk of the day. Cloud cover was light to start but got
heavier as the day went on, bringing in darker clouds in the last hour.
Temperatures dropped around 1530 MST.
Raptor Observations:
Today was a great day for migration and our biggest day so far. We love
this time in migration as we see more and more migrants coming our way.
Almost all of our migrants were seen taking the western ridge today, with
some high overhead birds mid-day. We did, however, get to see a small
kettle of TV (5) come through the western valley high, which was a nice
treat for us. As usual most of our AK came directly along the ridge at
eye-level, and we also got to see a gorgeous adult CH come along the same
line, allowing us to naked eye ID the bird, something we did not get much
of today. Our species diversity continues to impress, with 11 migrating
raptor species seen today, including all three species of North American
Accipiters. Non-migrant activity today was seen in aerial displays from RT,
including one dark-morph bird and the local GE. A SS was seen early in the
morning coming north along the ridge but dove on something below the count
site.
Non-raptor Observations:
Two GBHE were seen separately through the day moving north, one on each
side of the ridge. The Western bird came through slowly and at eye-level, a
look most of us have not gotten of a GBHE. We had a first of the season
spotted multiple times today- the WTSW! The rest of the non-raptor activity
was standard with species including TOSO, AMRO, HOFI, SCJA, BBMA, CORA, and
AMCR seen. 2 Mule Deer were seen along the trail on the hike out.
Predictions:
Winds are supposed to pick up for the next two days with red flag warnings
issued for our count area until Friday at 7pm. As always we are hoping
these predictions are dramatic and we can count some more migrants!
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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
Count data submitted via Dunkadoo - Project info at:
https://dunkadoo.org/explore/denver-field-ornithologists/dinosaur-ridge-spring-2023
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. Northern Goshawk is
uncommon but also counted each season. Non-raptor species include Rock
Wren, Bushtit, Western Bluebird, Sandhill Crane, White-throated Swift,
American White Pelican, and Dusky Grouse. Birders of any skill level are
always welcome. The hawk watch at Dinosaur Ridge is staffed by a Hawk
Counter and volunteers from 9:30 AM to 5:30 PM from March 1st to May 14th,
weather permitting.
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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