Dinosaur Ridge - Denver Field Ornithologists
Colorado, USA
Daily Raptor Counts: Apr 10, 2023
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Species Day's Count Month Total Season Total
------------------ ----------- -------------- --------------
Black Vulture 0 0 0
Turkey Vulture 18 114 129
Osprey 0 12 14
Bald Eagle 2 10 41
Northern Harrier 1 3 14
Sharp-shinned Hawk 7 25 33
Cooper's Hawk 3 78 96
Northern Goshawk 0 1 8
Red-shouldered Hawk 0 0 0
Broad-winged Hawk 0 1 1
Red-tailed Hawk 12 68 355
Rough-legged Hawk 0 0 0
Swainson's Hawk 0 1 1
Ferruginous Hawk 0 3 43
Golden Eagle 1 2 28
American Kestrel 4 98 158
Merlin 0 3 13
Peregrine Falcon 0 0 5
Prairie Falcon 0 0 5
Mississippi Kite 0 0 0
Unknown Accipiter 0 0 3
Unknown Buteo 0 0 1
Unknown Falcon 0 0 0
Unknown Eagle 0 0 0
Unknown Raptor 0 0 2
Total: 48 419 950
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Observation start time: 08:30:00
Observation end time: 16:30:00
Total observation time: 8 hours
Official Counter: Ajit Antony
Observers: Janet Peters, Karen Rutledge, Liza Antony, Martha Delporte,
Natalie Uschner-Arroyo
Visitors:
6 visitors asked questions, ably answered by our volunteers.
Weather:
Specific hourly info at hawkcount.org. The <5% cloud cover predicted all
day fortunately wasn't so. We had cloud cover from 5-50% which gave us a
chance to find migrants in an otherwise blue sky.
Up to 7 paragliders flying all the way from NE to far south to Warren Peak
indicated good thermal formation, though we could not see any clouds
capping them as the humidity was very low 19%>6%.
Raptor Observations:
The 1st raptor seen was an adult TV at 8:48 AM a non-migrant, the 1st
migrant was also a TV 2 minutes later. Almost every migrant was seen far to
the west with a few overhead and only one to the east.
A Harlan’s dark intermediate morph juvenile with a dark body with a white
throat, dark underwing coverts, with a juvenile banded tail.
A RT intermediate (rufous) morph with mottled rufous underwing coverts and
body (not black).
2 of the 3 non-migrant TV landed on the 3 utility poles north of the watch
and the volunteers got a good look at them through my scope.
Non-raptor Observations:
Rock Wren 1 called repeatedly and visited the SE corner of the watch doing
its “calisthenics” (knee-bends) which Karen Rutledge hadn’t seen
before, Woodhouse's Scrub-Jay 1, Tree Swallow 1, Mountain Bluebird 2,
Common Merganser 3, Common Raven 5, American Crow 3, House Finch 1,
Townsend’s Solitaire 2, Northern Flicker 1.
I used the decoy Great Horned Owl which is effective at Eastern hawk
watches I have counted at, but not one raptor today came to investigate it.
Predictions:
South based winds becoming East in the afternoon as usual with 0% cloud
cover predicted, so should be similar to today.
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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
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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