Dinosaur Ridge
Colorado, USA
Daily Raptor Counts: Apr 23, 2011
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Species Day's Count Month Total Season Total
------------------ ----------- -------------- --------------
Black Vulture 0 0 0
Turkey Vulture 14 94 101
Osprey 3 22 23
Bald Eagle 1 5 38
Northern Harrier 1 9 12
Sharp-shinned Hawk 2 27 39
Cooper's Hawk 8 64 77
Northern Goshawk 0 2 3
Red-shouldered Hawk 0 0 0
Broad-winged Hawk 6 21 21
Red-tailed Hawk 5 126 286
Rough-legged Hawk 0 0 2
Swainson's Hawk 1 5 5
Ferruginous Hawk 1 1 11
Golden Eagle 1 2 14
American Kestrel 4 151 183
Merlin 0 5 6
Peregrine Falcon 0 2 2
Prairie Falcon 0 8 17
Mississippi Kite 0 0 0
Unknown Accipiter 1 21 21
Unknown Buteo 0 11 25
Unknown Falcon 2 16 18
Unknown Eagle 0 1 1
Unknown Raptor 0 10 13
Total: 50 603 918
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Observation start time: 08:00:00
Observation end time: 16:00:00
Total observation time: 8 hours
Official Counter: Scott Severs
Observers: Joe Lupfer, Karen Clark, Lee Farrell, Linda Farrell,
Roger Rouch
Weather:
Time adjusted for MST. First two hours snowy, cold and overcast, with poor
visibility. Last five hours: partly to mostly cloudy, visibility steadily
improved. Light east winds averaged around 1 B, temperatures increased from
0 C at beginning to around 10 C.
Raptor Observations:
No migrating birds seen first two hours. Then as the weather cleared,
observations steadily improved with double digits during last three hours.
Good eye level or below eye level birds east of ridge including
Broad-winged Hawk, Cooper's Hawk, and American Kestrel. Several birds high
over ridge, and some over west ridge, but all in all mostly visible enough
for ID. Many sub-adult birds seen. Good variety with twelve species
observed.
Non-raptor Observations:
Western Bluebird, American White Pelican, Rock Wren, Mountain Chickadee,
Common Grackle, Yellow-rumped Warbler, Spotter Towhee, Townsend's
Solitaire, White-throated Swift, Violet-green Swallow, Chipping Sparrow,
Black-billed Magpie, Common Raven, American Crow, Western Scrub-Jay,
Mountain Chickadee, Eurasian Collared-Dove.
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Report submitted by Rocky Mountain Bird Observatory (jeff.bi...@rmbo.org)
Dinosaur Ridge information may be found at:
http://www.rmbo.org/
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 the Rocky Mountain
Bird Observatory from about 9 AM to around 4 PM from the first week of
March to the first week of May.
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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