Dinosaur Ridge - Denver Field OrnithologistsColorado, USA
Daily Raptor Counts: Apr 24, 2022 |
Species | Day's Count | Month Total | Season Total |
Black Vulture | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Turkey Vulture | 17 | 330 | 356 |
Osprey | 3 | 39 | 41 |
Bald Eagle | 2 | 23 | 56 |
Northern Harrier | 2 | 21 | 27 |
Sharp-shinned Hawk | 1 | 57 | 66 |
Cooper's Hawk | 6 | 153 | 164 |
Northern Goshawk | 1 | 6 | 8 |
Red-shouldered Hawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Broad-winged Hawk | 6 | 38 | 38 |
Red-tailed Hawk | 3 | 307 | 722 |
Rough-legged Hawk | 0 | 0 | 3 |
Swainson's Hawk | 5 | 27 | 27 |
Ferruginous Hawk | 0 | 9 | 63 |
Golden Eagle | 1 | 9 | 37 |
American Kestrel | 4 | 285 | 317 |
Merlin | 1 | 12 | 16 |
Peregrine Falcon | 2 | 9 | 16 |
Prairie Falcon | 0 | 2 | 9 |
Mississippi Kite | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Unknown Accipiter | 0 | 12 | 12 |
Unknown Buteo | 0 | 8 | 14 |
Unknown Falcon | 0 | 2 | 4 |
Unknown Eagle | 0 | 3 | 3 |
Unknown Raptor | 0 | 1 | 6 |
Total: | 54 | 1353 | 2005 |
Observation start time: | 07:30:00 |
Observation end time: | 16:00:00 |
Total observation time: | 8.5 hours |
Official Counter | Carol Cwiklinski, Emma Riley |
Observers: | Carol Cwiklinski, Natalie Vande Vuss, Steve Small |
Visitors:Steve Small, Carol Cwiklinski, and Natalie Vande Vuss volunteered to
observe today. We also had a number of familiar faces stop by and bird for
an hour or two at a time today which was great! We had a total of 41
visitors at the ridge today.
Weather:Cloud cover was heavy with precipitation seen in all directions for most of
the day. Winds were from the SE in the morning, shifting NE as the day went
on. Wind speeds stayed mild until a storm front from the W moved in at the
end of the day.
Raptor Observations:Number of birds was still lower than we expected today but we had a great
diversity with 14 raptor species seen! We had two dark SW move early in the
morning. Birds moved close to the ridge and over the western ridge all day.
The NG we had today was distant, much like the other NG we have seen
recently. We're eagerly awaiting a close adult NG! We are also hoping for a
good SS push soon. Today marks the 2000th migrant of our season, a number
that hasn't been reached at Dinosaur Ridge since 2005. We are excited to
see what the end of the season has in store for us.
Non-raptor Observations:Bird activity picked back up today after the last couple days with
highlights including Double-crested Cormorant (3), American White Pelican
(8), and Sandhill Crane (3). We also had multiple Broad-tailed Hummingbirds
today. White-throated Swifts were out in full force again today.
Predictions:Partly cloudy with calm to moderate ENE winds. It will hopefully be a good
day!
Report submitted by DAVID HILL (
)
Dinosaur Ridge - Denver Field Ornithologists information may be found at:
http://www.dfobirds.orgMore information at
hawkcount.org: [
Site Profile] [
Day Summary] [
Month Summary]
Site DescriptionDinosaur 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)