Mount Zion Hawk Watch at Windy Saddle Park (13 Oct 2024) 26 Raptors
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Oct 13, 2024, 10:24:08 PM10/13/24
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Mount Zion Hawk Watch at Windy Saddle Park
Golden, Greater Denver, Colorado, USA
This is a new raptor migration site identified and designated so only in mid-September 2024. This is Colorado's 1st fall hawk watch. To get to the site which is along Lookout Mountain Rd. in Golden, enter either Windy Saddle Park or Mount Zion into Google Maps on your favorite navigation app, or enter the coordinates 39.7368,-105.2454. From the parking lot ascend the stone steps to the watch site.
Visitors:
Amy Manning who helped us a week ago came back today and found us 25% of the birds we saw – she has the makings of a good hawk watcher. 1 couple was interested in what we were doing, and we were able to show them a pair of moderately low migrating RT. Another couple was interested and our spotting scope, so we let them look through it, and were they impressed!
Weather:
The prediction was for 61-65% cloud cover but when we got to the watch it was heavily overcast, which boded ill for a reasonable flight unless it lifted, which it did in the 11 to 12 MDT hour. Light winds were predicted from the NE, but at the watch it was from the East, temperature 16°C, humidity 21-26%, steady barometric pressure, cloud cover 90>45%.
Raptor Observations:
RTs over Lookout Mountain consistently escorted migrants out of their area. Non-migrant raptors: Subadult I GE flew NW over us and which was the Bird of the Day for us – it had tan carpal bars dorsally, extensive but dull white underwing patches, no molt of the secondaries, but no white at the base of the tail; RT 3.
Non-raptor Observations:
A paraglider when the overcast clouds were breaking up, could not get any lift and flew North where he had some. 7 other paragliders, after 10 AM MST when the clouds had broken up completely and the sun was shining brightly, still had not much lift until much later (the Soaring Forecast from the NWS predicted only fair soaring, and achieving the trigger temperature of 73°F only by 2:30 PM MDT, but there was some lift earlier than that, but only up to 8750 feet). Gray-headed Junco 2, Mountain Chickadee 1, Steller's Jay 1, Black-billed Magpie 1, Common Raven 3, American Crow 1, Canada Goose 38.
Predictions:
Similar to today and yesterday, starting with light NW winds changing to NE, so will be there by 10:30 AM
Report submitted by Ajit Antony (aian...@earthlink.net)
More information at hawkcount.org: [Site Profile] [Day Summary] [Month Summary]
Directions to site:
From I-70 from Northeast Denver, take Route 58, then a left turn going south on
Route 6, the 1st exit is for Lookout Mountain Road, turn right and follow the
clothes to find Windy Saddle Park parking lot on the right.
From I-70 from points west of Denver, take the Lookout Mountain Road and follow
it to the Windy Saddle Park parking lot, a longer route.
This is an automated email report from hawkcount.org.
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Golden, Greater Denver, Colorado, USA
This is a new raptor migration site identified and designated so only in mid-September 2024. This is Colorado's 1st fall hawk watch. To get to the site which is along Lookout Mountain Rd. in Golden, enter either Windy Saddle Park or Mount Zion into Google Maps on your favorite navigation app, or enter the coordinates 39.7368,-105.2454. From the parking lot ascend the stone steps to the watch site.
| Daily Raptor Counts: Oct 13, 2024 | |||
| Species | Day's Count | Month Total | Season Total |
| Black Vulture | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Turkey Vulture | 0 | 5 | 26 |
| Osprey | 0 | 1 | 4 |
| Bald Eagle | 1 | 7 | 7 |
| Northern Harrier | 1 | 5 | 10 |
| Sharp-shinned Hawk | 1 | 15 | 39 |
| Cooper's Hawk | 1 | 31 | 79 |
| American Goshawk | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Broad-winged Hawk | 0 | 1 | 15 |
| Red-tailed Hawk | 20 | 51 | 122 |
| Rough-legged Hawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Swainson's Hawk | 0 | 2 | 36 |
| Ferruginous Hawk | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| Golden Eagle | 0 | 3 | 5 |
| American Kestrel | 2 | 25 | 136 |
| Merlin | 0 | 1 | 4 |
| Peregrine Falcon | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Prairie Falcon | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Mississippi Kite | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Unknown Accipiter | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Unknown Buteo | 0 | 1 | 4 |
| Unknown Falcon | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Unknown Eagle | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Unknown Raptor | 0 | 0 | 9 |
| Total: | 26 | 149 | 504 |
| Observation start time: | 08:45:00 |
| Observation end time: | 13:30:00 |
| Total observation time: | 4.75 hours |
| Official Counter | Ajit Antony |
| Observers: | Amy Manning, Liza Antony |
Visitors:
Amy Manning who helped us a week ago came back today and found us 25% of the birds we saw – she has the makings of a good hawk watcher. 1 couple was interested in what we were doing, and we were able to show them a pair of moderately low migrating RT. Another couple was interested and our spotting scope, so we let them look through it, and were they impressed!
Weather:
The prediction was for 61-65% cloud cover but when we got to the watch it was heavily overcast, which boded ill for a reasonable flight unless it lifted, which it did in the 11 to 12 MDT hour. Light winds were predicted from the NE, but at the watch it was from the East, temperature 16°C, humidity 21-26%, steady barometric pressure, cloud cover 90>45%.
Raptor Observations:
RTs over Lookout Mountain consistently escorted migrants out of their area. Non-migrant raptors: Subadult I GE flew NW over us and which was the Bird of the Day for us – it had tan carpal bars dorsally, extensive but dull white underwing patches, no molt of the secondaries, but no white at the base of the tail; RT 3.
Non-raptor Observations:
A paraglider when the overcast clouds were breaking up, could not get any lift and flew North where he had some. 7 other paragliders, after 10 AM MST when the clouds had broken up completely and the sun was shining brightly, still had not much lift until much later (the Soaring Forecast from the NWS predicted only fair soaring, and achieving the trigger temperature of 73°F only by 2:30 PM MDT, but there was some lift earlier than that, but only up to 8750 feet). Gray-headed Junco 2, Mountain Chickadee 1, Steller's Jay 1, Black-billed Magpie 1, Common Raven 3, American Crow 1, Canada Goose 38.
Predictions:
Similar to today and yesterday, starting with light NW winds changing to NE, so will be there by 10:30 AM
Report submitted by Ajit Antony (aian...@earthlink.net)
More information at hawkcount.org: [Site Profile] [Day Summary] [Month Summary]
Directions to site:
From I-70 from Northeast Denver, take Route 58, then a left turn going south on
Route 6, the 1st exit is for Lookout Mountain Road, turn right and follow the
clothes to find Windy Saddle Park parking lot on the right.
From I-70 from points west of Denver, take the Lookout Mountain Road and follow
it to the Windy Saddle Park parking lot, a longer route.
This is an automated email report from hawkcount.org.
If you do not wish to receive these reports, please send email to unsub...@hawkcount.org to unsubscribe.
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