Mount Zion Hawk Watch at Windy Saddle Park (22 Oct 2024) Raptors
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Oct 22, 2024, 9:22:24 PM10/22/24
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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.
Weather:
The prediction was for 16 mph gusts from the West ending by 9 AM, then changing to SSE and SE, but the wind continued unabated at Level 6 on the Beaufort scale to 11:30 AM MDT, after which the winds were variable for an hour, then NNE, with a perfectly blue sky, excellent visibility with minimal haze. At one point the wind was so strong my clipboard blew away and the papers scattered.
Raptor Observations:
The only consolation was a distant bird flying over the west side of Lookout Mountain, smaller than an RT; broad, swept back and tapered wings with a long accipiter tail, gliding steadily West with no flaps in Level 5 winds; it then flew NW and dropped into trees where we lost it– looked like an American Goshawk.
Non-raptor Observations:
Common Raven 4, Black-billed Magpie 2, American Crow 1.
Predictions:
Mainly SE winds after 11 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.
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 22, 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 | 0 | 9 | 9 |
| Northern Harrier | 0 | 7 | 12 |
| Sharp-shinned Hawk | 0 | 23 | 47 |
| Cooper's Hawk | 0 | 31 | 79 |
| American Goshawk | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Broad-winged Hawk | 0 | 1 | 15 |
| Red-tailed Hawk | 0 | 75 | 146 |
| Rough-legged Hawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Swainson's Hawk | 0 | 2 | 36 |
| Ferruginous Hawk | 0 | 2 | 5 |
| Golden Eagle | 0 | 6 | 8 |
| American Kestrel | 0 | 27 | 138 |
| 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: | 0 | 192 | 547 |
| Observation start time: | 09:15:00 |
| Observation end time: | 12:30:00 |
| Total observation time: | 3.25 hours |
| Official Counter | Ajit Antony |
| Observers: | Liza Antony |
Weather:
The prediction was for 16 mph gusts from the West ending by 9 AM, then changing to SSE and SE, but the wind continued unabated at Level 6 on the Beaufort scale to 11:30 AM MDT, after which the winds were variable for an hour, then NNE, with a perfectly blue sky, excellent visibility with minimal haze. At one point the wind was so strong my clipboard blew away and the papers scattered.
Raptor Observations:
The only consolation was a distant bird flying over the west side of Lookout Mountain, smaller than an RT; broad, swept back and tapered wings with a long accipiter tail, gliding steadily West with no flaps in Level 5 winds; it then flew NW and dropped into trees where we lost it– looked like an American Goshawk.
Non-raptor Observations:
Common Raven 4, Black-billed Magpie 2, American Crow 1.
Predictions:
Mainly SE winds after 11 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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