Dinosaur Ridge - Denver Field Ornithologists (19 Aug 2025) 16 Raptors
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Aug 19, 2025, 5:39:48 PMAug 19
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Dinosaur Ridge - Denver Field Ornithologists
Golden, Colorado, USA
Weather:
Light winds from the east temperature 25>32 Celsius, humidity decreasing 32 to 22 per cent, steady barometer, cloud cover starting at 15% fortunately to the West, going all the way from north to SW, increasing to 55% as clouds moved eastward.
Raptor Observations:
Exploratory fall count 2025. See https://groups.google.com/g/cobirds/c/Oznn4uc6MBk. The first migrants were a small kettle of 3 SW to the NW, which rapidly glided South. A good day for SW, finding 14, compared to a total of 46 on the journey North in spring at the same site in 2025, with a daily SW high of 12 on 4/23/25. All the SW flew far to the NW/West, needing a scope to age them. If it were not for the initially low cumulus clouds, I would not have been able to spot these distant SW. After the last 3 SW moved South in a small kettle at 10:41 AM DST, there were no more migrants for the last 1.5 hours I stayed. It is likely that they were flying much too high to be seen with binoculars, as the Soaring Forecast from the National Weather Service predicted a maximum rate of lift of 4.3 meters per second, and the maximum height of thermals of 9484 feet above ground level. I did scan systematically high in the sky without any raptors seen. Non-migrant raptors: American Goshawk seen to the west with the naked eye - buteo-sized, did not flap at all, with bulging secondaries, curved leading edge to the wings, so head not seen in profile, banded tail with no white terminal band, missing primary feathers bilaterally; circled, gave me good bino and scope views and soared to the NW. 3 TV which perched on the 3 utility poles just north of the watch, all facing the same direction.
Non-raptor Observations:
Rock Wren 1, Black-billed Magpie 1, Black-capped Chickadee 1.
Predictions:
Light SE winds turning to the east. I'll try getting to the watch earlier, before 8 a.m. By the time I left today it was exhaustingly hot.
Report submitted by Official Counter of the day shown above (dinor...@gmail.com)
Dinosaur Ridge - Denver Field Ornithologists information may be found at: www.dinosaurridgehawkwatch.org
More information at hawkcount.org: [Site Profile] [Day Summary] [Month Summary]
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. American 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
Hawk Counter(s) and volunteers from March through early 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 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)
Golden, Colorado, USA
| Daily Raptor Counts: Aug 19, 2025 | |||
| Species | Day's Count | Month Total | Season Total |
| Black Vulture | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Turkey Vulture | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Osprey | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Bald Eagle | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Northern Harrier | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Sharp-shinned Hawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Cooper's Hawk | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| American Goshawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Red-shouldered Hawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Broad-winged Hawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Red-tailed Hawk | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Rough-legged Hawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Swainson's Hawk | 14 | 14 | 15 |
| Ferruginous Hawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Golden Eagle | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| American Kestrel | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| Merlin | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Peregrine Falcon | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Prairie Falcon | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Mississippi Kite | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Unknown Accipitrine | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Unknown Buteo | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Unknown Falcon | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Unknown Eagle | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Unknown Raptor | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Short-eared Owl | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Total: | 16 | 16 | 21 |
| Observation start time: | 08:30:00 |
| Observation end time: | 11:00:00 |
| Total observation time: | 2.5 hours |
| Official Counter | Ajit Antony |
| Observers: |
Weather:
Light winds from the east temperature 25>32 Celsius, humidity decreasing 32 to 22 per cent, steady barometer, cloud cover starting at 15% fortunately to the West, going all the way from north to SW, increasing to 55% as clouds moved eastward.
Raptor Observations:
Exploratory fall count 2025. See https://groups.google.com/g/cobirds/c/Oznn4uc6MBk. The first migrants were a small kettle of 3 SW to the NW, which rapidly glided South. A good day for SW, finding 14, compared to a total of 46 on the journey North in spring at the same site in 2025, with a daily SW high of 12 on 4/23/25. All the SW flew far to the NW/West, needing a scope to age them. If it were not for the initially low cumulus clouds, I would not have been able to spot these distant SW. After the last 3 SW moved South in a small kettle at 10:41 AM DST, there were no more migrants for the last 1.5 hours I stayed. It is likely that they were flying much too high to be seen with binoculars, as the Soaring Forecast from the National Weather Service predicted a maximum rate of lift of 4.3 meters per second, and the maximum height of thermals of 9484 feet above ground level. I did scan systematically high in the sky without any raptors seen. Non-migrant raptors: American Goshawk seen to the west with the naked eye - buteo-sized, did not flap at all, with bulging secondaries, curved leading edge to the wings, so head not seen in profile, banded tail with no white terminal band, missing primary feathers bilaterally; circled, gave me good bino and scope views and soared to the NW. 3 TV which perched on the 3 utility poles just north of the watch, all facing the same direction.
Non-raptor Observations:
Rock Wren 1, Black-billed Magpie 1, Black-capped Chickadee 1.
Predictions:
Light SE winds turning to the east. I'll try getting to the watch earlier, before 8 a.m. By the time I left today it was exhaustingly hot.
Report submitted by Official Counter of the day shown above (dinor...@gmail.com)
Dinosaur Ridge - Denver Field Ornithologists information may be found at: www.dinosaurridgehawkwatch.org
More information at hawkcount.org: [Site Profile] [Day Summary] [Month Summary]
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. American 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
Hawk Counter(s) and volunteers from March through early 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 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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