Dinosaur Ridge - Denver Field Ornithologists (09 Sep 2025) 3 Raptors
38 views
Skip to first unread message
rep...@hawkcount.org
Sep 9, 2025, 7:17:18 PMSep 9
to cob...@googlegroups.com
Dinosaur Ridge - Denver Field Ornithologists
Golden, Colorado, USA
Visitors:
As I was leaving, going down the trail I met Karolyn Chan coming up, disappointed that I was leaving. I explained why. This is the third time that Carolyn has come up to the watch, she's been a birder for only a few months, having moved from NJ less than a month ago, nor had she visited any hawk watches in NJ, but an experienced birder there had specifically told her to come up to the Dinosaur Ridge hawk watch when she came here. He could have known we had a fall hawk watch this year only by reading our reports on hawkcount.org! A young couple coming up asked me if I had seen any mountain lions. They were referring to a sign which Jefferson County put up about 10 days ago in the parking lot at the beginning of the trail, saying "Mountain lions live here. You're in their home," asking hikers to be aware of their surroundings, that lions are most active at dusk and dawn, and what to do if one encountered a lion. I said I hadn't, and hadn't in 3 years of coming up here, emphasizing what the sign had said as to the time of their activity, but to be watchful.
Weather:
The surface forecast had 5 mph winds from the WNW changing to ESE, with 28% cloud cover increasing to 72% with a chance of thunderstorms after 1:00 PM. Earth.nullschool.net had winds aloft from the SSW at 4 km/hr. Radar showed the movement of precipitation within clouds from SW to NE. At the watch the cloud cover was 75% and increased covering the sun, humidity 19%, clear visibility was good at 24 km. In the last 1.5 hours there were dark clouds to the SW, and far to the NW with virga.
Raptor Observations:
Exploratory fall hawk count 2025. See https://groups.google.com/g/cobirds/c/Oznn4uc6MBk The first raptor at 10:20 AM MDT was a TV which flew in from the north, circled, gained great height, but went to the NE. 7 other TV were non-migrants. The first migrant raptor at 10:41 AM was an AK which flew high through what we are calling the Kestrel Channel, the valley just west of the watch. The only other migrant identified was a distant female/immature NH to the NW. In the last hour I could see a dot to the NW With binoculars, in my scope it was a buteo, but I lost sight of it when I zoomed in. Since there were not a large number of migrants today, it would appear that the strong winds yesterday were not the inhibiting factor for migration, but rather the wind direction aloft from the WSW, the same winds today as yesterday. Since I had good cloud cover, I could scan 2-4 binocular fields above the ridge without any migrants found.
Non-raptor Observations:
Steller's Jay 1, Blue-gray Gnatcatcher heard, Woodhouse's Scrub-Jay 4, Violet-green Swallow c. 50 together, Barn Swallow 3.
Predictions:
The forecast for tomorrow is similar to today in terms of winds aloft, WNW at 5 mph, so I don't expect much of a migration, just like today and yesterday, so I will likely stay home, and play pickleball which I'm missing because of hawk watching.
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: Sep 09, 2025 | |||
| Species | Day's Count | Month Total | Season Total |
| Black Vulture | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Turkey Vulture | 0 | 1 | 5 |
| Osprey | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Bald Eagle | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Northern Harrier | 1 | 2 | 2 |
| Sharp-shinned Hawk | 0 | 3 | 8 |
| Cooper's Hawk | 0 | 5 | 7 |
| American Goshawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Red-shouldered Hawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Broad-winged Hawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Red-tailed Hawk | 0 | 3 | 16 |
| Rough-legged Hawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Swainson's Hawk | 0 | 11 | 61 |
| Ferruginous Hawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Golden Eagle | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| American Kestrel | 1 | 15 | 21 |
| Merlin | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Peregrine Falcon | 0 | 1 | 2 |
| Prairie Falcon | 0 | 1 | 3 |
| Mississippi Kite | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Unknown Accipitrine | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Unknown Buteo | 1 | 1 | 3 |
| Unknown Falcon | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Unknown Eagle | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Unknown Raptor | 0 | 1 | 2 |
| Short-eared Owl | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Total: | 3 | 45 | 133 |
| Observation start time: | 08:30:00 |
| Observation end time: | 11:30:00 |
| Total observation time: | 3 hours |
| Official Counter | Ajit Antony |
| Observers: |
Visitors:
As I was leaving, going down the trail I met Karolyn Chan coming up, disappointed that I was leaving. I explained why. This is the third time that Carolyn has come up to the watch, she's been a birder for only a few months, having moved from NJ less than a month ago, nor had she visited any hawk watches in NJ, but an experienced birder there had specifically told her to come up to the Dinosaur Ridge hawk watch when she came here. He could have known we had a fall hawk watch this year only by reading our reports on hawkcount.org! A young couple coming up asked me if I had seen any mountain lions. They were referring to a sign which Jefferson County put up about 10 days ago in the parking lot at the beginning of the trail, saying "Mountain lions live here. You're in their home," asking hikers to be aware of their surroundings, that lions are most active at dusk and dawn, and what to do if one encountered a lion. I said I hadn't, and hadn't in 3 years of coming up here, emphasizing what the sign had said as to the time of their activity, but to be watchful.
Weather:
The surface forecast had 5 mph winds from the WNW changing to ESE, with 28% cloud cover increasing to 72% with a chance of thunderstorms after 1:00 PM. Earth.nullschool.net had winds aloft from the SSW at 4 km/hr. Radar showed the movement of precipitation within clouds from SW to NE. At the watch the cloud cover was 75% and increased covering the sun, humidity 19%, clear visibility was good at 24 km. In the last 1.5 hours there were dark clouds to the SW, and far to the NW with virga.
Raptor Observations:
Exploratory fall hawk count 2025. See https://groups.google.com/g/cobirds/c/Oznn4uc6MBk The first raptor at 10:20 AM MDT was a TV which flew in from the north, circled, gained great height, but went to the NE. 7 other TV were non-migrants. The first migrant raptor at 10:41 AM was an AK which flew high through what we are calling the Kestrel Channel, the valley just west of the watch. The only other migrant identified was a distant female/immature NH to the NW. In the last hour I could see a dot to the NW With binoculars, in my scope it was a buteo, but I lost sight of it when I zoomed in. Since there were not a large number of migrants today, it would appear that the strong winds yesterday were not the inhibiting factor for migration, but rather the wind direction aloft from the WSW, the same winds today as yesterday. Since I had good cloud cover, I could scan 2-4 binocular fields above the ridge without any migrants found.
Non-raptor Observations:
Steller's Jay 1, Blue-gray Gnatcatcher heard, Woodhouse's Scrub-Jay 4, Violet-green Swallow c. 50 together, Barn Swallow 3.
Predictions:
The forecast for tomorrow is similar to today in terms of winds aloft, WNW at 5 mph, so I don't expect much of a migration, just like today and yesterday, so I will likely stay home, and play pickleball which I'm missing because of hawk watching.
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)
Reply all
Reply to author
Forward
0 new messages