Dinosaur Ridge - Denver Field Ornithologists (08 Mar 2026) 6 Raptors
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Dinosaur Ridge - Denver Field Ornithologists
Golden, Colorado, USA
Visitors:
7 Visitors. One visitor used our spare binoculars to admire a distant Bald Eagle and pair of Red-tailed Hawks, then remarked that they now understand why people love birdwatching!
Weather:
It was a beautiful day, with sunny skies and moderate temperatures warming slightly as the day went on. Clouds were few and far between, and winds were calm and variable throughout the morning and early afternoon. By late afternoon, winds picked up from the northwest to a light breeze.
Raptor Observations:
The raptors were active today with lots of local activity observed in the morning. The first migrant of the day was a Ferruginous Hawk, observed distantly on the west side. Shortly after, a Cooper's Hawk took a similar path. Mid-day, we got fantastic views of a young Northern Harrier hunting along the east slope of the ridge below eye level. In the afternoon, three Red-tailed Hawks and an adult Bald Eagle took advantage of the warm sunny skies to rapidly gain height before streaming north. Activity slowed in the final hour of the count.
Non-raptor Observations:
Northern Flicker 1, Woodhouse's Scrub Jay 1, Black-billed Magpie 1, American Crow 32, Common Raven 4, American Bushtit 3, Canyon Wren 1, White-breasted Nuthatch 1, Mountain Bluebird 7, Townsend's Solitaire 1, House Finch 4, Pine Siskin 1, Dark-eyed Junco 2, Spotted Towhee 3
Predictions:
Tomorrow, expect more sun, slightly higher temperatures, and light to moderate winds from the west and southwest. Bring sunscreen and water, and prepare for some remaining mud on the trails.
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]
Count data submitted via Trektellen.org - [Project Details]
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, and American White Pelican. 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: Mar 08, 2026 | |||
| Species | Day's Count | Month Total | Season Total |
| Black Vulture | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Turkey Vulture | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Osprey | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Bald Eagle | 1 | 3 | 3 |
| Northern Harrier | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Sharp-shinned Hawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Cooper's Hawk | 1 | 3 | 3 |
| American Goshawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Red-shouldered Hawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Broad-winged Hawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Red-tailed Hawk | 3 | 13 | 13 |
| Rough-legged Hawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Swainson's Hawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Ferruginous Hawk | 1 | 3 | 3 |
| Golden Eagle | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| American Kestrel | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Merlin | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Peregrine Falcon | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Prairie Falcon | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Mississippi Kite | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Unknown Accipitrine | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Unknown Buteo | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Unknown Falcon | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Unknown Eagle | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Unknown Raptor | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Total: | 6 | 24 | 24 |
| Observation start time: | 09:00:00 |
| Observation end time: | 17:00:00 |
| Total observation time: | 8 hours |
| Official Counter | Soren Zappia |
| Observers: | Marina Prado-Echeagaray |
Visitors:
7 Visitors. One visitor used our spare binoculars to admire a distant Bald Eagle and pair of Red-tailed Hawks, then remarked that they now understand why people love birdwatching!
Weather:
It was a beautiful day, with sunny skies and moderate temperatures warming slightly as the day went on. Clouds were few and far between, and winds were calm and variable throughout the morning and early afternoon. By late afternoon, winds picked up from the northwest to a light breeze.
Raptor Observations:
The raptors were active today with lots of local activity observed in the morning. The first migrant of the day was a Ferruginous Hawk, observed distantly on the west side. Shortly after, a Cooper's Hawk took a similar path. Mid-day, we got fantastic views of a young Northern Harrier hunting along the east slope of the ridge below eye level. In the afternoon, three Red-tailed Hawks and an adult Bald Eagle took advantage of the warm sunny skies to rapidly gain height before streaming north. Activity slowed in the final hour of the count.
Non-raptor Observations:
Northern Flicker 1, Woodhouse's Scrub Jay 1, Black-billed Magpie 1, American Crow 32, Common Raven 4, American Bushtit 3, Canyon Wren 1, White-breasted Nuthatch 1, Mountain Bluebird 7, Townsend's Solitaire 1, House Finch 4, Pine Siskin 1, Dark-eyed Junco 2, Spotted Towhee 3
Predictions:
Tomorrow, expect more sun, slightly higher temperatures, and light to moderate winds from the west and southwest. Bring sunscreen and water, and prepare for some remaining mud on the trails.
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]
Count data submitted via Trektellen.org - [Project Details]
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, and American White Pelican. 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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