Dinosaur Ridge - Denver Field Ornithologists (30 Apr 2023) 139 Raptors
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rep...@hawkcount.org
May 1, 2023, 12:20:56 AM5/1/23
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Dinosaur Ridge - Denver Field Ornithologists
Colorado, USA
Visitors:
It was a very busy day on the ridge so thank you again to all who came out and helped spot birds against the bright blue skies. They were challenging but I think we would all agree it was well worth it! We had at least 43 visitors today including Dave Prentiss, a former Dinosaur Ridge volunteer, who stopped by with his son in search of BW and they were rewarded. Two other visitors recently moved to the area and spent the morning with us, so thank you Blythe and Colin! It was great to meet you both and have your help.
Weather:
It was another eye burner today with little to no cloud cover all day. Winds were from the E/NE for most of the day until we also felt winds from the SW in the late afternoon. The usually present haze was extra thick today, really worsening late in the day.
Raptor Observations:
What a day! Migrants were again high and primarily west of us today. We had a very surprisingly good FH flight today including one dark-morph. These birds are typically done migrating by this time at our site, especially in that volume. We also had another great BW flight today, officially marking our biggest BW season in site history (1990’s data should be available soon so that may reveal otherwise). Our AK flight today also marks the highest season AK count since 2005. This is extra special as this species has been of concern and many resources have been put into supporting their population. The species diversity today also deserves mention, with our season high of 14 species seen migrating.
Non-raptor Observations:
Non-raptor highlights of the day include the seasons first BGGN, a flock of Gull sp. (30+), and more AMWP. TOSO have been seen less frequently in the fire so it was great to see one perched in a burnt pine today as well. Multiple lists are available on eBird thanks to volunteers and visitors.
Predictions:
Similar conditions are expected for tomorrow with slightly higher temperatures. Birds may be high!
Report submitted by DAVID HILL ()
Dinosaur Ridge - Denver Field Ornithologists information may be found at: http://www.dfobirds.org
More information at hawkcount.org: [Site Profile] [Day Summary] [Month Summary]
Count data submitted via Dunkadoo - [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. Northern 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 a
Hawk Counter and volunteers from 9:30 AM to 5:30 PM from March 1st to May 14th,
weather permitting.
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)
Colorado, USA
| Daily Raptor Counts: Apr 30, 2023 | |||
| Species | Day's Count | Month Total | Season Total |
| Black Vulture | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Turkey Vulture | 23 | 343 | 358 |
| Osprey | 6 | 50 | 52 |
| Bald Eagle | 1 | 20 | 51 |
| Northern Harrier | 3 | 19 | 30 |
| Sharp-shinned Hawk | 7 | 69 | 77 |
| Cooper's Hawk | 10 | 206 | 224 |
| Northern Goshawk | 0 | 2 | 9 |
| Red-shouldered Hawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Broad-winged Hawk | 31 | 125 | 125 |
| Red-tailed Hawk | 10 | 154 | 441 |
| Rough-legged Hawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Swainson's Hawk | 13 | 35 | 35 |
| Ferruginous Hawk | 6 | 14 | 54 |
| Golden Eagle | 2 | 11 | 37 |
| American Kestrel | 23 | 298 | 358 |
| Merlin | 1 | 12 | 22 |
| Peregrine Falcon | 1 | 13 | 18 |
| Prairie Falcon | 0 | 0 | 5 |
| Mississippi Kite | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Unknown Accipiter | 0 | 8 | 11 |
| Unknown Buteo | 2 | 4 | 5 |
| Unknown Falcon | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Unknown Eagle | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Unknown Raptor | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Total: | 139 | 1384 | 1915 |
| Observation start time: | 08:00:00 |
| Observation end time: | 17:15:00 |
| Total observation time: | 8.25 hours |
| Official Counter | Carol Cwiklinski, Emma Riley |
| Observers: | Aarohi Barman, Andrew Jensen, Carol Cwiklinski, Ginni Dickinson, Karen Fernandez, Mike Fernandez, Steve Small |
Visitors:
It was a very busy day on the ridge so thank you again to all who came out and helped spot birds against the bright blue skies. They were challenging but I think we would all agree it was well worth it! We had at least 43 visitors today including Dave Prentiss, a former Dinosaur Ridge volunteer, who stopped by with his son in search of BW and they were rewarded. Two other visitors recently moved to the area and spent the morning with us, so thank you Blythe and Colin! It was great to meet you both and have your help.
Weather:
It was another eye burner today with little to no cloud cover all day. Winds were from the E/NE for most of the day until we also felt winds from the SW in the late afternoon. The usually present haze was extra thick today, really worsening late in the day.
Raptor Observations:
What a day! Migrants were again high and primarily west of us today. We had a very surprisingly good FH flight today including one dark-morph. These birds are typically done migrating by this time at our site, especially in that volume. We also had another great BW flight today, officially marking our biggest BW season in site history (1990’s data should be available soon so that may reveal otherwise). Our AK flight today also marks the highest season AK count since 2005. This is extra special as this species has been of concern and many resources have been put into supporting their population. The species diversity today also deserves mention, with our season high of 14 species seen migrating.
Non-raptor Observations:
Non-raptor highlights of the day include the seasons first BGGN, a flock of Gull sp. (30+), and more AMWP. TOSO have been seen less frequently in the fire so it was great to see one perched in a burnt pine today as well. Multiple lists are available on eBird thanks to volunteers and visitors.
Predictions:
Similar conditions are expected for tomorrow with slightly higher temperatures. Birds may be high!
Report submitted by DAVID HILL ()
Dinosaur Ridge - Denver Field Ornithologists information may be found at: http://www.dfobirds.org
More information at hawkcount.org: [Site Profile] [Day Summary] [Month Summary]
Count data submitted via Dunkadoo - [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. Northern 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 a
Hawk Counter and volunteers from 9:30 AM to 5:30 PM from March 1st to May 14th,
weather permitting.
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)
2mi...@gmail.com
May 1, 2023, 10:00:35 PM5/1/23
to Colorado Birds
If you have had an interest in checking out the Dinosaur Ridge Hawk Watch in Morrison, CO--and maybe haven't had a chance to visit yet--we have only two weeks left in the spring migration season. And the weather is fine. Our last count day is May 14. Join our friendly group on the ridge before time runs out. We love our visitors and fellow birders of all levels of experience.
Count data: This April we had a total of 1,384 migrating Raptors. That's out of 1,915 total for the 2023 season so far. In May this year we have two weeks of counting (versus one week in 2022) and are striving to get more eyes on the skies to help us beat our 2022 total count of 2,406 migrating Raptors.
Count data: This April we had a total of 1,384 migrating Raptors. That's out of 1,915 total for the 2023 season so far. In May this year we have two weeks of counting (versus one week in 2022) and are striving to get more eyes on the skies to help us beat our 2022 total count of 2,406 migrating Raptors.
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