Dinosaur Ridge - Bird Conservancy of the Rockies (07 May 2018) 8 Raptors
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May 7, 2018, 8:59:53 PM5/7/18
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Dinosaur Ridge - Bird Conservancy of the Rockies
Colorado, USA
Visitors:
Many hikers and bikers were on the trail but only two came up for the view.
Weather:
Today, the last HawkWatch day of the season, was warm and mostly cloudy with cloud-cover of 80 to 100 percent and temperatures that rose from 14 C to 20 C. The morning had westerly winds at bft 3, but then the winds calmed substantially (bft 1 to low bft 2) and shifted to come more from the east. Visibility was very good.
Raptor Observations:
Most of the migrants came north following along the Ridge, but there was no particular pattern, except for low heights-of-flight until the last hour of the watch, which was very warm with calm winds. The interesting migrant of the day was a Peregrine Falcon that powered up the west side valley below eye-level to the platform; the view of its upperside showed touches of brown in its flight feathers, so maybe it was a first-year adult. A local, male American Kestrel frequented the area in the morning and was later observed carrying a very small, rodent-like object in its talons as it headed south down Rooney Valley. A local, male Cooper’s Hawk was spotted several times as it flew over the west-side valley and near the western ridges, once with another Cooper’s Hawk, presumably its partner. The local Red-tailed Hawks were mostly seen from a distance. The local Turkey Vultures were hardly seen at all until the last hour, when they seemed to come out in force to patrol the ridges.
Non-raptor Observations:
A pair of Blue-gray Gnatcatchers spent the day nearby; hardly a minute passed without soft twittering and squeaky whining. A mixed flock of Chipping Sparrows and Audubon's Yellow-rumped Warblers moved north along the Ridge, with several of both species pausing briefly together in the dead tree just southeast of the platform. Also seen or heard were Spotted Towhee, White-throated Swift, Black-billed Magpie, Western Meadowlark, a goose species, Violet-green Swallow, Common Raven, Broad-tailed Hummingbird, Tree Swallow, Cliff Swallow, American Robin, Canyon Wren, Mountain Chickadee, American Crow, Black-capped Chickadee, Northern Flicker, Woodhouse's Scrub-Jay, House Finch, Bushtit, and Red-breasted Nuthatch.
Report submitted by Matthew Smith (matt....@birdconservancy.org)
Dinosaur Ridge - Bird Conservancy of the Rockies information may be found at: http://www.birdconservancy.org/
More information at hawkcount.org: [Site Profile] [Day Summary] [Month Summary]
Site Description
Dinosaur Ridge is the only regularly staffed hawkwatch in Colorado and is the
best place in the world to see migrating Ferruginous Hawks. Dinosaur Ridge may
be the best place in the country to see the rare dark morph of the Broad-winged
Hawk (a few are seen each spring). Hawkwatchers who linger long enough may see
resident Golden Eagles, Red-tailed Hawks and Prairie Falcons, in addition to
migrating Swainson's, Cooper's and Sharp-shinned Hawks, American Kestrels and
Turkey Vultures. Peregrine Falcons and Ferruginous Hawks are uncommon; Northern
Goshawk is rare but regular. Non-raptor species include Rock Wren, and sometimes
Bushtit, Western Bluebird, Sandhill Crane, White-throated Swift, American White
Pelican or Dusky Grouse. Birders are always welcome.
The hawkwatch is generally staffed by volunteers from Bird Conservancy of the
Rockies from about 9 AM to around 3 PM from March 1st to May 7th.
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 small signs from the south
side of lot to hawkwatch 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, head through the gate, and walk to
the clearly-visible, flat area at the crest of the ridge.
Colorado, USA
| Daily Raptor Counts: May 07, 2018 | |||
| Species | Day's Count | Month Total | Season Total |
| Black Vulture | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Turkey Vulture | 2 | 8 | 96 |
| Osprey | 0 | 5 | 11 |
| Bald Eagle | 0 | 0 | 6 |
| Northern Harrier | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| Sharp-shinned Hawk | 2 | 5 | 27 |
| Cooper's Hawk | 0 | 1 | 41 |
| Northern Goshawk | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Red-shouldered Hawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Broad-winged Hawk | 0 | 0 | 16 |
| Red-tailed Hawk | 1 | 7 | 242 |
| Rough-legged Hawk | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Swainson's Hawk | 0 | 9 | 15 |
| Ferruginous Hawk | 0 | 0 | 4 |
| Golden Eagle | 0 | 0 | 11 |
| American Kestrel | 0 | 10 | 43 |
| Merlin | 0 | 2 | 2 |
| Peregrine Falcon | 2 | 6 | 10 |
| Prairie Falcon | 0 | 0 | 4 |
| Mississippi Kite | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Unknown Accipiter | 1 | 1 | 18 |
| Unknown Buteo | 0 | 0 | 23 |
| Unknown Falcon | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| Unknown Eagle | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Unknown Raptor | 0 | 0 | 8 |
| Total: | 8 | 54 | 588 |
| Observation start time: | 07:45:00 |
| Observation end time: | 14:00:00 |
| Total observation time: | 6.25 hours |
| Official Counter | Joyce Commercon |
| Observers: |
Visitors:
Many hikers and bikers were on the trail but only two came up for the view.
Weather:
Today, the last HawkWatch day of the season, was warm and mostly cloudy with cloud-cover of 80 to 100 percent and temperatures that rose from 14 C to 20 C. The morning had westerly winds at bft 3, but then the winds calmed substantially (bft 1 to low bft 2) and shifted to come more from the east. Visibility was very good.
Raptor Observations:
Most of the migrants came north following along the Ridge, but there was no particular pattern, except for low heights-of-flight until the last hour of the watch, which was very warm with calm winds. The interesting migrant of the day was a Peregrine Falcon that powered up the west side valley below eye-level to the platform; the view of its upperside showed touches of brown in its flight feathers, so maybe it was a first-year adult. A local, male American Kestrel frequented the area in the morning and was later observed carrying a very small, rodent-like object in its talons as it headed south down Rooney Valley. A local, male Cooper’s Hawk was spotted several times as it flew over the west-side valley and near the western ridges, once with another Cooper’s Hawk, presumably its partner. The local Red-tailed Hawks were mostly seen from a distance. The local Turkey Vultures were hardly seen at all until the last hour, when they seemed to come out in force to patrol the ridges.
Non-raptor Observations:
A pair of Blue-gray Gnatcatchers spent the day nearby; hardly a minute passed without soft twittering and squeaky whining. A mixed flock of Chipping Sparrows and Audubon's Yellow-rumped Warblers moved north along the Ridge, with several of both species pausing briefly together in the dead tree just southeast of the platform. Also seen or heard were Spotted Towhee, White-throated Swift, Black-billed Magpie, Western Meadowlark, a goose species, Violet-green Swallow, Common Raven, Broad-tailed Hummingbird, Tree Swallow, Cliff Swallow, American Robin, Canyon Wren, Mountain Chickadee, American Crow, Black-capped Chickadee, Northern Flicker, Woodhouse's Scrub-Jay, House Finch, Bushtit, and Red-breasted Nuthatch.
Report submitted by Matthew Smith (matt....@birdconservancy.org)
Dinosaur Ridge - Bird Conservancy of the Rockies information may be found at: http://www.birdconservancy.org/
More information at hawkcount.org: [Site Profile] [Day Summary] [Month Summary]
Site Description
Dinosaur Ridge is the only regularly staffed hawkwatch in Colorado and is the
best place in the world to see migrating Ferruginous Hawks. Dinosaur Ridge may
be the best place in the country to see the rare dark morph of the Broad-winged
Hawk (a few are seen each spring). Hawkwatchers who linger long enough may see
resident Golden Eagles, Red-tailed Hawks and Prairie Falcons, in addition to
migrating Swainson's, Cooper's and Sharp-shinned Hawks, American Kestrels and
Turkey Vultures. Peregrine Falcons and Ferruginous Hawks are uncommon; Northern
Goshawk is rare but regular. Non-raptor species include Rock Wren, and sometimes
Bushtit, Western Bluebird, Sandhill Crane, White-throated Swift, American White
Pelican or Dusky Grouse. Birders are always welcome.
The hawkwatch is generally staffed by volunteers from Bird Conservancy of the
Rockies from about 9 AM to around 3 PM from March 1st to May 7th.
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 small signs from the south
side of lot to hawkwatch 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, head through the gate, and walk to
the clearly-visible, flat area at the crest of the ridge.
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