Dinosaur Ridge - Bird Conservancy of the Rockies (14 Apr 2019) 14 Raptors

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Dinosaur Ridge - Bird Conservancy of the Rockies
Colorado, USA

Daily Raptor Counts: Apr 14, 2019
Species	Day's Count	Month Total	Season Total
Black Vulture	0	0	0
Turkey Vulture	3	67	68
Osprey	2	13	13
Bald Eagle	2	4	16
Northern Harrier	0	5	6
Sharp-shinned Hawk	0	29	38
Cooper's Hawk	3	56	62
Northern Goshawk	0	2	2
Red-shouldered Hawk	0	0	0
Broad-winged Hawk	0	0	0
Red-tailed Hawk	4	198	291
Rough-legged Hawk	0	0	0
Swainson's Hawk	0	1	1
Ferruginous Hawk	0	6	10
Golden Eagle	0	5	8
American Kestrel	0	40	45
Merlin	0	1	1
Peregrine Falcon	0	3	3
Prairie Falcon	0	3	3
Mississippi Kite	0	0	0
Unknown Accipiter	0	7	10
Unknown Buteo	0	3	8
Unknown Falcon	0	0	0
Unknown Eagle	0	1	3
Unknown Raptor	0	2	5
Total:	14	446	593

Observation start time:	09:00:00
Observation end time:	14:30:00
Total observation time:	5.5 hours
Official Counter	Mike Fernandez
Observers:	David Gulbenkian, Jeff Wang

Visitors:
Jeff Wang held watch from 0700-0900 MST, reporting a local Red-tailed. Then about noon MST, David Gulbenkian arrived to help. Mitchell Blystone, out for a hike and a day off stopped by to say hello at 1130 MST. Thanks Mitchell, what committment! One runner (describing herself as a beginner birder) asked about what we were doing and took a DinoHawk card. Jeff and David departed at 1300 MST. Sidebar: Matthews-Winters was closed today due to muddy trails (sign read: Closed for resource protection and visitor safety due to muddy trails; strictly enforced, minimum fine $150). Good thing Jeffco didn't close Dinosaur Ridge too.

Weather:
Cloud cover changed around all day with high cirrus above and cumulus below. At one point the wind on the platform was from the southeast but the clouds were moving over from the west. Even without birds the sky was pretty entertaining today. At 12:30 MST the wind on the ridge shifted to come from the west and with sudden new force at 7 BFT for about an hour. After that the winds continued from the west gusting up 5-6 BTF rest of watch. Good cloud cover most of the day. (PWS Idledale)

Raptor Observations:
Migrating Raptors: The two Bald Eagles (one adult, the other a 4/5th year) spent a lot of time circling overhead, within unaided view, gaining elevation. Same with Osprey and Cooper's, who seemed to appear from below eye level on the east side of the ridge and circle up at the north end. Non-Migrating Raptors: Tracked a minimum of three local Red-tailed Hawk individuals repeatedly during the day. A local Cooper's Hawk cycled up and down above Matthews-Winters Park. An American Kestrel (male) hover hunted over the west side of the ridge the entire time I trekked down at end of watch.

Non-raptor Observations:
Also seen or heard: Spotted Towhee (1), Woodhouse's Scrub Jay (1), Townsend's Solitaire (1), House Finch (1), American White Pelican (2), Black-billed Magpie (1), Common Raven (4), and White Throated Swift (5).

Predictions:
Monday the warm-up continues.

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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]

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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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Migrating Raptors: The two Bald Eagles (one adult, the other a 4/5th year) spent a lot of time circling overhead, within unaided view, gaining elevation. Same with Osprey and Cooper's, who seemed to appear from below eye level on the east side of the ridge and circle up at the north end. One of the birds listed as a Red-tailed Hawk was a dark morph, but there's a friendly debate, with the aid of Jeff's photos, that it may be a Ferruginous. Non-Migrating Raptors: Tracked a minimum of three local Red-tailed Hawk individuals repeatedly during the day. A local Cooper's Hawk cycled up and down above Matthews-Winters Park. An American Kestrel (male) hover hunted over the west side of the ridge the entire time I trekked down at end of watch.