Dinosaur Ridge - Bird Conservancy of the Rockies (01 May 2019) 6 Raptors
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May 1, 2019, 7:56:14 PM5/1/19
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Dinosaur Ridge - Bird Conservancy of the Rockies
Colorado, USA
Visitors:
No visitors came to the platform. Very few bikers and runners were on the trail.
Weather:
Fog and/or a very low cloud ceiling finally began to lift off the Ridge-top near 10:00am MST. The 100-percent cloud-cover lifted a bit more to reveal the tops of Green Mountain, Cabrini, and the western ridges immediately west of the platform, but remained near the top of Mount Morrison, occasionally obscuring it. Winds were from the northeast and east-northeast at bft 3-4. Visibility in the southern valleys increased from about 5 km to greater than 10 km, before being reduced again somewhat, due to apparent rainfall well south of the platform. Temperatures hovered near 3-4 C.
Raptor Observations:
All the migrants passed near the Ridge and were either at eye-level or easily visible. Three of the accipiters came along in rapid succession (within 5 minutes) not long after the watch started (after the clouds lifted off the Ridge). The Osprey was the last migrant, gliding north, high, but easily visible, directly over the HawkWatch platform. Local Red-tailed Hawks were observed in both valleys but seemed to spend most of their time over Rooney Valley today. A local female American Kestrel was spotted heading south down Rooney Valley in the morning. A Peregrine Falcon, spotted not too high and southeast of the platform, moved leisurely northward alongside the Ridge but quickly dropped down just past I70, suggesting that it was a local.
Non-raptor Observations:
Six Western Bluebirds, two males and four females, stopped to perch in the dead tree just southeast of the platform; they soon departed east across Rooney Valley. Also seen or heard were Woodhouse's Scrub-Jay, Broad-tailed Hummingbird, Western Meadowlark, Black-billed Magpie, American Robin, and Common Raven. Five Elk were seen near Bare Slope.
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 01, 2019 | |||
| Species | Day's Count | Month Total | Season Total |
| Black Vulture | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Turkey Vulture | 0 | 0 | 105 |
| Osprey | 1 | 1 | 26 |
| Bald Eagle | 0 | 0 | 18 |
| Northern Harrier | 0 | 0 | 9 |
| Sharp-shinned Hawk | 3 | 3 | 58 |
| Cooper's Hawk | 2 | 2 | 96 |
| Northern Goshawk | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| Red-shouldered Hawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Broad-winged Hawk | 0 | 0 | 12 |
| Red-tailed Hawk | 0 | 0 | 316 |
| Rough-legged Hawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Swainson's Hawk | 0 | 0 | 9 |
| Ferruginous Hawk | 0 | 0 | 10 |
| Golden Eagle | 0 | 0 | 11 |
| American Kestrel | 0 | 0 | 56 |
| Merlin | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Peregrine Falcon | 0 | 0 | 4 |
| Prairie Falcon | 0 | 0 | 4 |
| Mississippi Kite | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Unknown Accipiter | 0 | 0 | 14 |
| Unknown Buteo | 0 | 0 | 9 |
| Unknown Falcon | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Unknown Eagle | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| Unknown Raptor | 0 | 0 | 12 |
| Total: | 6 | 6 | 776 |
| Observation start time: | 10:15:00 |
| Observation end time: | 14:00:00 |
| Total observation time: | 3.75 hours |
| Official Counter | Joyce Commercon |
| Observers: |
Visitors:
No visitors came to the platform. Very few bikers and runners were on the trail.
Weather:
Fog and/or a very low cloud ceiling finally began to lift off the Ridge-top near 10:00am MST. The 100-percent cloud-cover lifted a bit more to reveal the tops of Green Mountain, Cabrini, and the western ridges immediately west of the platform, but remained near the top of Mount Morrison, occasionally obscuring it. Winds were from the northeast and east-northeast at bft 3-4. Visibility in the southern valleys increased from about 5 km to greater than 10 km, before being reduced again somewhat, due to apparent rainfall well south of the platform. Temperatures hovered near 3-4 C.
Raptor Observations:
All the migrants passed near the Ridge and were either at eye-level or easily visible. Three of the accipiters came along in rapid succession (within 5 minutes) not long after the watch started (after the clouds lifted off the Ridge). The Osprey was the last migrant, gliding north, high, but easily visible, directly over the HawkWatch platform. Local Red-tailed Hawks were observed in both valleys but seemed to spend most of their time over Rooney Valley today. A local female American Kestrel was spotted heading south down Rooney Valley in the morning. A Peregrine Falcon, spotted not too high and southeast of the platform, moved leisurely northward alongside the Ridge but quickly dropped down just past I70, suggesting that it was a local.
Non-raptor Observations:
Six Western Bluebirds, two males and four females, stopped to perch in the dead tree just southeast of the platform; they soon departed east across Rooney Valley. Also seen or heard were Woodhouse's Scrub-Jay, Broad-tailed Hummingbird, Western Meadowlark, Black-billed Magpie, American Robin, and Common Raven. Five Elk were seen near Bare Slope.
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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