Broad-winged Hawk-Grandview Cemetery-Larimer County

[Josh Bruening]

All,

Stopped at Grandview Cemetery on the way home from work for a quick walk around.  Ran into David Wade and we spent 30 minutes watching birds zip quickly by in the steady breeze.  It seems as though the local Turkey Vultures have made it back.  I tallied 39 flying over the golf course just before I left.  But while walking with DWade, I had no sooner mentioned that we should keep our eyes open for Zone-tailed Hawks mixed in with the TVs than a Dark morph Broad-winged juvie flew over us.  I managed a couple of pictures.  They can be found in my Ebird checklist below.  This is the earliest Colorado record on Ebird.  Frankly, I'm surprised the bird was this far north in the state for an early record.  I'm guessing that the strong S/SW winds today may have had something to do with this bird's early arrival.  I would love to know where this bird started it's day and how far it had traveled before we got our eyes on it.  This was a striking looking bird.  Sometimes feel lucky that we are on the western end of their range where the Dark morph is always a possibility.

https://ebird.org/checklist/S84364759

Bird is the word!!

Josh Bruening

Fort Collins