Dinosaur Ridge - Denver Field Ornithologists (16 Sep 2025) 4 Raptors
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Sep 16, 2025, 6:26:44 PM (3 days ago) Sep 16
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Dinosaur Ridge - Denver Field Ornithologists
Golden, Colorado, USA
Weather:
The surface forecast was light winds from the north changing to NE, with cloud cover of 31% increasing to 66% after noon with a chance of thunderstorms. Earth.nullschool.net had winds aloft at 700 hPa from the WNW at 9 km/hr, so there would be a partial headwind for southbound migrants. The soaring forecast was poor with no lift, and thermals predicted to only 2999 ft above ground level, so I wondered whether we would get some migrants lower than usual. At the watch, the winds were light from the east, temperature 25>22 C, cloud cover 55>70% with very nice cirrus clouds overhead and cirrocumulus to the N and NW, visibility to 24 km.
Raptor Observations:
Exploratory fall hawk count 2025. See https://groups.google.com/g/cobirds/c/Oznn4uc6MBk The first migrant was an SW at 9:30 AM MDT over the western ridge, found with binoculars but unidentifiable. I almost lost it setting up my scope, but found it over Mount Morrison. At 10:33 AM an SS attacked a CH and both migrated. These were at almost two bino fields already above the ridge to the west, I only saw them with binos because there was a clean white cloud background. There were no raptors in the last hour, presumably too high to be seen even with binoculars. Non migrant raptors: RT 2, TV 3.
Non-raptor Observations:
Steller's Jay 1, Northern Flicker 4, Blue Jay 1, Common Raven 2, Black-capped Chickadee 1, Woodhouse's Scrub-Jay 4.
Predictions:
https://earth.nullschool.net/#2025/09/17/1600Z/wind/isobaric/700hPa/orthographic=-110.78,27.20,783/loc=-105.236,39.343 predicts winds aloft from the NW at 9 km/hr (giving a partial tailwind to southbound migrants) SW of a low-pressure zone. The surface forecast predicts winds from N>NE with a chance of thunderstorms after 12 noon and 15 mph gusts, cloud cover 41% increasing to 74%, so our count may be limited.
Report submitted by Official Counter of the day shown above (dinor...@gmail.com)
Dinosaur Ridge - Denver Field Ornithologists information may be found at: www.dinosaurridgehawkwatch.org
More information at hawkcount.org: [Site Profile] [Day Summary] [Month Summary]
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. American 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
Hawk Counter(s) and volunteers from March through early May.
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)
Golden, Colorado, USA
| Daily Raptor Counts: Sep 16, 2025 | |||
| Species | Day's Count | Month Total | Season Total |
| Black Vulture | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Turkey Vulture | 0 | 5 | 9 |
| Osprey | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Bald Eagle | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Northern Harrier | 0 | 3 | 3 |
| Sharp-shinned Hawk | 1 | 9 | 14 |
| Cooper's Hawk | 1 | 11 | 13 |
| American Goshawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Red-shouldered Hawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Broad-winged Hawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Red-tailed Hawk | 0 | 5 | 18 |
| Rough-legged Hawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Swainson's Hawk | 1 | 18 | 68 |
| Ferruginous Hawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Golden Eagle | 0 | 2 | 4 |
| American Kestrel | 1 | 22 | 28 |
| Merlin | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Peregrine Falcon | 0 | 1 | 2 |
| Prairie Falcon | 0 | 1 | 3 |
| Mississippi Kite | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Unknown Accipitrine | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Unknown Buteo | 0 | 6 | 8 |
| Unknown Falcon | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Unknown Eagle | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Unknown Raptor | 0 | 2 | 3 |
| Short-eared Owl | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Total: | 4 | 87 | 175 |
| Observation start time: | 08:30:00 |
| Observation end time: | 11:00:00 |
| Total observation time: | 2.5 hours |
| Official Counter | Ajit Antony |
| Observers: |
Weather:
The surface forecast was light winds from the north changing to NE, with cloud cover of 31% increasing to 66% after noon with a chance of thunderstorms. Earth.nullschool.net had winds aloft at 700 hPa from the WNW at 9 km/hr, so there would be a partial headwind for southbound migrants. The soaring forecast was poor with no lift, and thermals predicted to only 2999 ft above ground level, so I wondered whether we would get some migrants lower than usual. At the watch, the winds were light from the east, temperature 25>22 C, cloud cover 55>70% with very nice cirrus clouds overhead and cirrocumulus to the N and NW, visibility to 24 km.
Raptor Observations:
Exploratory fall hawk count 2025. See https://groups.google.com/g/cobirds/c/Oznn4uc6MBk The first migrant was an SW at 9:30 AM MDT over the western ridge, found with binoculars but unidentifiable. I almost lost it setting up my scope, but found it over Mount Morrison. At 10:33 AM an SS attacked a CH and both migrated. These were at almost two bino fields already above the ridge to the west, I only saw them with binos because there was a clean white cloud background. There were no raptors in the last hour, presumably too high to be seen even with binoculars. Non migrant raptors: RT 2, TV 3.
Non-raptor Observations:
Steller's Jay 1, Northern Flicker 4, Blue Jay 1, Common Raven 2, Black-capped Chickadee 1, Woodhouse's Scrub-Jay 4.
Predictions:
https://earth.nullschool.net/#2025/09/17/1600Z/wind/isobaric/700hPa/orthographic=-110.78,27.20,783/loc=-105.236,39.343 predicts winds aloft from the NW at 9 km/hr (giving a partial tailwind to southbound migrants) SW of a low-pressure zone. The surface forecast predicts winds from N>NE with a chance of thunderstorms after 12 noon and 15 mph gusts, cloud cover 41% increasing to 74%, so our count may be limited.
Report submitted by Official Counter of the day shown above (dinor...@gmail.com)
Dinosaur Ridge - Denver Field Ornithologists information may be found at: www.dinosaurridgehawkwatch.org
More information at hawkcount.org: [Site Profile] [Day Summary] [Month Summary]
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. American 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
Hawk Counter(s) and volunteers from March through early May.
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)
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