Dinosaur Ridge - Denver Field Ornithologists (11 Sep 2025) 4 Raptors
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Sep 11, 2025, 7:02:16 PM (7 days ago) Sep 11
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Dinosaur Ridge - Denver Field Ornithologists
Golden, Colorado, USA
Visitors:
One woman inquired as to what I was doing, and when I explained about migrating raptors, she showed me a picture on her phone of a Great Blue Heron
Weather:
Partly cloudy skies with a cloud cover of 40% at the start of the watch and ending with a cloud cover of 50%. Temperature reading at the start of the watch was 21°C and at the end of the watch was 26°C at 10:30 AM MST . There were dark grey clouds noted over the western ridge and Mount Morrison, which made me end the watch. Visibility was excellent.
Raptor Observations:
The first raptor a SS, unusually for this watch it was naked eye directly over Dinosaur Ridge at 8:34 MST!! At 9:25 MST I saw three SW in a cloud high over the Western Ridge. ; level 5!! The birds were winking in and out of the clouds.. Non-migrating raptor: TV 4, RT 3
Non-raptor Observations:
Other birds noted at the watch included : AMRO 1, HOFI 1, BGGN 1, BCCH 2, ROWR 1, STJA 1, BBMA 1, Woodhouse’s Scrub Jay 1
Predictions:
WSW winds in the morning with a high temperature of 75°F. Thunder showers are expected in the afternoon.
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 11, 2025 | |||
| Species | Day's Count | Month Total | Season Total |
| Black Vulture | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Turkey Vulture | 0 | 1 | 5 |
| Osprey | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Bald Eagle | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Northern Harrier | 0 | 2 | 2 |
| Sharp-shinned Hawk | 1 | 4 | 9 |
| Cooper's Hawk | 0 | 5 | 7 |
| American Goshawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Red-shouldered Hawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Broad-winged Hawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Red-tailed Hawk | 0 | 3 | 16 |
| Rough-legged Hawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Swainson's Hawk | 3 | 14 | 64 |
| Ferruginous Hawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Golden Eagle | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| American Kestrel | 0 | 15 | 21 |
| 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 | 1 | 3 |
| Unknown Falcon | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Unknown Eagle | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Unknown Raptor | 0 | 1 | 2 |
| Short-eared Owl | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Total: | 4 | 49 | 137 |
| Observation start time: | 08:00:00 |
| Observation end time: | 10:30:00 |
| Total observation time: | 2.5 hours |
| Official Counter | Liza Antony |
| Observers: |
Visitors:
One woman inquired as to what I was doing, and when I explained about migrating raptors, she showed me a picture on her phone of a Great Blue Heron
Weather:
Partly cloudy skies with a cloud cover of 40% at the start of the watch and ending with a cloud cover of 50%. Temperature reading at the start of the watch was 21°C and at the end of the watch was 26°C at 10:30 AM MST . There were dark grey clouds noted over the western ridge and Mount Morrison, which made me end the watch. Visibility was excellent.
Raptor Observations:
The first raptor a SS, unusually for this watch it was naked eye directly over Dinosaur Ridge at 8:34 MST!! At 9:25 MST I saw three SW in a cloud high over the Western Ridge. ; level 5!! The birds were winking in and out of the clouds.. Non-migrating raptor: TV 4, RT 3
Non-raptor Observations:
Other birds noted at the watch included : AMRO 1, HOFI 1, BGGN 1, BCCH 2, ROWR 1, STJA 1, BBMA 1, Woodhouse’s Scrub Jay 1
Predictions:
WSW winds in the morning with a high temperature of 75°F. Thunder showers are expected in the afternoon.
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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