Dinosaur Ridge - Bird Conservancy of the Rockies (07 Mar 2019) 5 Raptors
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Mar 7, 2019, 7:39:36 PM3/7/19
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Dinosaur Ridge - Bird Conservancy of the Rockies
Colorado, USA
Visitors:
None. A few trail hikers.
Weather:
Temperatures in the low to mid-50's with a brisk wind of about four Bft from the NW most of the day. Partly cloudy with good visability.
Raptor Observations:
Four naked eye migrating Redtailed Hawks passed over the west valley mostly during earlier hours. A Bald Eagle, likely adult, glided directly over the ridge at the limit of unaided vision in a direct northern path. About an hour later a Bald Eagle came from north going south and passed just west the observation platform about eye level (which was fun to see!). It had an all white or almost all white head and tail, but some white mottling on the underwing auxiliaries and secondaries, so a sub-adult IV. There was some question as to whether it might have been the same bird? A pair of Red-tailed residents were common all day in various hunting, roller-coaster and leg dropping displays. One of these adults had a missing tail feather or feathers making a gap in the center of the tail.
Non-raptor Observations:
Common raven, Townsend's Solitaire, and Rock Pigeon.
Predictions:
At today's end the observation site was mostly clear of snow and mud, but the upper trail had lingering patches of snow and the lower trail had no snow but areas of sticky mud.
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: Mar 07, 2019 | |||
| Species | Day's Count | Month Total | Season Total |
| Black Vulture | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Turkey Vulture | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Osprey | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Bald Eagle | 1 | 2 | 2 |
| Northern Harrier | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Sharp-shinned Hawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Cooper's Hawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Northern Goshawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Red-shouldered Hawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Broad-winged Hawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Red-tailed Hawk | 4 | 8 | 8 |
| Rough-legged Hawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Swainson's Hawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Ferruginous Hawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Golden Eagle | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| American Kestrel | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Merlin | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Peregrine Falcon | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Prairie Falcon | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Mississippi Kite | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Unknown Accipiter | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Unknown Buteo | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Unknown Falcon | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Unknown Eagle | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Unknown Raptor | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Total: | 5 | 10 | 10 |
| Observation start time: | 09:15:00 |
| Observation end time: | 14:00:00 |
| Total observation time: | 4.75 hours |
| Official Counter | Roger Rouch |
| Observers: |
Visitors:
None. A few trail hikers.
Weather:
Temperatures in the low to mid-50's with a brisk wind of about four Bft from the NW most of the day. Partly cloudy with good visability.
Raptor Observations:
Four naked eye migrating Redtailed Hawks passed over the west valley mostly during earlier hours. A Bald Eagle, likely adult, glided directly over the ridge at the limit of unaided vision in a direct northern path. About an hour later a Bald Eagle came from north going south and passed just west the observation platform about eye level (which was fun to see!). It had an all white or almost all white head and tail, but some white mottling on the underwing auxiliaries and secondaries, so a sub-adult IV. There was some question as to whether it might have been the same bird? A pair of Red-tailed residents were common all day in various hunting, roller-coaster and leg dropping displays. One of these adults had a missing tail feather or feathers making a gap in the center of the tail.
Non-raptor Observations:
Common raven, Townsend's Solitaire, and Rock Pigeon.
Predictions:
At today's end the observation site was mostly clear of snow and mud, but the upper trail had lingering patches of snow and the lower trail had no snow but areas of sticky mud.
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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