Dinosaur Ridge - Bird Conservancy of the Rockies (01 Mar 2020) 7 Raptors
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Mar 1, 2020, 9:47:30 PM3/1/20
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Dinosaur Ridge - Bird Conservancy of the Rockies
Colorado, USA
Visitors:
I had 10 visitors total stop and ask what I was looking for and who I was with. There were a lot of runners and hikers on the trail today. There were a few bikers as well
Weather:
High of 33 F, High of 38 F from the time I was present with winds consistently around 5-8 MPH blowing north. Mostly cloudy throughout the day but between 11-12, the sun did come out. The temperature did warm up during that hour, and that's when I had the most bird activity. No precipitation although snow was predicted in the forecast for later in the day.
Raptor Observations:
10-11 AM Three Red Tail Hawk‘s within a span of about five minutes of each other going over the power line area. I was looking west. The approximate times I saw each RTHA was 10:35, 10:40, 10:45. I wasn't seeing the same bird 3 times as I watched each one fly above and below the ridge line until I couldn't see them anymore. I lost them as they went over to the mountains to the right of Lookout Mt. Towers. It was cloudy further north. 11:55 I spotted three red tail hawks soaring in the sky together beside the towers on Mt. Morrison. I got my scope on them quickly and watched all 3 catch wind to get very high in the sky and then continue north. I'm positive these were not the same 3 RTHA from before as this group was flying together. I've never really seen 3 RTHAs fly together like this before. I've seen soaring in the sky for a while, but these 3 were on the move north together. I continued to watch them until I lost them over the ridge above Lookout Mt. Towers. 12:20 Spotted 1 Golden Eagle adult looking flying over I70. I got my scope on it. I could tell even from the Hawk Watch Spot that it was much larger than a Buteo. I got my scope on it and I could tell it was a GOEA. Extremely powerful wing flaps. It was riding the ridge line headed north. Appeared to be on a mission. There were 2 other Red Tailed Hawks that patrolled the area and stuck around for about 25 minutes on both sides of the ridge at around 12:45 PM. One of them appeared to be a dark morph which I hadn't seen all day or really in a while in CO. Recap: 6 Red-Tailed Hawks 1 Golden Eagle
Non-raptor Observations:
2 Scrub Jays 3 Townsend's Solitaires 2 Black Capped Chickadees 3 Ravens 2 Magpies 5 Canada Geese (Flyover) 1 American Crow
Predictions:
It's supposed to snow all night (3/1) and snow into tomorrow morning (3/2). The trail this morning was already very muddy.
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 01, 2020 | |||
| Species | Day's Count | Month Total | Season Total |
| Black Vulture | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Turkey Vulture | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Osprey | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Bald Eagle | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 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 | 6 | 6 | 6 |
| Rough-legged Hawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Swainson's Hawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Ferruginous Hawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Golden Eagle | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| 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: | 7 | 7 | 7 |
| Observation start time: | 10:00:00 |
| Observation end time: | 13:30:00 |
| Total observation time: | 3.5 hours |
| Official Counter | |
| Observers: | Spencer England |
Visitors:
I had 10 visitors total stop and ask what I was looking for and who I was with. There were a lot of runners and hikers on the trail today. There were a few bikers as well
Weather:
High of 33 F, High of 38 F from the time I was present with winds consistently around 5-8 MPH blowing north. Mostly cloudy throughout the day but between 11-12, the sun did come out. The temperature did warm up during that hour, and that's when I had the most bird activity. No precipitation although snow was predicted in the forecast for later in the day.
Raptor Observations:
10-11 AM Three Red Tail Hawk‘s within a span of about five minutes of each other going over the power line area. I was looking west. The approximate times I saw each RTHA was 10:35, 10:40, 10:45. I wasn't seeing the same bird 3 times as I watched each one fly above and below the ridge line until I couldn't see them anymore. I lost them as they went over to the mountains to the right of Lookout Mt. Towers. It was cloudy further north. 11:55 I spotted three red tail hawks soaring in the sky together beside the towers on Mt. Morrison. I got my scope on them quickly and watched all 3 catch wind to get very high in the sky and then continue north. I'm positive these were not the same 3 RTHA from before as this group was flying together. I've never really seen 3 RTHAs fly together like this before. I've seen soaring in the sky for a while, but these 3 were on the move north together. I continued to watch them until I lost them over the ridge above Lookout Mt. Towers. 12:20 Spotted 1 Golden Eagle adult looking flying over I70. I got my scope on it. I could tell even from the Hawk Watch Spot that it was much larger than a Buteo. I got my scope on it and I could tell it was a GOEA. Extremely powerful wing flaps. It was riding the ridge line headed north. Appeared to be on a mission. There were 2 other Red Tailed Hawks that patrolled the area and stuck around for about 25 minutes on both sides of the ridge at around 12:45 PM. One of them appeared to be a dark morph which I hadn't seen all day or really in a while in CO. Recap: 6 Red-Tailed Hawks 1 Golden Eagle
Non-raptor Observations:
2 Scrub Jays 3 Townsend's Solitaires 2 Black Capped Chickadees 3 Ravens 2 Magpies 5 Canada Geese (Flyover) 1 American Crow
Predictions:
It's supposed to snow all night (3/1) and snow into tomorrow morning (3/2). The trail this morning was already very muddy.
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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