Dinosaur Ridge - Denver Field Ornithologists (03 Mar 2026) Raptors
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Mar 3, 2026, 6:45:12 PM (18 hours ago) Mar 3
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Dinosaur Ridge - Denver Field Ornithologists
Golden, Colorado, USA
Visitors:
Despite the weather, three people stopped by the ridge walking their dogs.
Weather:
The day started with precipitation and it continued on and off until the count was cancelled shortly after 1200 PM. Visibility varied but heavy cloud cover was present all morning. Temperatures were low and it was cold!
Raptor Observations:
There was very little avian activity today especially in the raptor department. One calarus Red-tailed Hawk was seen soaring on the E side of the ridge before heading SW. The only other raptor that was seen today was a young Bald Eagle flying S overhead along the ridge. Mountain Bluebirds continue to move N in flocks of 10-30.
Non-raptor Observations:
Black-billed Magpie 2, Common Raven 1, Black-capped Chickadee 4, American Bushtit 6, Mountain Bluebird 66, Townsend's Solitaire 1, American Robin 1
Predictions:
The sun and higher temperatures return tomorrow with E winds predicted. The trail may be dry in the morning but should dry up by 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]
Count data submitted via Trektellen.org - [Project Details]
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, and American White Pelican. 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: Mar 03, 2026 | |||
| 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 | 2 | 2 |
| Northern Harrier | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Sharp-shinned Hawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Cooper's Hawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| American Goshawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Red-shouldered Hawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Broad-winged Hawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Red-tailed Hawk | 0 | 4 | 4 |
| Rough-legged Hawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Swainson's Hawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Ferruginous Hawk | 0 | 2 | 2 |
| 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 Accipitrine | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Unknown Buteo | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Unknown Falcon | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Unknown Eagle | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Unknown Raptor | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Total: | 0 | 9 | 9 |
| Observation start time: | 09:30:00 |
| Observation end time: | 12:15:00 |
| Total observation time: | 2.78 hours |
| Official Counter | Emma Riley |
| Observers: |
Visitors:
Despite the weather, three people stopped by the ridge walking their dogs.
Weather:
The day started with precipitation and it continued on and off until the count was cancelled shortly after 1200 PM. Visibility varied but heavy cloud cover was present all morning. Temperatures were low and it was cold!
Raptor Observations:
There was very little avian activity today especially in the raptor department. One calarus Red-tailed Hawk was seen soaring on the E side of the ridge before heading SW. The only other raptor that was seen today was a young Bald Eagle flying S overhead along the ridge. Mountain Bluebirds continue to move N in flocks of 10-30.
Non-raptor Observations:
Black-billed Magpie 2, Common Raven 1, Black-capped Chickadee 4, American Bushtit 6, Mountain Bluebird 66, Townsend's Solitaire 1, American Robin 1
Predictions:
The sun and higher temperatures return tomorrow with E winds predicted. The trail may be dry in the morning but should dry up by 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]
Count data submitted via Trektellen.org - [Project Details]
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, and American White Pelican. 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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