Dinosaur Ridge - Bird Conservancy of the Rockies (18 Apr 2018) 3 Raptors
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Apr 18, 2018, 9:43:56 PM4/18/18
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Dinosaur Ridge - Bird Conservancy of the Rockies
Colorado, USA
Visitors:
Jim Banks arrived an hour before the "official" watch began and related that during that time he saw no migrants pass by and little avian movement of any kind really. Cindy, currently in this year's ASGD Audubon Master Birder class, made it up to the Ridge for her first visit and was able to see the juvenile Red-tailed Hawk migrant. Nancy, a budding birder and also a first-time visitor, came up with her bird book and binoculars, ready to watch for and learn about raptors and other birds found along the Ridge. The extra eyes and bird-related conversations were much appreciated today.
Weather:
It was a sunny day with a featureless blue sky and zero percent cloud-cover until noon MST, when cloud-cover shot up to 5-percent at the horizons. In the last half-hour of the watch, thin, diaphanous clouds did move in, mostly to the north, to give about 50-percent coverage. Easterly winds were very mild in the morning, increasing to bft 2 with some sustained gusts reaching bft 3. Temperatures ranged from 10 C to 12 C. Visibility was good. The Denver Basin area was lacking its usual orangey-brown haze, probably thanks to yesterday's crazy-strong winds.
Raptor Observations:
There were not many migrants counted today, but the featureless blue, that dominated the sky for all but the last half-hour of the watch, would have made it difficult to catch any migrants if they were high in the sky. Not too long before noon MST, a streaky, adult, female Northern Harrier came from the east, passed directly over the platform, and resolutely headed straight west to TwoPines where she circled up very high and without pause shot again westward; not the behavior of a local. Just before noon, a juvenile, light-morph Red-tailed Hawk migrated north directly overtop and along the Ridge. In the last half-hour of the watch, newly-formed, translucent cloud-cover just over the platform allowed a high-flying adult Swainson's Hawk to be spotted (at the limit of the unaided eye); it circled up a few times and headed northwest. The local Turkey Vultures were most active in the late morning, cruising up and down the western valley. A local, adult Sharp-shinned Hawk crossed the Ridge to the south and headed southeast in Rooney Valley. One of the local Red-tailed Hawks was observed, near the Cabrini Shrine area, to drop down in a dramatic, long stoop, finally opening its wings and pulling-up immediately above a "swerving-out-the-way" Common Raven. The Red-tail then chased the Raven briefly before they parted ways.
Non-raptor Observations:
Activity along the Ridge seemed subdued, especially in the morning, but several White-throated Swifts, at least, were flitting about, up and down the Ridge and over by Cabrini, in loose groups of about 10-20 birds. Also seen or heard were Black-billed Magpie, Mountain Chickadee, Common Raven, Woodhouse's Scrub-Jay, Black-capped Chickadee, a swallow species, Bushtit, and American Crow. A couple of elk were spotted on the eastern flank of the Ridge below the platform in the morning. Later, six Mule Deer grazed close to the Ridge base near the same area.
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: Apr 18, 2018 | |||
| Species | Day's Count | Month Total | Season Total |
| Black Vulture | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Turkey Vulture | 0 | 63 | 65 |
| Osprey | 0 | 2 | 2 |
| Bald Eagle | 0 | 2 | 5 |
| Northern Harrier | 1 | 2 | 2 |
| Sharp-shinned Hawk | 0 | 11 | 15 |
| Cooper's Hawk | 0 | 21 | 29 |
| Northern Goshawk | 0 | 1 | 2 |
| Red-shouldered Hawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Broad-winged Hawk | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Red-tailed Hawk | 1 | 40 | 208 |
| Rough-legged Hawk | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Swainson's Hawk | 1 | 3 | 3 |
| Ferruginous Hawk | 0 | 1 | 3 |
| Golden Eagle | 0 | 1 | 9 |
| American Kestrel | 0 | 8 | 22 |
| Merlin | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Peregrine Falcon | 0 | 2 | 3 |
| Prairie Falcon | 0 | 1 | 3 |
| Mississippi Kite | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Unknown Accipiter | 0 | 5 | 9 |
| Unknown Buteo | 0 | 5 | 10 |
| Unknown Falcon | 0 | 2 | 2 |
| Unknown Eagle | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Unknown Raptor | 0 | 6 | 7 |
| Total: | 3 | 177 | 401 |
| Observation start time: | 09:30:00 |
| Observation end time: | 14:00:00 |
| Total observation time: | 4.5 hours |
| Official Counter | Joyce Commercon |
| Observers: | Jim Banks |
Visitors:
Jim Banks arrived an hour before the "official" watch began and related that during that time he saw no migrants pass by and little avian movement of any kind really. Cindy, currently in this year's ASGD Audubon Master Birder class, made it up to the Ridge for her first visit and was able to see the juvenile Red-tailed Hawk migrant. Nancy, a budding birder and also a first-time visitor, came up with her bird book and binoculars, ready to watch for and learn about raptors and other birds found along the Ridge. The extra eyes and bird-related conversations were much appreciated today.
Weather:
It was a sunny day with a featureless blue sky and zero percent cloud-cover until noon MST, when cloud-cover shot up to 5-percent at the horizons. In the last half-hour of the watch, thin, diaphanous clouds did move in, mostly to the north, to give about 50-percent coverage. Easterly winds were very mild in the morning, increasing to bft 2 with some sustained gusts reaching bft 3. Temperatures ranged from 10 C to 12 C. Visibility was good. The Denver Basin area was lacking its usual orangey-brown haze, probably thanks to yesterday's crazy-strong winds.
Raptor Observations:
There were not many migrants counted today, but the featureless blue, that dominated the sky for all but the last half-hour of the watch, would have made it difficult to catch any migrants if they were high in the sky. Not too long before noon MST, a streaky, adult, female Northern Harrier came from the east, passed directly over the platform, and resolutely headed straight west to TwoPines where she circled up very high and without pause shot again westward; not the behavior of a local. Just before noon, a juvenile, light-morph Red-tailed Hawk migrated north directly overtop and along the Ridge. In the last half-hour of the watch, newly-formed, translucent cloud-cover just over the platform allowed a high-flying adult Swainson's Hawk to be spotted (at the limit of the unaided eye); it circled up a few times and headed northwest. The local Turkey Vultures were most active in the late morning, cruising up and down the western valley. A local, adult Sharp-shinned Hawk crossed the Ridge to the south and headed southeast in Rooney Valley. One of the local Red-tailed Hawks was observed, near the Cabrini Shrine area, to drop down in a dramatic, long stoop, finally opening its wings and pulling-up immediately above a "swerving-out-the-way" Common Raven. The Red-tail then chased the Raven briefly before they parted ways.
Non-raptor Observations:
Activity along the Ridge seemed subdued, especially in the morning, but several White-throated Swifts, at least, were flitting about, up and down the Ridge and over by Cabrini, in loose groups of about 10-20 birds. Also seen or heard were Black-billed Magpie, Mountain Chickadee, Common Raven, Woodhouse's Scrub-Jay, Black-capped Chickadee, a swallow species, Bushtit, and American Crow. A couple of elk were spotted on the eastern flank of the Ridge below the platform in the morning. Later, six Mule Deer grazed close to the Ridge base near the same area.
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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