Dinosaur Ridge (13 Mar 2017) 20 Raptors
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rep...@hawkcount.org
Mar 13, 2017, 11:32:02 PM3/13/17
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Dinosaur Ridge
Colorado, USA
Visitors:
There were a fair number of hikers and bikers on the trail today. Only a few hikers came up for the view; all waved or gave a greeting but none seemed interested in raptor monitoring.
Weather:
The day was partly sunny with cloud-cover shifting and increasing during the watch but never completely covering the sky. In the morning, long thick strips of cloud formed above the western ridges; these clouds then moved east to hang over Dinosaur Ridge and the valleys, staying reasonably parallel to the ridges. Winds were mild and came initially from the east and southeast but shifted to come predominately from the north after noon MST. Temperatures rose from 6 C to 16 C. Visibility was good.
Raptor Observations:
Lots of Red-tailed Hawk migrants again today! The 11:00 am MST hour had the most: 9 Red-tailed Hawk migrants; there were two groups of 4 and 3 hawks, respectively, plus a couple of loners. Each group migrated north almost directly over the Ridge. Earlier in the morning we had the pleasure to observe a dark-morph adult Red-tailed Hawk pass north over the Ridge. Other notable migrants today included a juvenile Ferruginous Hawk, which was spotted migrating north along the western ridges, and a juvenile Golden Eagle that came north right along the Ridge, giving us a good look at it. The spot of the day goes to Nancy for catching a high-flying falcon that turned out to be a Prairie Falcon migrant. When the winds shifted to come from the north, the migrant flow dropped to a trickle. Still, the local adult Red-tailed Hawks were out and about. In the afternoon, there was much circling and hunting. One of the pair finally did manage to snare a weighty prize in Rooney Valley and was seen lugging it southwards.
Non-raptor Observations:
A pair of Common Ravens landed on the power poles, croaking and clicking, presumably to each other. At the end of the watch, about 20 Bushtits passed north on the east side of the Ridge. Also seen or heard were American Crow, Spotted Towhee, American Robin, Black-billed Magpie (including one that was completely missing its tail!), Northern Flicker, Townsend’s Solitaire, Woodhouse’s Scrub-Jay, and Black-capped Chickadee. About 20 elk were observed moving north from Bare Slope in the morning. Nine mule deer were seen on Green Mountain in the afternoon.
Predictions:
Tomorrow looks like it could be another good day for migration!
Report submitted by Bird Conservancy of the Rockies (jeff....@birdconservancy.org)
Dinosaur Ridge information may be found at: http://www.birdconservancy.org/
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 13, 2017 | |||
| 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 | 6 | 6 |
| 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 | 15 | 76 | 76 |
| Rough-legged Hawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Swainson's Hawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Ferruginous Hawk | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Golden Eagle | 1 | 3 | 3 |
| American Kestrel | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Merlin | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Peregrine Falcon | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Prairie Falcon | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Mississippi Kite | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Unknown Accipiter | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Unknown Buteo | 0 | 3 | 3 |
| Unknown Falcon | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Unknown Eagle | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Unknown Raptor | 1 | 2 | 2 |
| Total: | 20 | 95 | 95 |
| Observation start time: | 08:30:00 |
| Observation end time: | 15:00:00 |
| Total observation time: | 6.5 hours |
| Official Counter | Joyce Commercon |
| Observers: | Nancy Kranzow |
Visitors:
There were a fair number of hikers and bikers on the trail today. Only a few hikers came up for the view; all waved or gave a greeting but none seemed interested in raptor monitoring.
Weather:
The day was partly sunny with cloud-cover shifting and increasing during the watch but never completely covering the sky. In the morning, long thick strips of cloud formed above the western ridges; these clouds then moved east to hang over Dinosaur Ridge and the valleys, staying reasonably parallel to the ridges. Winds were mild and came initially from the east and southeast but shifted to come predominately from the north after noon MST. Temperatures rose from 6 C to 16 C. Visibility was good.
Raptor Observations:
Lots of Red-tailed Hawk migrants again today! The 11:00 am MST hour had the most: 9 Red-tailed Hawk migrants; there were two groups of 4 and 3 hawks, respectively, plus a couple of loners. Each group migrated north almost directly over the Ridge. Earlier in the morning we had the pleasure to observe a dark-morph adult Red-tailed Hawk pass north over the Ridge. Other notable migrants today included a juvenile Ferruginous Hawk, which was spotted migrating north along the western ridges, and a juvenile Golden Eagle that came north right along the Ridge, giving us a good look at it. The spot of the day goes to Nancy for catching a high-flying falcon that turned out to be a Prairie Falcon migrant. When the winds shifted to come from the north, the migrant flow dropped to a trickle. Still, the local adult Red-tailed Hawks were out and about. In the afternoon, there was much circling and hunting. One of the pair finally did manage to snare a weighty prize in Rooney Valley and was seen lugging it southwards.
Non-raptor Observations:
A pair of Common Ravens landed on the power poles, croaking and clicking, presumably to each other. At the end of the watch, about 20 Bushtits passed north on the east side of the Ridge. Also seen or heard were American Crow, Spotted Towhee, American Robin, Black-billed Magpie (including one that was completely missing its tail!), Northern Flicker, Townsend’s Solitaire, Woodhouse’s Scrub-Jay, and Black-capped Chickadee. About 20 elk were observed moving north from Bare Slope in the morning. Nine mule deer were seen on Green Mountain in the afternoon.
Predictions:
Tomorrow looks like it could be another good day for migration!
Report submitted by Bird Conservancy of the Rockies (jeff....@birdconservancy.org)
Dinosaur Ridge information may be found at: http://www.birdconservancy.org/
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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