Date: 4/1/25 10:14 am From: David Suddjian <dsuddjian...> Subject: [cobirds] Fwd: Adopt a Colorado survey route for the Breeding Bird Survey
Hi CoBirders,
We have had a great response by many birders adopting Colorado routes for
the Nor. Am. Breeding Bird Survey (BBS), including many observers who are
new to the project. There are only 18 vacant CO routes still without an
assigned observer. I've pasted a list of the vacant routes below with their
county locations. It is not too late to get involved, and I'd love to see
some of the western and southern CO routes adopted, especially. See the
forwarded post for more information. *Contact me if you want to volunteer
or have questions*. The volunteer sign up function on the BBS website is
currently not functioning for CO, so email me directly.
David Suddjian, Littleton
BBS Colorado state coordinator
---------- Forwarded message ---------
From: David Suddjian <dsuddjian...>
Date: Tue, Mar 18, 2025 at 12:16 PM
Subject: Adopt a Colorado survey route for the Breeding Bird Survey
To: David Suddjian <dsuddjian...>, Colorado Birds <
<cobirds...>
Hi CoBirders,
The *North American Breeding Bird Survey (BBS) i*s our longest running
continent-wide survey of breeding birds. Each year during the height of the
avian breeding season (late May to early July), skilled birders collect
bird population data along roadside BBS survey routes. Each survey route is
24.5 miles long with stops situated 0.5-mile apart. At each stop, a
3-minute point count is conducted, and every bird seen or heard within a
0.25-mile radius is recorded. Routes are surveyed once each season,
following the same roads and making the same stops each year.
I've been surveying BBS routes for over 30 years and it is one of the
highlights of my birding year. I've learned so much, and it is so fun to
get to know the routes and the birds along the way, and to see first hand
how things are changing.
David Suddjian
Littleton CO
Colorado BBS state coordinator
*[This list is now outdated.See the current list above]*
Route # Route Name County
17003 Yampa Routt
17006 Pinneo Morgan, Logan
17007 Fleming Logan, Phillips
17014 Abarr Yuma
17015 Delta Delta, Montrose
17017 Parlin Gunnison
17020 Boyero Lincoln
17028 Two Buttes Baca, Prowers
17037 Waverly Yuma
17039 Willow Peak Eagle
17042 Adams Co. Adams
17044 Bethune Kit Carson
17056 Trinchera Las Animas
17058 Campo Baca
17124 Blackhead Pk Archuleta
17125 San Luis Alamosa
17203 Buffalo Park Grand
17205 Grover Weld
17206 Stoneham Weld
17209 Flattops Rio Blanco
17210 Thomasville Pitkin, Eagle
17228 Edler Baca
17307 Julesburg Sedgwick, Logan
17309 Ragged Mtn. Delta, Mesa
17314 Burlington Kit Carson, Yuma
17320 Karval Lincoln
17321 Sheridan Lak Kiowa, Prowers
17327 Timpas Otero, Las Animas
17359 Rifle Falls Garfield
17376 Ludlow Las Animas
17412 Prospect Valley 2 Adams
17419 Doyle Bridge 2 Pueblo
17423 Animas 2 La Plata
17425 Mesita Costilla
17478 Heeney 2 Summit
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Date: 4/1/25 9:50 am From: David Suddjian <dsuddjian...> Subject: Re: [cobirds] Early migrants, random comments
Interesting observations, Dave. Thank you. I better get my hummer feeders
up. I think two other factors in increased early seasonal reports of
migrant species is the gigantic increase in the number of Colorado birders
in the last decade or more, and the correspondingly huge increase in
reporting of sightings, mostly a result of eBird despite its data quality
challenges. Most of the early reports trigger the county filters, so
hopefully the eBird review process helps insure some quality control there.
David Suddjian
Littleton, CO
On Tue, Apr 1, 2025 at 10:41 AM DAVID A LEATHERMAN <daleatherman...>
wrote:
>
> I remember Harold Holt's stab at defining migration windows for CO birds.
> Overwintering individuals of species that are overwhelmingly migratory made
> establishing true early dates difficult. Other factors involved in making
> statements about "early" observations are the new normals in light of
> climate change and the fact of Colorado's immense and diverse geography
> (altitudes and habitats). Of late the eBird alert I receive seems full of
> legitimate, remarkably-early birds but is concurrently littered with
> apparently erroneous reports attributable to mistaken humans and/or the
> Merlin app. Wish there was a way to weed out the latter before they end up
> on alerts and certainly before becoming part of a database.
>
> This spring, early reports of migratory warblers not normally part of the
> species subset that winter on occasion at feeders, seem remarkable. I know
> of a Northern Parula, Orange-crowned and Black-and-white that are solid
> reports, all in March. Is the Lucy's reported in Yellowjacket Canyon a tad
> early?
>
> All the swallows have been reported. A Vermilion Fly almost as far north
> as WY at Rawhide.
>
> Regarding the expressed worry about these early birds surviving, cold is
> probably not the direct issue for them as much as adverse weather might be
> for their food (especially insects). Bernd Heinrich's field measurements of
> temperature outside and under the feathers of a Golden-crowned Kinglet in a
> Maine winter should be comforting to us rooting for bird wellbeing.
> 80-degree difference! That is, -20 F air temp, +60 F at the skin. (See:
> Heinrich, B. 2003. Overnighting of Golden-crowned Kinglet during winter.
> Wilson Bulletin 115:113-114).
>
> Dave Leatherman
> Fort Collins (currently in Lamar)
>
>
> Get Outlook for iOS <https://aka.ms/o0ukef> >
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Date: 4/1/25 9:41 am From: DAVID A LEATHERMAN <daleatherman...> Subject: [cobirds] Early migrants, random comments
I remember Harold Holt's stab at defining migration windows for CO birds. Overwintering individuals of species that are overwhelmingly migratory made establishing true early dates difficult. Other factors involved in making statements about "early" observations are the new normals in light of climate change and the fact of Colorado's immense and diverse geography (altitudes and habitats). Of late the eBird alert I receive seems full of legitimate, remarkably-early birds but is concurrently littered with apparently erroneous reports attributable to mistaken humans and/or the Merlin app. Wish there was a way to weed out the latter before they end up on alerts and certainly before becoming part of a database.
This spring, early reports of migratory warblers not normally part of the species subset that winter on occasion at feeders, seem remarkable. I know of a Northern Parula, Orange-crowned and Black-and-white that are solid reports, all in March. Is the Lucy's reported in Yellowjacket Canyon a tad early?
All the swallows have been reported. A Vermilion Fly almost as far north as WY at Rawhide.
Regarding the expressed worry about these early birds surviving, cold is probably not the direct issue for them as much as adverse weather might be for their food (especially insects). Bernd Heinrich's field measurements of temperature outside and under the feathers of a Golden-crowned Kinglet in a Maine winter should be comforting to us rooting for bird wellbeing. 80-degree difference! That is, -20 F air temp, +60 F at the skin. (See: Heinrich, B. 2003. Overnighting of Golden-crowned Kinglet during winter. Wilson Bulletin 115:113-114).
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Date: 3/31/25 9:19 pm From: linda hodges <hikerhodges...> Subject: [cobirds] Chico Basin Ranch Opens April 29, El Paso/Pueblo Counites
Greetings, birders,
Spring access at Chico Basin Ranch will open Tuesday April 29th and run through Monday June 2nd. Bird banding, handled by Bird Conservancy of the Rockies, will run concurrently.
Registration will be the same as last year: you'll register through Aiken Audubon's website: aikenaudubon.com. The cost is $15/person, and you may register up to a week in advance. We are still limited to 20 birders/day. Registrations are not transferable.
Groups of 10-12 may register ahead of time by contacting us at <chicoregistration...> Please include the number in your party, as well as the name and email address of the leader. The leader will receive instructions for the group. Any additional members of the group (beyond 12) will be allowed to sign up one week ahead of your desired date.
Note that the hours of access are 7 a.m. to 1 p.m., and visitation is restricted to the Banding Station, Headquarters Pond and Rose Pond.
Thank you for abiding by these regulations, which are dictated by Chico's owner, the Colorado State Land Board. Aiken Audubon holds a birding lease at Chico and simply facilitates registration. Any abuse of the above requirements could cause us to lose the lease.
If you have questions, you may contact us at <chicoregistration...> or reach out to me directly at <conservation...>
Linda Hodges Aiken Audubon
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Observation start time: 09:00:00
Observation end time: 16:30:00
Total observation time: 7.5 hours
Official Counter: Emma Riley
Observers: Amanda Baker, Clay Gibson, Dori Edwards, Ellie Meng,
Mike Serruto, Ric Olson
Visitors:
Thank you to Clay Gibson, Amanda Baker, Ellie Meng, Dori Edwards, Ric
Olson, and Michael Serruto for your help and company today on the ridge! As
always it is a pleasure getting to experience the migration with you.
Weather:
Today was warmer than yesterday with almost constant cloud cover. A haze
settled into the area in the afternoon making some birds hard to spot until
they were close. Winds were from the NE for much of the day, shifting to a
more West wind in the late afternoon. The count was ended 30 minutes early
due to high winds.
Raptor Observations:
The morning started off a touch slow but once it picked up migration was
constant for a few hours. We had another eye level Osprey come on the East
side of the ridge this morning, along with a few low Sharp-shinned and
Coopers Hawks. SS and CH continue to come in great numbers. We had another
stellar American Kestrel flight for a day in March, leaving us with 102 AK
counted in March. Turkey Vultures continue to come, earlier than usual.
This leaves us with the highest March count for TV ever at this site, and
4th highest March count for AK at this site! This March was our second
highest count overall since 2006.
Local raptor activity was high in the morning through mid-afternoon, with
many RT escorting migrant birds. The local PG (2) from Red Rocks were seen
harassing an adult BE above Mt. Morrison. The highlight of the day was the
FOY Swainson's Hawk (!!!!) that unfortunately could not be counted as it
was spotted overhead and moved South. Other local raptors seen today
include one GE, a male AK on the power lines west of us, and TV (at least
2) that perched on a rock along Dakota Ridge and watched cars pass by.
Non-raptor Observations:
Passerine activity was high in the morning but significantly declined by
the end of the day. SPTO were heard singing all day on either side of the
ridge. WEME continue to also be heard throughout the day. 10 WTSW were seen
in the afternoon.
The lack of Townsend's Solitaires is getting more obvious by the day, as we
typically see at least one every day by this time of year.
4 Elk were seen just below the ridge on the E side. 9 Mule Deer were seen
on the hike out.
White-throated Swift 10, Black-billed Magpie 2, Common Raven 2, Western
Bluebird 9, Spotted Towhee 4, Western Meadowlark 2
Predictions:
Tomorrow looks like another cold and potentially wet spring day at Dinosaur
Ridge, so bring your rain coats and a pair of gloves! We may have some
strong gusts of wind but we are hopeful it won't be too bad.
========================================================================
Report submitted by Official Counter of the day shown above (<dinoridgehw...>)
Dinosaur Ridge - Denver Field Ornithologists information may be found at:
www.dinosaurridgehawkwatch.org
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,
American White Pelican, and Dusky Grouse. 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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Date: 3/31/25 5:11 pm From: <reports...> Subject: [cobirds] Mount Zion Hawk Watch at Windy Saddle Park (31 Mar 2025) 23 Raptors
Mount Zion Hawk Watch at Windy Saddle Park
Golden, Greater Denver, Colorado, USA
This is a new raptor migration site identified and designated in mid-September 2024. This is Colorado's 1st fall hawk watch site and the state's second spring watch site.
Many raptors seen c. 1.5 miles to the West from Dinosaur Ridge, may be directly overhead at this site, we are hoping.
To get to the site which is along Lookout Mountain Rd. in Golden, enter either Windy Saddle Park or Mount Zion into Google Maps on your favorite navigation app, or enter the coordinates 39.7368,-105.2454. From the parking lot ascend the stone steps to the watch site.
EVERYONE IS WELCONE TO THE HAWK WATCH TO ENJOY THE SPECTACLE OF RAPTOR MIGRATION, EVEN IF YOU KNOW NOTHING ABOUT IDENTIFYING RAPTORS IN FLIGHT.
Daily Raptor Counts: Mar 31, 2025
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Observation start time: 07:15:00
Observation end time: 15:15:00
Total observation time: 7 hours
Official Counter: Ajit Antony
Observers:
Visitors:
8 hikers asked questions about the hawk watch. A gentleman from Florida
found a hawk behind me to the NE, which turned out to be a GE which
migrated, I was able to show it to him in my 'scope. Three young men wanted
to know how long I had been doing this (almost 40 years), whether I worked
for National Geographic, and how many hawks I had seen. A visitor from
Minnesota told me of sandhill cranes he had seen migrating.
Weather:
Forecast was for winds from the SSE, and though I developed a bad chest
cold while traveling, I couldn't resist counting. There was early morning
fog in the valley to the East. The Soaring Forecast was excellent once the
trigger temperature was reached at 10:45 a.m. MDT, with 6.8 meters/second
lift, with thermals to 14,575 ft above ground level. By the second hour
there was excellent cirrus cloud cover everywhere. There was a faint 22°
halo around the sun.
Raptor Observations:
The first raptor was at 10:27 a.m. MDT, an SS found to the north of the
watch. A migrant GE was a Subadult IV with a spot of white on the ventral
inner secondaries and bilateral white linear marks on the dorsal spread
tail.
Non-migrant raptors: GE 2, RT 5, TV5.
Non-raptor Observations:
White-throated Swift 2, Mountain Bluebird 4, Western Bluebird 5, a turkey
gobbling, Mountain Chickadee 1, Steller's Jay 1, Townsend's Solitaire 2,
Red-winged Blackbird 1, Harry Woodpecker heard, Common Raven 3, American
Crow 2,
Predictions:
A 40% chance of rain by 10:00 a.m. and a 64% chance of snow without any
significant accumulation by noon, so I will likely stay home.
========================================================================
Report submitted by Ajit Antony (<aiantony...>)
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Date: 3/31/25 5:02 pm From: Steve Bouricius <stevebouricius...> Subject: Re: [cobirds] Victor Emanuel
I have come late to the news of Victor Emanuel's passing. Like other
Colorado birders, I met Victor at the 1990 ABA Convention in Fort Collins.
During that convention, we met so many fine world birders. I had the
pleasure to lead Chandler Robbins through Wild Basin and to Brainard Lake.
Many of us were field trip leaders who led some 300 birders on a silent
vigil walk at dusk to see a Boreal Owl near Joe Wright Reservoir. Ron
Ryder waited until everyone was seated, then rapped on a dead snag for a
Boreal to appear and take measure of the most unusual sight it would ever
see. Cameras clicked away for what must have been ten or twelve minutes
before the bird ducked back inside the cavity. This was Roger Peterson's
lifer Boreal Owl. I'm not sure but I believe that Dr. Peterson may have
arrived a day earlier with Victor Emanuel to see the owl.
In July 2021, a longtime friend visited with his family and along with the
birds, they were lucky to watch a bull moose saunter through the yard
barely twenty feet away. My friend, Dr. Drexel Gordon passed on what they
saw to his niece, Jessica. Jessica and Ben Reynolds happened to be birding
in Rocky Mountain National Park with Victor, a friend and two boys. Two
days later, they visited our cabin in Peaceful Valley and spent the day
watching hummingbirds, dippers and more. The day before, I had banded the
five nestling dippers using the nest box by the cabin, and they fledged
just as Victor and his entourage arrived.
We all sat twenty feet from the nest box and ten feet from the fledglings
as the two adult birds moved furiously about to feed all five young. It
was rich.
At the time, we had a few thousand hummingbirds but were a week away from
the tens of thousands that would soon arrive to consume 9 to11 gallons of
sugar water daily. Still, flowers in the little hummingbird meadow were
dancing with birds. We banded a few hummingbirds to show various plumage
characteristics, and the guests released birds after banding and data
collection.
Deb and I were so very impressed with Victor. He said, and it was
apparent, that the bird he was watching was like the first bird he ever
saw. He never tired of a junco or a chickadee. Victor was sharp as a
tack, cited poetry, and told stories of his remarkable travels, the birds
and people he met. The tours of Victor Emanuel Nature Tours, or VENT,
included art and music trips through Asia. VENT has long been the largest
nature tour company in the world.
In the following years, our mountain property became a destination for
Victor's Rocky Mountain Tour led by Rick Wright. We are privileged to host
and meet so many wonderful people from across the continent and beyond.
Rest in peace, Victor Emanuel. May you sing with the birds for eternity.
Steve Bouricius
[image: Victor-&-Steve-7-19-21.jpg]
On Thursday, March 20, 2025 at 12:44:07 PM UTC-6 <jdbe......> wrote:
> I heartily agree! I first met Victor on a CFO annual convention trip to
> NW Colorado many years ago where he gave a delightful presentation
> including an entertaining anecdote about an antpitta that could be called
> from the forest by simply calling its name “Pedro!”
>
>
>
> Jim Beatty
>
>
>
> *From:* <cob......> <cob......> *On Behalf Of *Robert
> Righter
> *Sent:* Thursday, March 20, 2025 12:01 PM
> *To:* cobirds <cob......>
> *Subject:* [cobirds] Victor Emanuel
>
>
>
> Hi all
>
>
>
> I was very sadden to hear that Victor Emanuel recently died.
>
>
>
> In my late thirties I was mess, wobbling around with very annoying back
> pain, having not clue of what I was going to do with my life. My mother
> thoughtfully suggested we should go on a bird tour to Mexico on one of
> Victor’s tours. Just being in Victor’s presence instantly changed my life.
> Victor had a special gift for showing, with precision and great enthusiasm,
> a bird through the telescope and making sure that everyone saw the bird.
> With me the experience was magnetic. I will always be indebted to Victor.
> In every way Victor was an amazing person and will be greatly missed by all
>
>
>
> Bob Righter
>
> Denver CO
>
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Date: 3/31/25 10:40 am From: Eric DeFonso <bay.wren...> Subject: [cobirds] Not a Colorado bird, but a good (somewhat close) one
Hi all,
On my way back from Kansas City yesterday, I swung by the Shane residence in Garden City. There they are hosting a first state record LAWRENCE'S GOLDFINCH, which has been regularly visiting their abundant feeders for about a week now. Some of you may recall that Colorado hosted a first-state-record LAGO about 18 years ago at Larry Arnold's place in Grand Junction, and that there has not been one documented in Colorado since. Garden City is only 50 miles from the state line, if you were so inclined.
The Shanes, as you may recall, also hosted the westernmost Brown-headed Nuthatch ever about 3 1/2 years ago. Same feeders, so go figure. Great folks, very accommodating. (Their BHNU was actually a 2nd-state record, the first being in the Kansas City area way back in the late 1990s)
If that weren't enough, Sara Shane also found the notable Yellow-eyed Junco at Lake Scott State Park a year prior to that! (Also a first-state-record). With patience, Western Kansas can be quite surprising.
Eric
------- Eric DeFonso Boulder County, CO
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Observation start time: 09:00:00
Observation end time: 17:00:00
Total observation time: 8 hours
Official Counter: Emma Riley
Observers: Haley Caron, Janet Peters, June Peters , Laura Farnsworth
Visitors:
Thank you to Laura Farnsworth and Haley Caron for your continued work for
Dinosaur Ridge! June and Janet Peters also stopped by for a few hours
today, with snacks in hand.
The trail was muddy and slow today, with 11 visitors stopping by the site.
All of the trails in the surrounding area were slow today with the wintery
conditions.
Weather:
The morning started out with heavy fog and snow dusted across the ridge .
The fog lifted but heavy cloud cover that limited visibility was present
all day. The sun peaked out for a minute or two at a time in the afternoon.
Winds were at low speeds from the E, and temperatures were low all day. The
trail up was incredibly muddy in the morning, but already starting to dry
up on the way out.
Raptor Observations:
With heavy cloud cover came low birds! Almost immediately we had an
eye-level male Northern Harrier come along the east side of the site. We
saw a lot of Coopers and Sharp-shinned Hawks today, many coming close
enough to age. Other highlights include two migrating Peregrine Falcons and
an Osprey late in the day that followed the same line as the NH.
Local raptor activity was relatively low today, but the usual species were
seen. BE, GE, RT, TV, and AK were all seen today. The male AK was back on
his usual spot along the power lines west of the ridge. RT activity in
particular was low today, with locals only seen sporadically.
Non-raptor Observations:
Bluebird movement continues with Western Bluebirds being the star today.
Many small flocks stopped by the sites snags, giving us great looks. One
lone DCCO was seen in front of Green Mountain.
White-tailed Deer continue to be seen on the W slope of Dakota Ridge,
typically seen on the hike out. Herds of deer and Elk continue to be seen
on various hillsides. Two Coyote were seen near the Cabrini Shrine.
Canada Goose 1, Double-crested Cormorant 1, Northern Flicker 1,
Black-billed Magpie 12, American Crow 3, Common Raven 2, Mountain Bluebird
15, Western Bluebird 27, American Robin 52, Spotted Towhee 2, Western
Meadowlark 2
Predictions:
Tomorrow brings warmer temperatures and winds from the S. We are hopeful
for another good day of migration! Be prepared for a muddy hike up.
========================================================================
Report submitted by Official Counter of the day shown above (<dinoridgehw...>)
Dinosaur Ridge - Denver Field Ornithologists information may be found at:
www.dinosaurridgehawkwatch.org
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,
American White Pelican, and Dusky Grouse. 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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Weather:
Today yielded overcast skies with cool temperatures throughout the day.
Varying wind direction was based out of the S for the majority of the day.
Wind was light with speeds picking up to over 25 mph by the end of the
count. The overcast skies make the birds easier to see than the last few
bluebird days.
Raptor Observations:
A relatively productive day for this point in the season. Our 2nd osprey of
the count made an appearance circling far out of the W ridge with a RTHA.
Migrant movement has increased on the E side of the ridge with a COHA,
SSHA, AMKEs, and TUVUs. Throughout the season most of the movement has been
overhead and/or to the W, so it is nice to see a bit of a change in optimal
thermals. Another highlight was a beautiful adult dark morph RTHA that
circled briefly W of the platform before continuing on its way N.
Non-raptor Observations:
Downy Woodpecker 1, Northern Flicker 1, Woodhouse's Scrub Jay 1,
Black-billed Magpie 2, American Crow 13, Common Raven 14, Black-capped
Chickadee 4, Tree Swallow 2, White-breasted Nuthatch 1, Mountain Bluebird
4, Townsend's Solitaire 1, House Finch 3, Dark-eyed Junco 6, Spotted Towhee
3, Western Meadowlark 1
Predictions:
Tomorrow we can expect a bit of sun in the morning transitioning to
overcast skies in the afternoon. Winds are predicted from the E with winds
under 10 mph.
========================================================================
Report submitted by Official Counter of the day shown above (<dinoridgehw...>)
Dinosaur Ridge - Denver Field Ornithologists information may be found at:
www.dinosaurridgehawkwatch.org
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,
American White Pelican, and Dusky Grouse. 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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Date: 3/28/25 2:46 pm From: Pat Hayward <pandion2006...> Subject: [cobirds] Turkey Vultures! Larimer County
My favorite bird in the world is back! I spotted one in Masonville, and my husband spotted one near Horsetooth Reservoir today. We'll start watching the Masonville post office roost again. Happy spring! -Pat
-- Pat Hayward Masonville CO at 5400' west of Fort Collins
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Observation start time: 08:00:00
Observation end time: 16:00:00
Total observation time: 8 hours
Official Counter: Audrey Anderson, Emma Riley, Audrey Anderson
Observers: Chip Dawes, Pam Schmidt , Stephen Sears
Visitors:
Thank you to all of our visitors and volunteers today, it is always
wonderful to have your eyes helping us spot on the ridge!
A total of 34 visitors came up to the ridge.
With recent rattlesnake sightings in the Dakota Ridge area please be alert
when walking the trail to the Hawkwatch. Nothing to be afraid of, but as
the weather begins to warm keep yourself and the snakes safe by being aware
of your surroundings.
Weather:
Today's weather was mostly overcast with winds out of the S varying from SE
to SW throughout the day. Overall warm temperatures with little breeze.
Raptor Observations:
Overall raptor movement was considerably slower than yesterday despite
seemingly optimal conditions. A few highlights of the day included a close
Merlin, close Turkey Vultures soaring along the ridge, and a rattlesnake
seen at a safe distance along the trail past the hawkwatch!
Non-raptor Observations:
Canada Goose 26, White-throated Swift 4, Mourning Dove 8, Double-crested
Cormorant 2, Northern Flicker 3, Woodhouse's Scrub Jay 3, Black-capped
Chickadee 2, Mountain Chickadee 1, White-breasted Nuthatch 1, Mountain
Bluebird 19, Western Bluebird 3, American Robin 8, Dark-eyed Junco 5,
Spotted Towhee 2, Western Meadowlark 1, Red-winged Blackbird 2
Predictions:
Tomorrow expect overcast conditions with slightly cooler temps than the
last 2 days. Wind gusts are expected to be around 10 mph out of the SW
before switching to NW in the afternoon.
========================================================================
Report submitted by Official Counter of the day shown above (<dinoridgehw...>)
Dinosaur Ridge - Denver Field Ornithologists information may be found at:
www.dinosaurridgehawkwatch.org
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,
American White Pelican, and Dusky Grouse. 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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Date: 3/27/25 4:25 pm From: Kathy Kay <kathykay228...> Subject: [cobirds] Nick Komar's Presentation Tonight!
Reminder: Nick will be presenting tonight at 7pm about his Big Year. Registration is free at the Cobird.org website under Events.
Kathryn Kay
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Date: 3/27/25 7:00 am From: Chip Clouse <chip.clouse...> Subject: [cobirds] Trumpeter Swans - Stalker SWA, Yuma County on Wednesday
CObirders, Sorry for the late report but our group returning from a Sandhill Crane and Greater Prairie Chicken tour in Nebraska found a pair of Swans at Stalker, just west of Wray, around 3pm yesterday.
Cheers and Good Birding, Chip Clouse Lakewood
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Date: 3/27/25 6:34 am From: John Tumasonis <snakemonev...> Subject: [cobirds] Broomfield - Spring arrivals
All: Some observations over the last few days: Waves of duck species are coming through in good numbers, especially at Plaster Reservoir: scaup, ring necked ducks, widgeon, canvasback, redheads, mallards, gadwall, some hooded mergansers, common goldeneye, and American coots.
Canada and cackling geese numbers are decreasing. First cormorant seen at Plaster Res. Two American White Pelicans at Plaster - both adults - reported by others already. Great blue heron numbers increasing. Marsh Wren singing vigorously at Cascade Lake in reed beds, Anthem Neighborhood. Say's Phoebe's are back in good numbers but seem late this year. Eared Grebe seen at Plaster Res. Red tailed hawks nesting in various locations Great horned owls - females are now sitting higher on nest sites, indicating chicks have hatched (Broomfield, Thornton, Westminster, Boulder, and Longmont) American robin numbers are increasing, but numbers are down from last year - territorial fights have started. Spotted towhee numbers are increasing - males are singing Killdeer numbers increasing. White crowned sparrows and juncos are still present at lower elevations. First Common Grackle seen near Cascade Lake, Broomfield. Large waves of male red-winged blackbirds are still coming through.
The Bald Eagles are Stearns Lake (Boulder County) are still on the nest site down the main dirt road south of the parking lot. Signs are up that the trail is closed, as well as the road to thru traffic. But you can still walk down the road to see them - the sign is not explicit enough to say if this is illegal or not (?). The eagles built a nest in a big cottonwood, then stopped and built a 2nd nest above the first nest. Why the eagles did this is unknown.
Western Painted Turtles are out already - way early!
Pasqueflowers, springs beauties, and Oregon grape are starting to bloom in the foothills. These blooms are a timed indicator that spotted towhees have started singing.
I will try to post some "hot spots" for new birders later.
Happy spring! John T (Tumasonis), Broomfield CO "I'm not a real birder. I only pretend to be one on CoBirds."
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Date: 3/27/25 5:34 am From: <rjpa......> <rjpautsch...> Subject: [cobirds] Avocets and Yellowlegs
At Lagermann yesterday, two breeding plumage Avocets and one Greater Yellowlegs. Also a pair of Great Blue Herons standing on a nest in a big tree to the north.
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Observation start time: 09:00:00
Observation end time: 17:00:00
Total observation time: 8 hours
Official Counter: Emma Riley, Audrey Anderson
Observers: Audrey Hicks, Bob Mitchell, Buzz Schaumberg, Ric Olson
Visitors:
Flight lines were incredibly high today and we couldn't have counted them
all without our incredible volunteer observers! Thank you to everyone who
came out today. Everyone was rewarded with a great day of migration.
We had a total of 33 visitors to the ridge today, with many people curious
about the count.
Weather:
Today was a warm and sunny day with very little cloud cover for most of the
day. Winds came out of the NE/ENE finally after a few days of W winds.
Temperatures were high and a few of us got a slight sunburn today. A
Classic Colorado spring so far.
Raptor Observations:
We had our best day of the season today, with the last 6 days really seeing
migration take off. Birds were very, very distant and high over the west
ridge for most of the day. We counted our first Turkey Vultures of the
season today, one individual and a kettle of four came through today. We
saw an amazing American Kestrel flight this afternoon after only counting 2
all season. At one point we had three AK together at once. A late day FH
was the cherry on top of the already great day.
Turkey Vultures have already begun checking out the area with 2 seen in
different spots not migrating. Local Bald and Golden Eagles continue to be
seen displaying and soaring at great heights.
Non-raptor Observations:
Non-raptor migration was also incredible today with three flocks of
Sandhill Cranes flying over, one with 125 birds. Mountain Bluebirds were
also seen moving north almost constantly throughout the day. White-throated
Swifts were seen flying with the Kestrels in the afternoon.
Canada Goose 6, White-throated Swift 4, Sandhill Crane 208, Woodhouse's
Scrub Jay 1, Black-billed Magpie 1, American Crow 18, Common Raven 2,
Black-capped Chickadee 1, Mountain Bluebird 48, Townsend's Solitaire 2,
House Finch 2, Dark-eyed Junco (Slate-colored) 1, Spotted Towhee 1
Predictions:
Tomorrow is predicted to be even warmer and sunnier, with E winds
continuing. Migration may be good again tomorrow. We recommend bringing
extra sunscreen and a chair to help alleviate neck strain!
========================================================================
Report submitted by Official Counter of the day shown above (<dinoridgehw...>)
Dinosaur Ridge - Denver Field Ornithologists information may be found at:
www.dinosaurridgehawkwatch.org
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,
American White Pelican, and Dusky Grouse. 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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Date: 3/25/25 1:39 pm From: Pat Hayward <pandion2006...> Subject: [cobirds] Osprey, Larimer County
Saw my first osprey this afternoon on the east side of Horsetooth Reservoir while driving home from Fort Collins. -Pat Hayward Masonville CO Larimer County 5400'
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Date: 3/25/25 1:02 pm From: 'Linda Andes-Georges' via Colorado Birds <cobirds...> Subject: [cobirds] our "house phoebe"* (even better than a house elf) has arrived
He landed in the tree next to the deck and called until I came out to acknowledge his arrival, and official greetings were quickly finished. I heard him depart with an emphatic snap of the beak (unlike Santa leaving with... what was the noise? some sort of "let's go" to the reindeer): so now we know the bugs are back.
I also saw a white butterfly, but had no eyeglasses so do not know which one. Probably cabbage (or maybe celery, as we've got celeriac seedlings an inch tall). That's a joke.
Meadowlarks are singing up the sun every day in the south meadow. Saw a Killdeer flash past in Lagerman open space.
Linda
* Say's
Personal landscape: Now known as Boulder County (CO). We nest in shortgrass prairie whose caretakers for centuries were the Hinóno’éí (Arapaho) and Cheyenne Nations. Colorado’s Front Range is also home to The Ute & many other Native peoples. Reconozco que vivo en el territorio de las naciones Hinóno’éí (Arapaho) y Cheyenne, según el 1851 Tratado de Fort Laramie; y que el estado de Colorado al esté de las Montañas Rocosas es territorio de Utes y muchos otros pueblos indígenas
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Weather:
Winds continue to blow strongly across the front range, leading us to
having a delayed start and an early end to the count. Winds blew so hard
overnight into the morning that a metal cord holding our sign up was
snapped! Cloud cover was heavy all afternoon but the ceiling was still very
high. Winds picked back up to high speeds in the 1500 hour, leading us to
end the count early at 1600 MST.
Raptor Observations:
I arrived at the count site at 1300 MST and immediately found migrating
raptors. All of the migrants, minus the AK, took an extremely high west
line. The AG was spotted high with a RT and quickly moved on.
Local RT were seen in the early afternoon, but once the winds picked back
up all birds seemed to disappear.
Non-raptor Observations:
Passerines were extremely quiet today, but we did have a male and female
Mountain Bluebird perch on a snag just south of the count platform. We have
been seeing these birds migrate through but rarely get such great looks at
them.
Predictions:
Tomorrow looks like it could be a great day for migration with scattered
clouds, winds from the NE, and lower wind speeds than today.
========================================================================
Report submitted by Official Counter (<j.f.peters58...>)
Dinosaur Ridge - Denver Field Ornithologists information may be found at:
www.dinosaurridgehawkwatch.org
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,
American White Pelican, and Dusky Grouse. 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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Date: 3/24/25 10:56 am From: Ginny Bergstrom <peakhomeservices...> Subject: Re: [cobirds] Red bird!
The Cardinal is currently singing his heart out at the top of a tree at the corner of Buckhorn and Cougar!!!
Sent from my iPhone
On Mar 23, 2025, at 3:54 PM, David Suddjian <dsuddjian...> wrote:
Great, Diane! I had heard 2nd hand that a Cardinal had been around for a few months this winter visiting the yard of a resident, but it wasn't revealed to me exactly where.
There is limited safe public roadside parking along roads there. Be conscientious about where you park and kind to the folks that live around there.
David
On Sun, Mar 23, 2025 at 3:36 PM Diane Roberts <samatha5760...><mailto:<samatha5760...>> wrote:
Happy Spring,
I am at Deer Creek Canyon &Cougar Rd. Jefferson County. I have a photo of a Northern Cardinal, rare to Jeffco. Observed on the south side near the creek willows.
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Date: 3/24/25 6:20 am From: Matias Comina <matiasdcomina...> Subject: [cobirds] Join BCAS tomorrow 3/25 for The American Goatsuckers: Nightjars: Legends, Lore, and Lives
Boulder County Audubon Society Presents
The American Goatsuckers: Nightjars: Legends, Lore, and Lives
A Talk by Jared Del Rosso
🦉 Date: 03/25/25
📍 Location: Unitarian Universalist Church of Boulder & Online via Zoom
🕖 Time: Doors open at 7:00 PM | Program begins at 7:15 PM
With their famous songs and nocturnal habits, nightjars—including
the Eastern Whip-poor-will, Common Nighthawk, and Common Poorwill—are among
the most iconic birds in the U.S. For centuries, they have shaped music,
poetry, and literature while also connecting people to the landscapes they
call home. However, nightjar populations are in decline, making them
increasingly difficult to see and hear.
Join Jared Del Rosso, cultural sociologist, birder, and nightjar
enthusiast, as he explores the legend, lore, and lives of these mysterious
birds. Drawing from research for his upcoming book on Whip-poor-wills, Del
Rosso will discuss how understanding nightjars can deepen our connection to
local landscapes and histories—and help us appreciate this threatened
family of birds before it's too late.
How to Join
In-Person Gathering
- Where: Unitarian Universalist Church of Boulder
- When: Doors open at 7:00 PM for socializing; Program starts at 7:15 PM
- While masks are no longer required, we encourage you to wear a
high-quality mask. Free surgical masks will be available.
- If you're feeling unwell, please stay home and join us on Zoom!
💻 Online Gathering
- The Zoom meeting room opens at 7:10 PM; the program begins at 7:15 PM.
- Questions for the speaker will be taken via Zoom’s chat feature.
- Online access details will be posted here by the day of the program.
📢 Don’t miss this unique opportunity to rediscover the magic of nightjars!
Matias Comina
Boulder County Audubon Society Board Member
Longmont, CO
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Observation start time: 09:00:00
Observation end time: 17:00:00
Total observation time: 8 hours
Official Counter: Emma Riley
Observers: Archer Silverman, Cayce Gulbransen , Chris Gulbransen ,
Diana Hornick, Laura Farnsworth, Ric Olson
Visitors:
Thank you to everyone who came out today to help spot birds and enjoy a day
of migration!
We had a total of 24 visitors to the ridge today. We could see trails full
of people at Matthew/Winters and on Green Mtn, but Dakota Ridge was a bit
slow today for a weekend.
Weather:
Today was our first warm/low wind day in a few days and felt like a treat.
Winds stayed out of the SE/E for most of the day, staying at low speeds.
Clouds were present all day to varying degrees, often giving us great
backdrops to spot migrants.
Raptor Observations:
Today was our second best day of the season so far with a great spread of
migrants! The highlights of the day include a few NH coming through one
after the other, with 2 up in different areas at once. We also counted a
few FH today, one of which we spotted as we began the hike out. Falcons
seem to be beginning their migration, with all 4 falcon species seen today,
but only the small ones migrating. Migrants came through consistently for
most of the day keeping us busy.
PG were reported today at Red Rocks, followed by a non-migrant PG in the
afternoon spotted first in that area, leading us to believe the local
scrape has been claimed by the Peregrine's once again.
Along with the PG, we saw PR, GE, BE, RT, and AK locals today.
Non-raptor Observations:
White-throated Swift 1, Black-billed Magpie 1, Common Raven 1, Mountain
Bluebird 43, House Finch 3
Predictions:
Tomorrow's temperatures will be higher than today's but so will the winds,
making it feel cooler. Winds are expected out of the NW, potentially
bringing a slower flight than today. We have many species that still have
not been seen migrating through this year that will be seen any day!
========================================================================
Report submitted by Official Counter (<j.f.peters58...>)
Dinosaur Ridge - Denver Field Ornithologists information may be found at:
www.dinosaurridgehawkwatch.org
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,
American White Pelican, and Dusky Grouse. 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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Date: 3/23/25 2:54 pm From: David Suddjian <dsuddjian...> Subject: Re: [cobirds] Red bird!
Great, Diane! I had heard 2nd hand that a Cardinal had been around for a
few months this winter visiting the yard of a resident, but it wasn't
revealed to me exactly where.
There is limited safe public roadside parking along roads there. Be
conscientious about where you park and kind to the folks that live around
there.
David
On Sun, Mar 23, 2025 at 3:36 PM Diane Roberts <samatha5760...> wrote:
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Date: 3/23/25 2:36 pm From: Diane Roberts <samatha5760...> Subject: [cobirds] Red bird!
Happy Spring,
I am at Deer Creek Canyon &Cougar Rd. Jefferson County. I have a photo of a Northern Cardinal, rare to Jeffco. Observed on the south side near the creek willows.
(39.5490596, -105.1343876)*
Diane Roberts Highlands Ranch
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Observation start time: 10:00:00
Observation end time: 12:00:00
Total observation time: 2 hours
Official Counter: Audrey Anderson
Observers: Laura Campbell, Lori Morton
Visitors:
Thank you to all of our volunteers for coming up to the ridge and working
with us in these windy conditions.
In the 2 hours we had a total of 14 visitors! Thank you to our wonderful
volunteers and our official observer Laura Campbell for help with education
and interpretation.
Weather:
Today was partially cloudy with strong NW winds. Gusts on the ride reached
35 mph and were predicted to continue into afternoon up to 45+. With the
strong gusts and dry conditions, along with potential high wind fire risk,
the count was called around noon. A red flag warning also went into effect
across the front range, it was in place till 8:00pm this evening.
Raptor Observations:
Migrant activity was low in the hours spent on the ridge, all migrants were
high in a flight line directly above the ridge. No other movement.
Local raptor activity however seemed at an all time high. 2 pairs of RTHA
made consistent appearances kiting in the wing and displaying. One RTHA
perched atop a juniper and was harassed by a local male AMKE.
Non-raptor Observations:
Common Raven 2, Mountain Bluebird 20, American Robin 1, House Finch 3,
Dark-eyed Junco 1, Spotted Towhee 2
Predictions:
Similar conditions to today but not as windy with generally 10-15 mph
winds. Winds will begin in the SE before shifting to a NW in the afternoon.
========================================================================
Report submitted by Official Counter (<j.f.peters58...>)
Dinosaur Ridge - Denver Field Ornithologists information may be found at:
www.dinosaurridgehawkwatch.org
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,
American White Pelican, and Dusky Grouse. 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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Weather:
Today began with winds from the N/NW up to 16 mph, varied in the N to E the
rest of the day gradually getting lighter. Overall overcast with sun in the
afternoon.
Raptor Observations:
Raptor movement was slow in the morning which changed when a close line of
RTHA came low over the ridge. 4 kettled briefly before 3 headed
northbound. Other migrants used the far W ridge with little to no movement
in the E. 2 COHA followed the W line cruising N, the 3rd Coopers of the day
was high directly above the ridge, giving us distant but extended looks. A
highlight of the day was a migrating American kestrel! It’s always a wild
experience hearing a raptor before you see it, this female kestrel was
calling away while flying fast and low NB against the ridge.
Non-raptor Observations:
Northern Flicker 1, Black-billed Magpie 1, American Crow 7, Common Raven 8,
Black-capped Chickadee 2, Mountain Chickadee 1, Mountain Bluebird 29,
American Robin 3, House Finch 5
Predictions:
Tomorrow we can expect light winds in the morning which will increase to 16
mph winds around 1:00pm in the afternoon. Winds from the W predicted
throughout the day.
========================================================================
Report submitted by Official Counter (<j.f.peters58...>)
Dinosaur Ridge - Denver Field Ornithologists information may be found at:
www.dinosaurridgehawkwatch.org
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,
American White Pelican, and Dusky Grouse. 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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Observation start time: 09:00:00
Observation end time: 17:00:00
Total observation time: 8 hours
Official Counter: Emma Riley, Audrey Anderson
Observers: Ryan Speights, Archer Silverman, Chip Dawes,
Owen Robertson, Steve R
Visitors:
Thank you to all the wonderful volunteers and visitors we had on the ridge
today!
With large flights like this it is wonderful to have extra eyes helping
spot on the ridge. We appreciate all of our volunteers and the time and
dedication you put into the Hawkwatch. We couldn't do this without you,
thank you all of an extraordinary day!
We had a total of 12 visitors today and many who stayed and got to witness
the main flight! Two lifer FEHAs were also had on the ridge today, one of
our volunteers and a visitor from Ohio, very exciting!
Weather:
Mostly overcast conditions with a light wind till about 16:00 when the wind
picked up to around 20mph. Late afternoon conditions yielded partial blue
skies. Overall temperatures averaging around 15C.
Raptor Observations:
Today marked the best day so far of the 2025 season! A total of 68 migrant
raptors were counted with a total of 7 different species. The main
showstopper of the day was our Red-tailed Hawk flight in the 12:00 hour. A
total of 41 RTHA were recorded, most in a low flight line directly over the
ridge. The first overhead birds came in a group of 8 individuals, 5 even
forming a small kettle gaining altitude before continuing NB. The next
overhead group consisted of 8 RTHA including 2 adult dark morphs. A group
of 9 individuals followed. A few more RTHA used a flightline along the far
W ridge. Overall consistent migrant RTHA activity throughout the day and
pretty amazing Red-tail flight, especially this time in the season. Other
highlights included a close flyover of a dark morph FEHA, close views of a
stunning male NOHA, along with a Merlin and Cooper's Hawk along the W
ridge. A few migrant eagles were also a treat. The 59 RTHAs are an exciting
sneak-peek at the species numbers to come.
Non-migrant observations yielded our first of season Turkey Vulture! A
wonderful sight to see as it soared around Red Rocks before heading back
south. Other local raptors included an adult SSHA, male AMKE, RTHAs, and a
few GOEAs.
Non-raptor Observations:
Canada Goose 2, Black-capped Chickadee 2, Mountain Bluebird 3, House Finch
9, American Goldfinch 4, Spotted Towhee 1
Predictions:
Overcast, light winds out of the E for the majority of the day before
switching to a W in the late afternoon. High of 12C.
========================================================================
Report submitted by Official Counter (<j.f.peters58...>)
Dinosaur Ridge - Denver Field Ornithologists information may be found at:
www.dinosaurridgehawkwatch.org
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,
American White Pelican, and Dusky Grouse. 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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Date: 3/20/25 11:44 am From: <jdbeatty...> Subject: RE: [cobirds] Victor Emanuel
I heartily agree! I first met Victor on a CFO annual convention trip to NW Colorado many years ago where he gave a delightful presentation including an entertaining anecdote about an antpitta that could be called from the forest by simply calling its name “Pedro!”
Jim Beatty
From: <cobirds...> <cobirds...> On Behalf Of Robert Righter
Sent: Thursday, March 20, 2025 12:01 PM
To: cobirds <cobirds...>
Subject: [cobirds] Victor Emanuel
Hi all
I was very sadden to hear that Victor Emanuel recently died.
In my late thirties I was mess, wobbling around with very annoying back pain, having not clue of what I was going to do with my life. My mother thoughtfully suggested we should go on a bird tour to Mexico on one of Victor’s tours. Just being in Victor’s presence instantly changed my life. Victor had a special gift for showing, with precision and great enthusiasm, a bird through the telescope and making sure that everyone saw the bird. With me the experience was magnetic. I will always be indebted to Victor. In every way Victor was an amazing person and will be greatly missed by all
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Date: 3/20/25 11:01 am From: Robert Righter <rorighter...> Subject: [cobirds] Victor Emanuel
Hi all
I was very sadden to hear that Victor Emanuel recently died.
In my late thirties I was mess, wobbling around with very annoying back pain, having not clue of what I was going to do with my life. My mother thoughtfully suggested we should go on a bird tour to Mexico on one of Victor’s tours. Just being in Victor’s presence instantly changed my life. Victor had a special gift for showing, with precision and great enthusiasm, a bird through the telescope and making sure that everyone saw the bird. With me the experience was magnetic. I will always be indebted to Victor. In every way Victor was an amazing person and will be greatly missed by all
Bob Righter
Denver CO
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Date: 3/20/25 4:25 am From: Fort Collins Audubon <focoaudubon...> Subject: [cobirds] Re: March Program: Northern Colorado Bird Alliance (formerly Fort Collins Audubon Society)
March 20th for the Program
On Wednesday, March 19, 2025 at 10:12:49 PM UTC-6 Cassie Cranmore wrote:
> Alison Holloran and Daly Edmunds, Audubon Rockies, will present “Our
> Public Lands: Trying to understand what will happen to our legacy”.
>
> Join us for an informative and thought-provoking presentation on one of
> the most crucial issues facing public lands in the western United States:
> water. This discussion will explore how we arrived at the current situation
> and what the future may hold. As well as featuring stunning photographs.
>
> Alison Holloran, Executive Director of Audubon Rockies—the regional office
> of the National Audubon Society (NAS) for Colorado, Wyoming, and Utah—will
> lead the presentation. She also serves as a Vice President of NAS.
>
> This free program, which is open to the public and starts at 7pm. Don’t
> miss this opportunity to learn more about the challenges and future of
> water in the West!
>
>
> In Person: Fort Collins Senior Center, 1200 Raintree Dr, Fort Collins, CO
> 80526
>
> Zoom Link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89360304628 >
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Alison Holloran and Daly Edmunds, Audubon Rockies, will present “Our Public
Lands: Trying to understand what will happen to our legacy”.
Join us for an informative and thought-provoking presentation on one of the
most crucial issues facing public lands in the western United States:
water. This discussion will explore how we arrived at the current situation
and what the future may hold. As well as featuring stunning photographs.
Alison Holloran, Executive Director of Audubon Rockies—the regional office
of the National Audubon Society (NAS) for Colorado, Wyoming, and Utah—will
lead the presentation. She also serves as a Vice President of NAS.
This free program, which is open to the public and starts at 7pm. Don’t
miss this opportunity to learn more about the challenges and future of
water in the West!
In Person: Fort Collins Senior Center, 1200 Raintree Dr, Fort Collins, CO
80526
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Observation start time: 09:00:00
Observation end time: 17:00:00
Total observation time: 8 hours
Official Counter: Emma Riley, Audrey Anderson
Observers: Amanda Baker, Cayce Gulbransen , Cheryl Wilcox,
Chris Gulbransen , Ryan Gannon
Visitors:
Thank you to Chris & Cayce Gulbransen, Amanda Baker, Cheryl Wilcox, and
Ryan Gannon for your help spotting birds on a cold day!
The trail was empty for most of the day, with 4 visitors stopping at the
hawk watch. No more than 10 other people were seen recreating all day, and
most of them were on the trail below the ridge to the east.
Weather:
We finally made it onto the ridge after two days of high winds stopping our
count. The trail was surprisingly dry, but temperatures were low all day.
The sun showed itself every once in a while providing some great relief.
Winds were very mild all day until the last hour or two when they picked up
to around 30 km/h. Winds were from the N until they picked up, shifting W.
Raptor Observations:
Raptor activity kicked off almost immediately with a migrating GE. Eagles
continued to move today with 3 BE following similar lines throughout the
day. A SS was seen near Mt Morrison moving N, flying with a lot of
stability in the very minimal winds. RT mainly moved through the W valley.
Non-migrant activity continues to be high with three adult RT often seen
flying together. Local BE and GE were also seen today. A male AK has been
spotted a few times now, hunting from the power lines that cross the
highway to the W of us. This bird was also seen kiting, rather impressively
in the winds, just near the ridge. A local CH was also seen moving S with
some good speed.
Non-raptor Observations:
Woodhouse's Scrub Jay 2, Black-billed Magpie 1, Common Raven 1, American
Bushtit 7, Mountain Bluebird 2, American Robin 1, House Finch 1
Predictions:
Temperatures pick up tomorrow with winds continuing from a W direction.
Winds should be mild and we are hopeful to get a good push here any day
now!
========================================================================
Report submitted by Official Counter (<j.f.peters58...>)
Dinosaur Ridge - Denver Field Ornithologists information may be found at:
www.dinosaurridgehawkwatch.org
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,
American White Pelican, and Dusky Grouse. 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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Date: 3/19/25 2:15 pm From: David Suddjian <dsuddjian...> Subject: [cobirds] Re: Adopt a Colorado survey route for the Breeding Bird Survey
Thankfully there has been a good response from several birders to volunteer
for the Breeding Bird Survey and adopt one or more Colorado routes. In
case others are still considering or interested, I've pasted an updated
list of available routes below. If you look at the map and list of vacant
routes on the BBS website https://www.pwrc.usgs.gov/BBS/RouteMap/Map.cfm it
currently shows the Stoneham route as still open, but in fact that route
has been claimed and will be assigned shortly.
--David Suddjian
These are the available routes as of right now:
Route # Route Name County
17007 Fleming Logan, Phillips
17014 Abarr Yuma
17015 Delta Delta, Montrose
17017 Parlin Gunnison
17020 Boyero Lincoln
17028 Two Buttes Baca, Prowers
17037 Waverly Yuma
17039 Willow Peak Eagle
17044 Bethune Kit Carson
17056 Trinchera Las Animas
17058 Campo Baca
17124 Blackhead Pk Archuleta
17209 Flattops Rio Blanco
17210 Thomasville Pitkin, Eagle
17228 Edler Baca
17307 Julesburg Sedgwick, Logan
17309 Ragged Mtn. Delta, Mesa
17314 Burlington Kit Carson, Yuma
17320 Karval Lincoln
17321 Sheridan Lak Kiowa, Prowers
17327 Timpas Otero, Las Animas
17359 Rifle Falls Garfield
17376 Ludlow Las Animas
17419 Doyle Bridge 2 Pueblo
17423 Animas 2 La Plata
17425 Mesita Costilla
17478 Heeney 2 Summit
On Tue, Mar 18, 2025 at 12:16 PM David Suddjian <dsuddjian...> wrote:
> Hi CoBirders,
>
> The *North American Breeding Bird Survey (BBS) i*s our longest running
> continent-wide survey of breeding birds. Each year during the height of the
> avian breeding season (late May to early July), skilled birders collect
> bird population data along roadside BBS survey routes. Each survey route is
> 24.5 miles long with stops situated 0.5-mile apart. At each stop, a
> 3-minute point count is conducted, and every bird seen or heard within a
> 0.25-mile radius is recorded. Routes are surveyed once each season,
> following the same roads and making the same stops each year.
>
> I've been surveying BBS routes for over 30 years and it is one of the
> highlights of my birding year. I've learned so much, and it is so fun to
> get to know the routes and the birds along the way, and to see first hand
> how things are changing.
>
> *Can you adopt an available survey route? *Observers should be skilled in
> identifying the birds of the region by sight and sound (sorry, you can't
> use Merlin sound ID to find and ID the birds for you). The BBS is looking
> for volunteers to make at least a three-year commitment to surveying a
> route. Interested? Visit here for *more information*
> <https://cobirds.org/bbs-2025-routes/?fbclid=IwY2xjawJGlDRleHRuA2FlbQIxMAABHXBVc4Z6cKhTx0JP3Mw7fgtK7Vuk4zNh2dZ5fQkJyG_h8Ej73na7Kp8_Bw_aem_jlzwU9LLER3bL0Z601VvkA>.
> I've pasted a list of currently available routes below, and information on
> each can be found here Vacant BBS Routes
> <https://www.pwrc.usgs.gov/bbs/RouteMap/Map.cfm> >
> Please contact me with any questions.
>
> David Suddjian
> Littleton CO
> Colorado BBS state coordinator
>
>
> Route # Route Name County
> 17003 Yampa Routt
> 17006 Pinneo Morgan, Logan
> 17007 Fleming Logan, Phillips
> 17014 Abarr Yuma
> 17015 Delta Delta, Montrose
> 17017 Parlin Gunnison
> 17020 Boyero Lincoln
> 17028 Two Buttes Baca, Prowers
> 17037 Waverly Yuma
> 17039 Willow Peak Eagle
> 17042 Adams Co. Adams
> 17044 Bethune Kit Carson
> 17056 Trinchera Las Animas
> 17058 Campo Baca
> 17124 Blackhead Pk Archuleta
> 17125 San Luis Alamosa
> 17203 Buffalo Park Grand
> 17205 Grover Weld
> 17206 Stoneham Weld
> 17209 Flattops Rio Blanco
> 17210 Thomasville Pitkin, Eagle
> 17228 Edler Baca
> 17307 Julesburg Sedgwick, Logan
> 17309 Ragged Mtn. Delta, Mesa
> 17314 Burlington Kit Carson, Yuma
> 17320 Karval Lincoln
> 17321 Sheridan Lak Kiowa, Prowers
> 17327 Timpas Otero, Las Animas
> 17359 Rifle Falls Garfield
> 17376 Ludlow Las Animas
> 17412 Prospect Valley 2 Adams
> 17419 Doyle Bridge 2 Pueblo
> 17423 Animas 2 La Plata
> 17425 Mesita Costilla
> 17478 Heeney 2 Summit
>
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Date: 3/18/25 11:17 am From: David Suddjian <dsuddjian...> Subject: [cobirds] Adopt a Colorado survey route for the Breeding Bird Survey
Hi CoBirders,
The *North American Breeding Bird Survey (BBS) i*s our longest running continent-wide survey of breeding birds. Each year during the height of the avian breeding season (late May to early July), skilled birders collect bird population data along roadside BBS survey routes. Each survey route is 24.5 miles long with stops situated 0.5-mile apart. At each stop, a 3-minute point count is conducted, and every bird seen or heard within a 0.25-mile radius is recorded. Routes are surveyed once each season, following the same roads and making the same stops each year.
I've been surveying BBS routes for over 30 years and it is one of the highlights of my birding year. I've learned so much, and it is so fun to get to know the routes and the birds along the way, and to see first hand how things are changing.
David Suddjian Littleton CO Colorado BBS state coordinator
Route # Route Name County 17003 Yampa Routt 17006 Pinneo Morgan, Logan 17007 Fleming Logan, Phillips 17014 Abarr Yuma 17015 Delta Delta, Montrose 17017 Parlin Gunnison 17020 Boyero Lincoln 17028 Two Buttes Baca, Prowers 17037 Waverly Yuma 17039 Willow Peak Eagle 17042 Adams Co. Adams 17044 Bethune Kit Carson 17056 Trinchera Las Animas 17058 Campo Baca 17124 Blackhead Pk Archuleta 17125 San Luis Alamosa 17203 Buffalo Park Grand 17205 Grover Weld 17206 Stoneham Weld 17209 Flattops Rio Blanco 17210 Thomasville Pitkin, Eagle 17228 Edler Baca 17307 Julesburg Sedgwick, Logan 17309 Ragged Mtn. Delta, Mesa 17314 Burlington Kit Carson, Yuma 17320 Karval Lincoln 17321 Sheridan Lak Kiowa, Prowers 17327 Timpas Otero, Las Animas 17359 Rifle Falls Garfield 17376 Ludlow Las Animas 17412 Prospect Valley 2 Adams 17419 Doyle Bridge 2 Pueblo 17423 Animas 2 La Plata 17425 Mesita Costilla 17478 Heeney 2 Summit
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Date: 3/17/25 9:55 am From: David Suddjian <dsuddjian...> Subject: [cobirds] BIRD BOMBS latest video available and register for Habitat Blast: Cone Forests
Hi CoBirders,
The latest *BIRD BOMBS Colorado ID Masters Spring Migration Edition* video is now available for viewing on the Denver Field Ornithologists YouTube channel here ID Masters: Spring Migration Edition <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=utyMZ7gCYYM> and in DFO's BIRD BOMBS video library <https://dfobirds.org/Programs/BirdBombs.aspx> on its website. This episode looks at perennial spring challenges like female teal (now that we have three species here), Horned and Eared Grebes and the Yellowlegs.
Register now for the next *BIRD BOMBS Habitat Blast: Cone Forests <https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_FYSGnbUZTaettKwx1mFttg?_gl=1*1qe5tuc*_gcl_aw*R0NMLjE3NDE#/registration>*, planned to explode on April 10 at 7pm. I hope this will be the first of a small series of BIRD BOMBS episodes focused on the birds of particular Colorado habitats, exploring bird identification, bird communities characteristic of the habitats and highlighting important resources and features for birds in each.
David suddjian Littleton CO [image: c6e67927-dcd0-42f6-89ef-0b537fe6f8b0.jpg]
[image: Screenshot (1230).png]
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Observation start time: 09:00:00
Observation end time: 17:00:00
Total observation time: 8 hours
Official Counter: Emma Riley
Observers: Archer Silverman, Bill Hopping, Chris Gulbransen ,
Diana Hornick, Haley Caron, Laura Farnsworth,
Sachiel Oberto
Visitors:
We had a great support team today on the ridge with up to 5 observers
assisting at one time.
Both our Sunday observer, Laura Farnsworth, and intern, Haley Caron, were
with us today!
A total of 55 visitors were counted at the hawk watch today, most of them
being seen in the morning to early afternoon.
Weather:
Winds were moderate from the moment we stepped foot on the ridge today. The
highest gusts were measured at ~20 mph when we were able to get a reading
in time. Winds varied in direction and speed all day but came predominantly
from the West. Cirrus clouds spiraled around the sky all day.
Raptor Observations:
As west winds tend to be our least productive, we were nervous from the
start today. It didn't take long to start spotting our local RTs, and by
the second hour of the day we had migrants. Our highlight of the day was an
overhead PR that gave all of our observers an amazing look at the dark
"armpits" that can help ID these birds.
Many of our migrants today came overhead on the same line, including a CH
in the afternoon. We continue to see migrating eagles and RT, many of them
higher than the smaller birds today.
Local RT (5) activity continues to be almost constant throughout the day.
Local GE (3) activity was also present today, with a few birds acting as
escorts for our migrating GE. One non-migrant BE was also seen today.
*We are trouble shooting our non-raptor notes section currently, please
forgive us for the incomplete lists.
Predictions:
Strong winds from the SW predicted tomorrow, 20+ mph with 40+ mph gusts. A
Red Flag warning has been issued for Jefferson County. Winds will be
monitored in the morning to determine if predictions are correct.
*If you are on the volunteer schedule for tomorrow, please check the
calendar and your email/texts before leaving to the site. As always, we
will update the calendar & do our best to let you know of a cancelled count
day.*
========================================================================
Report submitted by Official Counter (<j.f.peters58...>)
Dinosaur Ridge - Denver Field Ornithologists information may be found at:
www.dinosaurridgehawkwatch.org
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,
American White Pelican, and Dusky Grouse. 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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Date: 3/16/25 6:03 pm From: <reports...> Subject: [cobirds] Mount Zion Hawk Watch at Windy Saddle Park (16 Mar 2025) 1 Raptors
Mount Zion Hawk Watch at Windy Saddle Park
Golden, Greater Denver, Colorado, USA
This is a new raptor migration site identified and designated in mid-September 2024. This is Colorado's 1st fall hawk watch site and the state's second spring watch site.
Many raptors seen c. 1.5 miles to the West from Dinosaur Ridge, may be directly overhead at this site, we are hoping.
To get to the site which is along Lookout Mountain Rd. in Golden, enter either Windy Saddle Park or Mount Zion into Google Maps on your favorite navigation app, or enter the coordinates 39.7368,-105.2454. From the parking lot ascend the stone steps to the watch site.
Anyone is welcome to join us if they want to see the spectacle of spring raptor migration, whether they know nothing or know a lot regarding identifying raptor species.
Daily Raptor Counts: Mar 16, 2025
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Observation start time: 09:15:00
Observation end time: 14:15:00
Total observation time: 4 hours
Official Counter: Ajit Antony
Observers:
Visitors:
All the introverts must have been the ones hiking, for no one asked me any
questions.
Weather:
The forecast was for 14 mph winds from the West with gusts to 25 mph. I
wasn't sure whether the winds may be too strong for the raptors or myself,
so I looked up the CDOT website and found a live video cam nearby which
showed shrubs and trees barely moving in the wind, so I decided to take my
chances. The Soaring Forecast was excellent with lift of 6.8 m/s after 9:30
a.m. MDT, with the height of thermals reaching 15,876 ft above ground
level. At the parking lot of Windy Saddle Gap it was calm, I wondered how
the forecast could be so different, and all the way up the steps it was
calm, and quite windy at the watch at Level 3-4-6 on the Beaufort scale.
There were cirrus clouds north and south and overhead, which would make
finding raptors easy, if there were any. It appears they don't like West
winds in spring.
Raptor Observations:
I found only one migrant raptor, and it wasn't for lack of trying. The
cloud cover was excellent, and I found plenty of locals. The migrant RT was
at 11:07 a.m. MDT over Green Mountain, it then lost lift and soared North
along the western flank of South Table Mountain.
Non-migrant raptors: a dark morph adult RT initially seen over one of the
tall antenna on Lookout Mountain, kept soaring West, I was able to see it
and confirm the ID in my scope, eventually went WSW. 4 RT - local, over
Lookout Mountain, soaring E-W or SW.
Non-raptor Observations:
My scope and tripod almost took off with the strong winds, so I laid it
flat until I needed it.
Common Raven 4, American Crow 2, Black-billed Magpie 1, Mountain Chickadee
1.
Predictions:
Similar winds and gusts as today except the winds would be from the WSW
========================================================================
Report submitted by Ajit Antony (<aiantony...>)
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The bird stayed in the usual 2.1 stretch of Red Creek Spring Road West in Pueblo County from after 8am to after 5pm today. Sometimes not being seen, though a lot of the time people were seeing it.
Brandon K. Percival Pueblo West, CO
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Observation start time: 09:00:00
Observation end time: 17:00:00
Total observation time: 8 hours
Official Counter: Audrey Anderson
Observers: Bob Mitchell, Haley Caron, Jerry Arni, Laura Campbell
Visitors:
Thank you to all of our volunteers today and to Laura Campbell for aiding
in the count.
8 visitors came up to the platform today.
Weather:
Sporadic winds based in the E throughout the day. Overall large amounts of
cloud cover. Sun in the last hour of the day.
Raptor Observations:
Today was a really interesting day with migrants! 7 migrants, 6 species,
and no migrating Red-tailed Hawks. Our 2nd Rough-legged Hawk of the season
made an appearance over the W ridge, initially spotted tussling with a
migratory GOEA to the right of Mount Morrison. We followed both of the
birds N till they vanished out of sight. 2 FEHA were counted today, the 2nd
made a close pass along the W side of the platform, giving us great close
looks before circling right above us and heading N. We had our first
migrating Merlin far under the horizon going north in front of Morrison
before continuing across I70. An adult Cooper's Hawk, followed by an adult
Sharp-shinned Hawk about 15 minutes apart ended the day, giving us great
close looks along the platform and allowing volunteers to compare the
differences of these two amazing birds.
Local raptors consisted of 2 adult BAEA, 1 male AMKE, and 4 Red-tailed
Hawks. RTHA activity was the lowest I've seen so far this season.
Interesting day for the RTHA.
Non-raptor Observations:
Black-capped Chickadee 2, Mountain Bluebird 16, American Robin 1, Spotted
Towhee 1
Predictions:
Tomorrow brings scatted cloud cover and S to SW wings throughout, temps up
to 15C.
========================================================================
Report submitted by Official Counter (<j.f.peters58...>)
Dinosaur Ridge - Denver Field Ornithologists information may be found at:
www.dinosaurridgehawkwatch.org
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,
American White Pelican, and Dusky Grouse. 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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Date: 3/15/25 6:59 am From: <flammowl17...> <flammowl17...> Subject: [cobirds] Real location Caracara
38.105892, -104.899648 Yahoo Mail - Email Simplified
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Date: 3/15/25 6:42 am From: <flammowl17...> <flammowl17...> Subject: [cobirds] Crested Caracara Pueblo County March 15th
Bird present at this. location currently 38.304805, -104.755922
Brandon K. PercivalPueblo West, CO
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Even in the wind this morning, birders were able to see the Crested Caracara in Pueblo County. Since I am guessing there will be quite a few more people coming to look for it tomorrow (the weather looks good, low wind) and Sunday, here are some possible ideas on how to see it.
The furthest east I think it has been seen, is at 38.195710, -104.911803 on power poles
The location by the cows, where it hangs out on the ground, especially mid-day and the afternoon is at 38.189252, -104.942888 (south side of road, often hiding behind the junipers/cedars, so have to just wait around)
The furthest west I think it has been seen is at 38.188032, -104.946387 on power pole
Yesterday morning, a few sightings were from the north side of the road, at a deer carcass 38.190848, -104.919025
This morning, a few sightings, from further east of the deer carcass at 38.194128437869445, -104.91554094678463
It seems like the morning hours, it is roaming to the east portion of these locations, and then heads back west to where the cows are. Check power poles, on top of junipers/cedars, and on the ground (if at the deer carcass or by the cows)
Hopefully this is helpful, for people trying to see the bird. The cell reception is spotty out there, so it can be hard to get the word out on where it is. If you are driving the road slowly, watch for fast moving trucks behind you. The landowners with the cows are very nice.
Some people are seeing Greater Roadrunners along Red Creek Springs Road West as well.
Good luck,
Brandon Percival Pueblo West, CO
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Date: 3/14/25 12:55 pm From: David Suddjian <dsuddjian...> Subject: [cobirds] DFO monthly meeting March 24: Mountain Plover Ecology and Conservation
DFO's next monthly program titled, *"Mountain Plover Ecology and Conservation in North America"* will be presented by Angela Dwyer at *7pm on March 24.* Registration for the webinar is here:
Mountain Plovers are a wonderful Colorado bird of conservation concern. They will be returning to our prairie region by the end of this month. I include a photo here from a past DFO field trip near Karval, CO, taken by Kenneth Stuckey.
Davis Suddjian Littleton, CO Denver Field Ornithologists [image: 90th logo.jpeg]
[image: MOPL Ken Stuckey.jpg]
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Date: 3/14/25 7:44 am From: Josh Bruening <87211jjb...> Subject: [cobirds] Crested Caracara-Pueblo County
All,
The Caracara continues this morning in the same general area as reported yesterday. Seen by at least 3 carloads of people. It is moving around a bit and riding the wind often.
Josh Bruening Fort Collins Sent from my iPhone
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Observation start time: 09:00:00
Observation end time: 17:00:00
Total observation time: 8 hours
Official Counter: Emma Riley, Audrey Anderson
Observers: Chip Dawes, Dave Erickson, Mariane Erickson, Stephen Sears
Visitors:
Thank you to the volunteers who came up to the ridge today!
We had a total of 22 visitors on the ridge. A few different groups of
visitors hawkwatched with us for a significant amount of time. Sharing the
historic value of Dinosaur Ridge and the amazing community behind it is
always a wonderful experience.
Winds originated mainly out of the E before switching to N this afternoon
as the storm began slowly moving in. Overall conditions today consisted of
clear skies and light winds until the late afternoon brought strong cloud
cover.
Raptor Observations:
Today's migrants consisted of 6 Red-tailed Hawks, 1 adult Golden Eagle, and
1 adult Ferruginous Hawk. Sightings were decently spread out throughout
count period, the last bird of the day was a low adult FEHA flying close to
the ridge on the E side. The adult Golden Eagle made a pass right overhead
of the ridge giving us extraordinary looks. Most migrant RTHA were along
the far W slope.
Local raptor activity included a male American Kestrel, 3 Golden Eagles, 2
adults and 1 immature, 1 Sharp-shinned Hawk, and a southbound Peregrine
Falcon.
Predictions:
Conditions tomorrow are looking a bit tricky in terms of hawkwatching. With
the incoming northern storm, there is potential for 25 mph winds with gusts
up to 50 mph. Precipitation is also forecasted. If you are signed up to
volunteer tomorrow please be sure to check your emails before your
scheduled time in case of a delay or count cancelation.
========================================================================
Report submitted by Official Counter (<j.f.peters58...>)
Dinosaur Ridge - Denver Field Ornithologists information may be found at:
www.dinosaurridgehawkwatch.org
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,
American White Pelican, and Dusky Grouse. 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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Was sitting outside getting some sun as I rehab my new knee and had just closed my eyes when I heard the unmistakable sound of cranes overhead. Since I'm moving at the speed of someone with a new knee, was (easily) able to convince my wife to run in and grab the binocs.
Sure enough, there were 26 SACR's flying north over NE Longmont at 4:45 Thur afternoon. Wonderful to hear them!
Jay Hutchins
Longmont
Sent from my iPhone
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Date: 3/13/25 12:34 pm From: Eric DeFonso <bay.wren...> Subject: Re: [cobirds] Crested Caracara update Mar 13th
Hi all,
To piggyback on what Brandon wrote, I got word that the caracara had indeed
returned to the western edge of the area where it has been seen the past
several days, where a number of birders at the time I left were staking it
out. Quite a few folks out there as of a few hours ago, and I plan on
returning there later today too. Bad cell connections in the area though,
which is the only reason why there haven't been many reports from today yet.
Good luck!
Eric
-------
Eric DeFonso
Boulder County, CO
On Thu, Mar 13, 2025 at 11:37 AM Brandon <flammowl17...> wrote:
> Kara Carragher and I re-found the Crested Caracara at 8:10am-8:25am this
> morning, at this location *38.190848, -104.919025* It was first feeding
> on a deer carcass, then flew onto a juniper tree, at least five other
> birders saw it on top of the juniper, and then the bird flew north and
> west, hopefully back toward the cows. Hopefully the people who were there,
> that just missed it, got to see it later on.
>
> Good birding,
>
> Brandon Percival
> Pueblo West, CO
>
>
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Date: 3/13/25 10:37 am From: Brandon <flammowl17...> Subject: [cobirds] Crested Caracara update Mar 13th
Kara Carragher and I re-found the Crested Caracara at 8:10am-8:25am this morning, at this location *38.190848, -104.919025* It was first feeding on a deer carcass, then flew onto a juniper tree, at least five other birders saw it on top of the juniper, and then the bird flew north and west, hopefully back toward the cows. Hopefully the people who were there, that just missed it, got to see it later on.
Good birding,
Brandon Percival Pueblo West, CO
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Weather:
This morning yielded NW winds that gradually moved to SW by the end of the
day. Varied cloud cover throughout the day, bringing warm temperatures and
blue skies. Beautiful day today that brought in a few more migrants for the
season!
Raptor Observations:
Today was a productive day for migrant raptors, the second best day so far
this season! A total of 11 migrants were counted in the duration of the
observation period. 9 individual RTHA took a few different flight paths
ranging from low overhead to distant along the W slope. The adult FEHA was
spotted flying far out along the W slope cruising N, showcasing its bright
white tail. Other migrants included the 1st Northern Harrier of the season,
flying high out above the W ridge, very exciting!
In terms of local birds we had high diversity with 5 different species. 1
Sharp-shinned Hawk was seen flying S after thermaling with a local Golden
Eagle, the SSHA gave extended yet distant looks before dropping in the
valley S of Mount Morrison. The local AMKE made an appearance hunting low
on the E side of the ridge. 2 GOEA and 2 BAEA, 1 adult and 1 immature, were
seen throughout the day. Our 6 local Red-tails made consistent appearances.
Non-raptor Observations:
Sandhill Crane 27, Northern Flicker 1, Steller's Jay 1, Woodhouse's Scrub
Jay 1, American Crow 2, Black-capped Chickadee 4, American Bushtit 7,
Mountain Bluebird 21, Townsend's Solitaire 2, Dark-eyed Junco 5, Spotted
Towhee 2, Black-billed Magpie 6, Common Raven 9
Predictions:
Tomorrow’s winds will originate in the E around 10:00am before switching
to SW in the late afternoon. Clear skies with light afternoon cloud cover
and temperatures around 16C. We are hopeful to see a few more migrants with
the presence of the E wind!
========================================================================
Report submitted by Official Counter (<j.f.peters58...>)
Dinosaur Ridge - Denver Field Ornithologists information may be found at:
www.dinosaurridgehawkwatch.org
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,
American White Pelican, and Dusky Grouse. 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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Date: 3/12/25 6:17 pm From: <flammowl17...> <flammowl17...> Subject: [cobirds] Re: Crested Caracara in Pueblo County 3/12
It was still being seen as of at 5pm at least, South side of the by the cattle. Many more people were able to see, all afternoon. A few Northern Colorado folks made the trip down here, and were rewarded with great views.
Brandon K. Percival Pueblo West
Yahoo Mail - Email Simplified
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Date: 3/12/25 1:25 pm From: Kevin Schutz <kschutz...> Subject: [cobirds] Crested Caracara in Pueblo County 3/12
The bird was across the road (southside) from the greenhouses around 11:30am today, near cattle. It seems several people were able to see the bird this morning (2 cars, 2 people each. I suspect several other cars on the road also likely saw it).
Kevin, Monument CO
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Date: 3/12/25 8:09 am From: Brandon <flammowl17...> Subject: [cobirds] Crested Caracara in Pueblo County 3/12
Here is the exact location I saw it at 7:15am this morning *8065-8111 Red Creek Springs Rd W *for seven minutes on the telephone pole on the northside of Red Creek Springs Road west, it flew north toward the green house, I couldn't see where it went. Hopefully it returns near the cows, where it was yesterday afternoon at 3pm. A huge thanks to Harry Rurup for re-finding it yesterday, this information helped me know where exactly it was hanging out.
Brandon Percival Pueblo West, CO
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Date: 3/12/25 6:23 am From: <flammowl17...> <flammowl17...> Subject: [cobirds] CRESTED CARACARA Pueblo
Looking at it now on pole on Red Creek Springs Road, less than mile east of Siloam Road.
Brandon K. Percival
Yahoo Mail - Email Simplified
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Weather:
Today was another beautiful spring day in Colorado with cirrus cloud cover
and light winds from the SE/E for most of the day. Barometric pressure
dropped relatively significantly over the day and dark clouds rolled in the
last hour. No precipitation was predicted, but it sure felt like it was on
it's way.
Raptor Observations:
Raptor activity was slow in the first hour of the day with very few birds
seen at all, minus one migrant and one local. Movement picked up a little
bit and brought us some very high flying overhead birds. Our highlight of
the day was a dark-morph Ferruginous Hawk that flew much lower than other
migrants seen today. Migratory activity continues to be as expected for
early March at Dinosaur Ridge.
Local raptor activity picked back up today after a few seemingly slow days.
5 species of non-migrating raptors were seen today: RT, GE, BE, AK, and CH.
The Cooper's Hawk gave us great looks, and also led us to our migrating BE
and a RT.
Non-raptor Observations:
We got our FOS Sandhill Cranes today! 6 birds in a beautiful V-formation
came astronomically high through the western valley in the last hour of the
day. We have discussed SACR in the last few days, hoping they would come
soon. MOBL movement continues to be present throughout the day. We also
heard our FOS Spotted Towhee today and look forward to them returning en
masse around the ridge.
Sandhill Crane 6, Northern Flicker 1, Black-billed Magpie 2, Common Raven
5, Black-capped Chickadee 4, American Bushtit 2, Mountain Bluebird 17,
American Robin 4, House Finch 3
Predictions:
Tomorrow is expected to be a bit chillier than it has been the last few
days, but still a very pleasant day in early March. Winds are predicted to
have a West component to them, potentially bringing a slow count day.
Colorado spring is notoriously impossible to predict, though, so we stay
hopeful for a great day! Trail conditions are currently ideal.
========================================================================
Report submitted by Official Counter (<j.f.peters58...>)
Dinosaur Ridge - Denver Field Ornithologists information may be found at:
www.dinosaurridgehawkwatch.org
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,
American White Pelican, and Dusky Grouse. 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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Date: 3/11/25 7:50 pm From: <reports...> Subject: [cobirds] Mount Zion Hawk Watch at Windy Saddle Park (11 Mar 2025) 2 Raptors
Mount Zion Hawk Watch at Windy Saddle Park
Golden, Greater Denver, Colorado, USA
This is a new raptor migration site identified and designated in mid-September 2024. This is Colorado's 1st fall hawk watch site and the state's second spring watch site.
Many raptors seen c. 1.5 miles to the West from Dinosaur Ridge, may be directly overhead at this site, we are hoping.
To get to the site which is along Lookout Mountain Rd. in Golden, enter either Windy Saddle Park or Mount Zion into Google Maps on your favorite navigation app, or enter the coordinates 39.7368,-105.2454. From the parking lot ascend the stone steps to the watch site.
Anyone is welcome to join us if they want to see the spectacle of spring raptor migration, whether they know nothing or know a lot regarding identifying raptor species.
Daily Raptor Counts: Mar 11, 2025
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Observation start time: 09:00:00
Observation end time: 13:30:00
Total observation time: 4.5 hours
Official Counter: Ajit Antony
Observers: Liza Antony
Visitors:
A woman was curious as to what we were looking at and when I explained, she
thanked us. Two young women with little babies hiked up and chatted with
each other for about an hour. They asked what we were looking at and I
explained, and she asked with my almost 40 years of raptor watching, could
I see the effects of global warming. I explained that there are too many
variables such as there could be reduced migrants as a result of
unfavorable winds, and perhaps the only way anyone could tell, was if a
researcher looked at multiple hawk watches in the same area over a long
period of time.
A young woman after taking video selfies of herself looking coquettish,
wanted to know what we were doing. I explained. She said she saw some
magpies, and I said they were common here and that there were Mountain
Chickadees. She was not familiar with the species and I showed it to her on
Merlin comparing it with the Black-capped. She was quite interested. After
she left an older man came up and asked me what I was showing her. He said
his wife was a birder and had bird books. I told him about the Merlin app.
His wife said that she did not know much, so she did not need the app. I
showed the man all the various features of the app, and he immediately
added it to his phone - imagine, he was the non-birder the family!
Weather:
Today's forecast for light winds from the SSW, then to the SSE, and the
winds on the ridge were fairly close - from the ESE. Good transparent
cirrus cloud cover from South to East to North, and to some extent
overhead. Initial visibility 19 km increasing to 39 km to DIA after the
first 2 hours due to a thin line of fog along the ground, east of Denver
going from north to south. Mount Blue Sky to the SW was again clear at 39
km all day. Surprising we did not see more raptors with the cloud cover
and favorable winds that we had, in addition there was good lift according
to the Soaring Forecast at 4.2 meters/second, with thermals predicted going
up to 10,447 ft AGL - above ground level by 11:45 a.m. MDT. The Southern
component of the SE winds should have pushed raptors northward, while the
Eastern component of the SE winds should have pushed any migrants flying
East of Denver toward the watch. The atmosphere was somewhat grainy -
distant local birds were difficult to see for a while, presumably when they
turned.
Raptor Observations:
At 12:42 p.m. MDT I was watching 2 RT far to the East using my scope, and
one of them flew toward Lookout Mountain, a Prairie Falcon entered the view
of my scope, flew Westward, and I willing it to fly North, at one point
directly South it came close enough that I felt I could find it with
binoculars, and I did, it kept rising, circling, eventually going more NW,
extremely high at the limit of binoculars, we watched it for about 5
minutes until we decided was a migrant, the Bird of the Day.
The first raptor of the day, and only other migrant was a distant RT far to
the east at 10:44 a.m. MDT.
Non-migrant raptors: GE adult at 1:49 p.m. flying just above the Eastern
end of Lookout Mountain, dropped below and was lost among the pines. The
usual 3-4 RT flying over and landing on Lookout Mountain, generally moving
East or West, occasionally South or SW. One RT came up from the south
directly overhead, soared, constantly rising until it reached far to the
NE, and then turned Eastward - not counted.
Non-raptor Observations:
There was a solar corona with only two rainbow rings.
1 paraglider a little before we left.
Black-billed Magpie 2, Common Raven 5.
Predictions:
Light West winds, changing to SW. I'd be curious to see what we'd get.
========================================================================
Report submitted by Ajit Antony (<aiantony...>)
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Date: 3/11/25 3:30 pm From: Matias Comina <matiasdcomina...> Subject: [cobirds] The American Goatsuckers: Nightjars: Legends, Lore, and Lives
Boulder County Audubon Society Presents
The American Goatsuckers: Nightjars: Legends, Lore, and Lives
A Talk by Jared Del Rosso
🦉 Date: 03/25/25
📍 Location: Unitarian Universalist Church of Boulder & Online via Zoom
🕖 Time: Doors open at 7:00 PM | Program begins at 7:15 PM
With their famous songs and nocturnal habits, nightjars—including
the Eastern Whip-poor-will, Common Nighthawk, and Common Poorwill—are among
the most iconic birds in the U.S. For centuries, they have shaped music,
poetry, and literature while also connecting people to the landscapes they
call home. However, nightjar populations are in decline, making them
increasingly difficult to see and hear.
Join Jared Del Rosso, cultural sociologist, birder, and nightjar
enthusiast, as he explores the legend, lore, and lives of these mysterious
birds. Drawing from research for his upcoming book on Whip-poor-wills, Del
Rosso will discuss how understanding nightjars can deepen our connection to
local landscapes and histories—and help us appreciate this threatened
family of birds before it's too late.
How to Join
In-Person Gathering
- Where: Unitarian Universalist Church of Boulder
- When: Doors open at 7:00 PM for socializing; Program starts at 7:15 PM
- While masks are no longer required, we encourage you to wear a
high-quality mask. Free surgical masks will be available.
- If you're feeling unwell, please stay home and join us on Zoom!
💻 Online Gathering
- The Zoom meeting room opens at 7:10 PM; the program begins at 7:15 PM.
- Questions for the speaker will be taken via Zoom’s chat feature.
- Online access details will be posted here by the day of the program.
📢 Don’t miss this unique opportunity to rediscover the magic of nightjars!
Matias Comina
Boulder County Audubon Society Board Member
Longmont, CO
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Observation start time: 09:00:00
Observation end time: 17:00:00
Total observation time: 8 hours
Official Counter: Emma Riley
Observers: Clay Gibson, Eileen Warner , Eleanor Weng , Michael Serruto,
Shannon Campbell
Visitors:
Thank you to all of the volunteer observers who helped spot raptors and
push through the windy afternoon! We continue to have a great amount of
support at the ridge this season and couldn't be more grateful for you all.
A total of 40 visitors were seen at the hawk watch today, with a few people
coming to the site to eat lunch.
Weather:
Today started out idyllic with scattered clouds, light winds from the NNE,
and pleasant temperatures. Winds continued from the NE direction longer
than predicted, but eventually turned to W winds in the afternoon. Winds
picked up in the afternoon with gusts up to 32 km/h.
Raptor Observations:
Migrants today took an overhead line giving us great views of both adult
and immature RT. The one migrant that didn't come overhead was an adult
Harlan's Red-tailed Hawk that flew along the west ridge. This was our first
Harlan's of the year, and as always it was a stunning bird with an
especially light tail.
Local RT continue to be seen en masse, again with up to 6 seen at one time.
BE and GE were missed all day, with 2 visitors of course hoping to see GE
today. One male AK was seen perched and flying across the ridge just south
of the count platform.
Non-raptor Observations:
Northern Flicker 1, Woodhouse's Scrub Jay 1, Black-billed Magpie 2, Common
Raven 6, Black-capped Chickadee 2, American Bushtit 25, Mountain Bluebird
3, House Finch 1
Predictions:
Winds are supposed to shift back to the E tomorrow for most of the day,
hopefully bringing in a few more migrants than we've seen the last two days
with our W winds. Temperatures are supposed to remain very pleasant through
Thursday.
========================================================================
Report submitted by Official Counter (<j.f.peters58...>)
Dinosaur Ridge - Denver Field Ornithologists information may be found at:
www.dinosaurridgehawkwatch.org
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,
American White Pelican, and Dusky Grouse. 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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Date: 3/10/25 6:51 pm From: <reports...> Subject: [cobirds] Mount Zion Hawk Watch at Windy Saddle Park (10 Mar 2025) 7 Raptors
Mount Zion Hawk Watch at Windy Saddle Park
Golden, Greater Denver, Colorado, USA
This is a new raptor migration site identified and designated in mid-September 2024. This is Colorado's 1st fall hawk watch site and the state's second spring watch site.
Many raptors seen c. 1.5 miles to the West from Dinosaur Ridge, may be directly overhead at this site, we are hoping.
To get to the site which is along Lookout Mountain Rd. in Golden, enter either Windy Saddle Park or Mount Zion into Google Maps on your favorite navigation app, or enter the coordinates 39.7368,-105.2454. From the parking lot ascend the stone steps to the watch site.
Anyone is welcome to join us if they want to see the spectacle of spring raptor migration, whether they know nothing or know a lot regarding identifying raptor species.
Daily Raptor Counts: Mar 10, 2025
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Observation start time: 09:00:00
Observation end time: 13:00:00
Total observation time: 4 hours
Official Counter: Ajit Antony
Observers:
Visitors:
A young man named Chris knew I was hawk watching, as he has occasionally
visited Dinosaur Ridge! A young man named Victor wanted to look through my
scope at Denver. I showed it to him at 20 x and then zoomed to 60x. He said
he felt he could touch the downtown buildings if he stretched out his hand
- impressed with the optics. He had many questions as to what I was doing,
which I explained in detail.
Weather:
The forecast was for light SW becoming West at 2:00 p.m. At the watch,
there was a large fan-shaped ground glass looking cloud covering 70% of the
sky to the East, North and South with some fingers overhead, which was very
welcome, to reduce eye strain scanning for migrants. The cloud was
broad-based to the East with streamers fanning out, the whole gradually
receding toward the east. At the watch the winds were from the SW for the
first hour and then became surprisingly Level 3 from the ESE, a discrepancy
between what there was, as opposed to what was forecast. Again, Mount Blue
Sky could be clearly seen at 39 km to the SW, but to the East there was a
thin layer of fog in front of Denver going from north to south.
Raptor Observations:
The bird of the day was the Prairie Falcon. At 11:34 a.m. MDT I heard a odd
single noted call from the NE, and when I looked there was a Prairie Falcon
flying East out of the mouth of Clear Creek Canyon, it flew to between the
two Table Mountains where there was another one, smaller, and they flew
together to the North; at the same time there were in the background, one
raptor diving on another which I had to ignore, wishing I had more
observers. At 12:19 p.m. MDT I noted a raptor with bowed wings between the
2 tall antenna on the East of Lookout Mountain, it flew north below my
elevation, and I could clearly see that the tail was paler than the back
indicating an adult Prairie Falcon. In the 11-12 hour MDT, I found a
Prairie Falcon East of Lookout Mountain which kept going to the NE, my hope
it would turn north, burt far away it turned and dropped on one of two RT,
when I bumped the scope with my foot, and couldn't find them again even
with binoculars - not counted as a migrant, though it might have been.
There was a dark morph RT overhead, beautifully backlit close to the sun,
but it flew South.
Non-raptor Observations:
There was a much smaller than 22° halo around the sun, tight around the
sun , which had rainbow colors with the red outside, three such rings, and
later to two more rings where I could only see the red. I looked it up
online and it is called a solar corona which can also happen around the
moon.
There was a brief dust devil 6 ft from me which dumped some dirt on me and
my equipment.
Western Bluebird 5, Black-billed Magpie 1, Common Raven 5, American Crow 2.
Predictions:
Light winds from the SE, changing to ESE.
========================================================================
Report submitted by Ajit Antony (<aiantony...>)
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Observation start time: 09:00:00
Observation end time: 17:00:00
Total observation time: 9 hours
Official Counter: Emma Riley
Observers: Joey Kellner, Laura Farnsworth, Mike Ames, Tim Condon
Visitors:
Thank you to everyone who came out today to help spot raptors! We had a
great group on the ridge for most of the morning, including Dinosaur Ridge
legend Joey Kellner.
We had a total of 55 visitors on the ridge today, with many folks stopping
to ask questions and fill out our visitor log! By far the best visit we had
today was a woman named Margo from Boulder who hiked her harp up to the
site and played for us for 20-30 minutes. She said she enjoys taking her
harp to various public sites to play for folks. We enjoyed every second of
it!
Weather:
We had a beautiful bluebird day today with very minimal cloud cover. Winds
varied in direction all day, creating less than ideal migratory conditions.
Winds settled from the W in the later part of the day. We are very used to
slow counts during west winds, and today was no exception.
Raptor Observations:
Migratory behavior today was minimal with our first migrants being counted
in the 12 MST hour. Most of our migrants took a path close to the Dakota
Ridge, with one immature RT flying below/at eye level on the western side.
Local RT activity kept us all busy today as we watched them gain elevation
and then not fly North. Again, 6 RT could be seen all at once today. One
very stunning dark-morph bird was seen flying directly south in the first
half of the day. Other local birds seen today include multiple GE flying N
of the site, BE over Mt Morrison and Green Mtn, a female AK that landed
below the ridge on the eastern side, and a CH that gained elevation but did
not move N.
Non-raptor Observations:
Passerine's seen today: Woodhouse's Scrub Jay 2, American Crow 1, Common
Raven 8, American Bushtit 2, White-breasted Nuthatch 2, Mountain Bluebird
13, Dark-eyed Junco 2
MOBL are moving N in small flocks throughout the day.
6 Mule Deer were seen on the western slope of the Dakota Ridge on our hike
out.
Predictions:
Winds are predicted to again vary throughout the day with some western
component. This could lead to another low count day, but it is going to at
least be a beautiful & sunny day.
========================================================================
Report submitted by Official Counter (<j.f.peters58...>)
Dinosaur Ridge - Denver Field Ornithologists information may be found at:
www.dinosaurridgehawkwatch.org
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,
American White Pelican, and Dusky Grouse. 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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The Uganda trip just completed was highly successful. We tallied 561
species including 8 owls, 6 nightjars with two separate Standard-winged
Nightjar males displaying over females with their outrageous flags at the
end of a primary, 38 raptors, 13 stunning starlings, and 20 beautiful
sunbirds. Rollers and Bee-eaters also scored high on the list of gorgeous
birds unlike the many cisticolas and greenbuls that can be identification
nightmares. This was the highest number of species seen on any previous
trip led by our guide, even one that was four days longer than ours.
We also had a total of 55 mammals including amazing treks for Chimpanzees
and Mountain Gorillas, and 13 other primates. Night walks presented us with
4 species of what are commonly referred to as bush babies with 3 species of
Galago and a Potto. We encountered 10 species of antelope, saw the famous
tree-climbing lions, and a leopard snoozing in a tree.
The interactions among the family members of Gorillas were utterly
fascinating. They were grooming, feeding and taking care of a six-month-old
baby.
A night drive produced our only snake of the trip. It was a highly venomous
Puff Adder observed safely from the vehicle.
A cruise on Lake Victoria brought us close views of Hippopotamus,
Elephants, and Nile Crocodiles. The end of the lake gave us our only
Finfoot and views of the spectacular Victoria Falls. Another boat ride on
Lake Albert ended with seeing the equally gorgeous Murchison Falls.
Everyone felt perfectly safe the entire time and we had guards with us on
tours and hikes within the national parks and reserves. The people and
staff we encountered were very friendly and courteous and the service was
excellent. The State Department overstates the risk of travel in many
countries due to a handful of incidents. If this were not the case, I can’t
explain why every major tour company have trips scheduled for Uganda.
The Chile trip is scheduled for October 26 through November 17. Chile is
varied with a huge range of habitats with altitudes ranging from sea level
to over 15,000 feet and arid desert in the north to the glacial region in
the south at Tierra del Fuego and Torres del Paine NP. We will visit the
arid north birding both in the lowlands and the high Andean plateau with
their various specialties.
A pelagic trip on the coast near Santiago could produce several Albatross
species, storm-petrels, numerous shearwaters and petrels, the most
beautiful tern on the planet being the Inca Tern. Magellanic and Humboldt
Penguins and Peruvian Diving-Petrel among numerous other species are to be
encountered. The temperate rainforest above Santiago has several
specialties.
I am looking at a trip to Tanzania for April 2026 to the endemic areas of
the Uluguru and Udzungwa Mountains among other locations. The trip would
have about 15 days of birding and involve a couple strenuous hikes. I has
originally planned to add the Usambara Mountains. I will save that area for
a future trip that will include Ngorongoro Crater and the Serengeti since
trying to cover all of the great locations in Tanzania would need at least
four weeks.
The following September, I am considering an excursion to Bolivia with a
May 2027 trip to Poland and Finland.
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Date: 3/9/25 7:19 pm From: <reports...> Subject: [cobirds] Mount Zion Hawk Watch at Windy Saddle Park (09 Mar 2025) 5 Raptors
Mount Zion Hawk Watch at Windy Saddle Park
Golden, Greater Denver, Colorado, USA
This is a new raptor migration site identified and designated in mid-September 2024. This is Colorado's 1st fall hawk watch site and the state's second spring watch site.
Many raptors seen c. 1.5 miles to the West from Dinosaur Ridge, may be directly overhead at this site, we are hoping.
To get to the site which is along Lookout Mountain Rd. in Golden, enter either Windy Saddle Park or Mount Zion into Google Maps on your favorite navigation app, or enter the coordinates 39.7368,-105.2454. From the parking lot ascend the stone steps to the watch site.
Anyone is welcome to join us if they want to see the spectacle of spring raptor migration, whether they know nothing or know a lot regarding identifying raptor species.
Daily Raptor Counts: Mar 09, 2025
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Observation start time: 08:45:00
Observation end time: 15:00:00
Total observation time: 6.25 hours
Official Counter: Ajit Antony
Observers: Liza Antony, Raj Manikandan
Visitors:
We had a surprise visitor, Raj Manikandan who had been on one of our DFO
winter raptor trips a little over a year ago, and I remembered him as being
very sharp-eyed and observant. He arrived at 12:10 p.m. MDT, and he had
just missed the first migrant GE. For more than the next hour we didn't
have any migrants, and I kept telling him that if he came in April it would
be a lot better. Eventually we had the migrants and the non-migrant GEs
which made his visit worthwhile. He found us one of the migrant and one of
the non-migrant GE. Joe, who comes up walking frequently from Golden.
11 people asked the usual questions. We were able to show up to 15 people
close up GEs, and they were quite astonished that it had a 6-7 foot
wingspan, and the BEs.
Weather:
The forecast was for light SSW>NW winds and I was curious what we would get
with the latter.
There was some streaky white clouds to the South, which unfortunately
lasted only 1.5 hours. While we could see Mount Blue Sky clearly at 39 km
the clear visibility to the east was only 19 km.
The Soaring Forecast was excellent with the trigger temperature of 55.8°F
expected at 11:30 a.m. MDT which would result in a lift of 4 meters/second,
with thermal height 9888 ft AGL, above ground level. Surprisingly there
were no paraglider seen by us.
Raptor Observations:
The first raptor of the day was an RT at 11:45 a.m. MDT over the middle of
Lookout Mountain.
Migrant raptors of note: GE adult at 12:05 p.m. MDT over the western part
of Lookout Mountain which soared NNW. GE adult at 1:25 p.m. MDT again over
the Western part of Lookout Mountain, soaring NNW. GE adult at 1:39 p.m.
MDT over South Table Mountain and which circled, soared high, flew SW
(non-migrant?), and eventually after 5 minutes of observation glided to the
NNW. GE adult over the eastern part of Lookout Mountain at 3:10 p.m. which
circled and kept gaining height, which we deemed was a likely migrant, as a
local would not fly that high; at 3:18 p.m. a visitor asked me what was
directly overhead and it was an adult GE, which I thought was the same one
we had seen 8 minutes ago over Lookout Mountain.
Non-migrant raptors:1. GE adult low over North Table Mountain soared high
and vaguely NW, eventually soaring West at 2:30 p.m..2. GE adult low over
North Table Mountain, flew along Clear Creek Valley going South at 2:56
p.m. numeral 3. Adult GE low over North Table Mountain flew Northward at
the same height, and ultimately dropped to hunt at 3:03 p.m. 4. GE adult
over North Table Mountain flew along Clear Creek Valley to the SW. 5. 5
minutes before I left, and adults and a juvenile BE were soaring overhead,
easily visible with the naked eye. They circled and kept gradually going
south.
As we were waiting at the traffic light at the corner of routes 58, 119 and
93 we saw an Astur accipiter fly just over us, going north.
Non-raptor Observations:
Stellers Jay 1, Common Raven 6, American Crow 12, Black-billed Magpie 3,
American Robin 1.
========================================================================
Report submitted by Ajit Antony (<aiantony...>)
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Observation start time: 09:00:00
Observation end time: 16:00:00
Total observation time: 6 hours
Official Counter: Audrey Anderson
Observers: Andrew Jensen, Archer Silverman, Derek Freed, Haley Caron,
Laura Campbell, Sage Church, Samantha Wilbur
Visitors:
There was a wonderful showing of volunteers on the ridge today! Thank you
all!
One of our weekend observers Laura Campbell began today! We are very
excited to have her skill set on the ridge. You can find Laura observing on
the Hawkwatch every Saturday..
Weather:
Overall clear day with light wind out of the E/NE. Light haze at the start
of the count which cleared up around noon. Great day with wonderful clear
overall flight lines.
Raptor Observations:
Today yielded a total of 14 migrants on the ridge! This is the best day so
far this season. The days prior to today were both slow due to weather,
yesterday being fogged in, so there was anticipation for all of those
hunkered down migrants to make a bit of a push. 9 RT with the final bird of
the day being a stunning adult dark morph making a close pass along the
ridge. Both immature and adult GE and BE were spotted migrating along the W
ridge. The adult FH was was spotted very far out along the western slope.
Other highlights included a RT migrating over two local RT relatively low
in the E, not even reacting to the locals, this bird had a few upper
primaries with white on the wings, a very interesting looking individual
that demonstrated clear migrant vs local RT behavior. Overall great day!
Non-raptor Observations:
Today we observed a nice N/NW movement of Mountain Bluebirds in the first 2
hours of the count along with 2 NE bound Pine Siskin. There was
considerable movement of crows and a few ravens in the afternoon directly
east of the ridge.
Predictions:
Tomorrow similar conditions are expected. Another possibility for a good
push of migrant action!
========================================================================
Report submitted by Official Counter (<j.f.peters58...>)
Dinosaur Ridge - Denver Field Ornithologists information may be found at:
www.dinosaurridgehawkwatch.org
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,
American White Pelican, and Dusky Grouse. 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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Date: 3/8/25 7:24 pm From: <reports...> Subject: [cobirds] Mount Zion Hawk Watch at Windy Saddle Park (08 Mar 2025) 9 Raptors
Mount Zion Hawk Watch at Windy Saddle Park
Golden, Greater Denver, Colorado, USA
This is a new raptor migration site identified and designated in mid-September 2024. This is Colorado's 1st fall hawk watch site and the state's second spring watch site.
Many raptors seen c. 1.5 miles to the West from Dinosaur Ridge, may be directly overhead at this site, we are hoping.
To get to the site which is along Lookout Mountain Rd. in Golden, enter either Windy Saddle Park or Mount Zion into Google Maps on your favorite navigation app, or enter the coordinates 39.7368,-105.2454. From the parking lot ascend the stone steps to the watch site.
Anyone is welcome to join us if they want to see the spectacle of spring raptor migration, whether they know nothing or know a lot regarding identifying raptor species.
Daily Raptor Counts: Mar 08, 2025
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Observation start time: 09:45:00
Observation end time: 17:00:00
Total observation time: 7.25 hours
Official Counter: Ajit Antony
Observers: Liza Antony
Visitors:
Kady Knauf from Texas, a welder, passing through Denver going for work
spent 0.5 hours with us. We were looking at a non-migrant GE with
binoculars, and he managed to find it in my scope! Great for a non-birder.
He was going to Salem, Oregon; so I recommended the very powerful classic
Ursula Le Guin short story 'The Ones Who Walk Away From Omelas (Salem
O(regon) reversed)).' We talked about his alliterative name, and I told him
about the character Major Major Major Major from Catch-22 - he took out a
notebook and made notes.
Since it was a weekend and a beautiful day, we had many visitors who asked
the usual questions, and with 4 of them who seemed particularly interested
I discussed raptors conserving energy using soaring in thermals so they
could remain stronger at their breeding grounds. I pointed out that the
petite woman had a big tall strong husband, whom she partly chose likely
for similar reasons as raptors do! I recommended the Merlin app to two
visitors who were curious about birds they saw, one of them downloaded it
immediately. I suggested hawkcount.org to those who seemed interested in
raptors and migration.
One gentleman wanted to know why the North end of North Table Mountain was
closed in spring, which bird were they protecting. Answer= Golden Eagle,
which also nests on South Table Mountain and the Tiers of Zion, a rock
climbing area just north of the watch.
Weather:
There was a fine dusting of snow over the north facing pine trees. There
were interesting longish ice crystals along the path. The higher peaks to
the West were solidly covered with snow.
Light winds from the NNE, changing to the West, slightly chilly but nice in
the bright sunshine, no cloud cover, initial decreased visibility to 6 km
increasing by the 4th hour to clear 39 km (DIA and Mount Blue Sky).
Raptor Observations:
The bird of the day was a juvenile calurus dark morph RT at 11:11 a.m.
which initially looked like a non-migrant flying south then rising and
eventually flying to the NNE taking us about 5 minutes to decide it was a
migrant. GE was an adult at 11:52 p.m..BE was a juvenile (1st year) at
12:52 p.m.
Non-migrant raptors: adult GE, juvenile BE, RT 6 over Lookout Mountain
including 2 very high which would disappear when they banked.
Most of the raptors flew along the Eastern flank of Lookout Mountain or
further east, only the first RT at 10:25 a.m. flew over the middle of and
high over the mountain, and the adult migrant GE flew along the western end
of the mountain directly overhead.
The Soaring Forecast predicted good thermal lift once the trigger
temperature of 40.5°F was reached, and it was predicted to happen at 10:45
a.m., when the lift would be 3 meter/sec up to a thermal height of 13,000
ft!
Some of the raptors which flew in the valley between us and South Table
Mountain to the East appeared to lose lift when flying over the golf
courses and houses.
Non-raptor Observations:
6 paragliders. In the 2-3 p.m. we could see two of them overhead quite high
with the unnaided eye, and a minute later we could not see the higher one
against the blue sky. The diameter of a paraglider is 26 to 39 ft, roughly
4 GE placed wingtip to wingtip, and thus would be difficult to see an
individual raptor way up high.
Townsends Solitaire 1, Black-capped Chickadee 1, Black-billed Magpie 2,
Common Raven 4, American Crow 74 including a flock of 40.
There was a strong 'noon lull' between 1:00 and 3:00 p.m. when we saw no
migrant raptors. It used to be thought that they were stopping for lunch,
but research in the 1970s by Gauthreaux et al using a portable radar showed
that they were flying much too high to be visible with optics at the nearby
hawk watch.
Predictions:
Light SW changing to NW winds.
========================================================================
Report submitted by Ajit Antony (<aiantony...>)
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Observation start time: 12:00:00
Observation end time: 16:00:00
Total observation time: 3 hours
Official Counter: Audrey Anderson
Observers: Laura Hollenbaugh, Sage Church
Visitors:
Thanks so much to our volunteer Laura Hollenbaugh for being flexible with
the delayed count and for sticking it out in such interesting conditions.
Looking forward to seeing you again on Tuesday when the weather is a bit
nicer!
Thank you to Sage Church for aiding in our chilly time on the ridge. Sage
is visiting from Virginia and is the head counter at Kiptopeke Hawkwatch,
VA in the fall. Exciting to have visiting hawkwatchers! Sage will be up on
the ridge on the 8th as well.
A total of 1 visitor today, they made quick conversion about one of the
migrant Red-tail before heading on their way.
Weather:
Today was an interesting day in terms of weather. The entire ridge was
fogged in until around noon when it finally began to lift in the E. The
count was delayed 3 hours and we finally began counting at 12:30 when
viability drastically increased. Fog was consistent throughout the count
period, hanging over the western slope, a few nice sight lines developed in
the E over Green Mountain. Little wind movement and flurries with low
temperatures till the end of the count.
Raptor Observations:
Most all of our raptor movement, both local and migrant, was right around
1:00pm, just after the fog finally lifted. Both the day’s migrants were
in a low fight line though the valley in the E, both adult RT.
Local activity included a few RT pairs and two GE. There was a nice close
interaction on the ridge of two Red-tail Hawks hounding a Golden Eagle.
Non-raptor Observations:
Not much activity up on the ridge today, but as soon as we got up to begin
the count there was a single Grey-crowned Rosy finch hopping along by the
Hawkwatch sign. The rosy finch action on the ridge continues 3 days so far
this season. Other species included 12 Canada Goose moving southbound.
Local Ravens were also seen making close laps around the ridge and
gathering nesting material.
Predictions:
Tomorrow should bring clear skies, temperatures around 0C, with the
majority of winds out of the N/NE. Potential for movement after everything
being hunkered down from the fog.
========================================================================
Report submitted by Official Counter (<j.f.peters58...>)
Dinosaur Ridge - Denver Field Ornithologists information may be found at:
www.dinosaurridgehawkwatch.org
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,
American White Pelican, and Dusky Grouse. 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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Date: 3/7/25 11:55 am From: Laura Klappenbach <lklappen...> Subject: [cobirds] Re: Birds in the San Luis Valley
Hello John,
Thank you for leading the Home Lake Guided Birding event for the MV Crane
Festival, very enjoyable! Here is the ebird checklist I recorded for the
walk, for anyone who might be interested: Home Lake eBird checklist -
3/7/2025 <https://ebird.org/checklist/S217070631>
Laura Klappenbach
On Tuesday, March 4, 2025 at 8:52:19 AM UTC-7 John Rawinski wrote:
> Wanted to update things about what I am seeing in the San Luis Valley
> yesterday and today. These may be places to check out on your visit to the
> Crane Festival this coming weekend.
>
> MVNWR Auto Tour Loop: 10,000 cranes roosting/resting here daily. They are
> feeding in places far from the turnouts. A scope will be helpful when they
> are feeding in grainfields. Canada, Cackling, and 8 Greater White-fronted
> Geese in the huge flocks on the refuge. Most ducks are in but still waiting
> for some.
>
> Home Lake: Most ducks and mergansers in. Canada, Cackling, and Snow Geese
> present. All open water.
>
> Smith Reservoir may be worth a look. It has about 3,000 cranes resting
> there daily.
>
> See you at the Festival!
>
> John Rawinski
> Monte Vista, CO
>
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Observation start time: 09:30:00
Observation end time: 15:30:00
Total observation time: 6 hours
Official Counter: Emma Riley, Audrey Anderson
Observers: Bill Young, Chip Dawes, Dave Erickson, Mariane Erickson,
Marianne Erickson, Natalie Uschner-Arroyo, Pam Schmidt
Visitors:
Thank you to everyone who came out today, we had a great day full of
volunteers, committee members, counters, and visitors.
28 visitors came to the ridge today including a pilot from New Hampshire!
He is flying himself (and others) home tonight.
Weather:
We had a foggy start to our morning this morning but the fog lifted and
revealed nice blue skies by the middle of the afternoon. We could see the
storm front and precipitation north of us for a lot of the day but stayed
dry. Winds picked up and temperatures dropped in the last 30 minutes.
Raptor Observations:
Raptor activity was a bit odd today with almost constant non-migrant
raptors active in the area, but no migrants counted. At one time we counted
6 Red-tailed Hawks up, some of them performing aerial displays throughout
the day. A Sharp-shinned Hawk was seen crossing the ridge W to E but then
turned S in the morning. We also saw a Northern Harrier presumably hunting
below Mt Morrison in the afternoon. Eagle activity was lower today than it
has been this week.
Late in the count day Audrey spotted a flock of at least 120 Grey-crowned
Rosy Finches moving North, providing a lot of excitement at the end of a
slow day. This is the second time this week we have seen these birds, and
the only records of them ever seen at Dinosaur Ridge!
Predictions:
Rain and snow are predicted overnight into tomorrow. We are hopeful that we
can get a full day of counting in as there is only an inch or two
predicted, but spring in Colorado is rarely predictable. Bring warm layers
and some good boots, and prepare for a beautiful snow covered ridge!
========================================================================
Report submitted by Official Counter (<j.f.peters58...>)
Dinosaur Ridge - Denver Field Ornithologists information may be found at:
www.dinosaurridgehawkwatch.org
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,
American White Pelican, and Dusky Grouse. 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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Observation start time: 09:30:00
Observation end time: 15:30:00
Total observation time: 6 hours
Official Counter: Emma Riley, Audrey Anderson
Observers: Amanda Baker, Cheryl Wilcox, Ryan Gannon
Visitors:
Thank you to Amanda Baker, Cheryl Wilcox, and Ryan Gannon for volunteering
your time today to help us spot migrants. We really enjoy getting to share
the magic of migration with you all!
Weather:
Temperatures were higher today than yesterday with lower wind speeds and
less cloud cover. Winds came from the SE for most of the day today. Some
clouds today were beautifully highlighted with rainbow light/reflections
around the edges when they were positioned underneath the sun!
Raptor Observations:
Today was our first day of the season getting to count everybody's
favorite, the Ferruginous Hawk! Dinosaur Ridge is known for our Ferruginous
Hawk migration and we are hopeful it is going to be a busy year for them
after seeing them en masse around the Front Range all winter. We had two FH
migrate today, the first coming nicely overhead giving us great looks.
Migrating RT today flew generally lower than the eagles and FH.
Local eagle activity has been very high already this season, with up to 3
BE seen at a time. Non-migratory GE, AK, and RT were also seen today. This
was our second day seeing a male AK sat on the power line stretching across
HWY 26.
Non-raptor Observations:
The Common Ravens continue to be seen barrel rolling and soaring around the
migration site, giving us both entertainment and a second of questioning
Raven vs Raptor. Other non-raptor highlights include a few vocal BBMA, a
flock of BUSH, both BCCH and MOCH, and WBNU. Mule Deer and Elk have been
seen on Green Mountain and near the Cabrini shrine in the last few days.
Predictions:
Tomorrow evening brings a large storm from the West with cold temperatures
and snow. The day is predicted to be partly cloudy with N/NNE winds,
potentially bringing a small push of migrants. It is always interesting to
see how birds respond to storms during migration, come join us!
========================================================================
Report submitted by Official Counter (<j.f.peters58...>)
Dinosaur Ridge - Denver Field Ornithologists information may be found at:
www.dinosaurridgehawkwatch.org
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,
American White Pelican, and Dusky Grouse. 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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Date: 3/5/25 5:47 pm From: <reports...> Subject: [cobirds] Mount Zion Hawk Watch at Windy Saddle Park (05 Mar 2025) 1 Raptors
Mount Zion Hawk Watch at Windy Saddle Park
Golden, Greater Denver, Colorado, USA
This is a new raptor migration site identified and designated in mid-September 2024. This is Colorado's 1st fall hawk watch site and the state's second spring watch site.
Many raptors seen c. 1.5 miles to the West from Dinosaur Ridge, may be directly overhead at this site, we are hoping.
To get to the site which is along Lookout Mountain Rd. in Golden, enter either Windy Saddle Park or Mount Zion into Google Maps on your favorite navigation app, or enter the coordinates 39.7368,-105.2454. From the parking lot ascend the stone steps to the watch site.
Anyone is welcome to join us if they want to see the spectacle of spring raptor migration, whether they know nothing or know a lot regarding identifying raptor species.
Daily Raptor Counts: Mar 05, 2025
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Observation start time: 10:00:00
Observation end time: 14:00:00
Total observation time: 4 hours
Official Counter: Ajit Antony
Observers:
Visitors:
One man told me he saw a hawk while hiking up the trail to the NE, which
indicated to me that he knew I was a hawk watcher. Others were curious and
asked what I was looking for, and I explained about raptor migration in
spring and fall. One of them was an avid watcher of nature programs on TV
but thought the raptors did not migrate. We had a long discussion as to
what raptors do for food in the far north when there are many feet of snow
on the ground. Migrate! One wanted to know if this was my job, and I
explained that I am retired but did this for decades while I was working in
NY. 2 Jeffco workers asked me in the parking lot whether I was looking for
bighorn sheep, when I explained, one said he had seen Golden Eagles there.
Weather:
Moderate winds from the ESE, Level 3-4, high humidity 70>64, visibility
19-39 km, cloud cover 0-25%.
Raptor Observations:
Only one migrant, an NH at 10:27 a.m. MSG at the Eastern end of Lookout
Mountain, found while I followed an SS over me going to the SE between the
two tall antenna.
Non-migratory RT 2-4. There was a strong ridge lift. I saw an RT on the
Eastern flank of Lookout Mountain just spread its wings and go straight up
in the air.
Non-raptor Observations:
Black-capped Chickadee 1, Western Bluebird 1 flying and calling,
Black-billed Magpie 4, Common Raven 2, American Crow 2.
Predictions:
Rain and snow.
========================================================================
Report submitted by Ajit Antony (<aiantony...>)
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Date: 3/4/25 7:00 pm From: 'BCO gal' via Colorado Birds <cobirds...> Subject: [cobirds] CFO Convention Registration Opens up Tuesday, March 11th
We're heading to the Grand Junction area for this year's CFO Convention! This event, in partnership with Grand Valley Audubon Society, takes place June 5th through 8th, and will be headquartered at the Grand Junction DoubleTree.
We have dozens of field trips to locations around the area including the Colorado National Monument, the Grand Mesa, Uncompahgre Plateau, a run into Utah, and yes, there is even a field trip that includes lunch and wine tasting.
But wait, there's more! How about an informative Science Session on Saturday afternoon, a fun Friday night social, a robust Exhibit Hall, and more.
Registration opens up on Tuesday, March 11th at 9:00 am MT. Field trips fill up fast, so register as soon as you can.
Visit our convention page that has extensive information including lodging, registration information, field trip descriptions, list of exhibitors, meals available, etc.
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Date: 3/4/25 7:52 am From: John Rawinski <johnrawinski0...> Subject: [cobirds] Birds in the San Luis Valley
Wanted to update things about what I am seeing in the San Luis Valley yesterday and today. These may be places to check out on your visit to the Crane Festival this coming weekend.
MVNWR Auto Tour Loop: 10,000 cranes roosting/resting here daily. They are feeding in places far from the turnouts. A scope will be helpful when they are feeding in grainfields. Canada, Cackling, and 8 Greater White-fronted Geese in the huge flocks on the refuge. Most ducks are in but still waiting for some.
Home Lake: Most ducks and mergansers in. Canada, Cackling, and Snow Geese present. All open water.
Smith Reservoir may be worth a look. It has about 3,000 cranes resting there daily.
See you at the Festival!
John Rawinski Monte Vista, CO
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Observation start time: 09:30:00
Observation end time: 15:30:00
Total observation time: 6 hours
Official Counter: Emma Riley
Observers: Amanda Baker, Ashli Farrar, Cayce Gulbransen ,
Chris Gulbransen , Clay Gibson, Eleanor Meng ,
Janet Peters, Michael Serruto
Visitors:
Thank you to all of the volunteers that came out today to help spot
migrants! We saw a total of 29 visitors on the ridge today, most of them in
the morning before temperatures dropped.
Weather:
This morning started out very pleasant with minimal cloud cover and some
nice spring sun. As the day went on the clouds rolled in, bringing lower
temperatures and some decent wind gusts. Winds started from the SE today,
shifting N as the storm front came in.
Raptor Observations:
Migration was minimal in the morning but the afternoon brought a few brave
birds. Most migrants were flying significantly higher than any of the local
birds. Some migrants were escorted by locals, some seemed to pass right by
them.
Local raptor activity was very high again today with 2 pairs of RT seen
throughout the day, as well as what one would describe as an
intermediate-morph RT. At least 2 local GE were also seen today, sometimes
at great heights.
Non-raptor Observations:
Passerine activity was low today with the lowered temps and pressure. Even
the Common Ravens were nowhere to be found for periods of the day. AMRO,
BCCH, BUSH, DEJU, WOSJ, BBMA, and AMCR were seen today as well.
Predictions:
Snow and high winds are predicted overnight along the front range. We are
not expecting much snow tomorrow so we are hopeful for a full day of
counting. Bring gloves and shoes you don't mind getting wet as the trail
will definitely be snowy and/or muddy.
========================================================================
Report submitted by Official Counter (<j.f.peters58...>)
Dinosaur Ridge - Denver Field Ornithologists information may be found at:
www.dinosaurridgehawkwatch.org
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,
American White Pelican, and Dusky Grouse. 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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Date: 3/3/25 1:51 pm From: <reports...> Subject: [cobirds] Mount Zion Hawk Watch at Windy Saddle Park (03 Mar 2025) 1 Raptors
Mount Zion Hawk Watch at Windy Saddle Park
Golden, Greater Denver, Colorado, USA
This is a new raptor migration site identified and designated in mid-September 2024. This is Colorado's 1st fall hawk watch site and the state's second spring watch site.
Many raptors seen c. 1.5 miles to the West from Dinosaur Ridge, may be directly overhead at this site, we are hoping.
To get to the site which is along Lookout Mountain Rd. in Golden, enter either Windy Saddle Park or Mount Zion into Google Maps on your favorite navigation app, or enter the coordinates 39.7368,-105.2454. From the parking lot ascend the stone steps to the watch site.
Anyone is welcome to join us if they want to see the spectacle of spring raptor migration, whether they know nothing or know a lot regarding identifying raptor species.
Daily Raptor Counts: Mar 03, 2025
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Observation start time: 09:30:00
Observation end time: 12:00:00
Total observation time: 2.5 hours
Official Counter: Ajit Antony
Observers:
Weather:
The forecast was for light S to SE to East winds becoming 18+ mph in the
afternoon.
There were Level 2 winds with frequent gusts to Level 3 from the ESE, then
ENE; initial limited visibility to 8 km increasing to 20 km with haziness.
Raptor Observations:
There was only one RT migrating at 11:29 a.m. and was seen at a great
distance but in line with the top of one of the antenna on Lookout
Mountain. It circled repeatedly, rising and eventually glided northward. It
looked like a dark morph, but when it turned , I could see that while its
coverts were dark but not black, its body was rufous - an intermediate
rufous morph.
Non-migrant Raptors: As I was about to leave, I heard a raven croak to the
NE, and looking there saw an adult Golden Eagle doing a steep roller
coaster flight, which I showed a young couple, who were thrilled. This GE
was probably doing a territorial flight toward the raven. It's courtship
flight is similar, but there was no other GE around.
Many RT sightings, some extremely high at the level of binocular
resolution, over Lookout Mountain, perhaps 6.
Non-raptor Observations:
2 paragliders. Mountain Mluebird 5, Mountain Chickadee 1, Common Raven 2,
American Crow 3.
Predictions:
Snow
========================================================================
Report submitted by Ajit Antony (<aiantony...>)
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please send email to <unsubscribe...> to unsubscribe.
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Observation start time: 09:00:00
Observation end time: 15:30:00
Total observation time: 6 hours
Official Counter: Emma Riley
Observers: Eileen Warner
Visitors:
Thanks so much to Eileen Warner for coming out this afternoon to help spot
migrants and enjoy the local raptor activity with me. We saw a total of 44
visitors on the ridge today, many of them coming to the Dakota Ridge Trail
due to Mathew/Winters Park is closed currently.
Weather:
We had another beautiful spring day on the ridge today with warm
temperatures and scattered clouds for most of the day. Clouds cleared
almost completely out in the afternoon. Winds shifted between SE and NE
today.
Raptor Observations:
4 RT were the only migrants seen today but we got great looks at a few of
them. Migrants stuck to an overhead/central line consistently today, while
local raptors could be seen everywhere all day long. RT, GE, BE, and CH
were all seen in the area today not migrating. The GE are the main subject
of harassment from smaller raptors and corvids nearby.
Non-raptor Observations:
Passerine activity is typical for early spring with BCCH, DEJU, WOSJ, and
CORA the main species seen today.
Predictions:
Temperatures drop tomorrow as Tuesday's stormfront approaches us. Winds are
expected to be out of the N tomorrow with moderate cloud cover. Conditions
could be good for a small push tomorrow if there are birds ready to move.
========================================================================
Report submitted by Official Counter (<j.f.peters58...>)
Dinosaur Ridge - Denver Field Ornithologists information may be found at:
www.dinosaurridgehawkwatch.org
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,
American White Pelican, and Dusky Grouse. 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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Date: 3/2/25 4:36 pm From: Pauli Driver-Smith <hollyhockfarms...> Subject: Re: [cobirds] prognosticators of Spring
I've had a flock of about 30 juvenile and adult male blackbirds at my feeders all winter. Apparently, they decided not to migrate south this year. The females, on the other hand, appear to have a few more "smarts" as none have been spotted since last fall. 🙂
Highlandlake/Mead, Weld County
________________________________
From: <cobirds...> <cobirds...> on behalf of David Matson <wrenpt...>
Sent: Friday, February 28, 2025 7:38 AM
To: <cobirds...> <cobirds...>
Subject: [cobirds] prognosticators of Spring
Dear Fellow Birders:
Red-winged Blackbirds are at our feeding station, a certain indication of Spring.
That they are there with the Rosy-Finches and new snow is on the ground indicates--to us--that we have peaks and valleys in the weather ahead.
David Matson
<wrenpt...><mailto:<wrenpt...> Huerfano County
--
David O. Matson
La Veta, Colorado
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Date: 3/2/25 3:49 pm From: <reports...> Subject: [cobirds] Mount Zion Hawk Watch at Windy Saddle Park (02 Mar 2025) 3 Raptors
Mount Zion Hawk Watch at Windy Saddle Park
Golden, Greater Denver, Colorado, USA
This is a new raptor migration site identified and designated in mid-September 2024. This is Colorado's 1st fall hawk watch site and the state's second spring watch site.
Many raptors seen c. 1.5 miles to the West from Dinosaur Ridge, may be directly overhead at this site, we are hoping.
To get to the site which is along Lookout Mountain Rd. in Golden, enter either Windy Saddle Park or Mount Zion into Google Maps on your favorite navigation app, or enter the coordinates 39.7368,-105.2454. From the parking lot ascend the stone steps to the watch site.
Anyone is welcome to join us if they want to see the spectacle of spring raptor migration, whether they know nothing or know a lot regarding identifying raptor species.
Daily Raptor Counts: Mar 02, 2025
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Observation start time: 09:00:00
Observation end time: 13:00:00
Total observation time: 4 hours
Official Counter: Ajit Antony
Observers: Liza Antony
Visitors:
Someone called out my first name, and it was Joe who walks here regularly.
I told him I was surprised that he took the trouble to remember my name,
and pronounce it correctly, and he said he comes up here frequently and
didn't want to be a stranger. A couple asked whether we had started
counting, and were under the impression that we count once a week. I told
him we would be counting daily or almost daily, and told him about
hawkcount.org, which his wife entered into her smartphone, and which
another woman nearby said she would look into.
A man told me that traffic was stopped on Lookout Mountain as everyone is
looking at a nearby Bald Eagle, he was amazed at its size, and was even
more amazed when I told him it had a 6 ft wingspan.
Weather:
The forecast was for light NNW winds at 9:00 a.m. changing to North in the
next hour, and NE thereafter, but at the watch it came from the SE at Level
2 with gusts to Level 3. I remembered the adage "Be careful what you wish
for...," and yesterday I had wished for more clouds to be able to see
migrants, well we had heavy 75% clouds in the form of long streamers from
west to east, which was a double-edged sword in that we would be able to
see any migrants but would they fly with the absence of thermals with the
clouds blotting out the sun? By 10:30 a.m. the clouds thinned and the sun
came out after which we had our few migrants.
It was odd that though the wind was north-based, the high clouds moved from
west to east! Earth.nullschool.net showed the winds as predicted.
Raptor Observations:
The first migrant was at 10:45 a.m., came over Lookout Mountain, I
initially thought it was a Golden Eagle because of a wide wingspan, and
dark body, but when it banked, its back was a warm brown and we could see a
red tail, so it was our first dark morph migrant raptor of the season. I
had had an intermediate (rufous) morph calurus on 2/21/25, but it was a not
migrating.
A juvenile RT which had probably spent the night on Lookout Mountain took
off, and was immediately harassed by two crows, it flew over South Table
Mountain, rose, then glided Northward.
An adult BE flew South, dropping to the trees on the north face of Lookout
Mountain, where I was puzzled as to what it was doing there, but
predictably it kept rising and near the top was chased by Heckle and
Jeckle, which evaded, kept going south.
Non-raptor Observations:
There was a beautiful prolonged 22° halo around the sun, with visitors
calling it was a sun dog. With my penchant for accuracy, I told them what
it was, and caused by millions of ice crystals in the air.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/22%C2%B0_halo Mountain Bluebird 3 , Mountain Chickadee 1, American Robin 1, Common Raven
6, American Crow 5.
Predictions:
Light SE, becoming East and 20 mph winds by 2:00 p.m.
========================================================================
Report submitted by Ajit Antony (<aiantony...>)
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Date: 3/2/25 7:25 am From: Bill Kosar <bill_kosar...> Subject: [cobirds] New restrcitions on Air Force Academy Access
There seem to be some new restrictions on AFA access which may affect people who want to bird there. I think some folks have been doing this in the past so if you plan to do it you may want to contact the AFA before going.
This was published in the Colorado Springs Gazette on 3/1/25:
*The U.S. Air Force Academy is now requiring visitors to obtain a base pass with a Department of Defense identification card holder as a sponsor. The Academy has previously been open to visitors with photo identification. The change started on Saturday. *
*Visitors must request a pass from the Pass and Registration Office at the South Gate with a DoD ID card sponsor, according to a news release.The passes are required to attend athletics events and receive base services, it said. The requirement is temporary, but no end date was included in the statement. Academy Spokesman Jeff Troth said no specific event preceded the change in base security policy. This new requirement also affects students and drop-off/pick-up at the Air Academy High School and Douglass Valley Elementary School, both of which are located on base grounds. All individuals 18 years or older, including parents, guardians, students and staff will require a base pass, a Defense Biometric Identification System card or DoD identification to access Air Force Academy grounds. Those picking up or dropping off students can provide any of the above three options to gain entry. All students under the age of 18 riding as passengers, not driving, only need to present their student ID. However, a Defense Biometric Identification System card or DoD identification must be obtained if the student is over 18. Student drivers under 18 are required to present their student ID and valid driver's license to access base grounds. If over 18, proper identification is necessary. Students enrolled in ancillary programs like ROTC at the high school will still have access to these programs, as long as they meet the same identification requirements as other students. Individuals who take an Academy School District 20 bus to or from the grounds may see some delays at the entry gates, but officials say they will likely not need to provide identification.All upcoming athletics and activities taking place at Air Academy High School are currently being relocated to other sites, officials say. Visitors should expect delays at the gates because of the changes, Troth said. The Santa Fe Trail through the base is also closed. Peterson and Schriever Space Force bases recently suspended their Trusted Traveler Program out of an abundance of caution following the terrorist attack in New Orleans. Previously, guests could visit the bases with a DOD ID cardholder without getting a base pass.*
* The info on th Academy's website and in this article are somewhat inconsistent as I read them so it would be best to call ahead to the AFA if you want to bird there.*
Bill Kosar
Elpaso county
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