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, Ric Olson
Visitors:
Thank you to Janet Peters, Ric Olson, and intern Haley Caron for your time
spent on the ridge today! Haley was our Jefferson County High School intern
for the 2025 count season. She plans on returning next year as a volunteer.
Thank you Haley for all of your time dedicated to the site this spring!
19 people stopped by the ridge today. Many of them were out hiking this
trail for the first time.
We would like to extend a massive thank you to everyone who spent time on
the ridge with us this season. We had a full staff this year made up of two
counters, two weekend observers, and an intern. We also had a fantastic
volunteer crew this season that dedicated hundreds of hours to this
project- both on and off the ridge. Raptor migration is a spectacle that
not many know can be seen just off of I-70. To have this site growing again
year by year, in both bird counts and people, is a true testament to what
can be accomplished when you put passion, time, and resources into a
project. Thank you all and we will see you on the ridge next spring.
Weather:
It was a hot and sunny day on the ridge with little to no cloud cover all
day. Winds were light from the E/ENE. Temperatures reached 23+ celsius.
Raptor Observations:
It was our final day of the 2025 count season today! Migration has very
obviously come to a halt at this site since May started, even more so than
in previous years. Today was no exception with a handful of migrants all
day. Highlights from the day include two Swainson's Hawks that came
overhead before one continued N and the other flew SE. Our final migrant of
the 2025 season was an Osprey.
A total of 3144 migrating raptors were counted at the Dinosaur Ridge Hawk
Watch this spring season of 2025.
We have been saying it for weeks now, but what an incredible season we have
had. We will be putting out an end-of-year report in the coming month that
goes into more detail on our count efforts and results. For now, enjoy this
non-comprehensive list of high counts on the season!
- Highest season count since 2002 (3456).
- Highest Broad-winged Hawk count at this site ever!! 274 birds this spring
vs the previous high record of 207 in 1997.
- Fourth highest American Kestrel count in site history with 952 migrants
counted this spring.
- Highest Osprey, Northern Harrier, Sharp-shinned Hawk, and Cooper's Hawk
season totals since the early 2000s.
Other season highlights include:
- 2 Rough-legged Hawks counted this season. These birds make #5 and #6
counted at Dinosaur Ridge since DFO took over management of the site.
- Our second ever Short-eared Owl counted at the ridge by Audrey Anderson.
We also had a number of first records for non-raptor species this year,
including: Grey-crowned Rosy-Finch, Snow Goose, Common Merganser, Evening
Grosbeak, and Long-billed Curlew.
It is also worth noting that there has only been one other season in site
history that had more observation hours than this season, and that was in
1997.
It's been an absolute joy to experience the migration at Dinosaur Ridge
this spring, and we are already looking forward to the next!
Non-raptor Observations:
Today was World Migratory Bird Day and Global Big Day, and our passerines
got the memo! We had our FOY Green-tailed Towhee and Orange-crowned Warbler
today, as well as the second Lesser Goldfinch, Virginia's Warbler, and
Lazuli Bunting of the spring. A few Yellow-rumped Warblers were moving N
during the day, but not much else.
Another Prairie Rattlesnake was seen today, this time further down the
trail from the count site. Luckily this snake was stretched fully across
the trail, making itself very obvious to us.
Mallard 2, White-throated Swift 1, Broad-tailed Hummingbird 3, Western
Kingbird 2, Blue Jay 4, Woodhouse's Scrub Jay 2, Black-billed Magpie 2,
Common Raven 2, Black-capped Chickadee 1, Tree Swallow 1, Violet-green
Swallow 9, Barn Swallow 2, Blue-grey Gnatcatcher 2, European Starling 2,
American Robin 2, House Finch 2, Lesser Goldfinch 1, Green-tailed Towhee 1,
Spotted Towhee 4, Western Meadowlark 1, Orange-crowned Warbler 1,
Virginia's Warbler 1, Yellow-rumped Warbler (Audubon's) 2, Yellow-rumped
Warbler (Myrtle) 3, Lazuli Bunting 1
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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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