Observation start time: 08:30:00
Observation end time: 16:00:00
Total observation time: 7.5 hours
Official Counter: Ajit Antony
Observers:
Visitors:
Al Welby, an experienced birdwatcher and hawk watcher from CT close to the
border with New York state helped me for 2 hours. I asked him how he knew
to come here , and he had read our reports this fall on Hawkcount. He was
good company, and we talked about hawk watches we both knew of and had
visited such as Cape May NJ, Lighthouse Point and Quaker Ridge in CT,
Franklin Mountain in Oneonta NY for GE; Raccoon Ridge NJ which is downridge
from where I used to count at the I-84 Overlook hawk watch. We had both
seen the same gray phase gyrfalcon in February 2015 next to the Shawangunk
Grasslands NWR in NY, he a day after I did.
Weather:
The surface forecast was for light winds from the W changing to ENE, with a
cloud cover of 10% increasing to 65%, but at the watch the cloud cover was
65% mainly high cirrus, almost featureless with a ground glass appearance
excellent for finding hawks against, with plenty of filtered sunshine
hitting the ground, and light winds from the SSW all day. The temperature
ranged from 20>29>24 F, low humidity 20>9%, clear visibility to 24 km. The
forecast for the winds aloft was only 3 km/hr from the WNW, while the
soaring forecast was good with a maximum rate of lift of 4m/sec, and
predicted maximum height of thermals was 9291 feet above ground level.
Raptor Observations:
Exploratory fall count 2025.
See: https://groups.google.com/g/cobirds/c/Oznn4uc6MBk By 9:40 AM MDT there were 2 RT aloft but it took until 11:23 AM for the
first migrant CH with an AK seen over the Apex homes to the NW and 2
binocular fields high. At 11:43 I was pointing out a TV to Al, and when he
looked with binoculars he said he saw two other birds which turned out to
be RT with two smaller buteos which he thought were broadwings, which I was
able to confirm as adults by finding their banded tails and black outlining
the trailing edges of their wings. In the 1 o'clock hour MDT migrants were
high as 4 binocular fields above the ridge to the West! At 1:26 PM an adult
GE migrated at 2 binocular fields higher than the ridge.
Today was one of the few days without a chance of afternoon thunderstorms,
so I decided to stay later to see what happens late afternoon when the
height of the thermals decrease, would migrants show up lower, and a CH
could be just seen at the extent of unaided vision at 3:59 PM, though after
I had found it by binocular scanning. At 4:30 PM I saw a male AK a little
above eye-level circle higher and higher in a thermal with hardly any
flapping until it was not visible to my eyes, visible with binoculars! The
sun is so 'hot' in Denver because of the mile high elevation that thermals
persist until the past 5:00 PM.
Non migrant raptors: A CH missing a right first rectrix and with a molting
left primary, circling extremely high; another CH without molt 3 hours
later also circling very high. RT 2. TV 4.
Non-raptor Observations:
White-throated Swift 5, Violet-green Swallow 2, Blue Jay 1, Black-capped
Chickadee 1, Common Raven 2. Monarch butterfly 2, 3 paragliders.
Predictions:
Tomorrow has NW winds aloft at 7 km/hr, and Sunday has WNW winds aloft at
10 km/hr, both not associated with good flights at this location this year,
so I'll probably take a day off tomorrow, and maybe Sunday as well.
========================================================================
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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