Observation start time: 09:00:00
Observation end time: 17:00:00
Total observation time: 8 hours
Official Counter: Soren Zappia
Observers:
Visitors:
6 visitors. A few mountain bikers, runners, and hikers used the ridge as a
spot to rest and admire the view.
Thank you to Tom Booth for his help at the watch today!
Weather:
The ridge was moderately windy with sustained WNW winds at 4 bft for most
of the day, with gusts of 5-6 bft. Skies were near overcast with some
broken clouds low on the west. Temperatures were moderate throughout the
day.
In the mid-afternoon, the wind calmed to near 1 bft for a period of around
an hour, before returning to its original strength. The skies became
brighter in the afternoon as the sun entered thinner cloud cover.
Raptor Observations:
Overall, the WNW winds appeared to keep migrant activity slow, although the
local RTs were out hunting and often kiting into the wind, and a pair of
GEs was displaying over mount Morrison. The ratio of activity on the east
vs west side was generally higher on the east compared to prior days. Both
migrant RTs were seen following Green Mountain before gaining height and
gliding north, one in the late morning and the other in the afternoon.
In an otherwise quiet hour, a Prairie Falcon barreled past on the west just
above eye level, navigating the wind gusts with ease. A few hours later, a
Cooper's Hawk took a similar path, but struggled with the wind more than
the PR.
We also saw two White-throated Swifts, which was an early surprise, and two
weeks earlier than our first sighting last year!
Non-raptor Observations:
White-throated Swift 2, Feral Pigeon 2, Black-billed Magpie 1, American
Crow 11, Common Raven 4, American Bushtit 2, Mountain Bluebird 26, Western
Bluebird 13, Townsend's Solitaire 1, American Robin 9, House Finch 2,
Dark-eyed Junco 2, Dark-eyed Junco (Slate-colored) 1, Spotted Towhee 2
Predictions:
Tomorrow, strong winds are predicted from the W and SW, starting around
10-15 MPH but increasing to 25-35 MPH in afternoon with possible gusts over
40 MPH. Expect partly cloudy skies with cooler temperatures (50s F) in the
morning and warm temperatures in the afternoon.
We anticipate a shortened count day due to high wind in the afternoon.
Bring layers, stay hydrated, and avoid the ridge if wind speeds become
hazardous. Trails should remain dry.
========================================================================
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, and
American White Pelican. 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)
--
--
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Colorado Birds" group.
To post to this group, send email to <cobirds...>
For more options, visit this group at
http://groups.google.com/group/cobirds * All posts should be signed with the poster's full name and city. Include bird species and location in the subject line when appropriate.
* Join Colorado Field Ornithologists https://cobirds.org/membership/ ---
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Colorado Birds" group.
To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to cobirds+<unsubscribe...>
To view this discussion visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/cobirds/<0101019cea75c9ac-69939ba1-275c-451e-9cd5-6edc6bd8f3b0-000000...>
