Observation start time: 09:00:00 Observation end time: 17:00:00 Total observation time: 8 hours
Official Counter: Emma Riley, Soren Zappia
Observers: Marina Prado-Echeagaray
Visitors: 11 Visitors. We a good number of visitors to the hawkwatch today. It was great to have so many folks excited to watch the spring migration, and we are all looking forward to Raptorthon next weekend.
Thank you to Cassandra Baird, Ric Olson, and Caroline Fegley for their help today - especially on days like these with high birds!
Weather: It was beautiful at the ridge today with light and variable winds, often from the east but shifting west in the final hour. Cloud cover was light but comprehensive in the morning, with scattered denser clouds. Midday, the light cloud cover dissolved but the scattered clouds remained. In the final few hours of the count, the cloud cover became more extensive, similar to the morning. Temperatures were moderate to warm in the low 70s to low 80s F.
Raptor Observations: We had a few birds migrate today, at a relatively steady pace throughout the day until the final 2 hours of the count. Turkey Vultures were abundant, but only a few went north, and many were content to wander up and down the west ridge. Red-tailed Hawks were our most numerous migrants of the day.
Besides a few low American Kestrels, most birds were high overhead or high on the west. We had another Ferruginous Hawk today, for our third day in a row! After the long period without them, we are curious how many more we will see.
Outside of raptors, we saw another Broad-tailed Hummingbird zoom past the ridge. Another notable sighting was a pair of Western Milksnakes in the grass nearby.
Non-raptor Observations: White-throated Swift 4, Broad-tailed Hummingbird 1, Feral Pigeon 1, American White Pelican 7, Northern Flicker 1, Woodhouse's Scrub Jay 3, Black-billed Magpie 2, Common Raven 3, swalow sp. 4, American Bushtit 1, House Finch 1, Pine Siskin 1, Dark-eyed Junco 1, Spotted Towhee 1, Western Meadowlark 1
Predictions: Tomorrow, mostly sunny skies are forecasted, with moderate winds from the west and southwest and temperatures in the 60s F.
Note that a rattlesnake was seen today - be sure to watch for them when hiking on the trail. ======================================================================== 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)
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