Observation start time: 08:45:00 Observation end time: 18:30:00 Total observation time: 9.75 hours
Official Counter: Emma Riley
Observers:
Visitors: We had 6 visitors stop at the hawk watch today.
Thank you to Clay Gibson, Marirosa Donisi, Mike Britten, and Mike Serruto for helping spot and count migrants today!
Weather: It was a hot spring day with temperatures reaching 27 degrees celsius. We had nice cloud cover in the morning but that dissipated for most of the afternoon before clouds moved back in for the late afternoon. Winds varied throughout the morning before settling from the E for the rest of the day. Humidity got as low as 9% today.
Raptor Observations: We had another fun day of migration today that started out with some high and distant Broad-winged Hawks before we got a few close BW nearby. Migrants took the common west line again today with most of them being high. Cooper's Hawks and Red-tailed Hawks came through in nice numbers in the late afternoon, before the American Kestrels stole the show. The Kestrels took the distant W line again for the second night in a row, but still had us counting until 1830 MST.
Non-raptor highlights include our FOY Blue-gray Gnatcatcher and Chipping Sparrow, and a nice presence of Double-crested Cormorants late in the day. Swallows and Swifts could be seen across the sky for most of the day.
Non-raptor Observations: White-throated Swift 35, Broad-tailed Hummingbird 1, Mourning Dove 3, Double-crested Cormorant 12, American Crow 1, Common Raven 1, Black-capped Chickadee 1, Tree Swallow 2, Violet-green Swallow 26, Rock Wren 1, Blue-grey Gnatcatcher 1, House Finch 5, Chipping Sparrow 1, Spotted Towhee 2, Western Meadowlark 1, Yellow-rumped Warbler (Myrtle) 2, swallow sp. 14
Predictions: Conditions are predicted to be similar to today with higher temperatures. ======================================================================== 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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