Observation start time: 08:30:00 Observation end time: 17:15:00 Total observation time: 8.75 hours
Official Counter: Emma Riley, Soren Zappia , Soren Zappia
Observers:
Visitors: 3 visitors. Although visitors were few in numbers today, we enjoyed spending time watching the birds with them.
Thank you also to Derek Freed and Chip Dawes for volunteering today! Today was truly a team effort with the distant high birds.
Weather: It was a hot and sunny day. Temperatures quickly rose to the low 80s F where it remained for the rest of the day. In the morning, clouds were few but by the late afternoon there was a thin wispy cloud layer in addition to scattered denser clouds.
After a brief hour or so of light west wind, winds were light to moderate from the southeast, at their most intense during midday and early afternoon. During the final hour of the count, wind occasionally gusted from the west before switching back to east.
Raptor Observations: Raptors definitely took advantage of the sun and warm temperatures today, and even local birds were high up within less than an hour of the count start.
Most Broad-winged Hawks today were seen in the first full hour of the count quite distantly, but we had one later glide overhead relatively close midday as well. Sharp-shinned Hawks made up the majority of the accipitrines we saw today, moving throughout the day. A few Swainson's Hawks, including a dark morph, were seen in the afternoon. Unlike prior days, only a few migrating American Kestrels were seen towards the end of the count.
Outside of raptors, we had two small groups of Franklin's gulls overhead - one group so close that you could see their pinkish tinge!
Non-raptor Observations: Canada Goose 2, White-throated Swift 3, Broad-tailed Hummingbird 3, Mourning Dove 3, Franklin's Gull 40, Double-crested Cormorant 1, American White Pelican 4, Say's Phoebe 1, Blue Jay 2, Woodhouse's Scrub Jay 1, Black-billed Magpie 1, American Crow 2, Common Raven 2, Black-capped Chickadee 1, Tree Swallow 3, Violet-green Swallow 1, swalow sp. 1, American Bushtit 3, Rock Wren 1, Blue-grey Gnatcatcher 1, Red-breasted Nuthatch 1, House Finch 3, American Goldfinch 1, Spotted Towhee 1, Western Meadowlark 1, Red-winged Blackbird 2
Predictions: Tomorrow, we expect similar high temperatures and sun. Winds from the southwest are predicted, light to moderate in the morning but stronger in the afternoon, with possible wind gusts of 30+ MPH. Make sure to bring lots of water and sunscreen! ======================================================================== 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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