Observation start time: 08:30:00 Observation end time: 15:15:00 Total observation time: 6.75 hours
Official Counter: Emma Riley, Soren Zappia , Soren Zappia
Observers:
Visitors: 17 Visitors. It was fun to watch the mountain bikers come up the trail in the high winds today. We also met a hiker celebrating his birthday.
Thank you to Kathie Moses and Cayce and Chris Gulbransen for volunteering today! We appreciate you both for your spotting and for your company.
Weather: It was a warm and windy day today. Winds were light to moderate, generally from the west, for most of the morning. Humidity was very low throughout the day, reaching 6% RH at one point.
Temperatures peaked in the mid 80s in mid-afternoon, before the cloud cover returned and west winds intensified. The wind continued to pick up until the count was ended at 15:15 MST due to high winds.
Raptor Observations: It was a surprisingly slow day for migration with only 6 birds seen on the total count. Our first bird was a Sharp-shinned Hawk was seen in the first half hour struggling in the winds. Most birds today were overhead, including two juvenile Red-tailed Hawks and a Cooper's Hawk, but we also had a distant American Kestrel to the west and one on the east.
Local RTs were kiting in the wind for most of the day - we watched a local RT attempted to fend off a raven while carrying a large snake. There was a lot of swift and swallow activity today, even in high winds. A few Steller's Jays and a sapsucker flew past quickly in the early am.
Non-raptor Observations: White-throated Swift 10, Broad-tailed Hummingbird 3, Mourning Dove 1, Double-crested Cormorant 1, Red-naped Sapsucker 1, Steller's Jay 2, Woodhouse's Scrub Jay 6, American Crow 1, Common Raven 2, Violet-green Swallow 45, Barn Swallow 2, swalow sp. 50, Rock Wren 1, Blue-grey Gnatcatcher 1, American Robin 1, House Finch 2, American Goldfinch 1, Pine Siskin 1, White-crowned Sparrow 1, Spotted Towhee 1, Western Meadowlark 2
Predictions: Tomorrow, expect cooler temperatures in the 50s F with sun in the morning and increasing clouds in the afternoon. Winds are forecasted west from 15-20 mph with possible gusts of over 30 MPH. ======================================================================== 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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