Observation start time: 06:15:00 Observation end time: 17:00:00 Total observation time: 10.75 hours
Official Counter: Soren Zappia
Observers:
Visitors: 15 visitors. We had some new visitors today as well as a few regulars! Thank you to Andrew Jensen for volunteering today and keeping an eye on all those Cooper's Hawks.
Weather: It was a cloudy day today with complete cover for the duration of the day. In the morning, the cloud cover was thick, but it became thinner in areas as the day progressed. Temperatures were in the 50s F in the early morning (pre 9 MST) but were in the 60s to low 70s F for the duration of the regular count hours. Winds were light and variable but mostly from the southwest.
Around 4:00 MST, there was a brief period of intense NW winds likely associated with a passing front, sustained at 5 bft and seeming to gust at 8+ bft. After about 5 minutes, winds returned to calm at 1 bft.
Raptor Observations: It was a steady May day, with lots of songbirds and a few raptors on the move.
We counted two Broad-winged Hawks in the morning, within a few minutes of each other. One came directly overhead while the other took a low line on the west. A few Red-tailed Hawks, especially juveniles, came throughout the day. In the afternoon we also saw a high Swainson's Hawk. Bird activity was quiet in the final few hours of the count.
Local Cooper's Hawks were quite active, and we saw a juvenile in the early am roaming around as well as two adults. We had a few migrant Cooper's Hawks as well, but no Sharp-shinned Hawks today.
Songbird migration was busy in the late morning, with fifty Yellow-rumped Warblers, a few small groups of Blue Jays, and Chipping Sparrows as the most common migrants. A Ruby-crowned Kinglet was spotted in a tree on the ridge.
Non-raptor Observations: White-throated Swift 50, hummingbird sp 1, Broad-tailed Hummingbird 2, Mourning Dove 2, Double-crested Cormorant 2, Northern Flicker 1, Say's Phoebe 1, Blue Jay 8, Woodhouse's Scrub Jay 1, Black-billed Magpie 2, Common Raven 3, Violet-green Swallow 45, Northern Rough-winged Swallow 1, Cliff Swallow 1, swalow sp. 5, Ruby-crowned Kinglet 1, Rock Wren 1, House Wren 1, Blue-grey Gnatcatcher 3, Red-breasted Nuthatch 1, European Starling 3, Mountain Bluebird 1, House Finch 2, American Goldfinch 1, Pine Siskin 7, Chipping Sparrow 20, Spotted Towhee 3, Western Meadowlark 2, blackbird sp. 6, Common Grackle 4, Yellow-rumped Warbler 37, Yellow-rumped Warbler (Audubon's) 8, Yellow-rumped Warbler (Myrtle) 5, passerine sp. 1, warbler sp. 4
Predictions: Tomorrow, thunderstorms are predicted in the afternoon, but the morning forecast is partly cloudy with light to moderate winds from the northwest.
A baby rattlesnake was spotted just off of the Hawkwatch platform. Take care when hiking up the trails. ======================================================================== 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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