Observation start time: 09:00:00 Observation end time: 17:00:00 Total observation time: 8 hours
Official Counter: Soren Zappia
Observers: Laura Farnsworth
Visitors: 3 visitors. It was a surprisingly quiet day for visitors, but a few stopped by and asked about how the season was going.
Thank you to Ryan Gannon for volunteering today!
Weather: It started as a cool and cloudy day, and the remainder of yesterday's snow disappeared as the day passed. Temperatures were in the 50s to high 60s F. The wind was initially gusting from the west, at a sustained speed of 3 bft with gusts of 4-5 bft, but after about a half hour the wind died down and was light and variable for the remainder of the day. Cloud cover was extensive, but thickness varied at points during the afternoon allowing the sun to shine through intermittently.
Raptor Observations: It was a good day for some late accipitrine movement, especially of juvenile Sharp-shinned Hawks. Birds were generally on a low overhead line or just off the side of the ridge with very few birds, local or migrant, observed on the west ridges or Green Mountain.
In the early afternoon, an adult Broad-winged Hawk passed overhead, and later we saw a juvenile Swainson's hawk take the same line. Both Cooper's Hawks and Sharp-shinned Hawks flew past low at various points, and a few were below eye level.
Local activity was surprisingly quiet with the local TVs and RTs making a few rare appearances. Mountain Bluebirds and few Western Bluebirds were observed flying west back to the mountains after yesterday's snow. A male Lazuli Bunting, the first seen at the ridge this year, was singing from a snag.
Non-raptor Observations: White-throated Swift 59, Broad-tailed Hummingbird 1, Mourning Dove 1, Double-crested Cormorant 1, American White Pelican 25, Northern Flicker 1, Say's Phoebe 1, Blue Jay 1, Woodhouse's Scrub Jay 1, Magpie 1, Black-billed Magpie 2, Common Raven 2, Tree Swallow 3, Violet-green Swallow 146, Barn Swallow 2, swalow sp. 3, American Bushtit 2, Rock Wren 1, Mountain Bluebird 13, Western Bluebird 4, American Robin 1, House Finch 1, Pine Siskin 2, Chipping Sparrow 3, Spotted Towhee 2, Western Meadowlark 1, Yellow-rumped Warbler 2, Yellow-rumped Warbler (Audubon's) 4, Lazuli Bunting 1
Predictions: Tomorrow, we expect sun and temperatures in the mid 50s-mid 60s F and winds from the E and ENE. A few clouds may be present in the afternoon.
The trail was a bit muddy today and may be tomorrow as well. ======================================================================== 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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