Date: 8/26/26 7:56 pm From: <reports...> Subject: [cobirds] Mount Zion Hawk Watch at Windy Saddle Park (26 Aug 2026) 36 Raptors
Mount Zion Hawk Watch at Windy Saddle Park
Golden, Greater Denver, Colorado, USA
This is a new raptor migration site identified and designated in mid-September 2024. This is Colorado's 1st fall hawk watch site, and the second hawk watch in Colorado.
To get to the site which is along Lookout Mountain Rd. in Golden, enter either Windy Saddle Park or Mount Zion into Google Maps on your favorite navigation app, or enter the coordinates 39.7368,-105.2454. From the parking lot ascend the stone steps to the watch site.
EVERYONE IS WELCOME TO THE HAWK WATCH TO ENJOY THE SPECTACLE OF RAPTOR MIGRATION, EVEN IF YOU KNOW NOTHING ABOUT IDENTIFYING RAPTORS IN FLIGHT. We will help you to learn Raptor ID.
See https://groups.google.com/g/cobirds/c/Oznn4uc6MBk
Daily Raptor Counts: Aug 26, 2026
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Observation start time: 07:45:00
Observation end time: 13:00:00
Total observation time: 5.25 hours
Official Counter: Ajit Antony
Observers:
Visitors:
An older hiker talked with me about what I was doing. He saw a bird on a
juniper and asked whether it was a cowbird. It was a Western Bluebird. He
said he had the Merlin app when I told him about it, but he was never able
to take any pictures to send for ID. I told him about the sound ID feature
of the app and told him how to access it. He asked about DFO, though he
mangled the letters. I told him that DFO has 3-5 bird trips a week, and
beginners were welcome.
A couple Jen and Craig came by and talked raptor migration with me for a
long time who had " chanced on" the Pack Monadnock Hawk Watch in NH, and it
also been to Cape May in fall. I told them about Hawkcount where they can
see for example the huge numbers of Mississippi Kite going past Veracruz. I
was able to show them a easily visible close CH.
Weather:
Much more smoke from wildfires over Denver compared to the last few days.
Light winds from the NNW>NE, no cloud cover initially but gradually
increasing, and by 10:00 a.m. DST they were many small puffy clouds topping
thermals between SW and S which became larger and came eastward. At 1:45
p.m. DST there was a light drizzle, the rain and thunderstorms which were
expected at 3:00 p.m. so I left.
Raptor Observations:
The best day this season. I wonder whether it was because of the
north-based winds aloft. As soon as I got to the watch and before I even
unpacked, I could see a bird against the conifers of the North face of
Lookout Mountain which turned out to be an adult male NH in some molt. The
single Swainson's Hawk had a faint pinkish hue to its tail backlit when
seen from below, and I initially thought FH, but it had no flashes on its
wings, nor did it have any white scapulars, but it had dark flight feathers
dorsally compared to the coverts. I also saw an Osprey which came up out of
Clear Creek Canyon to just to the north, flew a little higher than eye
level, made its way to the SE where it was attacked by an RT eventually
turning SSE over Green Mountain to migrate.
Since Denver produces a lot of heat which rises, I wonder whether this
could give a boost to raptors which fly over Denver, since there are trees
both to the north as well as the South where there isn't much lift. I was
reminded of Hook Mountain in New York where there was a stone quarry 10 mi
to the north which provided good lift. I found an RT over Denver flying SSE
but it was lost in the smoke and not counted. Then there were two TVs to
the SE of Denver at the horizon which migrated toward the SW. In the 11:00
MST hour a TV was seen just south of Denver which lost lift, I was able to
follow it with my scope until it went past Green Mountain.
Non-raptor Observations:
2 paragliders at 10:30 a.m. had no lift at all, and 4 paragliders and 1
hang glider at 11:45 a.m. had excellent lift. Interestingly the Soaring
Forecast of the NWS showed a lift of 13 ft per second with maximum height
of thermals being 8,040 ft above ground level, which is 2000 ft lower than
yesterday when the sky was full of clouds. It is probably a combination of
smoke and fine cirrus clouds dissipating the sun's heat today.
Predictions:
A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms after 3pm. Mostly sunny,
with a high near 88. Calm wind becoming east northeast 5 to 8 mph in the
morning.
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Report submitted by Ajit Antony (<aiantony...>)
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