Date: 10/23/26 4:41 pm From: <reports...> Subject: [cobirds] Mount Zion Hawk Watch at Windy Saddle Park (23 Oct 2026) 1 Raptors
Mount Zion Hawk Watch at Windy Saddle Park
Golden, Greater Denver, Colorado, USA
To see hourly weather data and details of migrant raptors, look up this watch at hawkcount.org.
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 if you are interested.
See https://groups.google.com/g/cobirds/c/Oznn4uc6MBk
Daily Raptor Counts: Oct 23, 2026
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Observation start time: 09:00:00
Observation end time: 10:15:00
Total observation time: 1.25 hours
Official Counter: Ajit Antony
Observers:
Visitors:
A couple asked whether I were bird watching. I explained. They said Oh
cool.
Weather:
Denver was clear for a change. The strong South winds probably blew away
the inversion layer.The first hour had light winds from the ESE which
turned the next hour into progressively stronger winds from the WSW. I hung
my backpack to weight my scope and when it turned to level 6 on the
Beaufort scale I turned my backpack so that if my tripod fell, my backpack
would take the brunt and leave my scope undamaged. A few minutes later
there was a tremendous gust which not only knocked my scope over but it
flew downwind 5 ft. My files and papers went flying high into the air, as
did my phone and little weather station with the batteries scattered and
the cover lost. I was able to find my file 30 ft away stuck in a bush. The
winds were predicted to get even stronger, so I left. On the way down winds
were likely level 7, I was unsteady walking down the steps. I am guessing
that the strong WSW winds were the South Winds sweeping around Lookout
Mountain altering its direction.
Raptor Observations:
Winds at 12 mph aloft from the south would not blow apart thermals but
would heavily tilt, fracture and drift them to the north. I wondered
whether hawks wood fly against such a strong headwind, but sit out
migrating today. By 11:00 a.m. I could see small puffy cresentic thermal
capping clouds to the SSW and SE.
The Soaring Forecast of the NWS predicted lifted 7 ft/sec, thermal height
of 7,589 ft above ground level by 12:30 p.m. MDT, which considering that
the watch is at 1771 ft AGL would make it 5,800 ft above the watch - a
mile higher.
The first hawk seen was a local RT in the Kestrel Channel but just over the
trees. As I was about to leave a CH went up Clear Creek Canyon a little
below eye level, the only migrant.
Non-raptor Observations:
A moderate to strong cold front is going through Saturday morning which
could make for a good migration on Sunday or Monday.
CORA 2. No other passerines.
Predictions:
A 30 percent chance of showers after noon. Increasing clouds, with a high
near 53. Calm wind becoming north northeast 5 to 8 mph in the morning.
The winds aloft are expected to be about 12 mph from the NNE changing to
NE, which should give migrating hawks a good tailwind to fly south by.
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Report submitted by Ajit Antony (<aiantony...>)
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