Observation start time: 07:45:00
Observation end time: 18:00:00
Total observation time: 10.25 hours
Official Counter: Dustin Kohler
Observers: Audrey Anderson, Emma Riley, Mike Kohler, Susie Kohler
Visitors:
We had 53 visitors to the ridge today including my parents who came out to
visit from Missouri. Thank you guys again for helping out all day today.
Weather:
Today started as a very foggy, but otherwise sunny day before turning into
a blue sky full of sunshine. Towards the end of the day, it became more
partly cloudy.
The wind was gusty and out of the Southeast throughout the day.
Raptor Observations:
Our migrants started fairly low to the east or straight up, but then got
higher and either remained straight up or were to the west.
We had 16 of our 19 species migrate, but saw 17 out of our 19 throughout
the day, only missing Rough-legged and Ferruginous Hawks.
Almost all of our accipiters migrating had a full crop, at least the closer
ones.
Our first Bald Eagle was missing a secondary flight feather, and the
juvenile Bald Eagle looked very raggedy in terms of missing feathers.
One of our migrating Red-tailed Hawks had a white tail, and it's chest was
fairly white with a dark belly band. This bird was possibly a White-morph
Harlan's, but I am not sure.
Our unknown Falcon was probably a Merlin, but too far away to be sure. One
of the unknown Buteos was probably a Swainson's Hawk. The other unknown
Buteo and Accipiter were too far away to guess which member of their genus
they were.
In local/ non-migrating news, we had our usual Red-tailed Hawks, but we
also had a local Golden Eagle, Swainson's Hawk, Bald Eagle, Cooper's Hawk,
Peregrine (seen twice), and two different Northern Harriers.
Non-raptor Observations:
We had 3 Double-crested Cormorants and about 53 Franklin's Gulls migrating
a few hours apart. We also had White-throated Swifts, and at least 3
different species (Tree, Barn, Violet-green) of Swallows migrating
throughout the day.
Other passerines included: Broad-tailed Hummingbirds, Red-breasted
Nuthatch, Black-billed Magpie, Bushtits, Dark-eyed Juncos, Spotted Towhee,
Western Meadowlark, Northern Flicker, and a Rock Wren.
Predictions:
Tomorrow looks like a warm, partly cloudy day with winds out of the
Northwest. A good sky for viewing migrants, but join Emma up on the ridge
to see how that Northwestern wind affects the migrants.
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Report submitted by Official Counter (<j.f.peters58...>)
Dinosaur Ridge - Denver Field Ornithologists information may be found at:
http://www.dfobirds.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,
American White Pelican, and Dusky Grouse. Birders of any skill level are
always welcome. The hawk watch at Dinosaur Ridge is staffed by a Hawk
Counter and volunteers from 10:00 AM to 6:00 PM from March 1st to May 10th,
weather permitting.
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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