[cobirds] HSR: Dinosaur Ridge (27 Mar 2012) 5 Raptors

Dinosaur Ridge
Colorado, USA

Daily Raptor Counts: Mar 27, 2012
Species	Day's Count	Month Total	Season Total
Black Vulture	0	0	0
Turkey Vulture	0	0	0
Osprey	0	1	1
Bald Eagle	0	6	6
Northern Harrier	0	0	0
Sharp-shinned Hawk	0	3	3
Cooper's Hawk	0	7	7
Northern Goshawk	0	0	0
Red-shouldered Hawk	0	0	0
Broad-winged Hawk	0	0	0
Red-tailed Hawk	4	132	132
Rough-legged Hawk	0	2	2
Swainson's Hawk	0	1	1
Ferruginous Hawk	0	2	2
Golden Eagle	0	7	7
American Kestrel	1	16	16
Merlin	0	2	2
Peregrine Falcon	0	2	2
Prairie Falcon	0	5	5
Mississippi Kite	0	0	0
Unknown Accipiter	0	3	3
Unknown Buteo	0	6	6
Unknown Falcon	0	1	1
Unknown Eagle	0	0	0
Unknown Raptor	0	4	4
Total:	5	200	200

Observation start time:	07:30:00
Observation end time:	16:00:00
Total observation time:	8.5 hours
Official Counter	Paul Slingsby
Observers:	Art Hudak, Jim Schmoker, Joel Chapa, Pete Plage

Visitors:
Susan Day with children Jack, Samantha and Bridger Day accompanied by Nettie Lopez, a friend of the children visited for about an hour. We helped them study birds. They went on to Red Rocks to see the Peregrine. The Day group found us via ABA.org. Debra Sparn and daughter assisted with raptor spotting during the last hour.

Weather:
Temperature morning 9 deg. C to afternoon 19 deg. C. Wind from ENE began at 5 mph and soon increased to 20 mph for the remainder of the day. Sky was cloudless until 15:00 and then became 80% cloudy in the west. Smoke from a forest fire caused haze in the east but no visibility problem. We couldn't even smell the smoke although people in Denver had lots of smoke.

Raptor Observations:
Nearly all raptor sightings were far and high over Morrison Ridge to the west. We recorded one Unidentified Buteo migrant and 5 UI buteos that we thought were local. These sightings, with spoting scope, were very distant in bad light of the cloudy afternoon. There was virtually no travel over Dinosaur Ridge. Our count of RTHA migrants is probably low. A local RTHA pair was observed copulating far off on the east slope of Morrison Ridge near I-70. Only the male of the local RTHA pair visits the power post below our observation platform. The nest must be nearby and active now.

Non-raptor Observations:
A single Sandhill Crane soared very high over the south end of Dinosaur Ridge and then flew south. A lost and confused crane?

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Report submitted by Rocky Mountain Bird Observatory (jeff.birek@rmbo.org)
Dinosaur Ridge information may be found at: http://www.rmbo.org/

Site Description
Dinosaur Ridge is the only regularly staffed hawkwatch in Colorado and is the
best place in the world to see migrating Ferruginous Hawks. Dinosaur Ridge may
be the best place in the country to see the rare dark morph of the Broad-winged
Hawk (a few are seen each spring). Hawkwatchers who linger long enough may see
resident Golden Eagles, Red-tailed Hawks and Prairie Falcons, in addition to
migrating Swainson's, Cooper's and Sharp-shinned Hawks, American Kestrels and
Turkey Vultures. Peregrine Falcons and Ferruginous Hawks are uncommon; Northern
Goshawk is rare but regular. Non-raptor species include Rock Wren, and sometimes
Bushtit, Western Bluebird, Sandhill Crane, White-throated Swift, American White
Pelican or Dusky Grouse. Birders are always welcome.
The hawkwatch is generally staffed by volunteers from the Rocky Mountain Bird
Observatory from about 9 AM to around 4 PM from the first week of March to the
first week of 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 small signs from the south
side of lot to hawkwatch 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, head through the gate, and walk to
the clearly-visible, flat area at the crest of the ridge.