Colorado, USA
| Daily Raptor Counts: Apr 06, 2012 | |||
| Species | Day's Count | Month Total | Season Total |
| Black Vulture | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Turkey Vulture | 1 | 7 | 8 |
| Osprey | 0 | 1 | 2 |
| Bald Eagle | 0 | 1 | 7 |
| Northern Harrier | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Sharp-shinned Hawk | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| Cooper's Hawk | 0 | 3 | 11 |
| Northern Goshawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Red-shouldered Hawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Broad-winged Hawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Red-tailed Hawk | 0 | 13 | 164 |
| Rough-legged Hawk | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Swainson's Hawk | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Ferruginous Hawk | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Golden Eagle | 0 | 2 | 9 |
| American Kestrel | 1 | 2 | 22 |
| Merlin | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Peregrine Falcon | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| Prairie Falcon | 0 | 0 | 6 |
| Mississippi Kite | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Unknown Accipiter | 0 | 1 | 5 |
| Unknown Buteo | 0 | 1 | 9 |
| Unknown Falcon | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Unknown Eagle | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Unknown Raptor | 0 | 0 | 4 |
| Total: | 2 | 31 | 261 |
| Observation start time: | 08:00:00 |
| Observation end time: | 13:00:00 |
| Total observation time: | 5 hours |
| Official Counter | Dave Hill |
| Observers: | Joe Lupfer, Karen Clark, Michael Kiessig |
Visitors:
A group of approximately 40 from Saint Anthony of Padua arrived on site around 8:30 AM MDT to perform a Good Friday, rosary service lasting 30 minutes. They, then, departed for Mother Cabrini Shrine. Other visitors included 7 bikers, 16 hikers, 4 runners and 4 dogs.
Weather:
Gusty, blustery, turbulent winds buffeted our presence throughout the day preventing any possible use of our scopes! Keeping binoculars still occurred rarely between gust fronts with bursts to 57 mph after noon.
Raptor Observations:
The birds were down, to say the least, with rare glimpses of 4 local Red-tailed Hawks only just above the west ridge and an American Kestrel. Two definite migrants included 1 Turkey Vulture and a male American Kestrel
Non-raptor Observations:
An occasional raven dared to ride the wind waves of Dinosaur Ridge, climbing, soaring and diving at will. Non-raptor species include 2 White-throated Swift, 2 Western Scrub-Jay, 6 Black-billed Magpie, 1 American Crow, 9 Common Raven, 1 Black-capped Chickadee, 2 Townsend's Solitaire, 5 American Robin, 1 Spotted Towhee, 2 Western Meadowlark.
Predictions:
According to the National Weather Service: Sunny, with a high near 56. Southwest wind 5 to 10 mph becoming east. Winds could gust as high as 17 mph.
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.
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