Colorado, USA
| Daily Raptor Counts: Apr 24, 2012 | |||
| Species | Day's Count | Month Total | Season Total |
| Black Vulture | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Turkey Vulture | 2 | 106 | 107 |
| Osprey | 0 | 12 | 13 |
| Bald Eagle | 0 | 2 | 8 |
| Northern Harrier | 0 | 4 | 4 |
| Sharp-shinned Hawk | 2 | 18 | 21 |
| Cooper's Hawk | 2 | 55 | 63 |
| Northern Goshawk | 0 | 2 | 2 |
| Red-shouldered Hawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Broad-winged Hawk | 1 | 10 | 10 |
| Red-tailed Hawk | 2 | 76 | 227 |
| Rough-legged Hawk | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Swainson's Hawk | 0 | 9 | 10 |
| Ferruginous Hawk | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Golden Eagle | 0 | 3 | 10 |
| American Kestrel | 2 | 76 | 96 |
| Merlin | 0 | 2 | 4 |
| Peregrine Falcon | 0 | 5 | 8 |
| Prairie Falcon | 0 | 4 | 10 |
| Mississippi Kite | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Unknown Accipiter | 0 | 31 | 35 |
| Unknown Buteo | 0 | 14 | 22 |
| Unknown Falcon | 0 | 5 | 6 |
| Unknown Eagle | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Unknown Raptor | 0 | 7 | 11 |
| Total: | 11 | 441 | 671 |
| Observation start time: | 08:30:00 |
| Observation end time: | 15:00:00 |
| Total observation time: | 6.5 hours |
| Official Counter | Paul Slingsby |
| Observers: | Ashley Thompson, Pete Plage |
Visitors:
A friend of Ashley Thompson, Jim Dicker, visited and watched for hawks with us for a couple of hours.
Weather:
Clear and calm in the morning, quite cloudy and windy in the afternoon, a high of 26.5 deg. C.
Raptor Observations:
Very few hawks, local or migrating. Most observations were over Dinosaur Ridge. A renegade Broad-winged Hawk soared from low at the south end of Dinosaur Ridge to very high and then surprised by gliding south west until out of sight. Maybe it will stay the summer. Accipiters soared very high the same but glided north like good migrants.
Non-raptor Observations:
The Western Scrub Jays are a trio. A Rock Wren and a Blue-gray Gnatcatcher have arrived and remained somewhat close most of the day. There were fewer robins and no Townsend's Solitaires. Violet-green and Cliff Swallows came by and White-throated Swifts were often around.
Predictions:
More hawks on a day of transition.
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.
0 comments:
Post a Comment