More Cooper's

The dogs and I went back to that same section of my development where the Cooper's had been frequenting and explored the area more thoroughly.  I had actually noticed a decent amount of feathers around lately, but now I realized there were some feathers scattered under almost every tree.  So many in fact, that it makes me wonder if there are more than one using this spot as a home or hunting ground.  There were even the remnants of a few pellets I believe the young hawk(s) had regurgitated. Sure enough, the juvenile accipiter was perched in one of the same trees I had seen it hidden in previously, in the middle of a small courtyard with numerous trees for perching, hunting or eating.  More feathers here, but the bird spooked to a different tree so I decided to let it be.  We circled around the nearby house to go home, spotting feathers under basically every tree we passed.  Coming around the corner, the bird flew down into the first tree I had gotten a good look and caused it to lose its dove lunch.  I felt as if it was watching us now.  I dropped off the dogs and when I drove out in my car shortly afterwards and slowed down through the dip, it flew out of that tree and right in front of my car. Could it actually be observing me now? Or is it just another silly juvenile playing in our shared neighborhood?

Goofy Juvies

This can be a fun time of year to observe raptors as many species' young are nearing full grown physical size and are venturing out and exploring their surroundings.  A number of local juveniles have been active in my neighborhood, doing some uncharacteristic things as they try and figure out the world around them.  You can often quickly identify a juvenile, even without a good view of markings, solely based on their behaviors, especially perching in unusual places, trying to catch prey unsuccessfully or sometimes just flying in a strange manner and/or rhythm.

I have noticed one (or maybe it has been more) young Red-tailed hawk frequently in the area, playing alone in the wind, or sometimes with one or even two other birds, likely its parents.  I am assuming they are from the nearby nest on Simpson and Michigan. You can just tell it's a juvenile because it does not fly with the same confidence, more jerky in motion, sometimes with uncertain direction and will land on the flimsiest of branches that can barely support its weight, bending the poor branch down like when Snoopy would pretend to be a vulture. They will go after prey clumsily and miss much more often than have success. I once saw a young RT somehow actually catch a snake, but then try to land and balance on a pointy stovepipe chimney to eat the still live and flailing reptile-wish I had a video of that!

I think the cemetery Swainson's hawks have fledged as well.  There also seems to be at least one silly, dark Swainson's flying around the open space and displaying similar antics to the Red-tail, missing prey and landing on skinny weak perches.  I saw one circle low above the Outdoor Classroom behind Escuela Bilingue Pioneer, dive down and disappear into the tall grass for a few seconds.  When it emerged empty handed, it landed on a nearby willow-like branch, which immediately sagged and bounced, but he stayed there.  Again, I am not sure if I have seen more than one, but a very dark one also appears to really like sitting on the telephone posts north of the cemetery along 111th, on the western edge of the baseball fields (where I have never really seen raptors before), watching the traffic and people go by.

The local Cooper's Hawks have even been active in the area.  I saw one futilely chasing some LBJs, who almost seemed to be toying with it, along the edge of the open space . The next day, I encountered a young one a block away while walking my lazy dogs under all the shade inside the neighborhood.  It came suddenly from down the street with a small grey bird in its talons, landing almost directly above us in a maple tree.  It was definitely a juvenile Cooper's, pretty big, flattish head, and very streaked without full adult markings yet. I stepped forward to get a better view and as I not so slyly took my phone out to snap a picture, I must have spooked it as it hopped (not flew, so another telltale juvie sign) to another branch and proceeded to drop its dove lunch.  I felt awful and hurried away, hoping it would feel safe enough to retrieve its lunch but I don't think it ever did.  I have since twice seen what I think is the same bird in the same vicinity, once eating what looked to be a roadkill dove, which it then carried into a nearby tree as I drove by, then again later that day it was sitting on the grass and flew in front of my car to then hide in a pine tree (it actually appeared to be hiding from sitting on a low branch, behind another, but still able to see me).  Silly Cooper's Hawk!  I won't be surprised if I see it again tomorrow, nor if I don't see another one for a long time.

The most entertaining of the juvenile raptors are often visible and audible as dusk or dawn approaches during the late summer.  Juvenile Great-horned Owls can be very curious and will also perch and hang out in unusual places, even more apt than usual to sit on a house or near human activity. Once I awoke to two different high-pitched screechy hootings and went outside to see two young GHOs on our roof, taking turns at unsuccessfully swooping down on some young bunnies peeking out from under a tree.  One night recently, as we ventured out for our evening walk, we were greeted to a strange, not so deep hooting.  There was a GHO perched on one of the neighbor's houses, looking out over the fields.  We were able to watch it for a time as we walked along the eastward path, swiveling its head (not 360 degrees, but rather more like 220 degrees in either direction).  At one point it was suddenly accosted by another owl, fluttered it wings and hopped up into the air, landing back on its same perch as its sibling(?) flew away.  The darkness grew and as we got farther and farther away we could still make out the silhouette on the roof.

Farther up the trail, another owl (or one of the same ones) was sitting on a post not ten feet from the trail just nonchalantly staring at the seven of us-three humans and four dogs-never so much as flinching, except to nod slightly from side to side, listening as one of us spoke. The seven of us stood there for a few minutes staring back before going on our way. The next night, just 100 yards or so down the path, we saw the silhouette of huge, round figure with pointy ears bobbing on a narrow branch, a perch upon which I never had before seen nor would I expect to see a large raptor.  It casually watched over the field, once again it appeared to be completely unconcerned with us as we ambled underneath it and continued home.

Always keep your eyes open and happy raptoring!

More Osprey

We took the dogs for a romp with some friends to Coot Lake and the backside of the Boulder Reservoir and were treated to an Osprey hunting.  We might have seen more than one, or possibly the same bird fly back around a few times, checking out its favorite coves, searching for dinner.  We never actually saw it catch anything but were witness to some impressive flying displays.  The Osprey would slowly circle overhead and when it spied something below would stop in a mid-air hover for a few seconds, with wings flapping overhead, almost looking like a kite, before it continued on, or, a few times, gracefully dove down toward the water.  If it had been able to grasp onto a meal, its perfectly evolved eyes would have spotted it and adjusted its vision to judge the distance and depth, using uniquely designed talons with bumpy spicules arranged all over it to cling onto the slippery fish, while its specially coated feathers would have kept the moisture from soaking in so the bird could carry its (relatively) heavy prey out of the water.  However, this probably young bird only skimmed the surface of the lake and rose up and away empty-taloned.  It or its friend or family member came back over numerous times but never did we see one with dinner.

The Amazing Osprey

     The osprey is certainly one of the most intriguing and observable raptors around.  They are a Darwinian dream bird, evolved exclusively to hunt fish, with specialized eyes, talons, feathers.  They are able to thrive in almost any environment all over the world.  Sometimes called "fish hawk" or "fish eagle" for its preferred  and basically only food source, the birds have prospered in recent years in Colorado with the numerous ponds, lakes and reservoirs that exist and have been created all over the state, not to mention an extensive river system.  Locally, the birds have taken especially well to man-made nesting platforms as if they were part of the natural habitat.  If we build them, they will come. They have popped up all over the Boulder area, anywhere near a body of water, on farms, public utility lands and even in the middle of the Boulder County Fairgrounds in Longmont. And, they are almost always occupied from April through the summer, even when they are relatively close to each other.
     I recently stopped by the Legion park overlook to check out the Osprey nest there and was pleasantly surprised to find out I had been mistaken in my previous visit (and blogpost).  Then, I had observed three bodies on the eastern nest and a fourth bird fly up to and perch on the more central platform.  I much too quickly assumed that the last bird was just stopping for a break and actually "belonged" to the other nest. As I checked out the area this time, I immediately saw there were two heads on that eastern nest, without much white, probably juveniles, correlating with that first visit.  However, as I scanned left to the water and the other platform, I was stunned to see three more heads poking out of the nest there, realizing I had indeed been wrong before.  As I continued my scan west I spotted two more flying over the water. The Osprey's wings are narrow and slightly pointed, in between a hawk and falcon, and have distinct flying style as they pass over the water searching for fish below.
     So, there are two full families and at least seven osprey between the two nests.  I wonder what would happen if they built a third platform down there as well.  There is actually another platform fairly closeby at the back of Walden Ponds, not to mention many north and east of town and I might need to get out and look at some more of them.
     Another great area to spot Osprey is actually along I-70 between Glenwood Springs and Fruita.  If you are driving that way in the late spring through summer, keep your eyes peeled.  There are a lot of ponds along the way, great fishing spots along the Colorado River and numerous platforms visible from the highway.  Also, especially earlier in the summer, it can be a great section for Bald Eagles as well, because of the same habitat and food source reason.

Happy Returns

Upon my return from a three week trip to Brasil I was greeted by a series of local birding sights and signs that assured me all was "normal" around here.  First, as we were driving home from DIA on C-470 we noticed an adult and a juvenile Bald Eagle on the prominent nest along the way, which I thought was a good start, especially considering the mountains were very hazy.  Then, that afternoon, the first time I took the dogs out, I was greeted by both a pair of Swainson's Hawks (likely from the nearby cemetery nest) and a pair of Red-tails (likely from the Michigan/Simpson nest) soaring over Rothman Open Space.

I remembered having received a message while I was gone that my binoculars (which were actually just old and falling apart) were ready at Mike's Camera, so I went in.  I had originally brought them in to see if they could be repaired; they weren't sure but could send them out to a Nikon place in Longmont and it would cost me $25 plus any parts needed.  When they brought up a brand new pair of Nikon Monarch 3s, I was quite surprised but overjoyed.  I had done a little research and they were probably the pair I would buy (that is could actually kind of afford) if I had actually needed a new pair.  My old ones were 10X35 (I think), easy to use/focus and a very comfortable size and weight.  The new pair are a little heavier and I am still getting used to the feel and vision, but they are certainly more powerful and much clearer once sighted and focused.

The next day on the way back into Boulder I stopped at the Legion Park overlook to check out the Osprey platform(s). The new Monarch 3s worked great and I quickly sighted an adult and two juvenile Osprey on the eastern nest and platform.  As I scanned the water and area, I noticed another adult fly up from the water's edge to the more central platform that doesn't appear to have a nest, meaning it probably was the mate from the first family.

Since then I have frequently observed the Red-tails (as many as three flying together), the Swainson's, some American Kestrels and a couple of Turkey Vultures over Rothman, plus a lone adult Osprey on Valmont, likely one of the Legion Park family, so all appears to be well in the local raptor front.

A little Brasil birding

When I arrived at our hotel in Salvador, Brasil, my eyes were immediately drawn to a "Birds of Brazil" tome on the bookshelf in the lobby and knew I would have to peruse it.  Outside, I was immediately stuck by the constant presence and sometime huge numbers of Black Vultures everywhere in Brasil.  I do mean everywhere, even in downtown Rio, you can rarely go more than a minute without seeing at least one soaring overhead or perched on a high up spot, and often it was many, dozens, often interspersed with Frigate birds (especially above Copacabana Beach in Rio) and occasionally a couple of Turkey Vultures.

My first chance to look at and utilize the book was sitting out by the pool when what appeared to be a Caracara-like bird flew over the hotel.  I thought I had seen something similar previously and now I had the time so I ran inside to grab the book and brought it out to my chair.  I flipped through it was amazed at all the colors and different birds that can be seen in this huge and diverse country.  The raptor section was many pages and I was fascinated by all the varieties of hawks, falcons, kites, eagles, harriers and others, including numerous caracaras, although none appeared to be my rather plain sighting, which could have either been a juvenile of some sort, or maybe just a Black Vulture at a strange angle.

A day or so later while walking through the local neighborhood I heard a high-pitched shriek that sounded very raptor-like and looked up to see one, then two, then a third small raptor flying among the trees.  My first impression was something along the lines of a Cooper's or Sharp-shinned, but certainly some interesting new tropical species.  Maybe  a Roadside Hawk or one of the many cool looking smaller accipiters from the book.  I got a decent look at one and immediately grabbed the book upon returning to the hotel.  I scanned all the small hawks, ruling out most and narrowing down the possibilities.  Not a Roadside.  Upon studying all the pictures and descriptions, of the wings, head, tails, habitat, voice, I am 99% I spotted a young family of South American Sharp-shinned hawks, just like the ones I occasionally see near my home.

Otherwise, I did not see a ton of spectacular birds to report.  They were many water fowl, egrets, herons, some smaller colorful LBJs in the bushes and trees, and maybe an Osprey or two flying over the ocean, but this trip was more about the soccer and the minimal birding was just an extra treat.

Here is one last short post of local raptor tidbits before I head to Brasil and the World Cup (see my blog here: http://copabound.blogspot.com/ ).  If I see any Brazilian raptors of note (although we are not going to the rainforest at all this trip) I will try to post.

The Swainson’s Hawks are definitely on the cemetery nest in Lafayette.  If I drive to work, I can usually see one of them atop the nest as I wait for the light on 111^th at Baseline. I often see one soaring in the afternoon as well.  I am curious to check this nest out and look for the babies after I get back.  There are a lot of other Swainson's in the area and probably a couple of nests along Arapahoe between Lafayette and Boulder.

Likewise, the Red Tail nest at Simpson and Michigan is very active.  Even with the leaves you can usually see an adult on the nest and often catch one flying into the nest.  The babies will be very visible as they grow.  I see one of the adults (likely the male) almost every morning and every evening sitting on the T-post in the middle of the prairie dog field on the southern tract of Rothman Open Space, east of the rec center and skate park.  I have often laughed at these posts, but this bird really likes it.  If it flies it is always coming from or going in the direction of Simpson/Michigan.  He also likes to sit in the trees by the bridge and makes runs over the prairie dog field.  Although I have seen him eating smaller things, I have yet to see him catch a prairie rat.

I never figured out where the Cooper’s nest is located and have not observed them flying around as much.  However, the Kestrels have been very active, and although I don’t know of any specific nests, I think there might be a couple close by.

I did see an eagle soaring high over Lafayette this week, but nothing else of note.

Unfortunately, I don’t have any updates on any of the GHO nests.

Happy Raptoring!

Lafayette Nests

Well, the leaves have all come in and it is much harder to see what is happening at most previously visible nest sites, but there is still a fair amount of activity. Here’s an update on a few of the local nests as well as some other Spring sightings.

The “Jiffy Lube” Owls have been disturbed from their nest by construction right underneath them and they have moved to the tree behind just northwest.  When I stopped by to check in the noise was louder than ever and the tree empty.  I searched the surrounding trees and even went up the trail to look at the line of trees back there.  When I came back, I walked under the tree and searched above carefully and finally found three puffy blobs in the next tree over.  At first, I thought it was the three young ones, but when I got a closer look, it was an adult with two only slightly smaller owlets.  The third one, who was probably also the youngest and smallest, likely did not make the move and fell to become someone else’s dinner.  I searched the ground in the area and found many pellets and even part of a baby rabbit under the original nest, but I didn’t see any signs of the owlet.

I am not positive what is going on with “my” GHO nest west of Rothman and north of the dog park.  Although I had hoped to hike out there again for a close-up report, I haven’t been able to to do so.  When I have looked at it through binoculars a few times, I did not spy the telltale “horned” head sticking out of the nest, nor any other activity around it.  At some point I will hike out there again and see if there are any fluffy babies visible, but I am a little skeptical.

The Red-tailed nest on Michigan and Simpson is quite active and no one in the area seems aware of its existence.  It is not always easy to spot if the “mom” is sitting down in the nest, but when she is sitting up, or her mate flies in, it is quite obvious, and the leaves have not really covered them yet.  One of the birds is often out flying from the nest site to the “T” post in Rothman Open Space. I am pretty sure that this is the same RT pair that was chased out by the owls.

I have seen one or more Cooper’s Hawks in the area lately, including one that looked like it coasted into a tree across the open space in a tree right in the neighborhood some of my students live in.  I have searched around the area but didn’t observe anything (nor have I been approached by anyone or the police wondering why I am wandering around alleys with binoculars). I really want to track this one down.  I thought maybe it had a cavity nest of some sort but my preliminary research shows they generally build bulky platform nests pretty high in trees; there are a couple of candidates in the area but I haven’t spotted anything yet.  I need to do a little more research and I had a student go through a few Raptor books and their indices to mark pages with information on Cooper’s and their nesting habits.  I also have another student who lives in the area keeping her eye out as well.

The Swainson’s Hawks are back in full force and scoping out their own nest sites.  I got to witness a pair of Swainson’s Hawks flying and playing in the wind this past week.  As I walked the dogs I detoured slightly to keep the aerialists in view.  They were doing some great dives, but also just holding flat and still, looking directly into the wind side by side.  At one point they stopped on the prominent nest on the west side of the Lafayette Cemetery, but then appeared to have decided it was too small.  However, since then I have seen one sitting on that nest a few times and one or two flying overhead and I believe they have claimed it.

Last year, a pair nested just east of County Line, and just north off Baseline, and a couple more around Erie.  They tend to nest lower to the ground, and often closer to people than RTs so they can be great to observe in the summer if you know where to look.

The Osprey platforms are filling up around the county and beyond. The Boulder County Fairgrounds pair has three eggs but weather took out the camera (for the third year in a row).  There are numerous other great “cams” including Xcel Energy’s “bird cams”, the “Decorah eagles” and many others with a simple search.

If you happen to be driving I-70 between Glenwood Springs and Fruita, keep your eye open for the many Osprey platforms visible from the highway up into June or July.  There are also some Bald Eagle nests along the way.  Both species can usually be spotted easily on this stretch of road.

Dinosaur Ridge Hawkwatch:  The general numbers seem to be pretty low this year, with only a few days over thirty, and many more in single digits.  I find it interesting that they hadn’t seen a Swainson’s hawk near the end of the count in early May.  However, there were a few Broad-Winged Hawks spotted over the last week or so.  A few others have been reported around the state, but not as many as I remember last spring.

Other sightings: One of the most surprising reports of the season was an immature Zone-tailed Hawk putting on a display at Community College Park in Lamar. This spot has been mentioned in many places for many birds and rare sightings, including a nesting pair of Kites and could definitely be a summer target.

The first sighting of Mississppi Kite (that I have read about anyway) was reported in Widefield (El Paso County), near Watson Middle School.  I guess there has been a pair in this area in the past and might warrant a trip this summer.

Dinosaur Ridge 2 and Swainson's

 My Dad and I headed down to Dinosaur Ridge again yesterday, Monday, April 21 and it was a relatively quiet day.  On the drive down US 287 to Hwy 142 behind Interlocken to US 93 to US 6 we did not observe a single raptor.  As we pulled into the Stegasaurus lot a RT glided off the ridge.  We hiked up and met Bill who had just seen same RT, as well as a Peregrine Falcon a little earlier.  It was a beautiful day but slow going bird-wise, with only really RTs and TVs, and more local residents than migrants.  The highlight of the day was when four Red-tailed Hawks suddenly appeared in front of us over the ridge, three definitely migrating together, circling higher and higher in a distinct northernly directions.  The fourth one might have been tagging along or just checking them out as they went by.  I also had a Sharp-shinned Hawk (relatively sure) whizz by me northwest to southeast, followed quickly by a Kestrel.  We stayed from a little after 9:30 to almost 1:00.  On the way home, on US 142 almost back to 287, I saw my first Swainson's Hawk of the year, soaring over the business complex and flashing me its two-toned wings.  Finally!  Later that afternoon, I saw a hawk in a tree overhanging Arapahoe on my way into Boulder and thought it might be another Swainson's but I didn't get a good look.  However, on the way home it was on a nearby post showing off its dark brown bib and stark white chest!  They have not even observed one at the Hawkwatch yet this year.

Here is the post from the Hawkwatch:

Daily Raptor Counts: Apr 21, 2014
Species	Day's Count	Month Total	Season Total
Black Vulture	0	0	0
Turkey Vulture	1	83	86
Osprey	0	8	8
Bald Eagle	0	2	27
Northern Harrier	0	3	3
Sharp-shinned Hawk	0	30	35
Cooper's Hawk	0	45	60
Northern Goshawk	0	2	2
Red-shouldered Hawk	0	0	0
Broad-winged Hawk	0	0	0
Red-tailed Hawk	10	100	230
Rough-legged Hawk	0	2	9
Swainson's Hawk	0	0	0
Ferruginous Hawk	0	1	9
Golden Eagle	0	3	10
American Kestrel	0	57	71
Merlin	0	4	4
Peregrine Falcon	1	2	4
Prairie Falcon	0	1	6
Mississippi Kite	0	0	0
Unknown Accipiter	1	20	22
Unknown Buteo	0	10	15
Unknown Falcon	0	3	3
Unknown Eagle	0	0	0
Unknown Raptor	1	4	8
Total:	14	380	612

Observation start time:	09:00:00
Observation end time:	15:30:00
Total observation time:	6.5 hours
Official Counter	Bill Flowers
Observers:	David Smith, Doug Smith

Weather:
The day was a nice day for Hawk Watching, although the raptors did not cooperate. The day started sunny then clouds moved in in the afternoon with a rain cell moving in just South of Mount Morrison, which affected the migration for a couple hours (12:00-14:00). The temperature ranged from 12-16 C (53-60 F). The wind was light and generally from the East with some periods from the South East. 

Raptor Observations:
A few raptors were observed migrating during the times when it was not raining to the South. These included 10 Red-tailed Hawks, 1 Turkey Vulture, and 1 Peregrine Falcon. In the morning the raptors flew low above Dinosaur Ridge or just to the East of the Ridge. In the afternoon raptors flew very high over Dinosaur and West Ridges. Resident Red-tailed Hawks, Sharp-shinned Hawks, American Kestrels, and Turkey Vultures were observed during the day.

 A lizard was also seen at the Hawk Watch site.

Nests, nests, nests!

The leaves are coming in so if you want to check out nests, this might be the last week to do so.  Here is a list and basic directions for a bunch of nests around Boulder County:

1)     I stumbled upon a brand new Red-tailed hawk nest (for me anyway) right in the middle of Old Town Lafayette.  It sits atop a tree at the NE corner of Simpson and Michigan above the pale yellow business house.  I was in the area and spotted it when I noticed a large hawk gliding in and land in the top of the tree as I was walking by, which I thought strange in itself as we were a few blocks from any type of open space.  It was them that I realized there was a nest just behind it with another hawk in it?!  I believe the first hawk was actually dropping some food for its mate sitting on the nest.  I am wondering if this is the pair that was chased off by “my” GHO (less than a mile almost directly north), and if their haste caused them to pick such an unusual spot, although I think this might also be a previously used GHO nest.

2)     GHO- Lafayette-Off of South Boulder Road, 1^st light east of 95^th, turn North on Plaza Dr, then right on Hecla Way, and go behind Jiffy Lube/Car Wash; a large nest is easily visible at the top of a tree, but active nest is actually much lower, more on east side of the tree, closer to noisy construction (?)-you can go into development and get almost under nest, without disturbing it, since they have not been bothered by any of the commotion; April 11 it had three large white owlets.

3)     Red-tail- Lafayette-95^th St. just south of Baseline Rd., easily viewed from road- in stand of trees between 95^th and new houses, but might be even better from in new development; this nest has been used for years by Red-tails and maybe why they are not bothered by all the commotion?

4)     “My” GHO- Lafayette-Just west of 119^th in between Baseline and Arapahoe, north of the dog park, there is a service road that is usually locked, but you can pull off there and get a good view.

5)     RT-north of Lafayette on US287 at Jasper Rd., nest on SE corner, best to pull off on Jasper.

*There has been a huge GHO nest just across 287 from Jasper, but I can’t confirm if anything is in it now.

6)     GHO-west of Erie on Kenosha Rd. just before road turns hard right at bridge (not the greatest pull off after the flood), there is a Great Blue Heron rookery on the south side of the road, and a GHO nest on the north, not immediately obvious, back a little from the road in the stand of trees.

7)     RT-Erie-County Line Rd at Evans, pull off on Evans and turn around and look west and nest is easily visible on other side of County Line.

8)    RT-north of Erie on County Line, just before Highway 52, large nest above farmhouse on west side of road.

9)     Bald Eagle-Longmont-going north on County Line until it is closed from flood damage and turn left at Quicksilver Road (St Vrain Greenway area), a large cone-shaped nest is across field.

10)  GHO: Longmont-off 75^th, one street north of Nelson Road, turn east on Kennedy Dr., pull in behind small office complex; 150 or so yards east of 75th there is a GHO nest-you can park almost underneath it less than 50 yards to get a great look with scope.

*Closer to 75^th there is another nest that has been RT last couple of years, and has had activity around it, but not sure if inhabited or not…

11)   However, across Nelson Rd, SE corner with 75^th is an RT nest above the farmhouse that might be that pair.

12)  Osprey-Longmont-Airport Road, just south of Mountain View (and Westview Middle School) is a large platform in the middle of the field with a pair (April 11)

13)  Osprey-just west of 59^th on St. Vrain Road (basically directly south of Hygiene Eagle nesting site), there is a platform built on a farm (there is a small unused one just before larger active one) only maybe 30 yards from the road on south side-shoulder is narrow and I suggest parking a little farther west on south side of road so as not to disturb the birds or human residents.

14)  RT- Just north of St Vrain on 59^th, at first 90 degree turn, nest in large tree in field (for a few years now)

15)   Osprey-Walden Ponds, Boulder-you have to hike back to it (I have not observed but two good sources confirm)

16)  There are also two Osprey platforms (one or the other has been used for a few years at least) on the Valmont Energy land south of Walden Ponds and visible from Legion Park overlook off Arapahoe Road, ~1/2 mile west of 75^{th t} there is a turn off as you go up the hill on north side, from the top they can be seen with binoculars, looking almost straight north (little east), across water but on level area.

17)  Just west and north, visible from Arapahoe at Westview Dr. is a RT nest in the trees-it is almost exactly even with Westview, but is not the most viewable site.

Bird of note: A Broad-Winged Hawk was reported in Boulder last week at 28^th and Iris (by a reputable CoBirders poster) who said his wife noticed something that was just not a RT or Swainson’s.  So jealous!  None have been reported at Dinosaur Ridge yet either, although Northern Goshawks have been observed at least three times, with one considered a “local”.

I still have not seen my first Swainson’s Hawk of the season yet, but I intend to when my dad and I head to Dinosaur Ridge Hawkwatch again today (Monday, so report coming soon).

Impromptu run

I had some time Friday afternoon and decided to head out on my “loop”, only a little backwards since I was starting in Boulder.  I headed out Broadway and caught my first official Turkey Vulture of the year (the only other one had been a “probably” in the late day sun) soaring north of town.  I went by the St. Vrain Osprey nest, and one of the pair was sitting on the platform nest.  I cut over on 59^th past the RT nest out in the field near that first curve, to the Hygiene site.  The eagles were not on the nest, but again far out on their perch in the distance.  As I was leaving, a man with binocs and two bikers stopped by and I had to tell them about the failed nest. 

I headed east to 75^th and the office site near Nelson Rd; the GHO was on its nest, but the RT nest was empty.  However, across Nelson, on the SE corner above the farmhouse is an occupied RT nest-could that be where they ended up, possibly if owls chased them off, or another pair entirely that close?  Next, I headed up to Airport Road and north to Westview Middle school, into their parking lot back south onto a bus service road, to where you can get a great view of an Osprey platform out in the middle of the field (basically at Mountain View Dr), and both adults were on the nest.  I cruised by the Fairgrounds where one Osprey was perched upon the camera.  

Next, it was east to the Bald Eagle nest off County Line and Quicksilver, near the St Vrain washout, and saw the mama on nest.  I headed back south on County Line past a couple of RT nests to Kenosha and up to the GHO nest across from the heron rookery, where mama was snoozing.  I went up to 287 and stopped near Dawson to look at huge nest just south of the creek, but it is so deep and surrounded by branches that I could not discern a head or “horns”, but the RT nest just up and across the highway at Jasper had a head poking out of it.  It was about then that I saw another TV soar overhead.  Lastly, I went up to 95^th, past the RT head in a nest at Baseline, and onto the GHOs behind the Jiffy Lube, where I once again had an incredible view of mama and her three babies (I have yet to spy the daddy hanging out in any nearby trees).  Later that afternoon, I saw a mini-flock of six TVs pass over Lafayette looking for a place to roost for the night.  Coming home that night I caught sight of another GHO on a light pole on Highway 7. Overall count for the day: 8 TVs, 3 Baldies, 4 Osprey, 4 adult & 3 baby GHOs, a few Kestrels and in the high teens for RTs.

I had to go into Boulder on Saturday morning so I stopped by Legion Park and looked down for the Ospreys and, sure enough, the pair was on the nest platform that is almost straight across the water at the base of the hill.  There also appears to be a Red-tail nest in the stand of trees just to the west, although it is not visible from the lookout.  I think the best viewing spot would be from Westview, just on the west side of the hill on Arapahoe, where you would be able to look back across the road and see it-I have only gotten quick glimpses from the moving car.  When I came home, one of the Osprey flew in low over the school buildings on the south side of the road and right over my car.  Lastly, just north of Lucerne on 111th, a Cooper’s Hawk whizzed out of the neighborhood on the west, right in front of me and disappeared into a yard on the other side of the street.

I have yet to see my first Swainson’s Hawk of the year, or at least identify one (there have been two maybes) but sightings are starting to pop up around the state.

Happy Raptoring!

Driving Field Trip

My friend Paul and I led a group of 7 students and 2 parents in three cars to tour Eastern Boulder County and more on the morning of Saturday, April 5.  We specifically scoped out seven different nesting sites, saw a few more along the way, and observed at least a dozen Red-tailed Hawks, two Great-horned Owls, five (and maybe a few others) Bald Eagles, a bunch of kestrels and another 10 or so unidentified birds that were probably mostly Red-tails (with maybe a couple more Baldies flying far and high).  The highlight of the day was seeing the two Ospreys preening their platform nest on West St. Vrain Road, one of which took a few sorties around the area for us to observe.

We got on the road a little before 9:00 AM and headed east from Escuela Bilingüe Pioneer, then North on County Line Road to the Red-tail nest at Evans.  We set up the scopes and the kids were able to kick off the day with a bang and nice view of a Hawk mama’s head poking out of its nest.  We then went a little further and turned left/west on Kenosha up to the Great Blue Heron Rookery at the curve before it connects with Lookout Rd.  There were four or five herons on the top nests and another flew in and landed for us.  Across the road to the north is a Great-horned Owl nest with a proud mama sitting on it. Even though we were pretty far away looking at her through scopes, she still seemed aware of us, though not bothered, seemingly looking right back at us.  This was a first sighting of an owl for many of the kiddos.

Next it was back to County Line and north, a few Red-tails along the way, including a huge nest right above a farmhouse just south of Highway 52.  We went all the way to the washout and just west of there is another well-known Bald Eagle nest.  As we approached I am pretty sure we saw one of the adults flying away, while one was on the nest.  We were able to get scopes on the white head for everyone to see.

After a pit stop at a nearby shopping center, we went by the Boulder County Fairgrounds, and although it has been noted that both of the pair of Osprey have been back and working on the nest, neither was around for us, so we headed west out to the Hygiene Bald Eagle nest.  When we got there, we were met by two surprises, first that no one else was there watching, and we didn’t see anything on the nest. I hope that means that the eggs have hatched, not that something has happened to the eggs.  However, as I scanned the area I was able to spot four more eagles in the distance: a juvenile fairly close that we all got good looks at through both binocs and scope, then a pair of adults perched together on a great branch to the northeast whose white head were quite visible once we were able to get a scope on them, and lastly, another adult went flying by even farther away just below ridgeline (I think I was the only one to eye that one).

Next we head back to 59^th and south to St. Vrain Rd. and west only a few hundred yards to where a platform is built maybe 30 yards south of the road, giving a spectacular view of the two would be parents and their black eye stripe, especially with the scopes, as they were preening and preparing their nest.  It is not the greatest parking area along the side of the road, but no one yelled at us this time.  When one of the gorgeous birds gave its third flight overhead, we decided to move on and leave them in peace.

On the way home we went back to 75^th and into the parking lot of the office building a block before Nelson Road where there are two nests, one fairly close to 75^th, and the other maybe 120 yards east.  These two sites have been inhabited by a pair of Red-tails and a pair of Great-horned Owls for the last few years.  The GHOs are back on the eastern nest again and Paul has seen the Hawks on the western one recently, although only one soaring Red-tail was nearby today.

From there we headed home via 75^th (given more time we would have stopped in at Lagerman Reservoir to see what was lurking about), through Niwot to Lookout Road where saw one RT on the high power poles (couldn’t stop to scan for Burrowing Owls), and home to Lafayette on US 287 past the Red-tail nest at Jasper (still not sure if there is a GHO again in the huge nest across the highway and closer to the creek).

All in all a very successful day of raptoring, with many participants notching a couple of “lifers” with the Opsreys and Owls.

Happy Raptoring!

Spring Raptoring and sweet new GHO nest

The Spring Raptors are coming back and the first sightings are being reported.  While Red-tailed Hawks, Bald Eagles and Great-horned Owls are sitting on eggs in nests, other, more migratory birds, are headed either back to or through Colorado.  Here are some of the raptor “events” around the county and state:

Last week, while being detoured behind the Jiffy Lube/Black Diamond car wash in Lafyette, my dad Doug “discovered” (new to us anyway) an incredibly visible nest with fluffy owlets.  At first, as you pull behind the car service areas off S. Boulder Rd., you will see a big nest at the top of a tall tree-that is NOT it; look down below it, on the southeastern side of the tree, close to the loud construction site, and you will be surprised when you see the small nest on a small branch “table” that is chock full of owl-a mama and three white puffballs that are approaching their mom’s size and starting to overflow the nest.  They should be fledging soon and very easy to observe.

It appears that three owlets at the Twin Lakes GHO nest have hatched and are peeking out of their nest.  I don’t think “my” owls are nearly as far along. 

I have not figured out where “my” displaced Red-tail pair is nesting, but I have still seen them, (or at least a pair of RTs) flying together quite a bit in the area recently.

The Hygiene Bald Eagles appear to be incubating eggs.  There is a nest in Longmont near the detour of County Line Rd, another off of Dillon Road (visible from 95^th) and another visible from C-470 near exit 34.

I have scanned the fields east of 75^th and Lookout for Burrowing Owls but have not seen any yet, even though sightings are being reported around the state.

My first Osprey (probably) was flying over my house on a windy afternoon March 23 and Boulder County Fairgrounds reported the first Osprey at the nest platform on March 30.

The first lone Turkey Vulture was sighted at Dinosaur Ridge on March 27 and now many other single sightings are being documented around the state, including a group of 20 or so in Adams County.  They are certainly on their way as the Bentsen State Park Hawkwatch site in Texas (it’s got a great platform) has been reporting hundreds of TVs each day heading north.  ]I am pretty sure I saw my first TV of the year floating in the late afternoon wind on April 3, but I have yet to see a Swainson’s Hawk.

Accipiters are active and migrating or setting up nests and many Cooper's and Sharp-shinned Hawks are being seen almost daily at Dinosaur Ridge Hawkwatch, and the first Northern Goshawk of the year was observed there yesterday, April 4.

I am heading out today (Saturday, April 5) with my student group to make up our snowed out raptoring field trip.  We are hoping to hit a couple Bald Eagle nests, a couple of GHOs, a few Red-tails, a couple of Osprey platforms, maybe see an incoming TV or Swainson's and whatever else we see.

Dinosaur Ridge Hawkwatch Day

My Dad and I went to the Dinosaur Ridge Hawkwatch near Morrison, Colorado yesterday, Wednesday, March 26. I had been a couple of times in the past, but many years ago, including once with a full class of kids, and I don’t remember much except that one guy up there was arrogant and would just call out the birds with very little information on where he was seeing them or how he was identifying them. It was a gorgeous day and much more-low key than my past experience/memory. There were four guys there at 9:30, with only 5 birds counted so far. There was sporadic activity, usually over the west ridge, but we really only saw a Red-tail and a Bald Eagle that were deemed migrants (based on flight style and direction) and not just residents, of which we saw numerous RTs, a couple of eagles and a falcon harassing one of the eagles high in the sky. Dad and I thought we saw more raptors (mostly RTs and some Kestrels) on the way down and again on the way home than we did at the site.
Here is the link to the daily Dinosaur Ridge report from the lead volunteer on hand (includes season total also):  https://groups.google.com/forum/#!msg/cobirds/J9Nqr4vsaEM/_vos3kiv8pkJ

Our best sighting of the day was probably the falcon we I spied cruising the ridge right outside of Morrison. It perched on a snag at the top of the ridge, but the light was behind it so we could not get an ID, even with the scope; both Prairie and Peregrine are residents of the area, and my gut was Prairie as it had fairly thin-looking wings and just didn’t appear that dark.

 On our way home we searched for a supposed Bald Eagle nest somewhere near 168th and York (according to one of the guys on the Ridge), but we never saw it. We did find two RT nests near Holly, one east on North side of 168th, and another west of Holly on the south side. We also checked out the RT nest in Erie just west of County Line Road at Evans in Erie and then my GHO nest off Rothman Open Space (I will update notes on this nest in the box at left). As I left my parents’ house there was a probable eagle soaring high above Waneka Lake.

Then, when I set out for my afternoon walk with the dogs, I saw two raptors flying in the wind at a distance that kind of looked like Swainson’s (thinner wings, flight style and glimpse of possible two-tone underwings), but it was difficult to see with naked eye and they were gone fast.

Ten raptors in five minutes and other early Spring notes

Ten raptors, five species in less than five minutes: Sunday, March 23 was a little breezy and when we went outside to walk the dogs, I immediately spied a soaring raptor that didn’t appear to be an RT; upon closer look (of course no binocs, otherwise it wouldn’t have been there) I am pretty sure from the winds and flight that it was my first osprey of the year (if it was for a “lifer”, I am not sure I could count it).  Seconds after the probable Osprey cruised away toward Waneka (another clue leaning to the fisherbird) a RT seemingly followed him with the wind.  As we walked down the trail an accipiter, most likely one of the local Cooper’s Hawks, whizzed overhead going from south to north. As that disappeared into the trees of my development, I looked back south to see the resident male Kestrel hovering over the field.  Above and beyond him were three raptors soaring high in the sky and then a fourth, much closer and lower flew into the view.  As I scanned the high skies there was an eagle soaring way above it all.  We continued east towards another RT.  As that one flew off on the wind, it calmed a bit and the sky was clear except for a few crows and LBJs; I didn’t see another raptor the rest of walk.

The next morning, the first official day of Spring Break, I took the dogs on an extra-long walk out to check out how the Red-tailed nest was doing.  I had definitely seen them working on it a few weeks ago and it was quite built up and visible, although I hadn’t specifically noticed one near it since.  As I approached, there appeared to be a head sticking out of the nest, but it was still obscured with branches.  So I kept going to get a better view.  When I got a little closer and focused the binoculars I chuckled out loud at the sight of two pointy ears and a Great Horned Owl sitting on the nest instead of the smaller Red-tailed Hawk head I was expecting.  This solved one mystery, as I had been wondering where the GHOs were nesting, since many of us had seen and heard them frequently in the area; however, now I have no idea where that RT pair has chosen to nest.  There are a few nests I am aware of closer to Erie and one off 95^th and Baseline, but I believe there has to be one closer to Rothman and home.

The first spring sightings are coming in.  In addition to my probable first Osprey of the season, the first report of a Colorado Turkey Vulture I am aware of was posted on Cobirders on March 23, flying over Colorado Springs. Burrowing Owls are starting to pop up on the Eastern prairie dog fields where they have been spotted in the past.  I also read that the open spaces northeast 75^th and Lookout have been closed, and I am assuming it is because of the possibility that the owls will return there as I know they were present three years ago (but I am not sure about the last two years). Next, it will be the Swainson’s Hawks returning.

My Dad and I are headed to the Dinosaur Ridge Hawkwatch tomorrow (Wednesday, March 26).  On decent weather days they had been getting over 20 migrating birds a day, plus around 10 local birds, including a Prairie Falcon that shows up daily.  However, poor weather days have only resulted in single digit birds.  As of now the unpredictable, ever-changing Colorado March weather is forecast to be cloudy but nice Wednesday (I have seen everything predicted from sunny and 70 to snowing).  Maybe I can spy that Ferruginous that has been eluding me this year, but my greatest hope would be get a lifer in a Broad-winged Hawk or a Northern Goshawk.

Late Winter Notes

Well, it appears that the Winter Raptoring period is drawing to a close and I was never able to positively identify a Ferruginous Hawk this Winter, although one was spotted and photographed within Lafayette only a few blocks from where I live.  I did see the greatest number of Rough-legged Hawks I have witnessed in my lifetime.  Both of these species should be heading North as the temperatures rise here.  Nor have I seen a Prairie Falcon or Merlin, nor a Northern Harrier since the turn of the year, all usually more common in Winter. I did hear tales of Snowy Owls and even a Gyrfalcon over the winter, but nothing so extravagant for me.  There did seem to be a lot of Short and Long-eared sightings East, that I will have to follow-up on sometime.

Another sign of spring, the first Burrowing Owls, and even a Broad-winged Hawk, have been spotted on the Eastern Plains.  I did get the first sighting of my neighborhood Cooper's a few mornings ago, putting my 2014 Raptor count at 6 (RT, BE, RL, AK, GHO). Also, "my" Red Tails appear to have taken their nest back, just a little later this year.  Bald Eagles have also been abundant and the Hygiene and many other nests in the area are active.

Unfortunately, my student group's Saturday trip got snowed out March 1.  However, soon the Osprey, Swainson's Hawks and Turkey Vultures will be back so we hope to see all of those on our reschedule in April.

I have really enjoyed watching the local Red Tails fly in and with the wind lately.  I have witnessed a lot of a technique or style lately that is neither hovering nor kiting, but just sitting flat staring right into the wind and staying almost still in mid-air.

I am planning a trip to Dinosaur Ridge with my dad to hang out during the Hawkwatch over my spring Break, so maybe we will notch something cool like a Northern Goshawk or Broad-winged Hawk, or at least a couple of birds I haven't seen yet this year.

President's Day Raptoring

Yesterday, I woke up and took the dogs on a normal "weekend" walk and as I turned north I spotted something soaring in the sky.  I actually, very intentionally this time, had my binoculars and quickly identified the flyer as an RT.  I scanned the trees farther to the north and did something else flying low, from the left, the direction of the nest site, that landed in a nearby tree.  It was impossible to get much in the sun's glare but I headed in that direction.  As I turned east and approached the tree, sighting the bird with my naked eye, I focused in and sure enough it appeared to be another RT. Right then, the other one (I can only assume it was the the same one I had seen soaring above) flew in and landed a few branches over.  I am pretty sure this is the same pair as last year and that they have re-claimed their nest, which appears well-fortified and groomed.  Hopefully they will be on it in a week and a half when I take the kids out there.

Anyway, I figured that was a good omen and when I got home I loaded the scope and the dogs into the car and headed out for an impromptu scouting trip. I started on my usual route by heading north behind Arapahoe Ridge where I saw the first of at least two dozen RTs, down Erie Parkway to County Line-there was a RT on the nest at the cross of Evans-to Kenosha and then west to Lookout Rd.  I saw a Baldie on one of the far off posts, but otherwise the usually very reliable run up Lookout was quiet.  I headed north through Niwot and then over to Lagerman, sighting a Roughie in the field just before the big bend, a few more RTs, then a couple of probable eagles soaring high above the reservoir. I went to Nelson and 75th and checked out the two two nests behind the office park but no activity on either. I then headed in the direction of the Hygiene eagles, seeing numerous RT pairs flying, plus other solos as well as a few Kestrel pairs.  As I neared the eagle nest I could see at least one white head from the distance.  I cruised by the line of scopes to see if anything was west and in the few minutes before I had returned, both eagles had flown away.  The spot at 59th and Hygiene was also unusually quiet but there were many more RTs as I wound around and back toward Longmont.  There are quite a few Osprey platforms out there and I can't wait to see them all filled later on this spring.  I then headed across I-25 all the way to Colorado before heading south.  Finally, I was able to find a few more Roughies east of I-25, plus a Juvie BE soaring and a bunch more RTs. Later, on the way in and out of Boulder I saw yet another four RTs.

To top it off, while I was grilling I heard some hooting so I hooted back and it sounded closer, then there was a return call, and it sounded real close.  I hooted back and the answer came from right out front.  I ran inside and through the house sparking off my dogs, and out the front door and sure enough, one was sitting on top of my front eave, while its partner was three doors down.

All in all a pretty good day with probably close to 40 raptors, with five species, although no new ones for the year.

Raptorology with kids!

For the last few Tuesdays I have run a "Birds of Prey" class/club after school and fourteen 2nd through 5th grade students, plus my friend and colleague Paul, have been having a blast learning about and sharing what we know about the different birds, as well as exploring adjacent Rothman Open Space here in Lafayette. The kiddos have been really excited to learn about specific (mostly locally found) birds ranging from the Red-tailed hawk, American Kestrel, both eagles, to Snowy and Barn owls, to the Harris Hawk and even two boys studying the Northern Goshawk, my personal nemesis bird-I have tasked them with learning everything about the species for my quest.

Depending on weather, we try to go outside each session.  The first two times we only had time for a short trip to the back of the playground for a view of the open space, but without any raptor sightings. Shortly after each one, while walking my dogs I saw a Red-tail and a Rough-legged.  The third session was during the sub-zero spell.  Finally, the fourth class, we went on a longer loop and were treated to both a Kestrel and a Red-tail flying around us for great views.  The girl studying the Kestrel ID'd it immediately and was flying herself.  This type of discovery is the most gratifying aspect of teaching.

The students keep asking when we are going to go further and see more, so we will be taking a longer hour long loop in the Open Space and are planning a Saturday drive through the county to cap off the class.

Roughie note:  Only one winter in the past ten have I seen a Rough-legged hawk in my backyard of Rothman, but this year I have seen three.  This not really irruption, but their prevalence this year anyway has really helped me identify them not just by markings, but also their different style of flying, although it is hard to specifically describe, just not like a Red-tail, nor Ferruginous or Harrier.  I have come to really appreciate them.

In search of more Roughies

Last Thursday my friend Paul and I left school at the 3:20 bell and headed out to check out some possible nest sites in the area and look for some of the Rough-legged hawks that have been almost common this winter. (We are going to lead and after school class about birding and raptors and were doing some "scouting".)  We headed east of Lafayette and then north on 119th and County Line roads, through Erie and finally north on Kenosha and Lookout to 109th before heading home.  The first nest site is within walking distance from school but I have not seen any specific activity on the nest yet, nor was there anything going on there today.  We soon saw a couple of Red Tails perched on high posts and trees.  Not too far down the road we saw a bird on a post and stopped on the narrow roadway to get a look.  It spooked easily and moved a few times, but never too far away. We could never get that for sure deciding look that confirmed it for us but am fairly certain it was a male Roughie.  Not too much farther was another similar looking bird that flew away before we got a good look.  The light was fading and we kept going.  We saw over a dozen birds, mostly likely Red Tails with a few possible Roughies, so a great hour long impromptu outing, before Paul turned east on Jasper to head home.  As I continued South on 109th I came upon a beautiful juvie Roughie (I think really the easiest one to identify) perched on one of those low posts very close to the road.  I tried to get a picture on my phone to send to Paul but the light was not quite sufficient.  As I made my way home, I saw two more Red Tails, likely staking out a nearby nest behind Arapahoe Ridge off the dirt 111th.

Roughies galore!

I went on an impromptu drive yesterday, intending to head east looking for Roughies, Ferruginous and Baldies, but instead ended following birds more north and west.  I headed north through Lafayette and behind Arapahoe Ridge saw my first official Red Tail of the year (surprisingly didn't see one on Wednesday) and set the scope up for the first time.  I headed east and immediately saw a very dark bird so I pulled over and grabbed the scope again, only to realize there was another Red Tail sitting right above me.  As I focused the scope the very dark bird flew and revealed itself as I suspected as a Harlan's.  I jumped in the car and tried to follow it back west but ended up finding a few more Red Tails and Kestrels before heading west on always reliable Lookout.  I had not gone far when I spotted a blob on one of the lower utility posts and immediately thought, "Rough-legged," as they tend to prefer the shorter roadside ones for some reason.  I was able to pull over directly across from it and get a great look. Why didn't I bring the camera?!  I kept on westward and as I crested the hill there was a huge blob in a small tree on the south side of the road-obviously an eagle, but no white head and I assumed juvenile Bald.  Trying to identify juvenile eagles is tough but I am fairly certain I was right as I got a good look at it flying and perched. I turned around and headed back east all the way down Lookout until it comes to a T and jogs right, where there were at least four birds around the field, including a beautiful Roughie who circled overhead for me to get a perfect view.  I zig-zagged through and around Erie, losing count of Red Tails, finding two more Roughies and two different adult Bald Eagles soaring.  Cruising back home down I-25 there were tons of perched Red Tails and probable Red Tails. Final count for the 90 minute drive was about two dozen RTs, 4 Roughies, 3 Baldies and 6 Kestrels (5 male-I read somewhere else that mostly males were being spotted and very few females but not sure of reason).  All in all a pretty successful first outing of the new year!  Happy Raptoring!