Date: 8/21/26 9:21 am From: Gary Brower <grb4914...> Subject: [cobirds] Labor Day around the lake!
CoBirders,
Itâs that time again. The 7th annual Labor Day Cherry Creek SP Circumlakation! (I started this as âLetâs-get-outside-during-COVIDâ event, and I canât let it go!)
This is NOT an official event by any means. Itâs just an invitation to join me on a bird walk around Cherry Creek State Park (about 13 miles total). Over the last six years, weâve tallied over 100 different species total. This weird year . . . who knows?
I'll start at the Tower Loop on September 7 at 630am, and head around the lake clockwise. That means weâre crossing the dam around 1:00pm . . . and weâve been fortunate to get Rock Wren fairly often!
No need to RSVP, just show up!
If you have questions, email me back, or give me a text/call at 303-501-6659.
Gary Brower
Unincorporated Arapahoe County
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Date: 8/21/26 5:02 am From: Mary Kay Waddington <waddingtonmk...> Subject: Re: [cobirds] Question to the Colorado Birds Forum regarding eBird and recent bird categorization changes
Regarding problems with your Android eBird app. I had similar problems
recently with Merlin and discovered that if I updated Merlin on my Android
the problems went away. You may wish to try updating eBird on your Android
and see if that fixes everything.
Mary Kay Waddington
On Fri, Aug 21, 2026 at 3:50â¯AM Kevin Schutz <kschutz...> wrote:
> Hello Colorado Birds community,
>
> I have a question to all. With the recent bird classification change,
> have you noticed any changes in the behavior of the eBird a(mobile)
> application where bird species, old or new classifications, DOES NOT
> APPEAR AS AN OPTION until one changes to the PC version?
>
> My nemesis bird for this query, in Colorado, is the Northern Yellow
> Warbler (previously known as the Yellow Warbler). For months, when I
> attempt an eBird checklist using my mobile phone, the new "Northern Yellow
> Warbler" never is presented as an option. I've tried "Northern Yellow
> Warbler", "Yellow Warbler". a generic "Warbler", but I only get the
> Northern Yellow/Mangrove Warbler as a viable option when using the mobile
> app version, but that always (for good reason) gets questioned. Once I
> return home, where I can access my PC, Northern Yellow Warbler is ALWAYS is
> presented as an option. The issue is only when I deal with eBird on my
> (android) mobile phone. I have experienced this issue with a number of
> species, but the Northern Yellow Warbler is by far the most common species
> I encounter this issue with.
>
> Note: all eBird databases for the application are current (have been
> frequently updated).
> Inquiries, to date, to Cornell have not been acknowledged
>
> Any suggestions on how to resolve this issue? Based on my current
> experience, I am less and less inclined to attempt to report checklists,
> entered in real time from the field, on eBird due to these frustrating
> issues.
>
> Thank you,
>
> Kevin
> El Paso County
>
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Date: 8/21/26 4:21 am From: diana <otowi33.33...> Subject: Re: [cobirds] Question to the Colorado Birds Forum regarding eBird and recent bird categorization changes
Kevin,
When I saw that issue with Northern Yellow Warbler, it seemed to be that the app didn't know my location, which is a separate issue from the packs. In my app, if I go to My eBird there is a little map pin icon on top right. If I click that one of the options is your current location. This seems to prompt it to refind where I am and pull up the right Yellow Warbler. I suppose if your app doesn't have GPS permissions this could also result in this issue. I hope this helps if it turns out to be a similar cause for you.
Diana Beatty
El Paso County
On August 20, 2026 10:26:35 PM MDT, Kevin Schutz <kschutz...> wrote:
>Hello Colorado Birds community,
>
> I have a question to all. With the recent bird classification change,
>have you noticed any changes in the behavior of the eBird a(mobile)
>application where bird species, old or new classifications, DOES NOT
>APPEAR AS AN OPTION until one changes to the PC version?
>
>My nemesis bird for this query, in Colorado, is the Northern Yellow
>Warbler (previously known as the Yellow Warbler). For months, when I
>attempt an eBird checklist using my mobile phone, the new "Northern Yellow
>Warbler" never is presented as an option. I've tried "Northern Yellow
>Warbler", "Yellow Warbler". a generic "Warbler", but I only get the
>Northern Yellow/Mangrove Warbler as a viable option when using the mobile
>app version, but that always (for good reason) gets questioned. Once I
>return home, where I can access my PC, Northern Yellow Warbler is ALWAYS is
>presented as an option. The issue is only when I deal with eBird on my
>(android) mobile phone. I have experienced this issue with a number of
>species, but the Northern Yellow Warbler is by far the most common species
>I encounter this issue with.
>
>Note: all eBird databases for the application are current (have been
>frequently updated).
> Inquiries, to date, to Cornell have not been acknowledged
>
>Any suggestions on how to resolve this issue? Based on my current
>experience, I am less and less inclined to attempt to report checklists,
>entered in real time from the field, on eBird due to these frustrating
>issues.
>
>Thank you,
>
>Kevin
>El Paso County
>
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Date: 8/21/26 2:50 am From: Kevin Schutz <kschutz...> Subject: [cobirds] Question to the Colorado Birds Forum regarding eBird and recent bird categorization changes
Hello Colorado Birds community,
I have a question to all. With the recent bird classification change, have you noticed any changes in the behavior of the eBird a(mobile) application where bird species, old or new classifications, DOES NOT APPEAR AS AN OPTION until one changes to the PC version?
My nemesis bird for this query, in Colorado, is the Northern Yellow Warbler (previously known as the Yellow Warbler). For months, when I attempt an eBird checklist using my mobile phone, the new "Northern Yellow Warbler" never is presented as an option. I've tried "Northern Yellow Warbler", "Yellow Warbler". a generic "Warbler", but I only get the Northern Yellow/Mangrove Warbler as a viable option when using the mobile app version, but that always (for good reason) gets questioned. Once I return home, where I can access my PC, Northern Yellow Warbler is ALWAYS is presented as an option. The issue is only when I deal with eBird on my (android) mobile phone. I have experienced this issue with a number of species, but the Northern Yellow Warbler is by far the most common species I encounter this issue with.
Note: all eBird databases for the application are current (have been frequently updated). Inquiries, to date, to Cornell have not been acknowledged
Any suggestions on how to resolve this issue? Based on my current experience, I am less and less inclined to attempt to report checklists, entered in real time from the field, on eBird due to these frustrating issues.
Thank you,
Kevin El Paso County
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The Phainopepla continues below the dam at Two Buttes, mostly hanging out around the edges of the large pond nearest the dam.
Nathan Pieplow Boulder
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Date: 8/19/26 11:16 pm From: Brandon <flammowl17...> Subject: [cobirds] PHAINOPEPLA in Baca County
David Wolf from Texas found an immature male Phainopepla, below the dam at Two Buttes Reservoir in Baca County on Monday morning. It was re-found this morning, and then refound again this evening. It seemed be hanging around the first pond, below the dam this evening. It has also been seen around the parking area. Good luck to others hoping to see this Colorado rarity.
Brandon K. Percival
Sent from my Phone
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Date: 8/19/26 3:56 pm From: <reports...> Subject: [cobirds] Mount Zion Hawk Watch at Windy Saddle Park (19 Aug 2026) Raptors
Mount Zion Hawk Watch at Windy Saddle Park
Golden, Greater Denver, Colorado, USA
This is a new raptor migration site identified and designated in mid-September 2024. This is Colorado's 1st fall hawk watch site, and the second hawk watch in Colorado.
To get to the site which is along Lookout Mountain Rd. in Golden, enter either Windy Saddle Park or Mount Zion into Google Maps on your favorite navigation app, or enter the coordinates 39.7368,-105.2454. From the parking lot ascend the stone steps to the watch site.
EVERYONE IS WELCOME TO THE HAWK WATCH TO ENJOY THE SPECTACLE OF RAPTOR MIGRATION, EVEN IF YOU KNOW NOTHING ABOUT IDENTIFYING RAPTORS IN FLIGHT. We will help you to learn Raptor ID.
See https://groups.google.com/g/cobirds/c/Oznn4uc6MBk
Daily Raptor Counts: Aug 19, 2026
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Observation start time: 08:15:00
Observation end time: 10:45:00
Total observation time: 2.75 hours
Official Counter: Ajit Antony
Observers:
Visitors:
A hiker already on top commented on my "photographic" equipment. I
explained what it was and what I was doing. He lived in Golden, though from
Virginia, and he knew of a hawk watch there.
An older couple came up with their young grandson. She asked whether I'd
seen any birds, and when I answered in the negative she said that the
thermals would not have formed yet. I told her that she knew more than most
people. She said she lived in San Francisco, was a teacher and she used to
take students up to Hawk Hill/ Golden Gate Bird Observatory Hawk Watch. She
pointed to my scope and asked what it was for. I explained that it was a
telescope.
Weather:
Another day with wildfire smoke covering Denver with a brown gray layer for
1 degree above the horizon. There was good cloud cover both East and North.
The winds were initially from the west but were soon overpowered by the
anabatic winds from the East changing to ESE. The winds aloft were from the
NW as evidenced by the direction of the clouds.
Raptor Observations:
Not a single migrant raptor today.
Non-migrant raptors: RT 3, TV 2.
Non-raptor Observations:
A single paraglider at 10:00 a.m. had no lift whatsoever.
MOBL 5, WOSJ 1, BTHU female which fed from a flower 4 ft from me, VGSW 8,
WBNU 1, SPTO 1, CORA 1, AMCR 1.
Predictions:
Sunny, with a high near 92. Light and variable wind becoming northeast 5 to
8 mph in the morning. Winds could gust as high as 15 mph. However the winds
aloft are again from the NW which seems to mitigate against a good flight.
========================================================================
Report submitted by Ajit Antony (<aiantony...>)
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Date: 8/19/26 8:33 am From: Jared Del Rosso <jared.delrosso...> Subject: [cobirds] A Sadness of Sparrows - Arapahoe
Okay, the sadness is mine, not the sparrows -- but there's something about encountering flocks of Vesper Sparrows and Lark Buntings in Centennial (where they do not breed) here in August that is bittersweet. I love seeing the birds, but it means summer is nearly over and too soon for my liking many of our breeding birds will be long gone. (That said, this year's heat and drought can't be gone too soon.)
Lark Buntings at deKoevend Park in Centennial yesterday (August 18). Vesper Sparrows around various open spaces and trails this week, too.
Also:
A Bullock's Oriole at deKoevend yesterday. Not that uncommon, but they barely breed in my self-imposed, hyper-local birding area. I know of only one breeding spot.
A Calliope Hummingbird giving its weird display sound, like a toy laser gun to my ears, in my yard. I have my feeders down right now, but a few hummingbirds are visiting the many flowers on my one miracle plant -- a Desert Willow, practically the only thing really happy this year -- and a few agastaches. (Agastache cana, my second favorite to the more popular Agastache rupestris, seems much happier in my yard, year-over-year.)
- Jared Del Rosso Centennial, CO
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Date: 8/18/26 4:00 pm From: <reports...> Subject: [cobirds] Mount Zion Hawk Watch at Windy Saddle Park (18 Aug 2026) 2 Raptors
Mount Zion Hawk Watch at Windy Saddle Park
Golden, Greater Denver, Colorado, USA
This is a new raptor migration site identified and designated in mid-September 2024. This is Colorado's 1st fall hawk watch site, and the second hawk watch in Colorado.
To get to the site which is along Lookout Mountain Rd. in Golden, enter either Windy Saddle Park or Mount Zion into Google Maps on your favorite navigation app, or enter the coordinates 39.7368,-105.2454. From the parking lot ascend the stone steps to the watch site.
EVERYONE IS WELCOME TO THE HAWK WATCH TO ENJOY THE SPECTACLE OF RAPTOR MIGRATION, EVEN IF YOU KNOW NOTHING ABOUT IDENTIFYING RAPTORS IN FLIGHT. We will help you to learn Raptor ID.
See https://groups.google.com/g/cobirds/c/Oznn4uc6MBk
Daily Raptor Counts: Aug 18, 2026
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Observation start time: 08:00:00
Observation end time: 11:30:00
Total observation time: 3.5 hours
Official Counter: Ajit Antony
Observers:
Visitors:
A woman hiker was curious as to what I was watching, when I told her, she
wanted to know how I tell migrants from non-migrants, and what species I
could see. I told her I could see 14 different species and she wanted to
know what I had seen today. I hesitated to name them, as most non-birders
have not heard of any of them, but I mentioned the CH and the RT, and she
said she had a CH in her backyard. I discussed the increased urbanization
of CH, which thrives in cities such as Seattle.
Weather:
Light ildfire smoke over Denver but none above the horizon. Altocumulus
with lenticularis and cirrus clouds with a large swath of the latter
developing overhead and to the north and east which would have been a
wonderful backdrop to see migrants if there had been any. Later cumulus
clouds developed as usual from the West over the Rockies , gradually
blowing East over the watch. The synoptic winds were from the West which
were rapidly overcome by locally caused East winds because of Denver.
Raptor Observations:
Looking at my reports last fall from Dinosaur Ridge, I realized that there
were SW flying early so I got there by 9:00 a.m. DST which was fortunate
because the only two migrants a CH which chased a local RT, and another RT
were the only migrants for the day in that hour, even though I assiduously
and systematically scanned the high clouds for migrants to no avail.
Non-migrant raptor sightings: an adult dark morph RT, 11 RT in all; CH 1;
adult BE 1; TV 5, one harassed by 2 CORA,
Non-raptor Observations:
9 paragliders, 3 starting at 10:00 a.m. DST when 3 of them had minimal
lift, 35 minutes later I saw one of them far to the North and high.
CONI 1, ROWR 1, VGSW 1, BTHU 1, SPTO 1, BCCH 1, CORA 4, AMCR 4.
Predictions:
A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms, mainly after 3pm. Mostly
sunny, with a high near 87. Light and variable wind becoming north
northeast 5 to 8 mph in the morning.
The winds aloft are expected to be light and from the WNW/NW.
========================================================================
Report submitted by Ajit Antony (<aiantony...>)
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Nice photo of a light morph of an adult Swainson's Hawk. You could also google it and thanks for sharing.
Wayne Wathen
Centennial, Colorado
________________________________
From: <cobirds...> <cobirds...> on behalf of Pauli Driver-Smith <hollyhockfarms...>
Sent: Tuesday, August 18, 2026 1:00 PM
To: cobirds <cobirds...>
Subject: [cobirds] Hawk Identification
Can anyone tell me what kind of hawk this is? This isn't my picture, but on several occasions I've seen him/her around my property.
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It’s a Swainson’s Hawk. I’m able to identify it by its bib. Nice bird!
*Linda Hodges*
*Conservation Chair*
*Aiken Audubon*
On Tue, Aug 18, 2026 at 1:02 PM Pauli Driver-Smith <hollyhockfarms...>
wrote:
> Can anyone tell me what kind of hawk this is? This isn't my picture, but
> on several occasions I've seen him/her around my property.
>
> Pauli Smith
> Highlandlake/Mead, Weld, Colorado
>
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Can anyone tell me what kind of hawk this is? This isn't my picture, but on several occasions I've seen him/her around my property.
Pauli Smith Highlandlake/Mead, Weld, Colorado
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Date: 8/17/26 5:04 pm From: <reports...> Subject: [cobirds] Mount Zion Hawk Watch at Windy Saddle Park (17 Aug 2026) 12 Raptors
Mount Zion Hawk Watch at Windy Saddle Park
Golden, Greater Denver, Colorado, USA
This is a new raptor migration site identified and designated in mid-September 2024. This is Colorado's 1st fall hawk watch site, and the second hawk watch in Colorado.
To get to the site which is along Lookout Mountain Rd. in Golden, enter either Windy Saddle Park or Mount Zion into Google Maps on your favorite navigation app, or enter the coordinates 39.7368,-105.2454. From the parking lot ascend the stone steps to the watch site.
EVERYONE IS WELCOME TO THE HAWK WATCH TO ENJOY THE SPECTACLE OF RAPTOR MIGRATION, EVEN IF YOU KNOW NOTHING ABOUT IDENTIFYING RAPTORS IN FLIGHT. We will help you to learn Raptor ID.
See https://groups.google.com/g/cobirds/c/Oznn4uc6MBk
Daily Raptor Counts: Aug 17, 2026
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Observation start time: 09:15:00
Observation end time: 13:00:00
Total observation time: 3.75 hours
Official Counter: Ajit Antony
Observers: Liza Antony
Visitors:
An older birder/hiker said he saw a Cooper's Hawk on Lookout Mountain
making a whistling sound which he had never heard. I hadn't either, and
looked it up online and told him when he was on his way back that it was
from a juvenile CH, amd he said, Oh yes it had a streaked breast.
Weather:
Initially there was some haze or Denver from wildfire smoke from western
states, however this cleared up and we could even see Denver International
Airport with the naked eye at 39 km away. Initially pleasant, but
unbearably hot by the end, even with our umbrellas! Winds were light from
the East, though the winds aloft prediction by earth.null school.net showed
it coming from the West, good cloud cover - cirruss to the East and cumulus
to the West, becoming cumulus all over.
Raptor Observations:
We had our first little group of 3 Swainson's Hawk at 10:43 a.m. DST that's
Liza found over South Table Mountain, which I confirmed with my scope,
followed by another one a minute later. Typically, they rose a little in
height but once they left South Table Mountain they lost lift because of
the large number of trees, golf course and houses, eventually traveling
between Green Mountain and Lookout Mountain, which is where we would see
them a year ago when we counted at Dinosaur Ridge in fall, where we had
started counting on August 19, 2025 when we had 14 SW, so their flight
dates seems to be fairly consistent in the area.
Non-migrant raptor sightings: AK 1, CH 1 which which briefly chased an
WTSW, RT 6, TV 14.
Non-raptor Observations:
The first paraglider at 10:41 a.m. DST had no lift whatsoever and could not
even rise to our level. 4 more at 12:00 p.m. and good lift, rising quite
high, so we looked higher in the sky for migrant raptors who would have the
same and better lift as they were much smaller.
Red Crossbill 6, Bushtit 5, LEGO 1, SPTO 1, VGSW 1,BTHU 1,BLJA 1.
Monarch butterfly 2.
Predictions:
A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms after noon. Increasing
clouds, with a high near 90. West wind 6 to 9 mph becoming northeast in the
afternoon. Winds could gust as high as 15 mph.
========================================================================
Report submitted by Ajit Antony (<aiantony...>)
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Date: 8/16/26 7:15 pm From: <reports...> Subject: [cobirds] Mount Zion Hawk Watch at Windy Saddle Park (16 Aug 2026) 8 Raptors
Mount Zion Hawk Watch at Windy Saddle Park
Golden, Greater Denver, Colorado, USA
This is a new raptor migration site identified and designated in mid-September 2024. This is Colorado's 1st fall hawk watch site, and the second hawk watch in Colorado.
To get to the site which is along Lookout Mountain Rd. in Golden, enter either Windy Saddle Park or Mount Zion into Google Maps on your favorite navigation app, or enter the coordinates 39.7368,-105.2454. From the parking lot ascend the stone steps to the watch site.
EVERYONE IS WELCOME TO THE HAWK WATCH TO ENJOY THE SPECTACLE OF RAPTOR MIGRATION, EVEN IF YOU KNOW NOTHING ABOUT IDENTIFYING RAPTORS IN FLIGHT. We will help you to learn Raptor ID.
See https://groups.google.com/g/cobirds/c/Oznn4uc6MBk
Daily Raptor Counts: Aug 16, 2026
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Observation start time: 09:15:00
Observation end time: 12:45:00
Total observation time: 3.5 hours
Official Counter: Ajit Antony
Observers: Zak Hepler
Visitors:
Unloading my scope from my car, a bicyclist stopped and asked what I was
doing with my equipment. We had a long chat. He did not know hawks migrate,
and I explained why. He wanted to know what hawks we could see and I told
him we have 14 species possible here. I explained the nationwide network of
active hawk watches and that we report to HMA. He wanted to know if he
could access the data so I told him to look up hawkcount.org. At the watch
around 9 hikers were curious as to what we were looking at. One couple
asked numerous questions once they found out what we were looking for.
Weather:
Another slightly smoky day today with Denver wreathed in smoke, improving
as the morning went on, cool, good cloud cover. There was a 3 degree thick
well-defined smoke layer over Denver. By the second full hour dark clouds
started moving in from the West. There were lightning strikes 7 miles away
but to our according to my app but when it started raining lightly we gave
up the watch.
Raptor Observations:
The first migrant was an SS at 10:45 a.m. DST going east of Lookout
Mountain and below the level of our watch.
Non-migraine Raptors: GE adult 1, CH 1, RT 17, TV 12, AK 1.
I had Zak Hepler, a raptor enthusiast, come to the watch to help me. I
initially met him at Ted Floyd's post-Thanksgiving Day bird trip, and he
had to come for our DFO winter raptor ID trip the next week, after which I
had given participants a list of useful books as well as for those
interested in hawk watching. He told me he had "all the hawk books." So I
suggested he read Paul Kerlinger's Flight Strategies of Migrating Hawks. He
has a good eye for IDing distant raptors, and has the making of a good hawk
watcher.
Non-raptor Observations:
WTSW 15, VGSW 2, NOFLI 1, SPTO 1, BTHU 1, CORA 4, MODO 1, BCCH 1.
Monarch butterfly 1.
Being a weekend there were about 12 paragliders, with seven taking off one
after the other. The ones at 10:00 a.m. DST did not have much lift and
could not even reach our level but by 10:45 a.m. they had good lift.
Predictions:
Mostly sunny, with a high near 88. Light and variable wind becoming east 5
to 7 mph in the afternoon.
========================================================================
Report submitted by Ajit Antony (<aiantony...>)
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Date: 8/16/26 12:55 pm From: Peter Burke <peterburke...> Subject: [cobirds] Register Now for the Colorado Birding Challenge!
Hi everyone,
Registration is now open for the 2026 COBC on Saturday, September 5th. You
can visit *cobirds.org/cobc <http://cobirds.org/cobc>* to learn more and
register your team.
We have added a new category this year called the Big Sit. For this
category, you simply choose a location—whether it is your backyard or the
shores of John Martin Reservoir—and count as many species as possible.
If you have not participated in this event before, we encourage you to
join. To participate, review the four competition options, select the one
that works best for you, and register through Pledgeit. Only one person
from each competitive team needs to pay the registration fee; teammates can
select their team when registering without paying additional fees.
There is also a "Bird Your Own Way" option, which is completely free,
non-competitive, and customizable to how you would like to take part.
Last year we had 38 teams birding in 22 counties and we raised $20,000 for
CFO programs and conservation. We also generated over 400 eBird checklists,
a valuable documentation of Colorado's birdlife.
Good birding,
Peter Burke
CFO Board of Directors
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Date: 8/15/26 5:25 pm From: <reports...> Subject: [cobirds] Mount Zion Hawk Watch at Windy Saddle Park (15 Aug 2026) 4 Raptors
Mount Zion Hawk Watch at Windy Saddle Park
Golden, Greater Denver, Colorado, USA
This is a new raptor migration site identified and designated in mid-September 2024. This is Colorado's 1st fall hawk watch site, and the second hawk watch in Colorado.
To get to the site which is along Lookout Mountain Rd. in Golden, enter either Windy Saddle Park or Mount Zion into Google Maps on your favorite navigation app, or enter the coordinates 39.7368,-105.2454. From the parking lot ascend the stone steps to the watch site.
EVERYONE IS WELCOME TO THE HAWK WATCH TO ENJOY THE SPECTACLE OF RAPTOR MIGRATION, EVEN IF YOU KNOW NOTHING ABOUT IDENTIFYING RAPTORS IN FLIGHT. We will help you to learn Raptor ID.
See https://groups.google.com/g/cobirds/c/Oznn4uc6MBk
Daily Raptor Counts: Aug 15, 2026
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Observation start time: 08:45:00
Observation end time: 11:15:00
Total observation time: 2.5 hours
Official Counter: Ajit Antony
Observers: Liza Antony
Visitors:
A family were interested in what we were looking at. They said they hiked
in Boulder earlier in the year, and one of the trails was closed because of
raptors. I told them it was probably breeding PG, which are also supposed
to breed on the Tiers of Zion along the NW face of Mount Zion.
Weather:
The prolonged and heavy rain yesterday had washed out most of the smoke
from the air, though there was some smoke close to the ground making Denver
hazy, though as the day wore on the haziness decreased to the point that I
could even see Denver International Airport to the east at 39 km without
optical aid. Cooler air but without the smoke the sun felt hotter on the
skin. Lots of cloud cover mainly cirrocumulus to the east with some
cumulus congestus developing later in the West, eventually becoming dark
nimbostratus. At the beginning of the 12:00 hour DST there was distant and
prolonged thunder, and my app showed it to be 7.6 miles away only - the
danger of being hit is if it is closer than 10 miles - and then it began
drizzling, so we left.
Raptor Observations:
The first migrant an RT was at 9:12 a.m. MST initially seen far to the
east, lost lift, then flying low in the gap between Green Mountain and
Lookout Mountain. All the migrants were very distant.
Non-migrant raptor sightings: CH 1, RT 6, TV 2.
Non-raptor Observations:
Migrating Common Nighthawk 13, VGSW 2, WTSW 1, BTHU 1, SPTO 1, GTTO 1 juv,
CORA 5, MODO 2.
Three paragliders starting at 10:00 a.m. DST with excellent lift.
Predictions:
A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms after noon. Mostly sunny,
with a high near 82. Light and variable wind becoming east 5 to 7 mph in
the morning. Earth.nullschool.net suggests winds aloft from the ESE.
========================================================================
Report submitted by Ajit Antony (<aiantony...>)
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Date: 8/15/26 3:59 pm From: David Suddjian <dsuddjian...> Subject: [cobirds] BIRD BOMBS Colorful Colorado Conifers video is up
Check out the video of the latest DFO *BIRD BOMBS: Colorful Colorado Conifers <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eghhOgk6yME>.* Learning our trees is foundational to a keen appreciation and understanding of our birds and their forest habitats. ID of nine Colorado conifers is covered in this episode. Enjoy.
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Chico Basin Ranch will open to birders on Saturday August 22nd. You may register 7 days in advance. Please note that *bird banding will not begin until Monday August 24**.* The banding station will be closed on Sundays.
In addition, the State Land Board has asked us to move the porta potties inside the banding station area. They will now be located inside the fenced area near the north gate. Parking will continue to be in the usual spot.
For group registrations or questions: <chicoregistration...>
Aiken Audubon Colorado Springs
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Date: 8/14/26 7:31 pm From: <reports...> Subject: [cobirds] Mount Zion Hawk Watch at Windy Saddle Park (14 Aug 2026) 7 Raptors
Mount Zion Hawk Watch at Windy Saddle Park
Golden, Greater Denver, Colorado, USA
This is a new raptor migration site identified and designated in mid-September 2024. This is Colorado's 1st fall hawk watch site, and the second hawk watch in Colorado.
To get to the site which is along Lookout Mountain Rd. in Golden, enter either Windy Saddle Park or Mount Zion into Google Maps on your favorite navigation app, or enter the coordinates 39.7368,-105.2454. From the parking lot ascend the stone steps to the watch site.
EVERYONE IS WELCOME TO THE HAWK WATCH TO ENJOY THE SPECTACLE OF RAPTOR MIGRATION, EVEN IF YOU KNOW NOTHING ABOUT IDENTIFYING RAPTORS IN FLIGHT. We will help you to learn Raptor ID.
See https://groups.google.com/g/cobirds/c/Oznn4uc6MBk
Daily Raptor Counts: Aug 14, 2026
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Observation start time: 08:45:00
Observation end time: 11:45:00
Total observation time: 3.25 hours
Official Counter: Ajit Antony
Observers: Liza Antony
Visitors:
An older man, a runner from Denver who had lived in Massachusetts for 50
years and back here for 2 years was interested whether we were looking at
birds and raptors. He said he loved birds, but was not aware of DFO. I
suggested he join, telling him of the 200-250 birding trips every year,
possibly the highest of any bird club in the country.
Weather:
We had 8 hours of fine misty rain yesterday which should have washed all
the smoke out of the air, but it looked the same as 2 days ago at the
watch, presumably new smoke was able to flow in with a thick gray brownish
layer over Denver more to the north than the South. Winds as usual from the
ENE because of local causes, though the winds aloft up to 0.5 miles above
the watch (750 hPa) predicted by earth.nullschool.net were initially from
the West, then WSW, and finally from the SW.
Mostly sunny, cooler after a front went through, with cumulus and
altocumulus clouds, and cumulus congestus from the west later on, with a
prediction of rain and thunderstorms by 2:00 p.m. Such weather is common
daily in Denver between May and August related to warm air moving NW from
the Palmer Divide meeting cooler air coming down from the mountains.
Raptor Observations:
The first local raptor was an an Rt at 958 a.m. DST . The first migrant
raptor was an AK at 10:02 a.m. DST. .
Non-migrant Raptors: RT , TV.
Non-raptor Observations:
Common Nighthawk 15 (migrants, as they are normally crepuscular, they were
flying to the SW and WSW, and mid-August is when they begin migration),
Rock Wren 1, GTTO 2, MOBL 3, BTHU 1, SPTO 1, VGSW 1, WTSW 1, CORA 5.
The initial paragliders at 10:18 a.m. DST did not have any lift not even
reaching our level, the ones at 10:47 a.m. had a little lift and the last
ones at 11:41 a.m. had extremely good lift going many hundreds of feet
above us, traveling both North and South.
Predictions:
A chance of showers and thunderstorms before 2pm. Partly sunny, with a high
near 80. Light and variable wind becoming ENE 5-7 mph in the afternoon.
Chance of precipitation is 70%. Zak, we will be at the watch both Saturday
and Sunday, at least until the rain / thunderstorms reach us.
========================================================================
Report submitted by Ajit Antony (<aiantony...>)
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Date: 8/14/26 6:34 pm From: Audrey Hicks <audreyjhicks...> Subject: [cobirds] Fall Banding at the Kingery Nature Center
Hello birders!
This fall, Denver Audubon is once again partnering with Bird Conservancy of
the Rockies to band birds at the Kingery Nature Center, located at the
south end of Chatfield State Park.
The station has operated for many years during spring migration, but last
year we trialed a fall season for the first time, running for three weeks.
The results were exciting, so we’re expanding the trial this year! The
station will operate for eight weeks, on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and
Saturdays, from the last week of August through mid-October.
We hope to see you there.
Audrey Hicks
Bander, Denver Audubon + Bird Conservancy of the Rockies
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Date: 8/13/26 7:48 pm From: DAVID A LEATHERMAN <daleatherman...> Subject: [cobirds] Larimer and Weld
I ran my shrike route today just to get out of the apartment. Here are some random observations.
Hamilton Reservoir Overlook Black Tern (estimate 45) No loons or grebes that I could see Chipping Sparrows (molt migrants, flying over the parking area n to s) Vesper Sparrow (1 along res shore below the Overlook) Rattlesnake warning signs (at least 3) No rattlesnakes (still have never see one here, although it does look perfect for them) Shark? (an occasional large dorsal fin appears out of the water from one of the Asian Grass Carp introduced to eat algae, some of which are over 4 feet long and reportedly weigh 100 lbs!)
Larimer CR5 from Buckeye Road north to CR92 Lark Buntings (small groups roaming around) Sage Thrasher (3) Loggerhead Shrike (1)
Weld CR122 from US85 e to CR37 Sage Thrasher (3) Loggerhead Shrike (1)
Weld CR37 from 122 s to 114 Sage Thrasher (2) Cassin's Sparrow (1) Western Kingbird (a few) Western Wood-Pewee (1 on fence, obvious bird on the move) Common Nighthawk (10+ cruising low over the saltbush prairie) Lark Bunting (a few) Loggerhead Shrike (3) Saw four fresh items impaled near where I saw a pair of adult shrikes (thinking about a second brood?); [cid:<image001.jpg...>] [cid:<image002.jpg...>] [cid:<image003.jpg...>] [cid:<image004.jpg...>] From left to right: pallid-winged grasshopper (Trimerotropis pallidipennis); a scarab (Orizabus pyriformis); many-lined skink (Eumeces multivirgatus) and two-striped grasshopper (Melanoplus bivitattus)
Crom Lake (west of Pierce on Weld CR31 s of CR90 Very high water, both sides, very few birds, nothing noteworthy
Dave Leatherman Fort Collins
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Date: 8/13/26 7:20 pm From: Raymond Davis <davisblackdog...> Subject: [cobirds] Evening Grosbeaks in Larimer County
having not seen them here for 5-6 years, surprised to see 8 Evening Grosbeaks this evening. They were interested in sunflower seed feeder, and water.
Davis at 6,000 ft, 4 miles NW of Lyons, open Ponderosa and rock (picture Virginia Dale)
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Date: 8/12/26 5:42 pm From: <reports...> Subject: [cobirds] Mount Zion Hawk Watch at Windy Saddle Park (12 Aug 2026) 2 Raptors
Mount Zion Hawk Watch at Windy Saddle Park
Golden, Greater Denver, Colorado, USA
This is a new raptor migration site identified and designated in mid-September 2024. This is Colorado's 1st fall hawk watch site, and the second hawk watch in Colorado.
To get to the site which is along Lookout Mountain Rd. in Golden, enter either Windy Saddle Park or Mount Zion into Google Maps on your favorite navigation app, or enter the coordinates 39.7368,-105.2454. From the parking lot ascend the stone steps to the watch site.
EVERYONE IS WELCOME TO THE HAWK WATCH TO ENJOY THE SPECTACLE OF RAPTOR MIGRATION, EVEN IF YOU KNOW NOTHING ABOUT IDENTIFYING RAPTORS IN FLIGHT. We will help you to learn Raptor ID.
See https://groups.google.com/g/cobirds/c/Oznn4uc6MBk
Daily Raptor Counts: Aug 12, 2026
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Observation start time: 09:00:00
Observation end time: 11:00:00
Total observation time: 2 hours
Official Counter: Ajit Antony
Observers:
Weather:
Smoke still blanketed Denver. At the watch the winds were from the ENE
caused by local factors related to Denver, though the winds aloft (using
the earth.nullschool.net app)
at 700 hPa corresponding to an elevation of 10,000 ft above sea level at
which level raptors could be flying- the watch is at 7062 ft MSL - showed
the winds coming directly from the north, an infrequent wind in fall
according to my meteorology mentor in Denver, Bryan Guarante, and which
usually brings rain and thunderstorms. On the other hand the clouds were
moving towards the NNE, and checking the app at 500 hPa corresponding to an
elevation of 6,500 to 23,000 ft AGL the predicted winds were from the WSW
to ENE which is pretty close. Good altocumulus cloud cover 30-45-75%, and
in the last 30 minutes dark clouds were moving in from the West with
distant thunder which came closer. I checked the My Lightning app and there
were lightning strikes 11.5 mi away near Floyd Hill to the West. With the
winds I thought the strikes made pass north of the watch, but there were
other lightning strikes reported SW of the watch which would bring them
directly over the watch, so I left. 10 minutes later when I checked, there
were lightning strikes only 5 miles from the watch!
Raptor Observations:
Yay! While watching a local male AK chasing a local CH I had our first
migrant Swainson's Hawk at 11:38 a.m. DST, directly overhead, visible to
the unaided eye, confirmed with my spotting scope to be an adult. Most
Swainson's Hawk being plains birds migrate along a broad front through the
plains of Montana, Wyoming and Eastern Colorado and only a minority
presumably use the ridges of the foothills of the Rockies.
https://explorer.audubon.org/explore/species/945/swainson-hawk/migration?sidebar=collapse&<zoom...>&<x...>&<y...>&<range...>%2C0.8404 A CH migrating at 10:20 a.m. DST.
Non-migrant Raptors: 4 RT at 10:14 a.m. DST, TV 5.
Non-raptor Observations:
Rock Wren 1, MOBL 1, CORA 3 with two of them at one point chasing an adult
TV.
A single paraglider at 10:56 a.m. who had good lift, so should the raptors
using this area.
Predictions:
A slight chance of showers before noon, then a chance of showers and
thunderstorms between noon and 3pm, then showers and possibly a
thunderstorm after 3pm. High near 80. Light and variable wind becoming
north 5 to 7 mph in the morning. Chance of precipitation is 80%.
I have a mid-morning meeting every Thursday, and had thought of coming
after that except for the showers and thunderstorms by noon, so I will not
likely watch tomorrow.
========================================================================
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I saw a similar colored Magpie with Cole Wild and his family, on July 1,
2026, on Mills Drive in Estes Park.
List and photo attached. Cole probably got better photos.
Pat Cullen
Longmont, CO
On Monday, August 10, 2026 at 9:39:13 PM UTC-6 Danielle Menapace wrote:
> Hello
> I was at my Cabin in Estes Park and captured this white magpie. Thought I
> should share. Thank you.
>
> Danielle Menapace
>
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Hello I was at my Cabin in Estes Park and captured this white magpie. Thought I should share. Thank you.
Danielle Menapace
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Sent from my iPhone
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Date: 8/10/26 5:55 pm From: <reports...> Subject: [cobirds] Mount Zion Hawk Watch at Windy Saddle Park (10 Aug 2026) Raptors
Mount Zion Hawk Watch at Windy Saddle Park
Golden, Greater Denver, Colorado, USA
This is a new raptor migration site identified and designated in mid-September 2024. This is Colorado's 1st fall hawk watch site, and the second hawk watch in Colorado.
To get to the site which is along Lookout Mountain Rd. in Golden, enter either Windy Saddle Park or Mount Zion into Google Maps on your favorite navigation app, or enter the coordinates 39.7368,-105.2454. From the parking lot ascend the stone steps to the watch site.
EVERYONE IS WELCOME TO THE HAWK WATCH TO ENJOY THE SPECTACLE OF RAPTOR MIGRATION, EVEN IF YOU KNOW NOTHING ABOUT IDENTIFYING RAPTORS IN FLIGHT. We will help you to learn Raptor ID.
See https://groups.google.com/g/cobirds/c/Oznn4uc6MBk
Daily Raptor Counts: Aug 10, 2026
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Observation start time: 09:45:00
Observation end time: 13:45:00
Total observation time: 4 hours
Official Counter: Ajit Antony
Observers:
Visitors:
A few visitors were interested in what I was doing. 2 young women asked
which hawks I was looking for when I told them I was looking for migrating
Raptors, and when I said I could see up to 14 species their comment was
That's really cool.
A man with his 4-year-old daughter had a picnic on the rocks at the watch.
Talking to him it turned out that until the age of 4 he lived in Cornwall
on Hudson, only a mile from where I lived for 38 years! Thereafter he
lived in Highland Falls which is the town next to the West Point Military
Academy where his father was a professor. A man with his family found a
raptor overhead, he was puzzling what it was, I was able to tell him it was
a CH, I also pointed out to distant RT over Lookout Mountain which they
enjoyed looking at.
Weather:
The winds were initially from the West, turning to NNW with gusts from the
NE, the local winds we usually get in the afternoon. Heavy cloud cover,
Altocumulus. Minimally less smoke than 2 days ago to the point that Denver
could barely be seen and by the 2:00 p.m. DST hour I could actually see the
buildings of downtown Denver with my binoculars and all of the area east of
Denver including the radomes of Buckley AFB and even the airport at 39 km
without binoculars, none of which I have been able to see since August 1st.
By the end of the watch dark clouds came in. My MyLightning app showed
lightning to the South 56 miles away, but when I heard a roll of thunder, I
got off the mountain as soon as I could. In the morning I thought that we
needed a good rain to wash out the smoke from the atmosphere. PM 10 was
'good' while PM 2.5 was moderate and ground level ozone was at a moderate
level.
Raptor Observations:
With mainly West Winds which are inimical to raptor migration in this area,
I counted no migrants today, but plenty of local raptor activity to keep me
busy.
Non-migrant Raptors: juvenile GE to the NW low over the ridges; CH 1-3 once
seen close up with a bluish back, an adult male; RT 6; TV 7 together.
Predictions:
Local forecast for Golden Colorado: A 30 percent chance of showers and
thunderstorms, mainly after 3pm. Mostly sunny, with a high near 93. West
wind 6 to 8 mph becoming east northeast in the afternoon.
earth.nullschool.net predicts light NNW winds changing to NE winds, aloft.
========================================================================
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Date: 8/10/26 5:41 pm From: 'Meredith McBurney' via Colorado Birds <cobirds...> Subject: [cobirds] Re: A preview of fall banding - Training Days at Barr Lake!
Hi Folks, Thanks to the reader who noted that I don't know what MONTH it
is!! The banding station is opening on *AUGUST 22!!* Meredith
On Monday, August 10, 2026 at 5:20:19 PM UTC-6 Meredith McBurney wrote:
> Hi CoBirders,
>
> It is almost time for fall banding! In preparation, we put up a few nets
> at the feeders near our Barr Lake office and spent a few hours over 4
> mornings doing some training/tune-up with our Barr Lake and Chatfield
> volunteers. This was the first time we did this in the fall at our Barr
> Lake office location, and we were very pleased with the results, both in
> terms of the number of birds caught but also the diversity.
>
> In spite of having the feeders full, the majority of the birds caught were
> insect eaters, led by the Yellow Warblers. We should expect YEWAs to be
> our most common species at this time of year, but were pleasantly surprised
> at how many we caught at this location. Most of them hatched this year,
> which is exactly what should happen now. (Hint: If you are interested in
> learning about YEWAs, how to tell young from adults, males from females,
> etc., visit the station during the first week or so. After that they will
> be off to their wintering grounds.)
>
> Most interesting birds caught:
>
> A very young Savannah Sparrow - A species rarely caught at Barr Lake. We
> did every measurement Pyle suggested in our quest to properly ID this bird.
>
> An Eastern (based on all measurements) Warbling Vireo - It was interesting
> to see our first likely Eastern WV after our spring at Chatfield, where the
> 7 we caught all appeared to be Western.
>
> Here's the breakdown of the 76 birds we caught:
>
> Downy Woodpecker 2
> Western Wood-pewee 6
> Eastern Warbling Vireo 1
> Blue Jay 1
> Barn Swallow 1
> Black-capped Chickadee 6
> White-breasted Nuthatch 2
> Northern House Wren 4
> Yellow Warbler 39
> Chipping Sparrow 1
> Savannah Sparrow 1
> Red-winged Blackbird 4
> Common Grackle 4
> House Finch 4
>
> We will officially open bright and early on Saturday, September 22. We
> are thrilled to be returning to our traditional location after two years in
> a temporary location due to the construction on the dam. They avoided
> doing major damage to the habitat where the station is located, so we are
> very much looking forward to being back "home".
>
> We are open for visitors starting bright and early the first morning!
> Please join us; *reservations are required* and you can sign up on the
> Bird Conservancy website here
> <https://campscui.active.com/orgs/BirdConservancyoftheRockies?e4q=18a2d1bc-2a17-46e2-b8b5-c22e2c2cca20&e4p=9a994b89-9597-4226-b970-a790c896cb20&e4ts=1786403775&e4c=active&e4e=snlvcmpscui00001load&e4rt=Safetynet&e4h=da381816406e72b3c4ebc3d827faa290&newcui=true>.
> There are still spots available on the opening weekend and we would love
> for you to join us as we celebrate our return!
>
> Let me know if you have questions,
>
> Meredith
>
> Meredith McBurney
> Bander
> Barr Lake Banding Station
>
>
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Date: 8/10/26 4:20 pm From: 'Meredith McBurney' via Colorado Birds <cobirds...> Subject: [cobirds] A preview of fall banding - Training Days at Barr Lake!
Hi CoBirders,
It is almost time for fall banding! In preparation, we put up a few nets
at the feeders near our Barr Lake office and spent a few hours over 4
mornings doing some training/tune-up with our Barr Lake and Chatfield
volunteers. This was the first time we did this in the fall at our Barr
Lake office location, and we were very pleased with the results, both in
terms of the number of birds caught but also the diversity.
In spite of having the feeders full, the majority of the birds caught were
insect eaters, led by the Yellow Warblers. We should expect YEWAs to be
our most common species at this time of year, but were pleasantly surprised
at how many we caught at this location. Most of them hatched this year,
which is exactly what should happen now. (Hint: If you are interested in
learning about YEWAs, how to tell young from adults, males from females,
etc., visit the station during the first week or so. After that they will
be off to their wintering grounds.)
Most interesting birds caught:
A very young Savannah Sparrow - A species rarely caught at Barr Lake. We
did every measurement Pyle suggested in our quest to properly ID this bird.
An Eastern (based on all measurements) Warbling Vireo - It was interesting
to see our first likely Eastern WV after our spring at Chatfield, where the
7 we caught all appeared to be Western.
Here's the breakdown of the 76 birds we caught:
Downy Woodpecker 2
Western Wood-pewee 6
Eastern Warbling Vireo 1
Blue Jay 1
Barn Swallow 1
Black-capped Chickadee 6
White-breasted Nuthatch 2
Northern House Wren 4
Yellow Warbler 39
Chipping Sparrow 1
Savannah Sparrow 1
Red-winged Blackbird 4
Common Grackle 4
House Finch 4
We will officially open bright and early on Saturday, September 22. We are
thrilled to be returning to our traditional location after two years in a
temporary location due to the construction on the dam. They avoided doing
major damage to the habitat where the station is located, so we are very
much looking forward to being back "home".
Meredith McBurney
Bander
Barr Lake Banding Station
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Date: 8/10/26 7:38 am From: David Suddjian <dsuddjian...> Subject: [cobirds] BIRD BOMBS: Colorful Colorado Conifers this Thursday Aug 13 7PM
Hi CoBirders,
Register now for DFO's BIRD BOMBS: Colorful Colorado Conifers <https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_teMYQ8h0RuKsschVIJiKbQ?ampDeviceId=5585655f-94c1-4415-ae#/registration>, set to explode this Thursday August 13 at 7PM Mountain Time. Here ois a unique opportunity to learn to identify and appreciate the conifer trees of Colorado, and how they occur on the landscape. Trees are principal bird habitat elements that define our forests. A greater understanding of the kinds of trees will inform your understanding of Colorado birds and their habitat choices, and can help you know where to look for certain species.
David Suddjian Littleton CO [image: BIRD BOMBS Colorful Colorado Conifers.png]
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Date: 8/9/26 6:02 pm From: <reports...> Subject: [cobirds] Mount Zion Hawk Watch at Windy Saddle Park (09 Aug 2026) 1 Raptors
Mount Zion Hawk Watch at Windy Saddle Park
Golden, Greater Denver, Colorado, USA
This is a new raptor migration site identified and designated in mid-September 2024. This is Colorado's 1st fall hawk watch site, and the second hawk watch in Colorado.
To get to the site which is along Lookout Mountain Rd. in Golden, enter either Windy Saddle Park or Mount Zion into Google Maps on your favorite navigation app, or enter the coordinates 39.7368,-105.2454. From the parking lot ascend the stone steps to the watch site.
EVERYONE IS WELCOME TO THE HAWK WATCH TO ENJOY THE SPECTACLE OF RAPTOR MIGRATION, EVEN IF YOU KNOW NOTHING ABOUT IDENTIFYING RAPTORS IN FLIGHT. We will help you to learn Raptor ID.
See https://groups.google.com/g/cobirds/c/Oznn4uc6MBk
Daily Raptor Counts: Aug 09, 2026
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Observation start time: 07:45:00
Observation end time: 09:45:00
Total observation time: 2 hours
Official Counter:
Observers: Zak Hepler
Visitors:
Many hikers came and went during my time birding. Maybe it was due to me
having a scope, binoculars, a Rocky Mountain Raptor Program T-shirt, and
wearing my golden eagle hat that nobody asked me questions about my
activities.�
Weather:
The winds aloft suggested by earth.nullschool.net were light from the West,
the same as yesterday when I had no migrant raptors, so I thought I'd give
my muscles a rest as my peroneal and sartorius muscles have been cramping
at night because of the unaccustomed exercise of climbing 294 ft to the
watch daily carrying around 25 lb. of equipment, food and drink.
I got a pleasant surprise email in the evening from Zak Hepler who had
joined us last winter for one of our DFO winter raptor ID trips, and who
had gone up to the watch. This is his report:
The beginning of the shift started with winds blowing slightly South, but
turned to winds blowing to the West by 9 AM DST. Sky conditions were still
hazy from the wildfire smoke. The city of Denver was mostly lost in the
haze, but the North and South Table Mountains could be seen.�
Raptor Observations:
Within the first 30 mins, I had seen 2 RTHAs use the same woody ridge that
is found just South of Mount Zion. One soared and landed in a pine, but the
other gained altitude and went around the eastern edge of the hills;
keeping the ridges on its right. Later, 2 AMKE flew by both heading South
in frantic falcon fashion. Were the AMKE migrating? Hard to say. Later, one
juv RTHA was able to gain altitude right above the Watch! I watched the
bird circle, and soar, starting only 30m above my head. The banded tail (no
red) helped determine the age. This bird, once proper altitude was reached,
headed North. The Western winds did not help the raptor sightings.�
Non-raptor Observations:
In total, 5 different paragliders were seen this morning. The
raptor-adverse winds moving from the West helped the brave gliders take off
and enjoy the hazy morning. With my binoculars I could see that the people
were having a great time and their experiences were being recorded with a
'selfie stick'. These gliders started taking off around 10 AM near the
windsock to the NE of the Watch. Before I left, somebody started playing
tribal music around 10:40 AM. Native American drumming and chants sung and
played very loudly. Sounded like a ceremony. The music was played live.
Pretty neat. My hawk mentor/friend, Ajit, was not present today. Much to my
dismay.
BTHU 3, WOSJ 2, AMCR 2, BARS 2, PISI 2, LEGO 2, SPTO 3.
Predictions:
Earth.nullschool.net predicts light WNW which which may result in the same
lack of migration as today, but Tuesday has winds streaming down from the
north, blowing from the NE at the location of this watch, which could be
favorable.
========================================================================
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Date: 8/9/26 8:37 am From: mike <mike...> Subject: [cobirds] Re: Next BIRD BOMBS Aug 13 Colorful Colorado Conifers
Great idea, David. Looking forward to this program. Birders are always
looking into trees, but often would like to know more about the tree
itself.
-Mike Fernandez
Denver
On Saturday, July 11, 2026 at 7:15:05 PM UTC-6 David Suddjian wrote:
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Date: 8/8/26 6:44 pm From: <reports...> Subject: [cobirds] Mount Zion Hawk Watch at Windy Saddle Park (08 Aug 2026) 1 Raptors
Mount Zion Hawk Watch at Windy Saddle Park
Golden, Greater Denver, Colorado, USA
This is a new raptor migration site identified and designated in mid-September 2024. This is Colorado's 1st fall hawk watch site, and the second hawk watch in Colorado.
To get to the site which is along Lookout Mountain Rd. in Golden, enter either Windy Saddle Park or Mount Zion into Google Maps on your favorite navigation app, or enter the coordinates 39.7368,-105.2454. From the parking lot ascend the stone steps to the watch site.
EVERYONE IS WELCOME TO THE HAWK WATCH TO ENJOY THE SPECTACLE OF RAPTOR MIGRATION, EVEN IF YOU KNOW NOTHING ABOUT IDENTIFYING RAPTORS IN FLIGHT. We will help you to learn Raptor ID.
See https://groups.google.com/g/cobirds/c/Oznn4uc6MBk
Daily Raptor Counts: Aug 08, 2026
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Observation start time: 08:45:00
Observation end time: 12:00:00
Total observation time: 3.25 hours
Official Counter: Ajit Antony
Observers:
Visitors:
Many hikers were interested. When I got there a young man said it was a
great view, and I said that's why we chose this spot for the hawk watch
with unobstructed views in all directions. A young couple were interested
in what I was doing and we discussed counting migrant raptors, which they
thought was Awesome. We discussed the particulate matter in the air and
ozone levels. He asked if I were a geographer, and I said hawk watchers
need to know meteorology as well as local air quality to know when to wear
masks. He said he worked with children and some days they wouldn't allow
them to play outside. I showed them two distant TVs which I could see with
binoculars, and suggested they could probably see them naked-eye because of
their youth, and sure enough they could. That's so cool, they said. An
older hiker asked me what I was taking pictures of, and I explained that
this was a 'scope, and what I was doing. Two women with him asked numerous
questions about raptor migration and why they do so, flocking rehavior of
raptors, use of thermals by raptors, and the 14 species of raptors we could
see here, and that wherever possible I tried to separate them as to
adult/immature and male/female. Two young men I could see were listening
intently, and after the 3 hikers went off, the young men said that they
found what I had said was fascinating, and we discussed it further. A young
man who had just moved from Texas 3 days ago, doing postgraduate work in
geology at the School of Mines, the engineering school in Golden, Colorado,
asked me if this was a trail going NE down from the top of Mount Zion. I
said it probably led to the windsock and the spot where paragliders take
off from. On his way back we chatted for a long time about my interest in
geology and paleontology- I told him about the importance of South Table
Mountain being the first place in the world that the K-T (now called K-Pg)
boundary was described, which marks when the asteroid hit the earth that
ended the reign of the dinosaurs, where the first T.Rex tooth was found 40
years before the first T.Rex fossil was identified, so they had no idea
what it was.
I realized that my function at the watch when there are not many migrant
raptors is to be an educator and get people to open their minds to hawks
and their migration.
Weather:
The high was expected to be 100�F, which I took to mean that there was
going to be less smoke from wildfires in the air, and there was minimally
less smoke, though there was a layer of smoke covering Denver downtown
which I could barely see. PM <10 and PM <2.5 were both in the moderate
range, and ground level ozone was high. Because of the higher cloud cover
of altocumulus floccus stratiformis and altostratus it was intermittently
cooler when their shadows came over the watch. By 10:00 a.m. MST the local
winds from the ENE overpowered the winds from the West, which I could still
feel on the west side of the top of Mount Zion, showing it was still there.
Raptor Observations:
I counted no migrants today though I scanned with binoculars assiduously
and systematically. However there was a lot of local raptor activity and
sightings: adult GE 1, CH 2, RT 8 including 4 together, TV 10, the 1st of
which was aloft at 10:08 a.m. DST.
Non-raptor Observations:
Common Nighthawk migrants 3, Rock Wren 1, WBNU 1, AMCR 3, CORA 1.
Predictions:
A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms, mainly after 3pm. Areas
of smoke. Partly sunny, with a high near 96. West wind 5 to 8 mph becoming
northeast in the morning.
========================================================================
Report submitted by Ajit Antony (<aiantony...>)
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Date: 8/7/26 5:18 pm From: <reports...> Subject: [cobirds] Mount Zion Hawk Watch at Windy Saddle Park (07 Aug 2026) 4 Raptors
Mount Zion Hawk Watch at Windy Saddle Park
Golden, Greater Denver, Colorado, USA
This is a new raptor migration site identified and designated in mid-September 2024. This is Colorado's 1st fall hawk watch site, and the second hawk watch in Colorado.
To get to the site which is along Lookout Mountain Rd. in Golden, enter either Windy Saddle Park or Mount Zion into Google Maps on your favorite navigation app, or enter the coordinates 39.7368,-105.2454. From the parking lot ascend the stone steps to the watch site.
EVERYONE IS WELCOME TO THE HAWK WATCH TO ENJOY THE SPECTACLE OF RAPTOR MIGRATION, EVEN IF YOU KNOW NOTHING ABOUT IDENTIFYING RAPTORS IN FLIGHT. We will help you to learn Raptor ID.
See https://groups.google.com/g/cobirds/c/Oznn4uc6MBk
Daily Raptor Counts: Aug 07, 2026
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Observation start time: 09:30:00
Observation end time: 12:30:00
Total observation time: 3 hours
Official Counter: Ajit Antony
Observers: Liza Antony
Visitors:
A couple from DC visiting theeir son in Denver were curious about what I
was doing with my binoculars in scope, which I explained.
Weather:
Earth.nullschool.net showed sinuous streams of wind coming down from Canada
through the area of this watch, which would be good, if raptors were
migrating, creating a good channel Southward. At the watch the winds were
from the ENE caused by local factors which usually result in winds every
afternoon from the East, viz. Plains Heating: Intense daytime sun rapidly
bakes the Denver metro area and the lower Golden-area terrain, making the
air warm, light, and buoyant.
Anabatic Upslope Flow: As that warm air rises over the lower landscape, it
creates a localized vacuum effect, drawing air from the east
(Denver/plains) upslope toward the mountain crests.
Ridge Lift Interaction: The steep topography of Mount Zion and Lookout
Mountain acts as a ramp, enhancing this upslope pull by afternoon and
overpowering lighter synoptic morning wind patterns.
The smoke from wildfires was minimally less than 2 days ago but high enough
that there was a 10� layer of white smoke above the ground almost blotting
out Denver downtown. Address relatively cool in the'80s and '90s because of
the microscopic particular pattern the smoke dissipating the Rays of the
sun from hitting the ground.
Raptor Observations:
Migrant Raptors: 2 Redtails, a CH and an AK (the AK took a swipe at the CH
in flight) today that I could find.
Non-migrant raptors sightings: a Prairie Falcon missing its central
retrices, seen to the NW at the level of the ridges flew south, dropped
into the trees on the North face of Lookout Mountain. RT 3. TV 4.
I wondered whether there was any information available weather raptors or
other birds would migrate through smoke. I looked it up and found that they
may sit it out, fly through the foothills where there may be less smoke
which they were not doing here, or fly above the smoke up to 12,000 ft.
Looking at the Soaring Forecast of the NWS
https://forecast.weather.gov/product.php?site=NWS&product=SRG&issuedby=BOU,
since the trigger temperature of 89.1 F/31.7 C was reached by 12:00 p.m.
MST, the Thermal Soaring Index was Excellent, the Maximum rate of Lift
would be 1484 ft/min (7.5 m/s), and the Maximum height of thermals would be
20479 ft MSL (15114 ft AGL). Smoke would increase raptors' oxygen
requirements in flight and damage their delicate lung sacs preventing long
distance flying. GPS-tracked migrating flocks deviate hundreds of miles off
course or circle back to steer clear of thick particulate matter.
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9286671/;
https://naturecanada.ca/news/blog/when-the-sky-turns-gray-what-smoke-means-for-birds/;
https://www.audubon.org/news/new-study-first-explore-how-wildfire-smoke-derails-bird-migration.
Non-raptor Observations:
As we drove towards the watch at 10:00 a.m. DST we saw two paragliders at
ridge top level, we could see the same two at 11:19 a.m. 200 ft above the
mountains to the north and by 12:20 p.m.they were back around the watch.
Other paragliders initially had difficulty getting any lift. I could see
one going in a circle within a thermal but not gaining much height,
eventually managed to go up a few hundred feet above the watch level.
CORA 4, WTSW 1, VGSW 1, WBNU 1.
Predictions:
Mostly sunny and hot, with a high near 100, which could mean less smoke.
West wind 7 to 9 mph becoming northeast in the afternoon. Winds could gust
as high as 15 mph.
========================================================================
Report submitted by Ajit Antony (<aiantony...>)
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Date: 8/7/26 12:43 pm From: Ryan Cheney <ryan.cheney6...> Subject: Re: [cobirds] Common Nighthawk, Louisville, Boulder County
I've seen a pair in our Louisville neighborhood as well as above Walden
Reservoir in North Park.
I get pretty excited to see them because the Common Nighthawk isn't so
common anymore, but maybe they're recovering a little?
Here's a pic I took in Walden.
[image: Common Nighthawk IF, Walden Resevoir, 8-25.jpg]
On Thu, Aug 6, 2026 at 8:14 PM Gary & Sharon <gebsmn...> wrote:
> This evening just before 7:30 PM I glanced out the window to check out the
> hummingbird feeder, but instead I noticed Common Nighthawks soaring over
> the cul-de-sac. There must have been at least 20 plus a Barn Swallow or
> two. It reminded me of the late 1990’s and the 5:00 PM hour when the
> nighthawks were very regular.
>
> Sharon Norfleet
> Near South Boulder Rd and W Centennial Drive,Louisville
> Boulder County
> Sent from my iPad
>
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Date: 8/6/26 7:48 pm From: David Tønnessen <davidtonnessenx...> Subject: Re: [cobirds] Lake Granby frigatebird
Folks, just a note that at least two out of three sightings of the
frigatebird; both the eBird submission from yesterday on August 5th, and
the photographs submitted to the CBRC from August 1 and 2, were all taken
from sometime around 7:30 in the evening in or near Rainbow Bay.
Frigatebirds can soar quite high during the day with good thermals, even
when not actively traveling long distances, and will hang out quite low
over their roosting site before landing for the night.
For anyone in the area in the next few days, I would still keep an eye out
for a frigatebird in Rainbow Bay after 7 pm, just in case.
David Tønnessen
Denver, CO
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Date: 8/6/26 7:14 pm From: Gary & Sharon <gebsmn...> Subject: [cobirds] Common Nighthawk, Louisville, Boulder County
This evening just before 7:30 PM I glanced out the window to check out the hummingbird feeder, but instead I noticed Common Nighthawks soaring over the cul-de-sac. There must have been at least 20 plus a Barn Swallow or two. It reminded me of the late 1990’s and the 5:00 PM hour when the nighthawks were very regular.
Sharon Norfleet
Near South Boulder Rd and W Centennial Drive,Louisville
Boulder County
Sent from my iPad
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Date: 8/6/26 6:12 pm From: Scott Hammel <scottahammel...> Subject: Re: [cobirds] Lake Granby frigatebird
I also gave it a shot trying to see the frigatebird up here in Granby this
afternoon. Osprey and Turkey Vultures were plentiful, but no frigatebird.
Will be up here all weekend so I'll be keeping my eye out!
Scott Hammel
Arapahoe County
On Thu, Aug 6, 2026 at 6:03 PM '<greatgrayowl...>' via Colorado Birds <
<cobirds...> wrote:
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Date: 8/6/26 5:48 pm From: Lynne Forrester <lforrester27...> Subject: [cobirds] September Fall Counts Lists
I was wondering if there is a list of dates and places for the fall counts available yet.
Lynne Forrester Jefferson County
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Date: 8/6/26 5:03 pm From: '<greatgrayowl...>' via Colorado Birds <cobirds...> Subject: [cobirds] Lake Granby frigatebird
Hi all:
The recent report of a Magnificent Frigatebird at Lake Granby is interesting. However, the photo provided in the eBird checklist does not rule out any other species of frigatebird. One photo I've seen suggests that the bird has a white axial spur, which suggests Lesser Frigatebird (LEFR) or, even less likely, Christmas Island Frigatebird (CIFR).
There are zero records of CIFR in the ABA Area, although the great wanderings of many frigatebird species suggest that almost any species could occur almost anywhere. However, there are six previous ABA-Area records of LEFR, including Wyoming's only frigatebird record.
Given that another photo I've seen of the Lake Granby frigatebird does not show a white axial spur, the bird might not sport that feature, but none of the photos I've seen are anything close to what we might call good photos, so any specific ID one might want to paste upon the bird is suspect. It's certainly a frigatebird, but its specific identification is well beyond certainty given the photos available.
Who knows where that bird went after visiting Lake Granby, but it could be almost anywhere... including Wyoming, so keep watching the sky.
Sincerely,
Tony
Tony LeukeringCurrently Cut Bank, MTeBird blog
eBird commentaryPhotos
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Date: 8/6/26 1:55 pm From: Adrian Lakin <adrianlakin1...> Subject: Re: [cobirds] Magnificent Frigatebird
I had nothing better to do today, so I drove over to Lake Granby. No luck
on the Frigatebird after 4hrs. I drove the south and west shores twice,
went over to Willow Creek reservoir and to Shadow Mountain lake, but no
luck. It could just be roosting in a tree.
Cheers,
Adrian Lakin,
Mead, CO
On Thu, Aug 6, 2026, 8:53 AM Scott Somershoe <ssomershoe...> wrote:
> Connecticut had a lesser frigatebird in late June as well.
>
> [image: 1200.png]
>
> eBird Checklist - 24 Jun 2026 - Falkner Island - 1 species
> <https://ebird.org/checklist/S377967035> > ebird.org <https://ebird.org/checklist/S377967035> > <https://ebird.org/checklist/S377967035> >
>
> Scott Somershoe
> JeffCo
>
>
> Sent from my iPhone
>
> On Aug 6, 2026, at 8:37 AM, Nathan Pieplow <npieplow...> wrote:
>
> 
> Hi Peter et al.,
>
> Two Lesser Frigatebirds have been reported in the US this year, one in
> Ohio and one in California. (See
> https://www.aba.org/lesser-frigatebirds-in-ohio-and-california/). This
> species can be difficult to separate from Magnificent Frigatebird; key
> marks include white on the axillary feathers and sometimes a pinkish bill.
> Peter, is there any chance you can make the photos from Aug 1-2 available?
> If it's a Lesser Frigatebird it would be a first state record and the 8th
> for the ABA area. (One of the accepted Lesser Frigatebird records is from
> Wyoming.)
>
> Anybody who chases this bird today should try to get good looks and photos
> to confirm which frigatebird species is involved.
>
> Nathan Pieplow
> Boulder
>
> On Thu, Aug 6, 2026 at 7:11 AM Peter Gent <gent...> wrote:
>
>> All,
>>
>> Late yesterday evening, I received an email with a report of a female
>> Magnificent Frigatebird from Rainbow Bay in Lake Granby. This report is now
>> on eBird. I then found a CBRC report of the same bird seen along the south
>> shore of Lake Granby on August 1 and 2. This report has a better, but not
>> great, photograph. So, it looks like the bird has been there for a few
>> days. This would be the 5th state record of this species in Colorado.
>>
>> Cheers, Peter Gent.
>> Boulder.
>>
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>>
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Date: 8/6/26 9:47 am From: Peter Gent <gent...> Subject: [cobirds] Frigatebird photos
All,
Attached are the photos from the record submitted to the CBRC. Cheers, Peter Gent.
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Two Lesser Frigatebirds have been reported in the US this year, one in Ohio
and one in California. (See
https://www.aba.org/lesser-frigatebirds-in-ohio-and-california/). This
species can be difficult to separate from Magnificent Frigatebird; key
marks include white on the axillary feathers and sometimes a pinkish bill.
Peter, is there any chance you can make the photos from Aug 1-2 available?
If it's a Lesser Frigatebird it would be a first state record and the 8th
for the ABA area. (One of the accepted Lesser Frigatebird records is from
Wyoming.)
Anybody who chases this bird today should try to get good looks and photos
to confirm which frigatebird species is involved.
Nathan Pieplow
Boulder
On Thu, Aug 6, 2026 at 7:11 AM Peter Gent <gent...> wrote:
> All,
>
> Late yesterday evening, I received an email with a report of a female
> Magnificent Frigatebird from Rainbow Bay in Lake Granby. This report is now
> on eBird. I then found a CBRC report of the same bird seen along the south
> shore of Lake Granby on August 1 and 2. This report has a better, but not
> great, photograph. So, it looks like the bird has been there for a few
> days. This would be the 5th state record of this species in Colorado.
>
> Cheers, Peter Gent.
> Boulder.
>
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Date: 8/6/26 6:11 am From: Peter Gent <gent...> Subject: [cobirds] Magnificent Frigatebird
All,
Late yesterday evening, I received an email with a report of a female Magnificent Frigatebird from Rainbow Bay in Lake Granby. This report is now on eBird. I then found a CBRC report of the same bird seen along the south shore of Lake Granby on August 1 and 2. This report has a better, but not great, photograph. So, it looks like the bird has been there for a few days. This would be the 5th state record of this species in Colorado.
Cheers, Peter Gent. Boulder.
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Date: 8/5/26 7:51 pm From: <reports...> Subject: [cobirds] Mount Zion Hawk Watch at Windy Saddle Park (05 Aug 2026) 4 Raptors
Mount Zion Hawk Watch at Windy Saddle Park
Golden, Greater Denver, Colorado, USA
This is a new raptor migration site identified and designated in mid-September 2024. This is Colorado's 1st fall hawk watch site, and the second hawk watch in Colorado.
To get to the site which is along Lookout Mountain Rd. in Golden, enter either Windy Saddle Park or Mount Zion into Google Maps on your favorite navigation app, or enter the coordinates 39.7368,-105.2454. From the parking lot ascend the stone steps to the watch site.
EVERYONE IS WELCOME TO THE HAWK WATCH TO ENJOY THE SPECTACLE OF RAPTOR MIGRATION, EVEN IF YOU KNOW NOTHING ABOUT IDENTIFYING RAPTORS IN FLIGHT. We will help you to learn Raptor ID.
See https://groups.google.com/g/cobirds/c/Oznn4uc6MBk
Daily Raptor Counts: Aug 05, 2026
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Observation start time: 08:45:00
Observation end time: 12:15:00
Total observation time: 3.5 hours
Official Counter: Ajit Antony
Observers: Liza Antony
Visitors:
A hiker at the parking lot who was obviously a birder as well, likely
having read our reports on COBirds the Colorado birding listserve, asked
Liza about the hawk watch and why we were counting so early. Liza explained
that we were trying to see if, based on our experience in fall 2025 at
Dinosaur Ridge, whether Swainson's Hawk have a consistent early August
migration.
A number of hikers (10) stopped to ask about the hawk watch and they were
interested in varying degrees. I explained about raptor migration south in
fall and why, thermal formation and how raptors use them to conserve
energy, flocking behavior of Broadwings and Swainson's hawk and the number
we used to see at fall watches in New York, volunteer versus paid hawk
watchers - in response to their many questions. One family lived only 40
minutes from Hawk Mountain and had never visited. I encouraged them to go
in mid-September for the BW spectacle. A couple had 2 BE nests near their
home in OK and said they went in a canoe and played a mating call. I
explained they shouldn't do that during the breeding period. I explained
how the Bird Conservation of the Rockies has a BEWatch monitoring around
175 nests along the front range, where we volunteer to monitor a nest
during the breeding season.
Weather:
There was even more smoke from wildfires in western states over Denver
than yesterday with a thick white-brownish pall 10 degrees above ground
level which blotted downtown Denver out completely. The air quality was
poor with <10 and <2.5 micrometer particulate matter in the air, so we wore
masks to protect our lungs. I wondered whether to take a vacation from the
hawk watch until the smoke resolves, but who knows when it would.
Clear visibility was reduced to 0.2 Km except for the last hour when the
South and North Table Mountains were clear 6 Km away. There were light
winds from the ENE, and temperatures ranged from 19 to 37 degrees Celsius,
humidity in the 30s and cloud cover minimal.
Raptor Observations:
The first raptors aloft were two local RT at 9:38 AM DST which were
disappearing into the haze beyond Lookout Mountain 0.6 kilometers south of
us.
The first migrant was at 9:45 AM MST. Two other migrant RT, one of which
was an immature dark morph, and a TV were counted.
Non migrant raptor sightings: RT 9, including 5 together; an immature
female CH (large) which flew almost directly overhead, initially looked
like a migrant flying south, but dropped into the trees north of Lookout
Mountain; TV 2.
Non-raptor Observations:
The first paraglider at 9:38 AM DST had no lift whatsoever, couldn't even
reach our level. Another one at 11:00 AM had two people on board and got
about 200 feet above our level and then lost lift, descending.
Common Nighthawk 5, Mountain Bluebird 2, BTHU 2, SPTO 1, CORA 1, AMCR 1,
WBNU 1.
========================================================================
Report submitted by Ajit Antony (<aiantony...>)
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Date: 8/5/26 2:42 pm From: linda purcell <linpurcellzz...> Subject: [cobirds] posting photos of occupied hawk nest . Etiquette?
Hello, what is the etiquette, thinking, published data, common practice regarding...... Posting a photo on the eBird checklist OR on a Facebook page, of a nearly fledged hawk in a nest? In this case, SWHA nest in a Denver Park, single bird occupying the nest, looks like it is ready to fledge, easily visible. two adults flying overhead. we were easily able to photograph the bird in the nest from the ground. there is no locaiton data on ebird other than the checklist location (this nest has been reported on prior checklists this season, this location). regarding FB posting of the photo, how detailed a description is appropriate? the species? city? general location? specific location? I am not a FB user, therefore i don't have a means of comparison.
thanks Linda Purcell Denver, CO
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Date: 8/5/26 2:00 pm From: Mary Driscoll <wddriscoll...> Subject: [cobirds] DO NOT OPEN EMAIL HACKED INVIATION DRISCOLL
INVITATION EMAIL --SO SORRY EMAIL WAS HACKED..DO NOT TRY TO OPEN
M. DRISCOLL
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Date: 8/4/26 4:40 pm From: <reports...> Subject: [cobirds] Mount Zion Hawk Watch at Windy Saddle Park (04 Aug 2026) 2 Raptors
Mount Zion Hawk Watch at Windy Saddle Park
Golden, Greater Denver, Colorado, USA
This is a new raptor migration site identified and designated in mid-September 2024. This is Colorado's 1st fall hawk watch site, and the second hawk watch in Colorado.
To get to the site which is along Lookout Mountain Rd. in Golden, enter either Windy Saddle Park or Mount Zion into Google Maps on your favorite navigation app, or enter the coordinates 39.7368,-105.2454. From the parking lot ascend the stone steps to the watch site.
EVERYONE IS WELCOME TO THE HAWK WATCH TO ENJOY THE SPECTACLE OF RAPTOR MIGRATION, EVEN IF YOU KNOW NOTHING ABOUT IDENTIFYING RAPTORS IN FLIGHT. We will help you to learn Raptor ID.
See https://groups.google.com/g/cobirds/c/Oznn4uc6MBk
Daily Raptor Counts: Aug 04, 2026
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Observation start time: 08:30:00
Observation end time: 11:30:00
Total observation time: 3 hours
Official Counter: Ajit Antony
Observers: Liza Antony
Visitors:
6 hikers were curious as to what we were looking at and we explained.
Weather:
A cold front had gone through last evening and it was cooler and pleasant,
the temperatures ranging from 64 to 73�F, light winds from the East, and
low humidity. However there was more smoke in the air from wildfires than
the last 3 days reducing clear visibility to 0.3 km.. When we got on to
I-70 on our way to the watch, the Rocky Mountains could not be seen at all
18 miles away, whereas it is usually easily and clearly visible with no
smoke. Particulate matter PM 10 and 2.5 were elevated in Denver but at the
there was no particulate matter but there was a moderate amount of ground
level ozone at 51 AQI, so we wore N95 masks, as I looked up and found out
that ozone can reach 1000-3,000 ft above ground level and in the afternoon
can even go as high as the troposphere which at Golden CO would be 5.8 to
6.9 miles high. Denver was blocked out by the smoke as long as we observed.
Raptor Observations:
Swainson's Hawk 4, the first ones seen this fall season at the watch, seen
over the West end of Lookout Mountain to the South, and two of them with my
'scope could be identified as adults, but they progressively flew to the NW
-either a family group or pre-migratory flocking, or even possibly migrants
looking for a thermal.
Migrant RT and an AK today.
Non-migratory Raptors: TV 4, RT 8, CH 1. The first raptor aloft was a local
TV at 9:48 a.m. DST low over the trees over Lookout Mountain. The first
migrant was an RT at 9:10 a.m. MST High over Lookout Mountain, and the AK
found moderately high to the east went through at 9:39 a.m.
Non-raptor Observations:
The first 3 paraglider were at 10:08 a.m. DST and had not much lift, not
reaching our eye level. At 11:45 a.m. 2 others had the same issues but one
was able to go perhaps 200 ft higher, then dropping. This, of course has
implications for raptor migration.
Red Crossbills 2, Red -breasted Nuthatch 1, Violet-green Swallow 5, Common
Nighthawk 5, Broad-tailed Hummingbird 2, American Crow 3, Common Raven 9,
Spotted Towhee 2.
Predictions:
Patchy smoke before 9am. Sunny, with a high near 85. Calm wind becoming
northeast 5 to 8 mph in the morning. Winds could gust as high as 15 mph.
========================================================================
Report submitted by Ajit Antony (<aiantony...>)
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Date: 8/3/26 4:54 pm From: <reports...> Subject: [cobirds] Mount Zion Hawk Watch at Windy Saddle Park (03 Aug 2026) 1 Raptors
Mount Zion Hawk Watch at Windy Saddle Park
Golden, Greater Denver, Colorado, USA
This is a new raptor migration site identified and designated in mid-September 2024. This is Colorado's 1st fall hawk watch site, and the second hawk watch in Colorado.
To get to the site which is along Lookout Mountain Rd. in Golden, enter either Windy Saddle Park or Mount Zion into Google Maps on your favorite navigation app, or enter the coordinates 39.7368,-105.2454. From the parking lot ascend the stone steps to the watch site.
EVERYONE IS WELCOME TO THE HAWK WATCH TO ENJOY THE SPECTACLE OF RAPTOR MIGRATION, EVEN IF YOU KNOW NOTHING ABOUT IDENTIFYING RAPTORS IN FLIGHT. We will help you to learn Raptor ID.
See https://groups.google.com/g/cobirds/c/Oznn4uc6MBk
Daily Raptor Counts: Aug 03, 2026
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Observation start time: 08:45:00
Observation end time: 12:00:00
Total observation time: 3.25 hours
Official Counter: Ajit Antony
Observers:
Visitors:
A Brit who was planning to hike the Colorado Trail 486 miles chatted with
me awhile. He wanted to know if raptors migrate in flocks, and I told him
about SW and BW and the numbers we get in New York, he was amazed, so I
told him about Vera Cruz and how he could see the numbers a different hawk
watches at Hawkcount.org.
A four-year-old girl with the family saw my scope and said Here's a picture
guy. Addressing me she asked Are you the picture guy? I replied I can be if
you want me to be.
Weather:
Initially comfortable when it was cloudy with stratocumulus, then became
hot when the sun came out, later cooler when cloudiness prevailed again.
Winds were from the West initially as predicted on earth.nullschool.net,
but in the 10:00 hour there was a 'tussle' between this wind and the ridge
lift coming up from the East, the latter prevailing by the next hour. Smoke
continued from wildfires in Utah, Nevada and the Pacific Northwest with
reduced clear visibility to 6 km, downtown Denver barely visible through
the haze - coarse 10 and fine <2.5 particulate matter and ground level
ozone. I had brought an N 95 mask with me in case, fortunately smoke is
mostly in the 500 ft above ground, and this watch is at 7156 ft above MSL
and 1876 ft above Denver. Local raptors and nighthawks were disappearing
into the haze over Lookout Mountain 0.6 miles to the South.
Raptor Observations:
The cloudy sky was encouraging as it gave me some hope of finding raptors,
though the sole migrant I could find was an RT at 11:55 a.m. MST. They were
probably flying much higher, since Denver is already a mile high with
hotter sunshine, a thinner atmosphere and the Rocky Mountain foothills
(where this watch is) granite heating up rapidly, resulting very strong
thermal formation, often 10,000-15,000 feet above ground level (AGL).
Non-migrant Raptors: RT 5 the first being seen at 10:50 a.m. MDT, TV 2.
Non-raptor Observations:
Common Nighthawk 30 above and beyond Lookout Mountain 0.6 miles to the
South, migrating to the WSW/W; Violet-green Swallow 4; White-breasted
Nuthatch Rocky Mountain/Interior West subspecies 1; Common Raven 3;
American Crow 3.
Predictions:
A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms after noon. Patchy smoke.
Partly sunny, with a high near 76. East wind 6 to 8 mph.
========================================================================
Report submitted by Ajit Antony (<aiantony...>)
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Date: 8/3/26 4:44 pm From: 'DEBORAH CARSTENSEN' via Colorado Birds <cobirds...> Subject: [cobirds] Nesting success, Arapahoe county
I live on some ponds just outside Littleton.
There’s nothing rare here, but I’ve never had as much success with nesting birds as I’ve had this year and I just wanted to share the news.
We’ve had successful Canada geese, mallards, wood ducks (5put of 8 surviving),
Say’s Phoebes, lesser goldfinch, American goldfinch, house finch, broadtailed hummingbird, black capped chickadees, tree, swallows,and bushtits. I also suspect white breast nuthatches are nesting here.
It has been a great joy to watch the birdfeeder and the ponds with all this activity!
The wood ducks take so long to mature! Although they hatched two months ago, they still gather together at dusk to mom‘s calling and settle in for the night.
We also have our first red eared slider nest here that I know of. I made my very best protective cage over it with hardware cloth and slammed it into the ground with heavy duty tent stakes. I’m really hoping for a family of turtles here!
Deb Carstensen, Arapahoe county
Sent from my iPhone
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Date: 8/3/26 11:34 am From: David Tønnessen <davidtonnessenx...> Subject: [cobirds] Re: Crissal Thrashers in the San Luis Valley
Thanks to David Suddjian for letting me know, it seems the maps image didn't fully make the journey; here are the maps referenced.
[image: CRTH_maps_25.jpg]
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Date: 8/3/26 8:51 am From: David Tønnessen <davidtonnessenx...> Subject: [cobirds] Crissal Thrashers in the San Luis Valley
Birders,
Well, I originally posted this back in May, but it apparently disappeared
into the Google Groups ether for unknown reasons. Since Crissal Thrashers
are still expanding, let's talk about it.
After multiple failed attempts looking for Crissal Thrasher in far corners
of the state, I finally caught up to a few (3!) on the morning of May 15 in
Costilla County, in some dry pinyon-scattered sagebrush at 37.012855,
-105.513509. During first detection, one individual was giving a song that
incorporated imitations of Pinyon Jay, a locally abundant species at this
pinyon-littered site, which suggests these thrashers are no immediate
newcomers to the area. https://ebird.org/checklist/S339550422
Here are six eBird maps of the Crissal Thrasher progression since 2016
(read left-right, top-bottom), when the northernmost record near Colorado
was held by Carl Bendorf from 2011 in Ojo Caliente, New Mexico.
[image: CRTH_maps.jpg]
You might notice that most of the promising progression of this species was
originally centered in the Upper Rio Grande Basin--the greater
hydrologic/topographic region of what we call the "San Luis Valley" in
Colorado. That's where some birders had speculated this species would first
make an entrance into the state. That is, until Luke Pheneger and Brian
Genge threw everyone for a loop discovering multiples of this species in
the far southeast in late 2024, straddling Las Animas and Baca counties.
Then the thrashers upended expectations again when Mike Thompson discovered
some in the opposite southern corner of the state in Montezuma County, just
a few months later in 2025. Finally in April this year, an observant home
owner in Costilla County photographed a couple not more than 10 miles from
those I had today, completing their San Luis Valley trajectory into
Colorado.
Now, as if being among the northernmost Crissal Thrashers in the world
weren't enough, the pair photographed in April was at a mind-boggling 8,500
ft. The family group on Old Stage Coach Road were a few hundred feet lower,
at 7,800 ft. Cornell's All About Birds lists the species as reaching
"nearly 8,000 ft" only in Mexico.
If you do look for these particular Costilla County Crissal Thrashers,
please be mindful that they are on private property but can sometimes be
viewed from Old Stage Coach Road. They are quite secretive, but at the time
were giving quiet songs and diagnostic calls.
Cheers,
David
David Tønnessen
*P.S.* These thrashers are among multiple "desert southwest" species
creeping into, or very close to entering into Colorado in this part of the
state. A Greater Roadrunner was photographed 6 miles south of the border
here in 2020, and Canyon Towhees are reported regularly 10 miles south.
Curve-billed Thrashers seem to be regular further south, but this is
complimented by a bird photographed by Luke Pheneger and Brian Genge in
Alamosa County last year, although that bird was almost certainly a vagrant.
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Date: 8/2/26 12:17 pm From: <reports...> Subject: [cobirds] Mount Zion Hawk Watch at Windy Saddle Park (02 Aug 2026) 3 Raptors
Mount Zion Hawk Watch at Windy Saddle Park
Golden, Greater Denver, Colorado, USA
EVERYONE IS WELCOME TO THE HAWK WATCH TO ENJOY THE SPECTACLE OF RAPTOR MIGRATION, EVEN IF YOU KNOW NOTHING ABOUT IDENTIFYING RAPTORS IN FLIGHT. We will help you to learn Raptor ID.
See https://groups.google.com/g/cobirds/c/Oznn4uc6MBk This is a new raptor migration site identified and designated in mid-September 2024. This is Colorado's 1st and only fall hawk watch site.
To get to the site which is along Lookout Mountain Rd. in Golden, enter either Windy Saddle Park or Mount Zion into Google Maps on your favorite navigation app, or enter the coordinates 39.7368,-105.2454. From the parking lot ascend the stone steps to the watch site.
Daily Raptor Counts: Aug 02, 2026
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Observation start time: 08:00:00
Observation end time: 10:00:00
Total observation time: 2 hours
Official Counter: Ajit Antony
Observers: Liza Antony
Visitors:
A hiker was interested in what we were doing.
Weather:
Miserably hot with very light winds from the East, cloudless.Smoke from
wildfires still persists reducing visibility, so Denver 15 miles away could
barely be seen.
Raptor Observations:
The first local TV was aloft at 9:21 a.m., while a group of three migrant
RT went through at 10:10 a.m. DST.
Non-raptor Observations:
Violet-green swallow 2, Common Nighthawk 1, Common Raven 1, Broad-tailed
Hummingbird 1.
Two paragliders at 10:25 a.m., one of which had two people one behind the
other. They take off somewhere below us along the NE slope of Mount Zion,
and neither had much lift, not getting above our level.
Predictions:
A chance of showers and thunderstorms after 1 pm, increasing clouds and
hot, with a high near 99. West wind 5 to 10 mph becoming northeast in the
afternoon. Winds could gust as high as 16 mph. Chance of precipitation is
30%.
========================================================================
Report submitted by Ajit Antony (<aiantony...>)
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Date: 8/2/26 11:35 am From: Ted Floyd <tedfloyd73...> Subject: [cobirds] Colorado Sesquicentennial Celebration at The Arsenal, Aug. 1, 2026
Hope everybody had a festive Sesquicentennial Day yesterday, Sat., Aug. 1.
I sure did. With birding buds Wanda Kane-Harris, Elena Klaver, Pete
Christiansen, Felice Lyons, Isaac Boardman, Archer Silverman, Sebrina
Brooks, Michael Ward, Trevor Sleight, and Tykee James, I spent the long hot
day at Rocky Mountain Arsenal National Wildlife Refuge, Adams Co., the
Crown Jewel of Centennial State birding & nature study. Proof-of-life photo:
[image: 01 Arsenal birders.jpg]
We started dark and early, outside the refuge gate, where Tykee had been
stationed since the commencement of astronomical dawn. Go figure. The rest
of us got there decadently late, during nautical dawn. Anyhow, there was a
modest flight of NFC-detected eastbound *chipping sparrows* on
their midsummer nocturnal molt-migration to the High Plains. Also a *great
horned owl* and a *common nighthawk.*
Then it was off to Big Bluestem, which did not disappoint. We listened in
awestruck wonder to the fluttery, far-carrying flight calls of a
couple of *upland
sandpipers* on VisMig. Seen-only was a hulking *long-billed curlew* flying
in from First Creek Open Space, where the species may have summered. Also
two *loggerhead shrikes* and six *sage thrashers.* And this: an exact tally
of 1,278 *rock pigeons,* painstakingly counted by Pete & Archer. The
Arsenal Pigeon Fly-Out, which happens every morning of the year, never
ceases to mesmerize.
Next was Upper Derby Woods, where the highlight was a vocal *red-headed
woodpecker.* Also some forest birds, easy to miss at The Arsenal:* downy
woodpecker,* *white-breasted nuthatch,* and *blue jay.* Four *Brewer
sparrows,* doubtless a little migratory assemblage, were moving through a
patch of sandsage, *Artemisia filifolia*, there.
Lower Derby Rez had lowish water and many birds: two *wood ducks,* a *Mexican
duck x mallard* intergrade, six *lesser yellowlegs,* four *Baird
sandpipers,* two *western cattle-egrets,* and two uncommon *violent-green
swallows* among the more expected species. Also a Zak Hepler sighting.
Across the way, at Rod & Gun Club Pond, which really needs a better
name: *broad-tailed
hummingbird, orchard oriole,* and *blue grosbeak.* And two non-avian
highlights: the long-awaited distribution & mass consumption of Felice's
famous chocolate chip cookie bars; and the obtaining of unprecedented audio
documentation of the complex sonations of *Tetraopes femoratus*, the
red-femured milkweed borer, a spectacular cerambycid. Here ya go:
[image: 02 spectrogram.png]
The intricate squiggles from 6 kHz down to about 2 kHz are the song of the
beetle, and the steady band up around 8 kHz is the song of two Allard
ground crickets, *Allonemobius allardi*. Our motto: "If it has protoplasm,
we iNat it."
Including plants. August isn't exactly high season for prairie wildflowers,
but this lone inflorescence—just the one!—of *Lygodesmia juncea*, the rush
skeletonplant, was a holdout from earlier in the season:
[image: 03 rush skeleton.jpg]
Where were we again? 😠Ah yes. The Lower Ladora marshes, with two *Wilson
snipes,* two *ospreys,* and a *blue-gray gnatcatcher.* Remember that old ad
campaign?— "This is a good place for a stickup!" The boardwalk at Lower
Ladora could use a whole shipment of Air Wicks. I believe all of us
incurred permanent olfactory bulb damage there. But the odes didn't seem to
mind. The blue dashers, *Pachydiplax longipennis*, were legion:
[image: 04 blue dasher.jpg]
The nearby Havana ponds had *solitary sandpipers,* one each, natch, at each
pond. Also some nice landbirds, despite the advanced hour and considerable
heat: *black-chinned hummingbird, spotted towhee, yellow-breasted chat,*
and four *lazuli buntings*. A cool robber fly was this marauder (I'm not
making that up), genus *Proctacanthus*:
[image: 05 marauder.jpg]
No new species at Upper Ladora, but we boosted our tallies there: 15
more *peebie
jeebies,* 25 more *double-crested cormorants* engaged in desperate gular
flutter, 10 more *snowy egrets* (43 for the visit), and another western
cattle-egret (5 total). Some weird, bleached, worn, sun-blasted, subadult
*LWHG* defied Archer's noblest attempts at conjecture. It was getting
late...
But we'd gotten our second wind now! The wildlife drive was next up. It was
Colorado Day, recall, so we marked the occasion with careful study of all
the state bird *lark buntings* along the route. Here's a hot female:
[image: 06 LarB 01.jpg]
And here's a male against the backdrop of the Denver skyline, awash in haze
and heat shimmer:
[image: 07 LarB 02.jpg]
Around this time, we realized there was a gaping lacuna on our list, so
Pete & I bopped on over to the Commerce City Police Department, just
outside the refuge, to twitch *Eurasian collared-dove*. The things we do
for you people. And then the obligatory pit stop at the 7-Eleven by the
fortune teller's for Big Gulps of ice cold Hi-C with maximum, really rather
unnatural, reflectivity in the 700-nanometer band, and thenceforth to the
historic & iconic booze shop at Fairfax & 28th, where this guy was about to
fledge:
[image: 08 MiKi 01.jpg]
A *Mississippi kite!* So cool to see this bird—and its doting parents—but
what was perhaps cooler was the cityfolk gathered round to look at the
birds through our scopes.
We wound up with 80+ species at The Arsenal & vicinity, and we somehow
dipped on American robin. And...oh!—It's time to get ready for "Lafayette
Birds!" The event starts at 1pm today, at which time the temp is forecast
to be 102 degrees Fahrenheit. Maybe we'll finally add Mississippi kite to
the Greater Greenlee checklist today? Well, come on out in a bit under a
half-hour and see for yourself!
Ted Floyd
Lafayette, Boulder Co.
P. s. Hm. Seems we've already topped the forecast high.
[image: 09 temp.png]
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Date: 8/1/26 8:46 pm From: <reports...> Subject: [cobirds] Mount Zion Hawk Watch at Windy Saddle Park (01 Aug 2026) 3 Raptors
Mount Zion Hawk Watch at Windy Saddle Park
Golden, Greater Denver, Colorado, USA
EVERYONE IS WELCOME TO THE HAWK WATCH TO ENJOY THE SPECTACLE OF RAPTOR MIGRATION, EVEN IF YOU KNOW NOTHING ABOUT IDENTIFYING RAPTORS IN FLIGHT. We will help you to learn Raptor ID.
See https://groups.google.com/g/cobirds/c/Oznn4uc6MBk This is a new raptor migration site identified and designated in mid-September 2024. This is Colorado's 1st and only fall hawk watch site.
To get to the site which is along Lookout Mountain Rd. in Golden, enter either Windy Saddle Park or Mount Zion into Google Maps on your favorite navigation app, or enter the coordinates 39.7368,-105.2454. From the parking lot ascend the stone steps to the watch site.
Daily Raptor Counts: Aug 01, 2026
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Observation start time: 08:00:00
Observation end time: 12:00:00
Total observation time: 4 hours
Official Counter: Ajit Antony
Observers: Liza Antony
Visitors:
Two hikers asked what we were looking at. I explained.
Weather:
The forecast was for light Northeast winds all day with a high of 90�F.
There was smoke from forest fires from Southwest and Western Colorado
reducing clear visibility to only 2 km. so downtown Denver could barely be
seen. By 10:40 a.m. DST there were about 40 small puffy thermal clouds far
to the West.
Raptor Observations:
Historically there have been no fall hawk watches in Colorado. In 2024 fall
we began this hawk watch as an exploratory watch, as the only fall count in
Colorado, and counted 576 migrant raptors, and because of this we did an
exploratory count in fall 2025 at Dinosaur Ridge which is a solely spring
watch, which is only 4 miles to the southeast of Mount Zion, when,
surprisingly we counted only 237 migrants, but tallied 68 Swainson's Hawk,
which was the 3rd highest count compared to all the spring counts at the
same site since 1990. We decided to go back to counting at Mount Zion in
2026 fall, but beginning August 1, as we had counted 49 of the Swainson's
Hawk in the month of August 2025 at Dinosaur Ridge, and on the first day
there on August 19, 2025 we had 14 SWHA indicating that the fall migration
for the species started earlier. However, we are not sure we will
necessarily see the same migrant raptors we could see from Dinosaur Ridge.
There were only three migrants, all RTHA, 2 over Green Mountain and 1 over
Lookout Mountain.
Non-migrant Raptors: RTHA 7, TUVU 6, BAEA 1 adult, COHA 1.
Non-raptor Observations:
There were 11 paragliders and three hang gliders aloft, and initially they
had very little lift rising only a little above our eye level, but by 12:00
p.m. DST they managed to gain good height.
Common Nighthawk 5, Red-breasted Nuthatch 1, White-throated Swift 1,
Violet-green Swallow 4, Barn Swallow 2, Townsend's Solitaire 3, Mountain
Chickadee 1, Broad-tailed Hummingbird 2, Green-tailed Towhee 1, Spotted
Towhee 1, American Crow 1.
Predictions:
Sunny and hot, with a high near 100. Breezy, with a south wind 13 to 16
mph, with gusts as high as 28 mph.
========================================================================
Report submitted by Ajit Antony (<aiantony...>)
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Date: 7/30/26 10:29 am From: Jared Del Rosso <jared.delrosso...> Subject: [cobirds] Bushtit behavior - Arapahoe
On Sunday (July 26), I was giving a little water to a few recently
transplanted perennials. The sound of water attracted a flock of about a
dozen or so Bushtits, who began sipping from drops of water on leaves and
from small puddles around the base of plants.
After drinking, something fun and funny (to my eyes) began. The Bushtits
began preening and, as they did, a few began interacting with each other. I
didn't have binoculars or my camera, and my smartphone videos are
hopelessly zoomed in through the foliage of chokecherries. (I'll try to
post these later on my personal website.) But what I saw was a few Bushtits
huddling close to each other, "jumping" on top of each other, and seeming
to make beak-to-beak contact and/or pass something from beak-to-beak. I
wish I had clearer and better views.
*Birds of the World* documents antagonistic behaviors between Bushtits that
looks something like what I witnessed --
*"Occasionally 2 individuals will grapple with feet, fall to ground, and
peck at each other while still connected. Pecking directed toward head and
base of skull. When this occurs, the birds are insensitive to their
surroundings and are easy to approach. Fighting individuals vocalize using
calls that resemble loud, harsh begging calls."*
I don't believe I heard loud, harsh, begging calls -- and most of the other
Bushtits around the interacting ones largely remained relaxed and preening.
It seemed playful, but that's a hard assessment to make as a human watching
birds. And there's no info in *Birds of the World* on play.
A few days prior to this, I had another notable Bushtit encounter -- though
this time with a nest that had been dislodged from Piñon Pines at a local
shopping center. (These pines are the most reliable place for me to
encounter Bushtit. They're also struggling this year. At least two look
fully dead.)
Photographing a Bushtit nest, even up close, seems a hopeless endeavor.
They are marvels of engineering, but function seems to fully override form.
To my eyes, they're unattractive masses of thready and gunky material. This
one seemed to have a decent amount of human-made threads and fibers in them.
There have been other compelling moments, with other species, in my
backyard: juvenile robins bathing in dog water dishes, magpies drinking
from other dog dishes, Blue Jays coming onto my patio to dig through my
tray of buffalograss sprouts, etc. The young birds are especially goofy,
and the drought seems to be pushing birds to take water wherever they can
find it.
- Jared Del Rosso
Centennial, CO
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