Posts tagged raptor closures
City of Boulder begins seasonal grassland raptor closures
0March 12, 2013
The City of Boulder Open Space and Mountain Parks (OSMP) is temporarily closing areas in order to protect nesting and roosting burrowing owls and osprey. Properties where burrowing owls nest will be closed from March 15 through Oct 31. Properties closed for the protection of nesting osprey will be closed from March 15 through Sept. 10. Closures may be lifted early if monitoring indicates it is appropriate.
The following property will be closed for the protection of osprey:
Axelson (northwest of Boulder Reservoir; portions closed).
The following properties will be closed for the protection of burrowing owls:
- Damyanovich/Yunker (north of Marshall Drive, between Cherryvale Road and US 36);
- Jafay/Lynch (north of Lookout Road and east of 75th Street);
- Cosslett/Knaus (South of Lookout Road and east of 75th Street);
- Kelsall (north of High-Plains Trail, trail remains open);
- Mesa Sand and Gravel (east of 66th Street, south of Marshall Drive); and
- Superior Associates (north of High-Plains Trail, trail remains open).
These closures were established to protect sensitive species. Burrowing owls nest in prairie dog burrows and their populations are declining in Colorado. This bird is listed as threatened by the Colorado Division of Wildlife has been listed as endangered or as a species of “special concern” in 12 US states and in Canada. Staff will be monitoring these sites and others during the spring and summer to understand more about the distribution and breeding biology of this owl on city property.
City of Boulder relies heavily on the public to respect the closures, and the cooperation of visitors to avoid these areas is greatly appreciated. Trespass violations can result in a summons with penalties up to 90 days in jail and/or a $1,000 fine.
More detailed information and maps can be found on the Open Space and Mountain Parks’ website: www.osmp.org. or call 303-441-3440.
Related posts:
City to lift some seasonal raptor closures early
0July 20, 2012
The City of Boulder Open Space and Mountain Parks (OSMP) department will lift the following raptor closures effective Monday, July 23: Third Flatiron, The Matron, Skunk Canyon, Bear Creek Spire, Flagstaff Mountain, Fern Canyon, and The Sphinx.
The following closures will remain in effect through Tuesday, July 31, to continue to protect nesting raptors: Back Porch and The Box, Mickey Mouse Wall, Kolb, and Coal Creek. OSMP will also be lifting seasonal closures established to protect ground-nesting birds on the originally scheduled date of Tuesday, July 31. However, the property known as Superior Associates—north of the Coalton Trail—will remain closed through Oct. 31 because of the presence of nesting burrowing owls.
This year marked another successful season for raptors nesting on OSMP. Below is a table detailing what OSMP staff and volunteers recorded this season:
| Species | Number of Nesting Attempts | Number of Successful Nesting Attempts | Number of Fledglings |
| Peregrine Falcon | 4 | 4 | 12 |
| Prairie Falcon | 4 | 4 | 17 |
| Golden Eagle | 4 | 2 | 3 |
| Bald Eagle | 2 | 2 | 3 |
This year was the most productive year for Peregrine Falcons since OSMP monitoring began in 1984. Volunteer raptor monitors are an integral part of the success of the monitoring program. Thank you to all the volunteer raptor monitors!
OSMP relies heavily on the public to respect the closures and the cooperation of visitors to these areas is greatly appreciated. OSMP would specifically like to highlight the cooperation among the Boulder climbing community with respect to these closures.
Related posts:
The eagles and falcons are coming to Boulder Flatirons, open space
0January 24, 2012
Open Space and Mountain Parks begins seasonal cliff-nesting raptor closures
The City of Boulder’s Open Space and Mountain Parks (OSMP) Department is temporarily closing areas in order to protect nesting and roosting raptors. The following areas and formations will be closed from Feb. 1 through July 31:
Golden eagle feeding a chick
- Lefthand Canyon Palisades, at the intersection of Lefthand Canyon Drive and Olde Stage Road (Buckingham picnic area remains open);
- Mount Sanitas, First Buttress, accessible from the Mount Sanitas trailhead, .5 miles west of Fourth Street and Mapleton Avenue (no closures to the bouldering areas along the ridge; Mount Sanitas trail will remain open);
- Gregory Canyon Amphitheater, including the Amphitheater Express Trail and the 3rd Pinnacle (the Amphitheater Trail to Saddle Rock will remain open);
- Third Flatiron, including the East and West Ironing Boards, Queen Anne’s Head and Jaws, and WC Pinnacle, accessible from Chautauqua trailhead;
- Flagstaff Mountain: the north side of Flagstaff Mountain will be closed (the Boy Scout Trail will remain open);
- Skunk Canyon, including Ridge 2, 3 and 4, the Aechean Pronouncement, the Dreadnaught, the North Ridge and the entirety of Sacred Cliffs, accessible from NCAR trailhead at the west end of Table Mesa Road;
- The Back Porch and The Box, accessible from the NCAR trailhead at the west end of Table Mesa Road;
- Bear Creek Spire, accessible from the NCAR trailhead at the west end of Table Mesa Road;
- Fern Canyon, accessible from the NCAR trailhead at the west end of Table Mesa Road (the designated Fern Canyon hiking trail will remain open);
- Shadow Canyon and the Matron, accessible from the South Mesa Trailhead (the Maiden will remain open and accessible from the east and the designated Shadow Canyon hiking trail will remain open);
- The Sphinx, accessible from the NCAR trailhead at the west end of Table Mesa Road;
- Diamond Head and SoBo Buttress, west of Shadow Canyon, accessible from South Mesa Trailhead (South Boulder Peak Trail will remain open);
- The entire Mickey Mouse wall, accessible from the Goshawk Ridge Trail.
High-quality cliff habitat and rich food resources on OSMP lands, as well as community cooperation to protect nesting sites, sustains the mountain backdrop as a regionally important area for nesting falcons and golden eagles. OSMP volunteers and staff have been monitoring raptor nesting and roosting areas since 1984 and the program is an integral part in protecting the species and adaptively managing the closures.
Trespass violations can result in a summons with penalties up to 90 days in jail and/or a $1,000 fine. OSMP relies heavily on the public to respect the closures, and the cooperation of visitors to these areas is greatly appreciated. Closures may be lifted early if no raptor activity is observed at these sites.
Up-to-date information on raptor closures and closure maps can be found on the Open Space and Mountain Parks’ Web site: www.osmp.org. or call 303-441-3440.
Related posts:
City has lifted some seasonal raptor closures early
1July 27, 2011
by Ron Baird, news editor
in News
The City of Boulder Open Space and Mountain Parks (OSMP) department lifted the following raptor closures effective July 25: Third Flatiron, Shadow Canyon, Fern Canyon, Bear Creek Spire, and Flagstaff. The following closures will remain in effect through July 31 to continue to protect nesting raptors: Back Porch and The Box, Mickey Mouse Wall, Lefthand Palisades, and Coal Creek. OSMP will also be lifting seasonal closures established to protect ground-nesting birds as scheduled on July 31. Finally, the property known as Superior and Associates in the southern grasslands will remain closed through Oct. 31 because of the presence of nesting Burrowing Owls.
This year marked another successful season for raptors nesting on OSMP. Four Peregrine Falcon pairs nesting in the mountain backdrop produced ten fledglings, making it the most productive year for this species since monitoring began. Unfortunately, Golden Eagle productivity on OSMP was low, as it was all around Boulder County. Of particular interest to OSMP, in terms of ground-nesting birds, was the influx of Cassin’s Sparrows to the grasslands. Staff detected approximately 30 Cassin’s Sparrows during seasonal monitoring. Cassin’s Sparrows are more common in southeast Colorado and it is possible that ongoing drought conditions in that area are forcing them north and west.
The City of Boulder has been monitoring raptor nesting and roosting areas since 1984. It has become an important part of protecting the species in the area. In 2011, OSMP volunteers logged more than 600 hours monitoring cliff-nesting raptor sites. They are an integral part of the success of this program. OSMP relies heavily on the public to respect the closures. The cooperation of visitors to these areas is greatly appreciated.
Related posts:
Seasonal raptor closures start Feb. 1
0January 28, 2011
The City of Boulder Open Space and Mountain Parks (OSMP) Department is temporarily closing the following areas in order to protect nesting and roosting raptors. The closures will begin Tuesday, Feb. 1, and run through July 31:
Lefthand Canyon Palisades at the intersection of Lefthand Canyon Drive and Olde Stage Road (Buckingham picnic area remains open);
Mount Sanitas, First Buttress, accessible from the Mount Sanitas trailhead, .5 miles west of Fourth Street and Mapleton Avenue (There are no closures to the bouldering areas along the ridge);
Gregory Canyon Amphitheater, including the Amphitheater Express Trail and the 3rd Pinnacle (The Amphitheater Trail to Saddle Rock will remain open);
Third Flatiron, including the East and West Ironing Boards, Queen Anne’s Head and Jaws, and WC Pinnacle and all descent routes accessible from Chautauqua trailhead, 900 Baseline Road;
Skunk Canyon, including Ridge 2, 3 and 4, the Aechean Pronouncement, the Dreadnaught, the North Ridge and the entirety of Sacred Cliffs, accessible from NCAR trailhead at the west end of Table Mesa Road;
The rock formation known as the Front Porch;
Bear Creek Spire, accessible from the NCAR trailhead at the west end of Table Mesa Road;
Fern Canyon, including the Goose, the Goose Eggs, the East Ridge and Nebel Horn, accessible from the NCAR trailhead at the west end of Table Mesa Road (The designated Fern Canyon hiking trail will remain open);
Shadow Canyon and the Matron, 1.7 miles west of Highway 93 on Eldorado Springs Drive. (The designated Shadow Canyon hiking trail will remain open, and the Maiden remains open and accessible from the east);
The entire Mickey Mouse wall, accessible from OSMP Lindsay property (This closure will be spatially expanded because of recent activity of Golden Eagles, Prairie Falcons, and Peregrine Falcons in the area);
The north side of Flagstaff Summit accessible from Flagstaff Summit parking area, 3.4 miles up Flagstaff Road and .5 miles up Flagstaff Summit Road;
Diamond Head and SoBo Buttress, west of Shadow Canyon;
The rock formation known as The Sphinx.
Because of the high-quality cliff habitat and rich food resources on OSMP lands, as well as community cooperation to protect nesting sites, the closed areas are important to the region for nesting falcons and eagles.
The City of Boulder has been monitoring raptor nesting and roosting areas since 1984. Sites are monitored by OSMP volunteers and staff. Trespass violations can result in a summons with penalties of up to 90 days in jail and/or a $1,000 fine. In addition to enforcement, OSMP relies heavily on the public to respect the closures, and the cooperation of visitors to these areas is greatly appreciated.
As part of OSMP’s adaptive management framework, closures may be lifted prior to July 31 if no raptor activity is observed at any of these sites.
For more information on OSMP raptor closures, including maps of the affected areas, visit www.osmp.org or call 303-441-3440.
