Detroit River Hawk Watch Brownstown, Michigan, USA Daily Raptor Counts: Sep 27, 2023 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Species Day's Count Month Total Season Total ------------------ ----------- -------------- -------------- Black Vulture 0 0 0 Turkey Vulture 0 1275 1275 Osprey 0 51 51 Bald Eagle 0 67 67 Northern Harrier 0 331 331 Sharp-shinned Hawk 1 3588 3588 Cooper's Hawk 0 8 8 American Goshawk 0 0 0 Red-shouldered Hawk 0 0 0 Broad-winged Hawk 0 107481 107481 Swainson's Hawk 0 0 0 Red-tailed Hawk 0 68 68 Rough-legged Hawk 0 0 0 Golden Eagle 0 0 0 American Kestrel 0 917 917 Merlin 0 29 29 Peregrine Falcon 0 19 19 Unknown Accipiter 0 0 0 Unknown Buteo 0 1 1 Unknown Falcon 0 1 1 Unknown Eagle 0 0 0 Unknown Raptor 0 0 0 Total: 1 113836 113836 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Observation start time: 08:00:00 Observation end time: 11:00:00 Total observation time: 2 hours Official Counter: Kevin Georg Observers: Andrew Sturgess, Jackie Quinones, Mark Hainen, Sabrina Salome Visitors: We welcome visitors to our site and are very willing to share migration information, photography and ID tips with them. We have cards and pamphlets, so come and talk to us. However, during times of high traffic, requiring extra focus and concentration, we would respectfully ask that everyone use their indoor voices and allow us to fulfill our mission to the best of our abilities. Thank you. Weather: Rain seemed to play a small part in the predicted forecast, but a larger part in our plans today. It started innocently enough, after sitting through three hours of drizzle so fine that it eluded the radar, someone starting humming a familiar song. Before you knew it, we were all singing a full-throated rendition of Twisted Sister’s anthem: “We’re Not Going to Take It”. Kevin, of course, playing Dee Snider’s role, our lovely interns, Jackie and Sabrina, doing backup vocals and harmony. That, of course, is a lie. After three days of sitting through similar misty rain, low, dreary cloud decks, and winds that alternately purred and raged with few raptors to show for it, we did decide that a further investment of our time today would have a low yield and retired for the day. Winds today were E and ENE following the tradition of variability that was established in the past few days. Temperatures were lower today, reaching the lower sixties, but with humidity over ninety percent, we were only one degree centigrade from the dew point. Barometric pressure was falling, as rain looks more certain, tonight and through a portion of tomorrow. Raptor Observations: Easy peasy today, one bird took all the medals. Not one species…. one bird: a sharpie. We did see the local Cooper’s hawk stoop into the tree line. Non-raptor Observations: We did have a couple of relatively unusual sightings today. One was a large flock of well over one hundred common terns that appeared like apparitions in the gloom and were not seen again. We did see a smaller grouping yesterday. Usually, we may see one a year. The actual common small tern is the Forster’s. At one time, years ago, we frequently saw large rafts of coots on our right on the lake side. This morning there was a gathering of perhaps fifty birds there. Shovelers were noted in the canal alongside the mallards this morning. Predictions: Rain is on the way; the radar confirms that. How long it will last in our corner of the world is anyone’s guess. It will rain tonight and then we shall wait it out. The day is not promising as the winds will be high from a poor direction, temperatures will barely break sixty degrees and the barometer will be falling. Friday, or Saturday, looks to be potentially, a better day with early NE winds, a rebounding barometer, and possibly some break in the cloud cover. The next week is forecast to be much hotter and that means southerly winds bringing the heat, although they are not forecast to be strong winds. ======================================================================== Report submitted by Andrew Sturgess (ajyes72@gmail.com) Detroit River Hawk Watch information may be found at: http://www.detroitriverhawkwatch.org More site information at hawkcount.org: https://hawkcount.org/siteinfo.php?rsite=285