Detroit River Hawk Watch Brownstown, Michigan, USA Daily Raptor Counts: Oct 05, 2024 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Species Day's Count Month Total Season Total ------------------ ----------- -------------- -------------- Black Vulture 0 0 0 Turkey Vulture 939 3318 4251 Osprey 0 1 17 Bald Eagle 5 17 50 Northern Harrier 0 44 227 Sharp-shinned Hawk 9 341 2478 Cooper's Hawk 2 8 47 American Goshawk 0 0 0 Red-shouldered Hawk 0 2 2 Broad-winged Hawk 0 28 6776 Swainson's Hawk 0 0 0 Red-tailed Hawk 13 63 118 Rough-legged Hawk 0 0 0 Golden Eagle 0 0 0 American Kestrel 6 59 338 Merlin 0 5 19 Peregrine Falcon 2 4 12 Unknown Accipiter 1 4 9 Unknown Buteo 2 5 18 Unknown Falcon 1 3 11 Unknown Eagle 0 0 0 Unknown Raptor 1 4 26 Total: 981 3906 14399 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Observation start time: 08:00:00 Observation end time: 15:30:00 Total observation time: 6.5 hours Official Counter: Michael Patrikeev Observers: Don Sherwood, Jo Patterson, Johannes Postma, Mark Hainen Visitors: We welcome visitors to our site by the boat launch in Lake Erie Metro Park. We are willing to spread the word with pamphlets and information cards, along with tips on raptors identification. Let us share our enthusiasm for this miracle of nature with you. Weather: Sunny and windy. Easterly winds, reaching 10 miles or 16 km per hour, turned unexpectedly cold, compelling us to put on some extra clothes, or seek sunny spots. A clear reminder that fall is right around the corner. Around 1 PM, the wind shifted to the south-south-east, bringing welcome relief. Raptor Observations: Ninety-five percent of all raptors counted today were Turkey Vultures. Several kettles were observed in the morning, but the majority passed over the site between 2 and 4 PM EDT, including a large kettle of nearly one hundred birds. Red-tailed Hawks trailed far behind with a total of 13; only nine Sharp-shins. A couple of Peregrines were sighted; one of them chased after some small prey in mid-air, but did not succeed. Non-raptor Observations: Blue Jay migration has slowed down; we counted only 1,125 today. Hundreds of cormorants (perhaps as many as a thousand) were chasing fish downstream from the count site. Don spotted a flock of 25-30 shorebirds, mainly Lesser Yellowlegs, and also one American Wigeon. Predictions: Warmer weather will return tomorrow with temperatures shooting up to 78 F (+26C), and southerly winds shifting to the west. We expect good numbers of Turkey Vultures, at least in the morning. Other raptors are less predictable. ======================================================================== Report submitted by Erika Van Kirk (erika_vankirk@fws.gov) 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