Detroit River Hawk Watch Brownstown, Michigan, USA Daily Raptor Counts: Sep 26, 2025 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Species Day's Count Month Total Season Total ------------------ ----------- -------------- -------------- Black Vulture 0 0 0 Turkey Vulture 179 519 519 Osprey 0 22 22 Bald Eagle 4 74 74 Northern Harrier 10 299 299 Sharp-shinned Hawk 125 2522 2522 Cooper's Hawk 7 18 18 American Goshawk 0 0 0 Red-shouldered Hawk 0 0 0 Broad-winged Hawk 128 51008 51008 Swainson's Hawk 0 0 0 Red-tailed Hawk 1 111 111 Rough-legged Hawk 0 0 0 Golden Eagle 0 0 0 American Kestrel 30 796 796 Merlin 0 25 25 Peregrine Falcon 0 22 22 Unknown Accipitrine 1 1 1 Unknown Buteo 0 2 2 Unknown Falcon 0 2 2 Unknown Eagle 0 0 0 Unknown Raptor 0 2 2 Total: 485 55423 55423 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Observation start time: 08:00:00 Observation end time: 15:00:00 Total observation time: 7 hours Official Counter: Jo Patterson Observers: Andrew Sturgess Visitors: We welcome visitors to our site as we are eager to share the joys of hawk watching with one and all. Although there may be times in which we are all very busy and need alone-time to concentrate, those are the times that are most enjoyable for visitors as the skies are filled with migrating raptors. Weather: As the days grow shorter, the time that we arrive at the watch is closer to sunrise and the glare off the lake grows more intense every day. Couple that with a bright clear blue sky, with light winds that caused the birds to go very high to seek stronger breezes, and you could say that Jo and I earned our money today. We may need retina transplants in the near future, but our dedication to the mission was unwavering. The morning was a bear, but gradually we gained a little relief from cumulus clouds that formed in a scattered haphazard manner over the sky. The winds, as usual, were not really as forecast, rising and falling, and despite the weather channel’s insistence that they came from the northern end of things, there were small whitecaps on Lake Erie that testified to a different, more southernly origin. The temperatures reached the upper seventies. The barometer started to climb but had a relapse and ended at 29.85”, slightly lower that it started the day. Raptor Observations: We had to chase the flight lines today as the wind conditions were in constant flux, early flights were very high, but as the wind picked up, the lines came down and assumed a more normal pattern in the afternoon hours. The turkey vultures took the gold today, thanks to a group of over one hundred that streamed by together. Altogether, we counted one hundred and seventy-nine. Broadwings barely beat the sharp-shins for the silver with a one hundred and twenty-eight to one hundred and twenty-five count. We had to go to the cameras to determine a winner but the broadwings won by a beak. We are starting to see more second year sharpies with the transverse streaking on the breast, but not full adult plumage, or red eyes. Kestrels are still zipping through at a breakneck pace, but we only managed thirty today. A lot of these birds may have been pushed to the north into a very hazy sky due to the southerly winds. The harriers waited until the afternoon to be counted with ten making the clicker. We counted seven Cooper’s hawks today. Four bald eagles were seen pumping through in a determined manner, eager to get to the wintering grounds. One red-tailed hawk was also noted. Non-raptor Observations: The pelicans were back in force today. Small numbers have been seen roosting by the Celeron Island jetty, but today they took to the air in numbers approaching two hundred. Thankfully, the gulls were kettling a little further away today and were not running as much interference as yesterday. Although, it was sometimes rewarding to search the top of their kettles to find broadwings and sharpies. Blue jays totaled two thousand and twenty-six today. Monarchs had a slow morning but picked up the pace in the afternoon, reaching forty-five total. Predictions: Tomorrow looks to be another painful day for the eyes. No mention of clouds, and a strengthening southwest wind, starting at four mph and ending at nine. The barometer will rise again but it will be a dead cat bounce, returning to its starting point of 29.85”. Temperatures will be very warm, reaching the eighty-degree mark, but feeling like a couple of degrees more. Southwest winds are not our favorite but if they are light enough, we may see some traffic. It looks more promising next week with NE winds forecast as the barometer rises, and that should get the turkey vultures moving. ======================================================================== 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