Detroit River Hawk Watch Brownstown, Michigan, USA Daily Raptor Counts: Oct 13, 2023 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Species Day's Count Month Total Season Total ------------------ ----------- -------------- -------------- Black Vulture 0 0 0 Turkey Vulture 10611 28026 30159 Osprey 0 2 53 Bald Eagle 2 15 87 Northern Harrier 5 65 420 Sharp-shinned Hawk 18 761 4518 Cooper's Hawk 5 19 30 American Goshawk 0 0 0 Red-shouldered Hawk 9 19 19 Broad-winged Hawk 21 62 107644 Swainson's Hawk 0 0 0 Red-tailed Hawk 43 126 212 Rough-legged Hawk 0 0 0 Golden Eagle 0 0 0 American Kestrel 0 243 1228 Merlin 0 5 36 Peregrine Falcon 0 11 31 Unknown Accipiter 0 0 0 Unknown Buteo 0 0 1 Unknown Falcon 0 0 1 Unknown Eagle 0 0 0 Unknown Raptor 0 0 0 Total: 10714 29354 144439 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Observation start time: 08:00:00 Observation end time: 16:00:00 Total observation time: 7.5 hours Official Counter: Kevin Georg Observers: Andrew Sturgess, 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: No need to worry, for those of you with triskaidekaphobia, the apocalypse did not happen today. It was a Friday the thirteen without incident, or at least so far. Our NE winds continued and so did the river of turkey vultures that it produced. The strengthening wind turned more to the east in the last hours causing the flight line to shift out over the lake, but fortunately, the birds were actually more visible behind us through a gap in the trees. The sky was a mix of different cloud textures, even showing some blue in the afternoon, but turning more somber and threatening as the day progressed. Temperatures reached the high fifties, but the eastern wind made it one of those days that tighten the skin on your face even more than exposure to the sun. The barometer started its fall off the cliff as it foretold tomorrow’s disturbance to come. Raptor Observations: We knew that an early liftoff was possible given the constant stream of birds that started yesterday afternoon, and in the first hour, the sky was filled with turkey vultures headed south. The stream continued, with the exception of a one-hour interruption late in the day, unabated until a half hour after the normal time the watch would end. We managed to count 10,611 today. The flow was not quite as heavy as yesterday but it lasted all day. Oddly, when we get one of the species that gives us big numbers, like broadwings or turkey vultures, we seem to dip on the other species. Red-tails being an exception today, with forty-three of them passing by, either in a stream with the TVs or solo. Broadwings actually beat out the sharpies today with twenty-one of them riding along in the vulture streams. Only eighteen sharpies showed up, and their usual companion, the kestrel, didn’t show at all. Red-shouldered hawks showed their wing crescents nine times today. Harriers and Cooper’s hawks came in at five apiece. Bald eagles were counted twice today. Non-raptor Observations: It was all quiet on the western front today. Most of the ducks that spend time in our cove were MIA. The great egrets had moved from the marsh to an undisclosed location. Blue jays were on the move with flocks being seen all day. Although we don’t count them with the same passion as the raptors, we managed 3,800 today, there were probably many more. The gulls were active again, hawking insects up in the high winds. Predictions: Tomorrow will probably be a day of rest for us weary hawk counters. Rain seems unlikely to miss us this time and high winds and low temperatures will challenge the hardiest of souls. We will stay inside and catch up on chores that have been neglected for a month and a half. ======================================================================== 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 Count data submitted via Dunkadoo - Project info at: https://dunkadoo.org/explore/detroit-river-international-wildlife-refuge/detroit-river-hawk-watch-fall-2023