Detroit River Hawk Watch Brownstown, Michigan, USA Daily Raptor Counts: Nov 09, 2023 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Species Day's Count Month Total Season Total ------------------ ----------- -------------- -------------- Black Vulture 0 0 0 Turkey Vulture 74 3175 93795 Osprey 0 0 52 Bald Eagle 3 19 127 Northern Harrier 2 17 481 Sharp-shinned Hawk 1 102 6874 Cooper's Hawk 1 5 63 American Goshawk 0 1 3 Red-shouldered Hawk 5 97 374 Broad-winged Hawk 0 0 103457 Swainson's Hawk 0 0 1 Red-tailed Hawk 42 1099 2492 Rough-legged Hawk 0 4 19 Golden Eagle 5 41 54 American Kestrel 0 5 1277 Merlin 1 2 48 Peregrine Falcon 1 9 58 Unknown Accipiter 0 0 0 Unknown Buteo 0 0 2 Unknown Falcon 0 0 1 Unknown Eagle 0 0 0 Unknown Raptor 0 0 0 Total: 135 4576 209178 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Observation start time: 09:00:00 Observation end time: 16:00:00 Total observation time: 7 hours Official Counter: Kevin Georg Observers: Don Sherwood, Sam Heilman 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: Winds came out of the west at first, and then shifted to the northwest and got stronger as the day went on. Similar to yesterday, the gusts off of the lake were strong, however thankfully not accompanied by rain. The skies were cloudy in the morning and there was a fog over Canada, but this lifted after a couple of hours and the skies cleared until only a couple of wisps of clouds remained in the afternoon. The barometric pressure stayed fairly constant throughout the day around 30 in. Raptor Observations: Golden eagles were the excitement of the day. One of them passed almost directly overhead escorted by a bald eagle, but there was no aggression between the two birds. It then proceeded to circle close behind us, presenting many opportunities for photography. Turkey vultures and red-tailed hawks trickled through a few at a time. The turkey vultures surfed the winds at low altitude and sometimes popped up from behind the trees. In addition to these, a single Merlin and Peregrine were seen, as well as a couple Harriers. Local bald Eagles could be seen playing together in the high winds. Non-raptor Observations: After a few days’ hiatus, the little gull made its return to the waterfront in the afternoon, to the delight of onlookers! It was hanging around the Bonaparte’s gulls as we have seen it do previously. Other prominent non-raptors were crows, which took to the skies in large numbers. One flock was being chased by a Red-tailed hawk! Loons were on the fly as well, and a flock of Sprague’s Pipits landed in a tree behind the count site early in the morning. Predictions: Tomorrow winds will again be out of the west, but will not be nearly as strong, so it’s possible tomorrow could bring a bigger catch than today! ======================================================================== Report submitted by Jessie Fletcher (jessica_fletcher@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 Count data submitted via Dunkadoo - Project info at: https://dunkadoo.org/explore/detroit-river-international-wildlife-refuge/detroit-river-hawk-watch-fall-2023