Detroit River Hawk Watch Brownstown, Michigan, USA Daily Raptor Counts: Nov 26, 2014 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Species Day's Count Month Total Season Total ------------------ ----------- -------------- -------------- Black Vulture 0 0 0 Turkey Vulture 0 2201 69758 Osprey 0 0 56 Bald Eagle 3 91 336 Northern Harrier 19 111 415 Sharp-shinned Hawk 1 134 4605 Cooper's Hawk 2 57 459 Northern Goshawk 0 6 9 Red-shouldered Hawk 11 187 753 Broad-winged Hawk 0 1 184860 Swainson's Hawk 0 0 4 Red-tailed Hawk 23 1508 4309 Rough-legged Hawk 2 18 28 Golden Eagle 0 74 125 American Kestrel 0 2 563 Merlin 0 3 46 Peregrine Falcon 0 4 51 Unknown Accipiter 0 4 31 Unknown Buteo 1 9 34 Unknown Falcon 0 0 4 Unknown Eagle 0 0 0 Unknown Raptor 0 9 41 Total: 62 4419 266487 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Observation start time: 09:00:00 Observation end time: 15:00:00 Total observation time: 6 hours Official Counter: Jonathan Stein Observers: Andrew Sturgess, Frank Kitakis, Greg Norwood Visitors: 1 Weather: Gray clouds hung low and thick for a third straight day. Cold temperatures persisted as well, hovering around freezing throughout. A welcome change, the wind shifted northeast today, remaining light to moderate. Raptor Observations: Harriers delighted in the northeast wind, coursing south by the bushel during the midday hours. Buteos joined in, too, with adult Red-shouldered and Red-tailed hawks heard from most often. Two light morph Rough-legged Hawks wandered over late, putting the finishing touches on another above-average late November flight. Non-raptor Observations: Common Loon (1), Tundra Swan (80+), American Coot (2000+), Horned Grebe (30+), Canvasback (5), American Black Duck (2), Bufflehead (15+), Common Goldeneye (20+), Common Merganser (35+), Ruddy Duck (8), Great Black-backed Gull (2), Belted Kingfisher (2), Common Redpoll (1), Eastern BLuebird (12), Red-winged Blackbird (1500+), American Crow (400+), American Tree Sparrow (6), Golden-crowned Kinglet (5), American Goldfinch (7), Pine Siskin (60+), Horned Lark (9), Predictions: Mostly cloudy with cold temps, light west wind and a 30 percent chance of snow. ======================================================================== Report submitted by Jonathan Stein (steinjj19@gmail.com) Detroit River Hawk Watch information may be found at: http://www.drhawkwatch.org Site Description: The Detroit River Hawk Watch (a joint venture of the Detroit River International Wildlife Refuge and its Friends group, the International Wildlife Refuge Alliance) is the Boat Launch at Lake Erie Metropark located approximately 20 miles south of Detroit, Michigan. The location is at the mouth of the Detroit River as it enters Lake Erie. Directions to site: Lake Erie Metropark: >From I-75, exit at Huron River Drive (exit 27). Continue east on Huron River Drive. Turn left on West Jefferson and proceed a few hundred yards to the entrance of Lake Erie Metropark. After paying the entrance fee, follow the signs to the Boat Launch.