Detroit River Hawk Watch Brownstown, Michigan, USA Daily Raptor Counts: Oct 14, 2015 -------------------------------------------------------------------
Species Day's Count Month Total Season Total ------------------ ----------- -------------- -------------- Black Vulture 0 0 1 Turkey Vulture 8054 24469 26875 Osprey 1 5 78 Bald Eagle 5 25 111 Northern Harrier 5 71 360 Sharp-shinned Hawk 79 965 3880 Cooper's Hawk 11 46 100 Northern Goshawk 0 0 0 Red-shouldered Hawk 4 32 32 Broad-winged Hawk 0 254 72459 Swainson's Hawk 0 0 1 Red-tailed Hawk 27 122 229 Rough-legged Hawk 0 0 0 Golden Eagle 1 1 2 American Kestrel 4 59 701 Merlin 0 6 33 Peregrine Falcon 0 7 26 Unknown Accipiter 0 0 9 Unknown Buteo 0 0 5 Unknown Falcon 0 0 2 Unknown Eagle 0 0 1 Unknown Raptor 0 0 20 Total: 8191 26062 104925 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Observation start time: 07:00:00 Observation end time: 16:45:00 Total observation time: 9.75 hours Official Counter: Jonathan Stein Observers: Andrew Sturgess Visitors: 7 Weather: Gloomy gray clouds darkened the morning sky, occasionally showering us with brief bouts of misty drizzle. Undaunted, we persevered and by midday our persistence was rewarded. Cracks of blue widened into thicker strands, breaking up the gray clouds and unleashing a bright, warming sun that stood watch until departure. The afternoon featured near-ideal spotting conditions: a 50-50 sky with floating puffy white clouds backed by well-lit blue. Temperatures fluctuated between the low and upper 50s throughout. The wind, north and northwest early, strengthened and shifted more westerly as the day progressed. Raptor Observations: By turns graceful and ungainly, an unceasing procession of Turkey Vultures stretched across the afternoon sky. From late morning until early evening, in haphazard lines hundreds-strong, one colossal vulture stream after another slowly floated by. Witnessing such a jaw-dropping performance, it was difficult not to crack a smile. And adding to our enjoyment, an increasing number of Red-tailed and Cooper's Hawks mixed in today. Capping it all off, the season's second Golden Eagle crossed out over the lake late in the day, a young bird congenial enough to offer up engaging scope looks. Non-raptor Observations: Blue Jay (18000+), American Crow (2), Red-winged Blackbird (1900+), Rusty Blackbird (140+), Common Grackle (45+), European Starling (70+), Tree Swallow (400+), Northern Rough-winged Swallow (8), Barn Swallow (2), American Goldfinch (40+), Yellow-rumped Warbler (25+), Great Egret (4), Great Blue Heron (4), Common Loon (2), Monarch (2) Predictions: Partly cloudy with moderate temps, strong west wind and a small chance of showers. ======================================================================== Report submitted by Jonathan Stein ([email protected]) 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. _______________________________________________ ONTBIRDS is presented by the Ontario Field Ornithologists - the provincial birding organization. Send bird reports to [email protected] For information about ONTBIRDS including how to unsubscribe visit http://www.ofo.ca/site/page/view/information.ontbirdssetup Posting guidelines can be found at http://www.ofo.ca/site/page/view/information.ontbirdsguide
