Detroit River Hawk Watch Brownstown, Michigan, USA Daily Raptor Counts: Oct 15, 2015 -------------------------------------------------------------------
Species Day's Count Month Total Season Total ------------------ ----------- -------------- -------------- Black Vulture 0 0 1 Turkey Vulture 3480 27949 30355 Osprey 0 5 78 Bald Eagle 2 27 113 Northern Harrier 14 85 374 Sharp-shinned Hawk 281 1246 4161 Cooper's Hawk 2 48 102 Northern Goshawk 0 0 0 Red-shouldered Hawk 0 32 32 Broad-winged Hawk 0 254 72459 Swainson's Hawk 0 0 1 Red-tailed Hawk 3 125 232 Rough-legged Hawk 0 0 0 Golden Eagle 0 1 2 American Kestrel 65 124 766 Merlin 4 10 37 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 2 2 22 Total: 3853 29915 108778 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Observation start time: 07:00:00 Observation end time: 14:30:00 Total observation time: 7 hours Official Counter: Jonathan Stein Observers: Andrew Sturgess, Patrick Mulawa, Raburn Howland Visitors: 3 Weather: Purple clouds fringed with a reddish-orange glow presented a picturesque vista, hovering above Celeron Island upon arrival. Melting away, they revealed a red sun that brightened the clear blue sky for the rest of the morning. But around midday, an ominous sliver of gray clouds approached from the west, threatening to disrupt our peaceful preoccupation. Blanketing the sky by mid-afternoon, those very same gray clouds unkindly showered us with rain and sent us to the exits early. The west wind strengthened as the day progressed, ratcheting up considerably with the arrival of the storm. Raptor Observations: The skies poured down sharpies and kestrels this morning. Restless and eager to move, both species raced by with little hesitation, often in small groups of four or more of their fellows. Staying low to avoid the strong west wind, a few sharpies even dipped down along the water. Still others decided to buzz the count site, so low they nearly smacked right into us! Unflappable, our resident photographer delighted in their daring. Four furious Merlins bulleted by as well, zooming through with their usual unrivaled self-assurance. And, oh yeah, how could I forget? A few thousand more Turkey Vultures nearly caused the clicker to overheat (not really but you get the idea). Non-raptor Observations: Blue Jay (2500+), Red-winged Blackbird (1500+), Rusty Blackbird (20+), Common Grackle (14),Tree Swallow (200+), Northern Rough-winged Swallow (30+), Chimney Swift (20+), American Goldfinch (140+), Pine Siskin (80+), House Finch (6), American Pipit (1), Yellow-rumped Warbler (12), American Robin (70+), Northern Flicker (3), Common Loon (6), Horned Grebe (11), Monarch (2) Predictions: Partly cloudy with cool temps, moderate west wind and a slight chance of afternoon 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
