Detroit River Hawk Watch
Brownstown, Michigan, USA
Daily Raptor Counts: Sep 19, 2023
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Species Day's Count Month Total Season Total
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Black Vulture 0 0 0
Turkey Vulture 71 621 621
Osprey 1 37 37
Bald Eagle 5 53 53
Northern Harrier 11 234 234
Sharp-shinned Hawk 140 3003 3003
Cooper's Hawk 0 8 8
American Goshawk 0 0 0
Red-shouldered Hawk 0 0 0
Broad-winged Hawk 11015 106609 106609
Swainson's Hawk 0 0 0
Red-tailed Hawk 1 53 53
Rough-legged Hawk 0 0 0
Golden Eagle 0 0 0
American Kestrel 62 785 785
Merlin 2 26 26
Peregrine Falcon 2 12 12
Unknown Accipiter 0 0 0
Unknown Buteo 1 1 1
Unknown Falcon 0 1 1
Unknown Eagle 0 0 0
Unknown Raptor 0 0 0
Total: 11311 111443 111443
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Observation start time: 08:00:00
Observation end time: 16:00:00
Total observation time: 8 hours
Official Counter: Kevin Georg
Observers: Andrew Sturgess, Don Sherwood, Jackie Quinones, Mark Hainen,
Rosemary Brady
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:
We are becoming slightly concerned. Side-eye glances have been exchanged.
It has been posited that during the recent tornadic activity in our area,
we may have passed through a hitherto unknown wrinkle in the space-time
continuum and entered a world where we were assigned the Sisyphean task of
counting broadwings on an endless loop. The task made even more difficult
by the elusive nature of this particular hawk. Now you see it, now you
donât. We had a fair amount of that today as the once blue morning sky,
lightly populated with clouds, constructed a dense barrier of battleship
gray clouds in which birds are naturally camouflaged. The winds, which were
more energetic in the morning, eased off the pedal, allowing more of the
broadwings to pass over our location, albeit at very high altitudes at
times. Even coming from the SW, it was light enough not to be a deterrent.
Temperatures did break the seventy-degree barrier, but not by much. The
barometer is still climbing from the rainy patch that passed on Sunday,
passing through 30 inches today, reaching 30.1â before falling a little.
Raptor Observations:
Our broadwings were slow off the mark today, but built up as the day went
on and the wind lessened. We totaled 11,015, many of them hard-earned in a
difficult sky. One was noted hawking insects, probably a dragonfly, and
eating on the wing. Sharp-shinned numbers have fallen from their highs but
still mounted the podium on the silver medal step. Turkey vultures continue
to drift by in small numbers but no substantial kettles yet. They got the
bronze with seventy-one specimens. Kestrels totaled sixty-two birds today.
Northern harriers are also slowing down with eleven making the tally today,
still not a bad number. Bald eagles were seen accompanying the broadwings
on the really-high way. They numbered five. One osprey was noted, as well
as one red-tailed hawk. A pair of merlins gave us good looks today as they
seemed to be cruising the tree tops, looking for birds that were not paying
enough attention to their surroundings. Two peregrines were also noted,
very efficient speed machines indeed. We had a distant unknown buteo that
was doing unusual, speedy maneuvers that we did not associate with any of
the species we normally see. In retrospect, after seeing another broadwing
hawking insects today close by, it was probably a broadwing doing the same
thing.
Non-raptor Observations:
Some warblers were seen today, but not identified. Monarchs numbered
fifty-six today but they are wind sensitive and their numbers should
rebound with more favorable winds. Mallards continue to fly in formations
as if preparing to leave, getting the breast muscles in shape. Our resident
Caspian terns are still complaining in loud voices at slights, real and
imagined. A great egret has also been carping every time he takes to the
air to change positions. Usually, the great blue herons are the ones making
noises so this seems a little unusual. Mark has been doing fingertip
pushups to improve finger strength and endurance in preparation for
counting blue jays on the clicker when they arrive.
Predictions:
Tomorrow may be similar to today in most respects. The general direction of
the wind should be SE but it is forecast to rise to eight mph as the day
progresses. The early hours, when the wind is lighter, may be more
productive in that case. Skies should have plenty of clouds keeping each
other company. Temperatures should be slightly higher, just above
seventy-degrees. The barometer should rise in the morning and fall in the
afternoon, much like today. Hard to say what to expect, the winds are not
good, but the forecasts have not been particularly accurate lately. Even
today, our weather app was telling us little white lies, saying winds were
from one direction, while the Canadian wind turbines, which are too polite
to lie, told us something else.
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Report submitted by Andrew Sturgess ([email protected])
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
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