Detroit River Hawk Watch
Brownstown, Michigan, USA
Daily Raptor Counts: Nov 05, 2023
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Species Day's Count Month Total Season Total
------------------ ----------- -------------- --------------
Black Vulture 0 0 0
Turkey Vulture 0 2387 93007
Osprey 0 0 52
Bald Eagle 0 9 117
Northern Harrier 0 7 471
Sharp-shinned Hawk 1 40 6812
Cooper's Hawk 0 1 59
American Goshawk 0 0 2
Red-shouldered Hawk 2 22 299
Broad-winged Hawk 0 0 103457
Swainson's Hawk 0 0 1
Red-tailed Hawk 3 137 1530
Rough-legged Hawk 1 3 18
Golden Eagle 0 6 19
American Kestrel 0 2 1274
Merlin 0 1 47
Peregrine Falcon 0 4 53
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: 7 2619 207221
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Observation start time: 11:00:00
Observation end time: 16:00:00
Total observation time: 5 hours
Official Counter: Kevin Georg
Observers: Andrew Sturgess, Don Sherwood, Jackie Quinones,
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:
âLet us therefore brace ourselves to our duty, and so bear ourselves that
if the hawk watch were to last a thousand years, men will still say, this
was not their finest hour.â Sorry, Winston, if I mangled your beautiful
oration, but it was that kind of day. Fog delayed the start by two hours
for the human participants, and things didnât really improve throughout
the day. The winds did a one eighty degree turn to the south later in the
day and fog started to roll in off the lake again. Temperatures did reach
the high forties and with little wind and ample sunshine it was not an
unpleasant Sunday afternoon. The barometer stayed above thirty inches but
will fall tomorrow. Winds were, at first northerly but feeble, and the
birds were not impressed.
Raptor Observations:
The numbers tell the story, seven birds total. Red-tails were on the top
step today with three birds. Red-shoulders took the silver with two birds.
Sharp-shins could only manage one bird. The bird of the day was a last hour
light-morph rough-legged hawk that flew along the tree line on Edmond
Island, part of the Gibraltar archipelago.
Non-raptor Observations:
We did see some flights of dunlin pass by today, some must have numbered
over one hundred birds. People are still seeking views of the little gull.
It was in a teasing mood today as he stayed out on the foggy lake a little
more than usual. The Bonaparteâs did their part to confuse people as they
were active in the same general area. Our vision was limited today as we
could not see Canada and at times the stacks disappeared. Speaking of
disappearance, I am about to embark on a trip to Belize to visit their hawk
watch and hopefully take some stunning photos of the hook-billed kite, a
bird that looks like it may have a parrot in its lineage. I leave the job
of reporting in some very capable hands so donât worry about getting the
daily scoop on the activity at the watch.
Predictions:
Fuhgeddaboudit. Winds will be robust from the south tomorrow, nearing the
twenty-mph mark. The barometer will fall about four tenths tomorrow and a
little rain may be possible. This time, the strength of the winds will
deliver warmer southern air, and temperatures will reach the high fifties.
Cloud cover will be on the high side too, above ninety percent. I suspect
the birds will bypass this turbulence and they may be hard to find
tomorrow. There are some better looking days ahead if the forecasts hold.
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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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