Detroit River Hawk Watch
Brownstown, Michigan, USA
Daily Raptor Counts: Sep 13, 2025
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Species Day's Count Month Total Season Total
------------------ ----------- -------------- --------------
Black Vulture 0 0 0
Turkey Vulture 0 0 0
Osprey 0 4 4
Bald Eagle 1 19 19
Northern Harrier 3 72 72
Sharp-shinned Hawk 161 407 407
Cooper's Hawk 0 3 3
American Goshawk 0 0 0
Red-shouldered Hawk 0 0 0
Broad-winged Hawk 0 9906 9906
Swainson's Hawk 0 0 0
Red-tailed Hawk 0 52 52
Rough-legged Hawk 0 0 0
Golden Eagle 0 0 0
American Kestrel 2 130 130
Merlin 1 11 11
Peregrine Falcon 1 14 14
Unknown Accipitrine 0 0 0
Unknown Buteo 0 1 1
Unknown Falcon 0 1 1
Unknown Eagle 0 0 0
Unknown Raptor 0 1 1
Total: 169 10621 10621
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Observation start time: 08:00:00
Observation end time: 15:00:00
Total observation time: 7 hours
Official Counter: Jo Patterson
Observers: Andrew Sturgess, Don Sherwood, Johannes Postma,
Rosemary Brady
Visitors:
We welcome visitors to our site as we are eager to share the joys of hawk
watching with one and all. Although there may be times in which we are all
very busy and need alone-time to concentrate, those are the times that are
most enjoyable for visitors as the skies are filled with migrating raptors.
Weather:
We were greeted by an overcast sky this morning, and it remained unchanged
over the next seven hours. Heavy fog eventually gave way to a drizzle
before clearing to reveal a slightly thinned stratus blanket. We saw only a
fleeting glimpse of blue sky before the cloudy curtains were once again
drawn. Low-velocity southern winds blew consistently, and the barometer
remained steady at 30.14 inches. Temperatures in the 60s made for a
slightly chilly morning, but warmed by the afternoon.
Raptor Observations:
Southern wind is no friend to a migrating raptor, but some species are less
perturbed than others. Our suspected culprits for a southern wind,
sharpies, harriers, and falcons all made an appearance. Sharpies had their
best day yet, racking in one hundred and sixty-one representatives. Rarely
traveling alone, we saw plenty of pairs and trios; we even spotted two
groups of six traveling companions. What started as a trickle of our
mushroom-shaped friends progressed to a drizzle by the last hour, keeping
our eyes high as we searched for the dark forms sliding across the blinding
white clouds. Three Northern Harriers crossed the seawall today, a pretty
sad tally for second place. We had the complete falcon trifecta today with
one Merlin, one Peregrine, and two American Kestrels. The last kestrel
squeaked by just as we were closing the books. One high-flying Bald Eagle
made the count, granting us a sixth species for the day.
Non-raptor Observations:
The local raptors were mostly quiet today, but one adult Coop did fly at
our heads with a very unlucky Downy Woodpecker grasped in its talons. A
Great Egret had success fishing from its favorite floating plank. A
Black-throated Green Warbler briefly graced our maple. 181 Monarchs were
counted; swallow-tails and a mourning cloak were also noted.
Predictions:
Tomorrow should bring a breeze out of the East that will swing around to
the South by midday. The barometer will remain just above the 30-inch mark,
and the temperature will reach into the high 70s. We will probably see more
of the same, sharpies, falcons, and harriers⦠Unfortunately, the weather
doesn't understand the importance of weekends, as it seems Monday will
bring the good winds.
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Report submitted by Erika Van Kirk ([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
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