Detroit River Hawk Watch Brownstown, Michigan, USA Daily Raptor Counts: Sep 11, 2026 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Species Day's Count Month Total Season Total ------------------ ----------- -------------- -------------- Black Vulture 0 0 0 Turkey Vulture 53 55 55 Osprey 2 4 4 Bald Eagle 19 39 39 Northern Harrier 21 60 60 Sharp-shinned Hawk 94 400 400 Cooper's Hawk 0 2 2 American Goshawk 0 0 0 Red-shouldered Hawk 0 0 0 Broad-winged Hawk 1037 1839 1839 Swainson's Hawk 0 0 0 Red-tailed Hawk 5 32 32 Rough-legged Hawk 0 0 0 Golden Eagle 0 0 0 American Kestrel 38 117 117 Merlin 2 9 9 Peregrine Falcon 1 5 5 Unknown Accipitrine 0 2 2 Unknown Buteo 1 7 7 Unknown Falcon 2 2 2 Unknown Eagle 0 0 0 Unknown Raptor 0 3 3 Total: 1275 2576 2576 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Observation start time: 08:00:00 Observation end time: 15:45:00 Total observation time: 7.75 hours Official Counter: Gracie Sangmeister Observers: Andrew Sturgess, Bella Maiwurm, Bill Peregord, Don Sherwood, Johannes Postma, Mark Hainen, Michelle Peregord Visitors: We welcome visitors to our site at the Lake Erie Metropark Boat Launch. We are always willing to discuss the events of the day. Let us share our enthusiasm with you. There will be busy days, that may require our full attention, but those are not that frequent, and they provide great thrills for all. We can predict good days to some degree, but the exact hour is up to the birds, so be prepared to put in some time for the best results. Pack a lunch 😉 Weather: The deep blue sky loomed ominously this morning. Beautiful to look at with the naked eye, yet it certainly makes it difficult to pick Broad-winged Hawks out of the stratosphere. Luckily for our counters the ocean of blue became quickly spotted with islands of puffy cumulus clouds, providing landmarks and giving our eyes a break. The east wind was in our favor, starting as a strong NNE and slowly swung southward as the day progressed. The barometer stayed above thirty today, the denser air giving the birds more lift to continue their journey south. The temperature hovered around a comfortable seventy-four degrees Fahrenheit and humidity down in the fifties. Raptor Observations: One lone sharp-shin made the crossing in the first hour, leaving the counters itching for more. We were granted just that during the second hour when three hundred and ninety-four Broad-wings crossed our skies in kettles of twenty to fifty birds. Broadies dominated the count today, with our first thousand plus Broad-winged day (one thousand and thirty-seven to be exact). Sharp-shins came in second with ninety-four go-getters, often mixed in with larger kettles. Turkey vultures took third, with fifty-three early risers taking a southward line. Another day of the falcon trifecta, with thirty-eight kestrels, three merlins, and one peregrine. Non-raptor Observations: Forty-two avian species graced our skies today. The morning air was filled with honks and quacks as Canada geese and mallards departed. A female kingfisher aired her grievances to the crowd. A juvenile American herring gull continued to throw off our counters as it swooped and streamed all day. Twenty-five American white pelicans flew in formation over the breakwater jetty. As the season progresses we should get more views of these charismatic birds. A favorite of the day was a flyover red-headed woodpecker, a species not commonly seen from the count and hopefully not the last. A total of five hundred and eighty-nine monarchs floated by today. Predictions: Tomorrow�s weather is a toss up. The morning wind will start from the south at ten to fifteen mph and shift slightly to the southwest by the afternoon. The temperature should peak around seventy-nine degrees with humidity hovering around seventy-five percent. Overhead skies will close in with heavy clouds by the afternoon, with a decrease in the barometer and occasional rain showers predicted, though we will see if it skirts around or follows through. A lower barometer and winds from the south are not the favorite of this site, but we can hope for sharp-shins and harriers to power through. ======================================================================== Report submitted by Erika Van Kirk (erika_vankirk@fws.gov) 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