Detroit River Hawk Watch Brownstown, Michigan, USA Daily Raptor Counts: Nov 16, 2023 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Species Day's Count Month Total Season Total ------------------ ----------- -------------- -------------- Black Vulture 0 0 0 Turkey Vulture 0 3401 94021 Osprey 0 0 52 Bald Eagle 0 34 142 Northern Harrier 0 28 492 Sharp-shinned Hawk 4 158 6930 Cooper's Hawk 1 20 78 American Goshawk 0 1 3 Red-shouldered Hawk 0 169 446 Broad-winged Hawk 0 0 103457 Swainson's Hawk 0 0 1 Red-tailed Hawk 1 1861 3254 Rough-legged Hawk 0 6 21 Golden Eagle 3 104 117 American Kestrel 0 5 1277 Merlin 0 7 53 Peregrine Falcon 0 10 59 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: 9 5804 210406 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Observation start time: 09:00:00 Observation end time: 15:00:00 Total observation time: 6 hours Official Counter: Kevin Georg Observers: Don Sherwood, Jackie Quinones, Sam Heilman 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: Weather A thick haze in the morning reduced visibility to just 5 km, however this began to clear in the afternoon (although conditions were still far from optimal). The wind was out of the south, shifting from SW to SE in the afternoon. The pressure dropped dramatically from 30.2 to 30.07 throughout the course of the day, possibly discouraging the birds from flying. Temperatures were very similar to yesterday, leading to very pleasant human weather! Raptor Observations: A seemingly promising morning with three close (relative to yesterday) golden eagles petered out into an afternoon with only a single red tailed hawk seen. The watch ended at 3pm after 2 consecutive, and surreal, raptorless hours. Perhaps distant birds were lost in the thick haze, or they simply weren’t flying because of the unfavorable weather. Non-raptor Observations: Great Blue Herons could be seen flying around the waterfront in the morning hours. A flock of snow buntings came through as well, providing some entertainment on an otherwise uneventful afternoon. The warm weather brought the insects out, particularly ladybugs. Predictions: Tomorrow has a chance of rain, so the count may be canceled. If it is still on, SW winds are predicted in the morning and shifting to N in the afternoon. The north winds in the afternoon may be promising, however, the rains may also deter the birds from moving. ======================================================================== Report submitted by Jessie Fletcher (jessica_fletcher@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 Count data submitted via Dunkadoo - Project info at: https://dunkadoo.org/explore/detroit-river-international-wildlife-refuge/detroit-river-hawk-watch-fall-2023