Species Day's Count Month Total Season Total
Black Vulture 0 0 0
Turkey Vulture 0 2964 65201
Osprey 0 0 18
Bald Eagle 1 68 206
Northern Harrier 1 22 342
Sharp-shinned Hawk 1 88 3484
Cooper's Hawk 3 41 116
American Goshawk 0 2 2
Red-shouldered Hawk 1 152 325
Broad-winged Hawk 0 0 6785
Swainson's Hawk 0 0 1
Red-tailed Hawk 6 1038 1969
Rough-legged Hawk 0 4 18
Golden Eagle 1 75 119
American Kestrel 0 1 410
Merlin 0 2 25
Peregrine Falcon 0 4 32
Unknown Accipiter 0 3 18
Unknown Buteo 0 16 47
Unknown Falcon 0 0 13
Unknown Eagle 0 3 6
Unknown Raptor 0 2 30
Observation start time: 09:00:00
Observation end time: 16:00:00
Total observation time: 7 hours
Official Counter: Michael Patrikeev
Observers: Jo Patterson
Visitors:
We welcome visitors to our site by the boat launch in Lake Erie Metropark.
We have brochures and educational information we are happy to share. Let us
share our enthusiasm for migration and raptors with you! While we welcome
your questions and company, please know that our professional counter,
apprentices, and volunteers must communicate with each other frequently to
successfully conduct the count, and they also must maintain an unobstructed
view of the horizon.
Weather:
Light rain during the first and last hours of the count; strong winds from
the north-west, reaching 28 km/hour (17 mi/hr) at times. Temperature rose
from +4C in the morning to +8C in the afternoon (from 39 to 46F).
Raptor Observations:
We were optimistic in the morning, after seeing five species in a row,
arriving one after another. Those were Northern Harrier (male), Bald Eagle
(immature), Cooper's Hawk (a transient), Red-shouldered Hawk (adult), and
Golden Eagle (adult). The Golden Eagle came relatively close and was not in
any hurry to leave.
Red-tailed Hawks appeared at ca. 11 AM, and, at the end, "outnumbered" all
other species (six were seen).
Two or three adult Bald Eagles hunted relatively close to the observers
today, perhaps encouraged by the paucity of people on the parking lot and
in general. One caught a bullhead, without investing too much effort.
Another circled nearby, clearly seeing something in the water, but drew ire
of several large gulls and was escorted by them out of the area.
Non-raptor Observations:
Great Egrets, Great Blue Herons, American Tree sparrows; one Belted
Kingfisher.
Predictions:
Weather conditions is unlikely to change tomorrow, i.e., we should expect
cloudy skies, winds from north-west and west, a temperatures below +8C
(46F). We anticipate a repetition of today's scenario, in other words, few
birds, but perhaps of several species.
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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