Detroit River Hawk Watch Brownstown, Michigan, USA Daily Raptor Counts: Nov 23, 2025 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Species Day's Count Month Total Season Total ------------------ ----------- -------------- -------------- Black Vulture 0 0 0 Turkey Vulture 33 911 90859 Osprey 0 0 29 Bald Eagle 0 34 183 Northern Harrier 1 37 516 Sharp-shinned Hawk 2 108 4052 Cooper's Hawk 0 10 75 American Goshawk 0 0 1 Red-shouldered Hawk 2 112 281 Broad-winged Hawk 0 1 51922 Swainson's Hawk 0 0 1 Red-tailed Hawk 19 989 2031 Rough-legged Hawk 0 4 7 Golden Eagle 1 37 72 American Kestrel 0 0 964 Merlin 0 5 55 Peregrine Falcon 1 4 49 Unknown Accipitrine 0 0 1 Unknown Buteo 0 0 3 Unknown Falcon 0 0 3 Unknown Eagle 0 0 0 Unknown Raptor 0 3 12 Total: 59 2255 151116 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Observation start time: 09:00:00 Observation end time: 15:30:00 Total observation time: 6.5 hours Official Counter: Andrew Sturgess Observers: Bill Peregord, Don Sherwood, Jerry Jourdan, Michelle Peregord 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 set a low bar today given the predicted westerly winds, so perhaps you could say we met our expectations, but not our hopes. The wind was mostly western with a few modest deviations to both north and south of that line. The speed was not steady, staying for the most part above ten mph, with occasional forays up to fifteen. The skies were variable too, low cumulus clouds were ushered to the exits early, replaced by a clear blue sky until the afternoon hours, when altocumulus clouds, resembling the ripples in the sand left by a receding tide, began to fill the sky. Unfortunately, that was all that filled the sky, as the raptors were few and far between. The barometer was climbing back above the thirty-inch mark, but that will only last a day before heading south again. The temperature reached fifty-three degrees, which might have been more comfortable had it not been for the persistent wind. November has not been a kind month to us and it is going to double down this last week of the watch. Raptor Observations: Turkey vultures should not be on the top step, if we had our way, but the numbers are what they are. We have had a very good TV year and they are reluctant to cede the top step to the red-tails. Thirty-three of them showed up today, beating the tails, who could only manage nineteen. Most of the red-tails would fly one step forward and soar two steps back when the wind pushed them back towards Canada. Only two red-shoulders were noted. The same number of sharp-shins pushed into the wind. One northern harrier was seen hiding in the lee of the trees. One golden eagle was noted at a distance. A peregrine falcon did fly over in the prescribed manner and was tallied. Non-raptor Observations: Pelicans! They were back today in a flight of about eighty birds. They have been reported as late as January in previous years, but we had not seen them for some time. The winds were blowing into the slip today, moving the water out, causing consternation for both boaters, and the normal gull occupants that sought more sheltered areas. Tree sparrows were noted today nearby. Red-bellied woodpeckers were also present. A pair of sandhill cranes were observed in flight. Hooded mergansers are still back in the sheltered part of the slip. Twenty-three American crows murdered the wind. Predictions: Tomorrow does not look great, yet, it may be the best of a bad lot for the last week of the watch. We have rain, snow and high winds in the forecast and I suspect the full seven hours each day may not be manned. Mostly cloudy skies are predicted tomorrow as rain should be here on Tuesday. The barometer will be rising, but so will the strength of winds from the south, from four to ten mph during the watch. Temperatures will reach fifty-one degrees, before taking a polar plunge later in the week. November, the cruelest of months, is channeling Porky Pig and saying “Th-th-that’s all, folks” ======================================================================== Report submitted by Andrew Sturgess (ajyes72@gmail.com) 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