Detroit River Hawk Watch Brownstown, Michigan, USA Daily Raptor Counts: Oct 30, 2025 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Species Day's Count Month Total Season Total ------------------ ----------- -------------- -------------- Black Vulture 0 0 0 Turkey Vulture 183 87560 89641 Osprey 0 1 29 Bald Eagle 0 52 149 Northern Harrier 1 114 477 Sharp-shinned Hawk 1 915 3938 Cooper's Hawk 1 38 65 American Goshawk 0 1 1 Red-shouldered Hawk 1 161 161 Broad-winged Hawk 0 47 51921 Swainson's Hawk 0 1 1 Red-tailed Hawk 4 832 978 Rough-legged Hawk 0 3 3 Golden Eagle 0 32 34 American Kestrel 0 41 964 Merlin 1 16 49 Peregrine Falcon 0 13 43 Unknown Accipitrine 0 0 1 Unknown Buteo 0 1 3 Unknown Falcon 0 0 3 Unknown Eagle 0 0 0 Unknown Raptor 0 6 9 Total: 192 89834 148470 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Observation start time: 08:00:00 Observation end time: 15:00:00 Total observation time: 3 hours Official Counter: Jo Patterson Observers: Johannes Postma 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: The rain delayed the count by four hours today. The consistent smattering kept both the Raptors and the counters seeking shelter. The temperature hovered just below 50 all day, but it is often observed that the temperature seems to be 10 degrees warmer in the parking lot than at the water's edge. This was true today and led us to sit back with our cars to buffer the wind and occasional afternoon drizzle. Strong northern winds led the clouds to race south, but they never broke; not a hint of blue was seen. The barometer completed its descent, falling steeply throughout the day, reaching its lowest point before it begins its ascent tomorrow. Raptor Observations: An initial group of forty-six Turkey Vulutres broke the silence of the day, clocking in just before noon. They were succeeded by a surprising diversity of species: Merlin, Cooper’s Hawk, Sharp-shinned Hawk, Northern Harrier, Red-shouldered Hawk, and Red-tailed Hawk; all but red-tails, with four counted, had a single representative. An additional vulture kettle and some singles brought their total to one hundred and eighty-three. With such a significant rain delay, we were pleased with the numbers and species seen. All the migrants were pushed low below the treetops, making for excellent viewing as they raced across with a tailwind. Non-raptor Observations: Very few other birds (or humans) were seen. Two local balds made appearances, an adult and a juvenile. One of the Osprey was noted in its favorite fishing spot. A few gulls were foraging in the river. Three hardy fisherman tried their luck but left quickly, seeming disappointed. Predictions: Tomorrow has the potential to be the best of a bad week, but that's not saying much. With the rain having passed, we are left with a sharply rising barometer; however, the moderate breeze from west-north-west may be discouraging to migrants. ======================================================================== Report submitted by Jerry Jourdan (jerry.jourdan@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