Detroit River Hawk Watch Brownstown, Michigan, USA Daily Raptor Counts: Sep 05, 2025 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Species Day's Count Month Total Season Total ------------------ ----------- -------------- -------------- Black Vulture 0 0 0 Turkey Vulture 0 0 0 Osprey 0 0 0 Bald Eagle 0 0 0 Northern Harrier 0 11 11 Sharp-shinned Hawk 0 0 0 Cooper's Hawk 0 0 0 American Goshawk 0 0 0 Red-shouldered Hawk 0 0 0 Broad-winged Hawk 0 83 83 Swainson's Hawk 0 0 0 Red-tailed Hawk 1 16 16 Rough-legged Hawk 0 0 0 Golden Eagle 0 0 0 American Kestrel 1 8 8 Merlin 0 1 1 Peregrine Falcon 1 3 3 Unknown Accipitrine 0 0 0 Unknown Buteo 0 0 0 Unknown Falcon 0 1 1 Unknown Eagle 0 0 0 Unknown Raptor 0 0 0 Total: 3 123 123 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Observation start time: 08:00:00 Observation end time: 15:00:00 Total observation time: 7 hours Official Counter: Jo Patterson Observers: Andrew Sturgess, 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: We knew that we had better start polishing off some old lies and anecdotes when we saw the wind forecast for today. We knew that we were not going to be busy counting birds. The wind jumped around in the fifteen to twenty mph range veering gradually to the west from a southwest starting point. The temperature only reached seventy-three degrees despite the rush of air, normally hot, from down south. Clouds were low gray strata to begin with, changing to a near clear sky and ended with cumulus to the left of us and an icy looking stratus layer with a stationary boundary that seem to park right over us. The clouds were the only things migrating today. The barometer did seem to hit bottom today at 29.69 inches before starting a gradual climb over the next couple of days. Raptor Observations: We managed to snag three birds today. An early kestrel that might have sat down nearby overnight, a red-tailed hawk seen using the tree line as a windbreak, and a peregrine that flew inches off the water; although he did rise enough to fly over a cormorant flying nearby that immediately dove into the water in fear. The peregrine falcon is no Rodney Dangerfield. The local raptors were present with Cooper’s hawk, osprey and eagle enjoying the free lift from a strong wind. Non-raptor Observations: We started the day with our picnic table as the nucleus of a whirling flock of northern rough-winged swallows that were roosting in a nearby maple and feasting in the eddy of the tree windbreak behind us. There were a few barn swallows in the mix, but they were considerably outnumbered. This lasted for most of the first hour. I always consider it one of the joys of birding to have oblivious birds, intent on catching the next morsel, swirling around you and occasionally whizzing by your ear, close enough to hear the wing beats. The pelicans were not in earshot but showed up in numbers north of one hundred for a short while, performing their wheeling maneuver as if practicing for some upcoming air show. The Caspian tern may have chosen calmer waters today as it was not seen, the Forster’s showed up when the wind went to the west. Our first sighting of a northern water snake from the rock pile came today during the sunny period of the day. It appears to be starting to shed its skin. We had an early visit from a white-breasted nuthatch that searched the nearby small maple tree, calling as it did so. Predictions: Tomorrow should be partly cloudy. Temperatures will be cooler, only hitting the mid-sixty mark. Winds will ease in strength from today’s blast, starting at five, but rising to a little above ten mph. The direction will still be from the west or west-southwest. The barometer will still be climbing but if predictions hold true, it will be very near, but not actually break the 30” barrier. I suspect more birds will be in the air tomorrow but whether we will see them on the western wind is a good question. We are about due to start counting sharpies, who seem to not be affected as much by wind direction, much like the harriers and falcons. Broadwings are wind sensitive and it doesn’t take much to alter the flight line. Hopefully, some will make it over our site. ======================================================================== 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