Detroit River Hawk Watch Brownstown, Michigan, USA Daily Raptor Counts: Sep 29, 2022 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Species Day's Count Month Total Season Total ------------------ ----------- -------------- -------------- Black Vulture 0 0 0 Turkey Vulture 3005 4633 4633 Osprey 0 14 14 Bald Eagle 5 31 31 Northern Harrier 12 219 219 Sharp-shinned Hawk 99 2768 2768 Cooper's Hawk 6 18 18 Northern Goshawk 0 0 0 Red-shouldered Hawk 2 3 3 Broad-winged Hawk 2385 67183 67183 Swainson's Hawk 0 0 0 Red-tailed Hawk 18 158 158 Rough-legged Hawk 0 0 0 Golden Eagle 0 0 0 American Kestrel 33 732 732 Merlin 2 23 23 Peregrine Falcon 1 20 20 Unknown Accipiter 0 0 0 Unknown Buteo 0 0 0 Unknown Falcon 0 0 0 Unknown Eagle 0 0 0 Unknown Raptor 0 0 0 Total: 5568 75802 75802 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Observation start time: 08:00:00 Observation end time: 17:00:00 Total observation time: 9 hours Official Counter: Kevin Georg Observers: Andrew Sturgess, Bill Peregord, Don Sherwood, Mark Hainen, Patrick Mulawa, Rosemary Brady Visitors: We are located by the boat launch in Lake Erie Metropark in a fenced off area at the Hawk Watch site. This does not mean that we do not welcome interaction with any and all visitors. We enjoy talking about what we do and sharing our knowledge with beginners and experts alike. Please feel free to come up and talk to us. We usually have our backs turned to the parking lot as we scan the skies in front of us. This should not be interpreted as a sign of reluctance to engage; this is how we do our job. We have friendly people that do not bite and the welcome mat is always out. Weather: Big wheel keep on turning….barely. The wind turbines were not challenged by the feeble NE wind today as they ticked over slowly at day’s end. The day started bright, with clear blues skies and scarcely a cloud in the sky. By midday, a gray blanket had been thrown over the site and perhaps the migration too. When the skies started to clear in the afternoon the birds started to fly again. The temperatures reached 60 degrees in the late afternoon and that, combined with the relative lack of wind, let us at least unzip the outer layer. The barometer reading rose until midday and then as the clouds moved in it began to fall, as it will for the next two days. The winds speeds were low and usually when that happens the birds go higher to find something more to their taste. We have placed an ad for a neck masseuse for days like this as hawk-watchers neck is a common affliction. Raptor Observations: The birds were flying in decent numbers early, but to the south of us. The usually favorable NE wind was not of sufficient strength to work its magic. Even so, we had a decent day for this time of month. The turkey vultures are now coming in longer streams as the urge to move becomes more irresistible. We noted 3,005 today. In the morning hours some of them went over the lake, in the late afternoon hours they came on a different line more to the north. Broadwings were next on the list. They moved in the largest numbers in the morning hours before the cloud cover rolled in. They were also over the lake for the most part. 2,385 were tallied. We were one bird short of the century mark with sharp-shins counting 99 of them. 6 Cooper’s hawks kept them company. American kestrels numbered 33 today. The falcon contingent was all present and accounted for today with 2 merlins and 1 peregrine also observed. Northern harriers numbered 12 today, many high over-head with the other migrants. The larger buteos are starting to move with 18 red-tails and 2 red-shoulders making the clicker today. Bald eagles also liked the high winds aloft with 5 counted today. Non-raptor Observations: Pelicans were seen today, not in flight, but with the cormorants terrorizing the schools of shad out on the lake. The blue jays were busy all day with 12,200 counted. 5 monarchs also made the crossing. Another small flight of northern pintails was seen. Swallows and gulls in larger number continue to make the observation of raptors more interesting than it needs to be. WDIV, Channel four in Detroit came to the site a little while ago and did a piece on our hawk watch for their Live in the D series. https://www.clickondetroit.com/live-in-the-d/2022/09/28/keep-your-eyes-to-the-skies-its-raptor-season/ Predictions: The winds should be a little stronger tomorrow with sunny skies and a higher temperature to boot. Direction of the winds will be ENE or NE. The barometer will be falling again but slowly and should stay above 30 inches. All good signs for migration. Turkey vultures should lead the way but you never know how many broadwings might still be out there. ======================================================================== 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 Count data submitted via Dunkadoo - Project info at: https://dunkadoo.org/explore/detroit-river-international-wildlife-refuge/detroit-river-hawk-watch-fall-2022