Detroit River Hawk Watch Brownstown, Michigan, USA Daily Raptor Counts: Oct 10, 2026 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Species Day's Count Month Total Season Total ------------------ ----------- -------------- -------------- Black Vulture 0 0 0 Turkey Vulture 1396 13261 14982 Osprey 1 3 10 Bald Eagle 1 7 74 Northern Harrier 25 102 273 Sharp-shinned Hawk 48 621 2575 Cooper's Hawk 0 3 10 American Goshawk 0 0 0 Red-shouldered Hawk 0 1 3 Broad-winged Hawk 7 24 75172 Swainson's Hawk 0 0 1 Red-tailed Hawk 30 63 181 Rough-legged Hawk 0 0 0 Golden Eagle 0 1 1 American Kestrel 12 128 656 Merlin 3 9 30 Peregrine Falcon 2 12 24 Unknown Accipitrine 0 1 6 Unknown Buteo 2 3 21 Unknown Falcon 0 1 3 Unknown Eagle 0 0 0 Unknown Raptor 1 2 17 Total: 1528 14242 94039 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Observation start time: 08:00:00 Observation end time: 15:00:00 Total observation time: 7 hours Official Counter: Gracie Sangmeister Observers: Andrew Sturgess, Bella Maiwurm, Bill Peregord, Don Sherwood, Erika Van Kirk, Michelle Peregord, Rosemary Brady, Sam Heilman Visitors: We welcome visitors to our site at the Lake Erie Metropark Boat Launch. We are always willing to discuss the events of the day. Let us share our enthusiasm with you. There will be busy days, that may require our full attention, but those are not that frequent, and they provide great thrills for all. We can predict good days to some degree, but the exact hour is up to the birds, so be prepared to put in some time for the best results. Pack a lunch 🪿 Weather: Overcast skies with tiny bits of blue showing through, temps in the high 50s jumping up to low 70s by the afternoon, and E wind around 5mph swinging around to more southerly wind and picking up speed to the 10mph range by the end of the count. The lake wind kept it chilly but overall a very pleasant fall day. Raptor Observations: Today left the counter�s debating whether what they were focusing on were eye floaties or distant turkey vultures. A dihedral shape and wobbly float south made the determination. By days end, one thousand three hundred and ninety-six vultures inched their way southward. Sharp-shins were next up, with forty-eight migrants. Red-tails are picking up steam, with thirty individuals passing by. Harriers were seen in groups of two and threes, with twenty-five overall. Seven late broad-winged flapped on, what a ways they have yet to go. A handful of kestrels, merlins, and peregrines were seen, and a lone osprey and bald eagle. Non-raptor Observations: Thank you to the volunteers and visitors from today who helped add birds to the list for October�s Big Day! Together forty-five species of raptor, passerines, and waterfowl were counted from the count site. The highlights were an orange-crowned warbler mixed in with the usual yellow-rumps, hermit thrush, and golden-crowned kinglets flitting about the trees. The caspian and forster�s terns made late afternoon fly-bys, chatting as they went per usual. Two common loons were seen traveling through. The majority of the pelicans have left, but six hung out by the jetty most of the morning before departing, hopefully we have not yet seen the last of them. Two thousand and forty-five blue jays picked their way south, along with eighteen late monarchs. Predictions: Rain showers expected for the early hours of the count, but remaining cloudy skies for the rest of the day. Easterly wind around 7 mph and temps in the high 50s/low 60s. With the impending rain, birds may not be too enthusiastic about moving, but the last few days of determined vultures even with poor winds shows that we will just have to see what tomorrow brings! ======================================================================== 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