Detroit River Hawk Watch Brownstown, Michigan, USA Daily Raptor Counts: Oct 07, 2025 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Species Day's Count Month Total Season Total ------------------ ----------- -------------- -------------- Black Vulture 0 0 0 Turkey Vulture 565 2447 4528 Osprey 0 0 28 Bald Eagle 0 4 101 Northern Harrier 0 30 393 Sharp-shinned Hawk 2 332 3355 Cooper's Hawk 0 7 34 American Goshawk 0 0 0 Red-shouldered Hawk 0 2 2 Broad-winged Hawk 0 37 51911 Swainson's Hawk 0 0 0 Red-tailed Hawk 0 25 171 Rough-legged Hawk 0 0 0 Golden Eagle 0 0 2 American Kestrel 1 9 932 Merlin 0 1 34 Peregrine Falcon 1 8 38 Unknown Accipitrine 0 0 1 Unknown Buteo 0 1 3 Unknown Falcon 0 0 3 Unknown Eagle 0 0 0 Unknown Raptor 0 3 6 Total: 569 2906 61542 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Observation start time: 08:00:00 Observation end time: 15:00:00 Total observation time: 3 hours Official Counter: Jo Patterson Observers: Jerry Jourdan 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: Today, we found ourselves in a familiar predicament—caught between two bands of rain and getting showers from both as they moved east. From 11 a.m. onward, the rain was steady; it eased to a drizzle at times, but full showers were never far behind. Winds shifted to the north as the cold front pushed through, growing stronger as the day went on. Both temperature and barometric pressure held steady at 68°F and 30 inches. Raptor Observations: The day was mostly a washout, except for one thrilling 30-minute burst of activity. Celeron kicked things off with an initial fleet of 100 Turkey Vultures that kettled along the horizon before turning south. Somewhere along the way, they picked up a few hundred friends, and soon all five hundred and sixty-five crossed the seawall in a matter of minutes. Stowed within their ranks were two sharp-shins. The two falcons seen today, usually known for their hasty departures, meandered through the clouds. A lone kestrel hawked insects within a dense swarm of swallows before finally heading out, while the peregrine made lazy circles over the river before drifting south. Non-raptor Observations: Two local Bald Eagles and a Cooper’s Hawk made brief appearances. A single vulture lingered for a while before returning to the antennas, where our six resident birds typically roost. Blue Jays gave a decent showing with six hundred and twenty counted. Only one monarch butterfly was spotted, likely one of the last that we will see this season. We may get another week of Blue Jays before their numbers taper off too. A Red-breasted Nuthatch joined two Yellow-rumped Warblers in the maple. Predictions: Tomorrow looks promising. With the rain behind us, northern winds at 6–11 mph, and a rising barometer, Turkey Vultures should be moving. Hopefully, the lingering high-pressure system has created a backlog of migrants eager to fly tomorrow. ======================================================================== Report submitted by Jo Patterson (jopatterson06@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