Detroit River Hawk Watch Brownstown, Michigan, USA Daily Raptor Counts: Oct 10, 2025 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Species Day's Count Month Total Season Total ------------------ ----------- -------------- -------------- Black Vulture 0 0 0 Turkey Vulture 2756 29930 32011 Osprey 0 0 28 Bald Eagle 3 15 112 Northern Harrier 7 38 401 Sharp-shinned Hawk 25 426 3449 Cooper's Hawk 0 11 38 American Goshawk 0 0 0 Red-shouldered Hawk 0 11 11 Broad-winged Hawk 0 45 51919 Swainson's Hawk 0 1 1 Red-tailed Hawk 7 81 227 Rough-legged Hawk 0 0 0 Golden Eagle 0 0 2 American Kestrel 0 23 946 Merlin 0 2 35 Peregrine Falcon 0 9 39 Unknown Accipitrine 0 0 1 Unknown Buteo 0 1 3 Unknown Falcon 0 0 3 Unknown Eagle 0 0 0 Unknown Raptor 0 4 7 Total: 2798 30597 89233 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Observation start time: 08:00:00 Observation end time: 15:00:00 Total observation time: 7 hours Official Counter: Jo Patterson Observers: Bill Peregord, Johannes Postma, Michelle Peregord, Rosemary Brady 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: Thin veils of cirrus clouds spiraled and stretched across the sky, carried by a sometimes not-so-gentle 10 mph breeze. Southern winds brought milder temperatures, climbing from 50 to 68 degrees, though jackets were still needed once our picnic tables slipped into afternoon shade. The barometer began its descent, settling just above 30 inches, where it looks to stagnate for the next few days. Raptor Observations: We were pleased with today’s flight. Although two thousand seven hundred and ninety-eight raptors pale in comparison to the totals from the past two days, it was all we could have hoped for on southern winds. A steady push of Turkey Vultures arrived in the late morning, followed by a lull around lunchtime and then an afternoon burst of activity. Few of October’s other “usual suspects” made appearances: twenty-five sharp-shins, seven harriers, seven red-tails, and three Bald Eagles. Non-raptor Observations: Yellow-rumps continue to forage in the maples. Mallards, cormorants, and ring-bills streamed past by the hundreds. A small group of Pelicans passed overhead, though most remained grounded by the jetty. Two hundred and eighty Blue Jays were tallied, and no Monarchs were seen. Predictions: Tomorrow looks like a toss-up. Winds are forecast to shift north but remain light, so it could turn out to be a great day—or just an okay one. Either way, cooler air and cloud cover will keep temperatures low, so bring a jacket if you plan to come out. ======================================================================== 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