Detroit River Hawk Watch Brownstown, Michigan, USA Daily Raptor Counts: Oct 22, 2025 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Species Day's Count Month Total Season Total ------------------ ----------- -------------- -------------- Black Vulture 0 0 0 Turkey Vulture 431 63386 65467 Osprey 0 0 28 Bald Eagle 0 38 135 Northern Harrier 0 88 451 Sharp-shinned Hawk 1 780 3803 Cooper's Hawk 0 33 60 American Goshawk 0 1 1 Red-shouldered Hawk 0 81 81 Broad-winged Hawk 0 47 51921 Swainson's Hawk 0 1 1 Red-tailed Hawk 1 418 564 Rough-legged Hawk 0 0 0 Golden Eagle 0 16 18 American Kestrel 0 40 963 Merlin 0 10 43 Peregrine Falcon 0 12 42 Unknown Accipitrine 0 0 1 Unknown Buteo 0 1 3 Unknown Falcon 0 0 3 Unknown Eagle 0 0 0 Unknown Raptor 0 6 9 Total: 433 64958 123594 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Observation start time: 08:00:00 Observation end time: 15:00:00 Total observation time: 4.5 hours Official Counter: Jo Patterson Observers: 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: A light drizzle lingered through most of the day, occasionally thickening into brief, heavier showers. By the final two hours, the rain had settled in for good, steady enough to force an early end to the watch. A moderate southwest breeze sent droplets slanting past us in thin, wind-driven sheets, and leaves spiraled through the air like confetti. More foliage came down today than in the past three weeks combined. All other weather variables held remarkably steady, leaving the data sheet looking as monotonous as the sky itself. Raptor Observations: In the second hour, a loose group of Turkey Vultures that had roosted overnight on Gibraltar lifted into view, gliding low overhead. The treetops acted like a magician’s hat—one bird after another rising from the crowns until the sky was strung with silhouettes. Battling the headwind, many appeared frozen in place, suspended like dark ornaments against the gray. By the end of the watch, we tallied four hundred thirty-one. A lone Sharp-shinned Hawk darted past on a gust, buffeted so hard it seemed to have lost all control of its flight path. A Red-tailed Hawk followed, moving with only a touch more composure than the sharpie, its wide wings steady but still at the mercy of the wind. Non-raptor Observations: Gulls and swallows cut through the drizzle, their silhouettes vanishing and reappearing in the haze, while most other species wisely hunkered down. The resident Cooper’s Hawk made a brief, low pass, and a young Bald Eagle cruised through once before vanishing into the mist. Predictions: Tomorrow should bring scattered showers, mainly after 2 p.m., under mostly cloudy skies. Highs will hover near 52°F. A west-northwest wind around 11 mph could usher in some migrants, though we’re not expecting a major push. ======================================================================== 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