Detroit River Hawk Watch Brownstown, Michigan, USA Daily Raptor Counts: Sep 16, 2023 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Species Day's Count Month Total Season Total ------------------ ----------- -------------- -------------- Black Vulture 0 0 0 Turkey Vulture 35 385 385 Osprey 3 31 31 Bald Eagle 4 43 43 Northern Harrier 25 208 208 Sharp-shinned Hawk 544 2592 2592 Cooper's Hawk 0 8 8 American Goshawk 0 0 0 Red-shouldered Hawk 0 0 0 Broad-winged Hawk 2153 55145 55145 Swainson's Hawk 0 0 0 Red-tailed Hawk 1 39 39 Rough-legged Hawk 0 0 0 Golden Eagle 0 0 0 American Kestrel 73 612 612 Merlin 1 22 22 Peregrine Falcon 1 6 6 Unknown Accipiter 0 0 0 Unknown Buteo 0 0 0 Unknown Falcon 0 1 1 Unknown Eagle 0 0 0 Unknown Raptor 0 0 0 Total: 2840 59092 59092 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Observation start time: 08:00:00 Observation end time: 15:00:00 Total observation time: 7 hours Official Counter: Kevin Georg Observers: Andrew Sturgess, Bill Peregord, Don Sherwood, Jerry Jourdan, Mark Hainen Visitors: We welcome visitors to our site and are very willing to share migration information, photography and ID tips with them. We have cards and pamphlets, so come and talk to us. However, during times of high traffic, requiring extra focus and concentration, we would respectfully ask that everyone use their indoor voices and allow us to fulfill our mission to the best of our abilities. Thank you. Weather: Today was the first day of Hawk Fest at Lake Erie Metropark. It’s always on the third weekend of September in the hopes that the broadwings will provide the awe-inspiring displays for which they are known. Although they were present in some numbers in the morning, the winds were not in our favor as they vacillated, then picked up strength from a direction that pushes them into the hazy sky to the north. Some kettles were visible to our visitors but it was not the show we wished to present. The clouds did fill in as predicted, with thin icy cirrus at first, becoming denser with cumulus, and even alto cumulus later on. Temperatures were near the seventy-degree mark at their height, and with the cooling breeze, albeit not our favored wind, it was another benign fall day. The barometer was falling as a rain system approaches, but it appears to be less threatening as the blue, wet portion of the graph is shrinking. Although we did have a fairly decent day, we did reach a point of diminishing returns at the end of the normal watch hours and, unlike the last three days, no OT was deemed necessary. Raptor Observations: Broadwings, despite their diminished numbers, still led the parade today with 2153 of them in stealth mode, as per usual, most of them in the morning hours. The sharp-shinned hawks continue to impress with 544 of them coming at us from all angles. American kestrels came by in twos and threes, totaling seventy-three at the end of the day. One merlin and one peregrine completed the falcon hat-trick. Northern harriers are nearly at last September’s total only halfway through the month. Today we counted twenty-five. Turkey vultures are holding back until October before they begin in earnest, today only thirty-five were noted. Four bald eagles and three ospreys pumped by; one red-tailed hawk was also tallied. Non-raptor Observations: A pair of sandhill cranes have been seen several times along the entrance road to the park. Today we could see long strings of migrating ducks off in the eastern sky. Mallards and some blue-winged teal were seen close by. A single pied-billed grebe is spotted on occasion in the slip, but usually, we see more of them in a normal season. The cormorants are still seen in their follow the leader lines low over the water but also, migrating groups can be seen. The kingfisher continues to be active. Some swallows and swifts were seen today but not in the large numbers that we have become accustomed to in seasons past. Predictions: Well, it should be cloudy. That is probably the only certainty for tomorrow. The winds again will probably be a nothing-burger since their predicted speeds are so low that they will be variable once more. There is some NNE predicted in the morning but those predictions have meant little the last few days. Perhaps we will get those winds and those in attendance at the Hawk Fest will be treated to the show they deserve. It’s certainly better than the southerly winds we ended up with today. Sharpies, kestrels and harriers should continue to pour into the country, ignoring the delays on the Ambassador Bridge. ======================================================================== 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-2023