Detroit River Hawk Watch Brownstown, Michigan, USA Daily Raptor Counts: Nov 17, 2023 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Species Day's Count Month Total Season Total ------------------ ----------- -------------- -------------- Black Vulture 0 0 0 Turkey Vulture 0 3401 94021 Osprey 0 0 52 Bald Eagle 0 34 142 Northern Harrier 0 28 492 Sharp-shinned Hawk 1 159 6931 Cooper's Hawk 0 20 78 American Goshawk 0 1 3 Red-shouldered Hawk 0 169 446 Broad-winged Hawk 0 0 103457 Swainson's Hawk 0 0 1 Red-tailed Hawk 3 1864 3257 Rough-legged Hawk 0 6 21 Golden Eagle 2 106 119 American Kestrel 0 5 1277 Merlin 1 8 54 Peregrine Falcon 0 10 59 Unknown Accipiter 0 0 0 Unknown Buteo 0 0 2 Unknown Falcon 0 0 1 Unknown Eagle 0 0 0 Unknown Raptor 0 0 0 Total: 7 5811 210413 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Observation start time: 09:00:00 Observation end time: 16:00:00 Total observation time: 5 hours Official Counter: Kevin Georg Observers: Don Sherwood, Sam Heilman 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: Clouds lingered all day with winds shifting from SW in the morning to NNE in the afternoon. It was raining over Canada all morning and this could have prevented birds from lifting off. Pressure stayed constant during the morning and then began to rise in the afternoon. Sprinkles of rain occurred throughout the morning and we retreated to our cars for a bit before (temporarily) stopping the watch. It cleared up in the afternoon, however, and we were back on at 2pm. Wind was moderate during the morning but started really gusting in the afternoon! Raptor Observations: In general, today was a slow day. Some morning Raptor drama was observed with a Merlin attacking a local Cooper’s hawk. Two Golden eagles (one in the morning and one in the afternoon) could be seen flying by the Stacks. A few red-tails came through in the afternoon. A local bald eagle was out and about as well. Non-raptor Observations: Bonaparte’s gulls played around the waterfront throughout the day, but no sign of the Little Gull. Buffleheads zoomed around in the morning. Predictions: Winds look to be W in the morning and WSW in the afternoon, which hasn’t historically been our best hawk weather. However, wind speeds will be in the 4-11 kph range, so that may help improve our numbers! ======================================================================== Report submitted by Jessie Fletcher (jessica_fletcher@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 Count data submitted via Dunkadoo - Project info at: https://dunkadoo.org/explore/detroit-river-international-wildlife-refuge/detroit-river-hawk-watch-fall-2023