Detroit River Hawk Watch Brownstown, Michigan, USA Daily Raptor Counts: Oct 31, 2025 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Species Day's Count Month Total Season Total ------------------ ----------- -------------- -------------- Black Vulture 0 0 0 Turkey Vulture 307 87867 89948 Osprey 0 1 29 Bald Eagle 0 52 149 Northern Harrier 2 116 479 Sharp-shinned Hawk 6 921 3944 Cooper's Hawk 0 38 65 American Goshawk 0 1 1 Red-shouldered Hawk 8 169 169 Broad-winged Hawk 0 47 51921 Swainson's Hawk 0 1 1 Red-tailed Hawk 64 896 1042 Rough-legged Hawk 0 3 3 Golden Eagle 1 33 35 American Kestrel 0 41 964 Merlin 1 17 50 Peregrine Falcon 2 15 45 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: 391 90225 148861 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Observation start time: 08:00:00 Observation end time: 15:00:00 Total observation time: 7 hours Official Counter: Jo Patterson Observers: Andrew Sturgess, Jerry Jourdan, Johannes Postma, 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: The day began with a brisk westerly breeze that gathered strength as the hours passed. By midday, gusts reached 25 mph, strong enough to send hats flying and test our grip on the datasheets, though they only escaped once (a small victory, all things considered). The barometer inched upward but stalled at 29.74”, making little progress beyond that point. Overhead, a partly cloudy sky offered both texture and reference points: cirrus, cumulus, and stratus clouds mingled together, each taking a turn on the stage. Raptor Observations: Nearly three hours passed before the first migrant appeared, but the brief surge of activity that followed made the wait worthwhile. The momentum, however, faded by 2 p.m. as the strengthening winds scoured the sky clean of movement. Turkey Vultures once again stole the show, surpassing triple digits with three hundred and seven counted. Their migration window is beginning to close, though we can still expect a few hundred more into November. Red-tailed Hawks are starting to take the spotlight, with sixty-four tallied today. Their major flight has yet to unfold, but that time is fast approaching. Rounding out the day’s diversity were eight Red-shouldered Hawks, six Sharp-shinned Hawks, two Northern Harriers, two Peregrine Falcons, one Merlin, and one Golden Eagle. The latter arrived just two minutes before closing, providing a thrilling finale to the day. Non-raptor Observations: A variety of waterfowl dabbled near the lotus beds, while gulls, among them a flock of Bonaparte’s, swept and foraged over the river. Dark-eyed Juncos have begun to appear beneath our maple tree, and Winter Wrens have been heard from the marsh. Fifty-five American Crows were observed migrating in loose formation. Predictions: Tomorrow’s winds are expected to ease, likely staying below 10 mph. Though they’ll remain westerly, the calmer conditions should favor migration if the velocity holds steady. The barometer is forecast to continue climbing, and the day should bring beautiful, partly cloudy skies, a promising setup for tomorrow’s watch. ======================================================================== 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