Detroit River Hawk Watch Brownstown, Michigan, USA Daily Raptor Counts: Nov 19, 2023 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Species Day's Count Month Total Season Total ------------------ ----------- -------------- -------------- Black Vulture 0 0 0 Turkey Vulture 15 3421 94041 Osprey 0 0 52 Bald Eagle 7 51 159 Northern Harrier 0 29 493 Sharp-shinned Hawk 10 174 6946 Cooper's Hawk 2 23 81 American Goshawk 1 3 5 Red-shouldered Hawk 21 197 474 Broad-winged Hawk 0 0 103457 Swainson's Hawk 0 0 1 Red-tailed Hawk 94 2013 3406 Rough-legged Hawk 0 6 21 Golden Eagle 4 111 124 American Kestrel 0 5 1277 Merlin 3 12 58 Peregrine Falcon 0 14 63 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: 157 6059 210661 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Observation start time: 09:00:00 Observation end time: 17:00:00 Total observation time: 7.5 hours Official Counter: Kevin Georg Observers: Andrew Sturgess, Bill Peregord, Don Sherwood, Jackie Quinones, Michelle Peregord 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: It’s Jackie again! You all thought you had the end of me didn’t you! Well to be honest so did I, but Andrew has handed the duty off to me for the next few days while he settles in from his trip. And now to the weather. Today we had the deadly blue sky that we all know and despise. As the day went on our eyes glazed in the void, which seemed to fill with more and more eye floaters by the end of the day. Many birds were playing tricks on us as they flashed some color then disappeared in the blue again. On the brighter side, today’s temperatures were very comfortable. Coming into today, many of us were expecting chilly weather; however, the sun warmed us throughout the day, even causing some of us to shed a few layers. The winds stayed northerly all day, a generally good wind for us. This led for an exciting day, even for November. Raptor Observations: Well who would’ve guessed it? We got another American Goshawk today!!! The bird, this time a juvenile, had some discussion revolving around it. However, after careful thought and photo reference, we were sure it was a Goshawk. We also had some more Golden eagles, one coming especially close as it dodged the many planes in its way. Bald eagles were out to play today keeping us on our toes. We have many local bald eagles so we had to remain vigilant to see if any behaved in a migratory fashion. Non-raptor Observations: The little gull has made its grand return! It was spotted this morning amongst the Bonaparte’s and Ring-Billeds but kept its distance for most of the day. With the Lions game today, the sky was mostly dominated by planes carrying advertisements. The counters enjoyed reading them from afar. Crows are still moving, clocking in at over 120. The duck migration continues on, many of which way past Celeron island and the lake. We did have some Mergansers fly close by though. A Great Blue was also seen flying high above Celeron. Predictions: Clouds are on the forecast tomorrow! What a treat. This should be very helpful while spotting birds. The winds will be strong and easterly all day, reaching up to 20 km per hour. The direction teetering on the NE side may help us greatly. Overall, tomorrow will be a chilly one, with highs in the mid 40s, but we look forward to another day of birds. ======================================================================== 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