Detroit River Hawk Watch Brownstown, Michigan, USA Daily Raptor Counts: Oct 02, 2020 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Species Day's Count Month Total Season Total ------------------ ----------- -------------- -------------- Black Vulture 0 0 0 Turkey Vulture 2152 2284 4012 Osprey 1 1 24 Bald Eagle 0 2 27 Northern Harrier 5 10 131 Sharp-shinned Hawk 178 291 2242 Cooper's Hawk 2 4 13 Northern Goshawk 0 0 0 Red-shouldered Hawk 1 1 3 Broad-winged Hawk 99 111 15756 Swainson's Hawk 0 0 0 Red-tailed Hawk 14 16 141 Rough-legged Hawk 0 0 0 Golden Eagle 0 0 0 American Kestrel 11 18 402 Merlin 1 3 22 Peregrine Falcon 4 17 45 Unknown Accipiter 0 0 0 Unknown Buteo 0 0 1 Unknown Falcon 1 1 1 Unknown Eagle 0 0 0 Unknown Raptor 0 0 0 Total: 2469 2759 22820 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Observation start time: 08:00:00 Observation end time: 15:00:00 Total observation time: 7 hours Official Counter: Kevin Georg Observers: Andrew Sturgess, Don Sherwood, Rosemary Brady Visitors: While Lake Erie Metropark is currently open to the public, for the safety of our counter and volunteers we encourage visitors to follow along with the count virtually on HawkCount.org, or our Detroit River Hawk Watch Facebook page. There will be daily updates and photographs. If you do decide to join us in person, please help the counter and volunteers to follow their mandated safety protocols by refraining from approaching them. Please follow the recommended Covid 19 procedures by wearing a mask and maintaining a safe social distance. Thanking you in advance for your cooperation. Stay safe! Weather: It was another day of contrast with high, deep blue skies to start the day and NW winds reminding us that cooler days are ahead. Although the barometer started rising yesterday it was still high today and held fairly well. There was a slight drop in the afternoon as an armada of billowing white clouds sailed in and eventually clotted into a much darker, near solid, rumpled mass reminding you that those cooler days may bring snow rather than rain. The day ended up a + plus 4 stops day on the camera to put it in photographic terms, that’s dark. Raptor Observations: The signs looked good for movement today as long as the winds were not too strong for our site. It was a mixed bag as most of the birds were to the N but still visible. Leading the way were the turkey vultures that had been patiently waiting for this day. Two thousand, one hundred and fifty two were counted as they flew into the wind and then tacked to quarter on it at times changing flight direction by an abrupt ninety degrees. Five harriers were tallied today. Sharp-shins were on the move with one hundred seventy eight counted as they fought their way through, flying once again with slim pointed wings presenting a different from the usual look to observers. Two Cooper’s hawk completed the accipiter contingent today. The falcons were flying in limited numbers today, we seem to be short on kestrels this year but we had eleven today. Four peregrines and one merlin gave us the hat trick for the day. We were hoping for buteos today given the wind and barometric conditions and they obliged somewhat; with fourteen red-tailed hawks, one red-shouldered hawk and ninety seven broad-winged hawks. One osprey was also noted up high with the turkey vultures. Non-raptor Observations: Blue jays were still moving today, more so in the morning hours but some came late too, perhaps in diminishing numbers today. Gulls and swallows continued to provide cover for the raptors that we were trying to count. Our kingfisher continued to taunt me with his rattles, which I interpret as laughs in my direction; one of my many photographic nemesis birds. Predictions: The barometer will stay high tomorrow but the winds will run out of steam with light winds from the NW, they will morph to the SW by end of day. Cloud cover will be substantial but some sun will peek through. This should provide incentive to the turkey vultures and the usual “don’t care what wind blows” suspects: sharpies, kestrels and harriers. The light winds may keep the birds closer to our site tomorrow. Cheers! Andrew ======================================================================== Report submitted by Kevin Georg (kevin.l.georg@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