Detroit River Hawk Watch Brownstown, Michigan, USA Daily Raptor Counts: Nov 04, 2020 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Species Day's Count Month Total Season Total ------------------ ----------- -------------- -------------- Black Vulture 0 0 0 Turkey Vulture 96 516 72009 Osprey 0 0 31 Bald Eagle 0 2 57 Northern Harrier 0 14 398 Sharp-shinned Hawk 11 28 4949 Cooper's Hawk 1 4 74 Northern Goshawk 0 0 1 Red-shouldered Hawk 1 61 667 Broad-winged Hawk 0 0 16407 Swainson's Hawk 0 0 0 Red-tailed Hawk 42 132 2746 Rough-legged Hawk 0 1 9 Golden Eagle 9 14 32 American Kestrel 0 0 639 Merlin 1 2 55 Peregrine Falcon 0 0 94 Unknown Accipiter 0 0 0 Unknown Buteo 0 0 2 Unknown Falcon 0 0 1 Unknown Eagle 0 0 1 Unknown Raptor 0 0 0 Total: 161 774 98172 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Observation start time: 09:00:00 Observation end time: 16:00:00 Total observation time: 7 hours Official Counter: Andrew Sturgess Observers: 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: A day unlike any other…. well, except for the two days that preceded it and the next few to follow. A clear blue dome of a sky lasted the entire day although, as it turned out, we did not have to search much of it. The winds were from the southern quadrant again all day, mostly S but occasionally a little more from SSW. Strengths were moderately strong, rising and falling a little during the day from seven to thirteen as the low and high limits. The barometer fell slightly from 30.25” to 30.18”. Raptor Observations: Although the wind conditions were fairly similar all day long the flight activity was not. It was similar to yesterday when the raptors seemed to be coming from the north on a southerly line facing into the wind and then turning off again as they reached the water by Sycamore. Almost no raptors were seen today except on that line. Like yesterday afternoon though, the activity stopped abruptly and the last two hours had no birds. That didn’t upset us too much since during the late morning and early afternoon in the span of about two hours we had nine golden eagles. The clear blue sky with abundant sunshine really made the golden mantle pop and they were easy to ID by that feature alone. The red-tailed hawks seemed to be on the same flight line with forty two flying through. The red-shoulders were not so enthused with only one coming along. Sharp-shins were sporadic with only eleven flapping and gliding through. One Cooper’s hawk made the morning flight. Turkey vultures helped our numbers today with ninety six but they too stopped in the afternoon hours. Non-raptor Observations: Starlings seemed to be present in the area today, not only mobbing a few of the sharp-shins but present in big numbers in the local grassy areas. Tree swallows are present but not in as big a concentrations as before. The Bonaparte’s gulls are gradually increasing in number and getting closer to my camera, always a pleasant thing as they are a favored subject for me. Predictions: Not being a weatherman, I am unsure why tomorrow will be cloudy. Even though the barometric pressure will be the same, if not higher than today, the sky will be cloud filled for the most part. “There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio, than are dreamt of in your philosophy”. Winds should be from the SW around nine or ten mph most of the day. Hopefully, we can get some movement on that wind, and it is close enough that we can see it. WARNING: the road to the boat launch site will be closed tomorrow for emergency sewer line repairs so it will not be accessible to visitors. ======================================================================== 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