Detroit River Hawk Watch Brownstown, Michigan, USA Daily Raptor Counts: Nov 24, 2019 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Species Day's Count Month Total Season Total ------------------ ----------- -------------- -------------- Black Vulture 0 0 0 Turkey Vulture 43 4198 52406 Osprey 0 0 35 Bald Eagle 0 21 99 Northern Harrier 2 81 346 Sharp-shinned Hawk 3 275 4132 Cooper's Hawk 0 35 118 Northern Goshawk 0 1 2 Red-shouldered Hawk 0 562 757 Broad-winged Hawk 0 0 64336 Swainson's Hawk 0 0 0 Red-tailed Hawk 3 3991 4849 Rough-legged Hawk 0 11 12 Golden Eagle 1 53 57 American Kestrel 1 5 703 Merlin 0 2 33 Peregrine Falcon 0 6 52 Unknown Accipiter 0 0 0 Unknown Buteo 0 0 1 Unknown Falcon 0 0 0 Unknown Eagle 0 0 0 Unknown Raptor 0 0 0 Total: 53 9241 127938 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Observation start time: 09:00:00 Observation end time: 15:00:00 Total observation time: 6 hours Official Counter: Kevin Georg Observers: Andrew Sturgess, Don Sherwood, Raburn Howland, Rosemary Brady Visitors: We had a few visitors today but little to show. David A. came out from A Squared to spend a little time. Weather: Skies that cleared during the day belied the fact that the barometer was low and getting lower. More solid clouds gave way to high cirrus clouds resembling slightly smeared Keith Haring figures. The wind continued to climb in speed from an unfavorable SW quadrant. The two factors combined to make a no-fly zone for the most part. Most of the traffic was early and the mid-afternoon hours were barren. Raptor Observations: We started off well with 1 golden eagle as our first bird. Turkey vultures made the total for the day seem more tolerable but 43 birds in a few small groups were not impressive to the eye. 2 harriers, one a gray ghost, were seen today. 3 red-tails were observed. 3 sharp-shins also made the trip reluctantly. 1 American Kestrel was perhaps a surprise bird today as we have not seen many falcons lately. Non-raptor Observations: A fairly slow day for all birds today. Our four local bald eagle put on their usual show but even they seemed further away than usual. Tree swallows were observed but only a few. Bonaparte's continue to fish the waters. Four cormorants were observed flying by, most seem to have deserted us. Predictions: I'm afraid to say it but tomorrow looks a lot like today. Barometer will stay low in the 29.6" range and winds will be from the SW. Cloud cover will increase during the day. The winds may not be quite as enthusiastic and that may give us hope. Hopefully, some of the more determined birds will wander by...hope springs eternal. ======================================================================== 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: http://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-2019