DRHW- Lake Erie Metropark Brownstown, Michigan, USA Daily Raptor Counts: Sep 30, 2011 -------------------------------------------------------------------
Species Day's Count Month Total Season Total ------------------ ----------- -------------- -------------- Black Vulture 0 0 0 Turkey Vulture 12 517 517 Osprey 1 69 69 Bald Eagle 1 97 97 Northern Harrier 1 102 102 Sharp-shinned Hawk 17 2411 2411 Cooper's Hawk 2 99 99 Northern Goshawk 0 0 0 Red-shouldered Hawk 0 2 2 Broad-winged Hawk 0 195216 195216 Swainson's Hawk 0 5 5 Red-tailed Hawk 0 78 78 Rough-legged Hawk 0 0 0 Golden Eagle 0 0 0 American Kestrel 9 404 404 Merlin 0 11 11 Peregrine Falcon 0 13 13 Unknown Accipiter 0 13 13 Unknown Buteo 0 0 0 Unknown Falcon 0 2 2 Unknown Eagle 0 0 0 Unknown Raptor 0 3 3 Total: 43 199042 199042 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Observation start time: 07:00:00 Observation end time: 14:30:00 Total observation time: 5.5 hours Official Counter: Jonathan Stein Observers: John Elliott Visitors: Andy Detling made a brief appearance in the afternoon. Jim Maki came by twice, once in the early morning and then again later to close out the watch. Weather: It was a lot like yesterday at the start: heavy gray clouds sprinkling down misty rain. But unlike yesterday, things never really improved. The gray clouds stuck around, spewing mist off and on. Eventually, near the end of the watch, the rain intensified, scaring me away for good. As for the wind, it was the strongest its been all season, blustering out of the northwest all day long and at one point exceeding 20 mph. Raptor Observations: Limited flight today. There were a few birds out and about but not many. Kestrels whipping around in the wind provided most of the amusement. Non-raptor Observations: Blue-winged teal are beginning to return in greater numbers. A group of 12 flew around the channel for a while around midday. Tennessee and blackpoll warblers joined our mixed flock of mostly black-throated greens, bay-breasteds, nashvilles and magnolias foraging in the trees back behind the count site. Many thousands of tree swallows could again be seen swarming the skies. Predictions: Tomorrow was looking clear earlier in the week but now not so much. The forecast is now calling for a slight chance of rain with heavy cloud cover in the morning and then maybe some clearing in the afternoon. It's going to be chilly (highs in the upper 40s) and windy again (10-15 mph gusts out of the north). October is upon us and that means turkey vultures should soon start moving in a big way. If we do get a nice, clear afternoon, they might just start coming tomorrow. We shall see. ======================================================================== Report submitted by Jonathan Stein ([email protected]) SMRR- Lake Erie Metropark information may be found at: http://www.drhawkwatch.org Site Description: The primary site used by the Detroit River Hawk Watch (a joint venture of the Detroit River International Wildlife Refuge and it's Friends group, the International Wildlife Refuge Alliance) is the Boat Launch at Lake Erie Metropark located approximately 20 miles south of Detroit, Michigan. A secondary site, the Headquarters of Pointe Mouillee State Game Area is used during certain wind conditions. When staffing is available, both sites can be used at the same time. The season begins on the first day of September and concludes on the final day of November. For details and directions, log on to www.drhawkwatch.org Directions to site: Lake Erie Metropark: >From I-75, exit at Huron River Drive (exit 27). Continue east on Huron River Drive. Turn left on West Jefferson and proceed a few hundred yards to the entrance of Lake Erie Metropark. After paying the entrance fee, follow the signs to the Boat Launch. _______________________________________________ ONTBIRDS is presented by the Ontario Field Ornithologists - the provincial birding organization. Send bird reports to [email protected] For information about ONTBIRDS visit http://www.ofo.ca/
