Detroit River Hawk Watch Brownstown, Michigan, USA Daily Raptor Counts: Oct 08, 2013 -------------------------------------------------------------------
Species Day's Count Month Total Season Total ------------------ ----------- -------------- -------------- Black Vulture 0 0 0 Turkey Vulture 2116 3368 7590 Osprey 4 5 65 Bald Eagle 22 53 191 Northern Harrier 9 14 137 Sharp-shinned Hawk 31 201 2059 Cooper's Hawk 22 48 241 Northern Goshawk 0 0 0 Red-shouldered Hawk 4 5 7 Broad-winged Hawk 1 1 49626 Swainson's Hawk 0 0 3 Red-tailed Hawk 70 93 392 Rough-legged Hawk 0 0 0 Golden Eagle 0 0 0 American Kestrel 30 131 628 Merlin 4 12 36 Peregrine Falcon 3 10 20 Unknown Accipiter 2 3 35 Unknown Buteo 0 2 7 Unknown Falcon 0 2 2 Unknown Eagle 0 0 0 Unknown Raptor 1 2 14 Total: 2319 3950 61053 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Observation start time: 07:00:00 Observation end time: 16:00:00 Total observation time: 9 hours Official Counter: Jonathan Stein Observers: Andrew Sturgess, Frank Kitakis, Fred Kirn, John Elliott Visitors: 6 Weather: Cloudless from start to finish, only a touch of distant haze altered the complexion of a mostly blue sky. The wind was light and variable in the morning, then strengthened and turned southeast in the afternoon. Raptor Observations: Lots going on today, our most active outing in some time. First things first: it was another exceptional Bald Eagle flight with 22 birds counted, our highest single-day total to date. Not to be outdone, Turkey Vultures and Red-tailed Hawks exerted themselves as well, also posting single-day highs. We got some great looks at Merlins, peregrines and close harriers. Four Osprey were counted, plenty for early October. Last but not least, a single straggling Broad-winged Hawk passed overhead early in the morning. Non-raptor Observations: Songbird activity was up. Palm, Cape May, Blackpoll and Yellow-rumpled warblers were all noted. Purple Finch (1), American Goldfinch (15+) and House Finch (3) all passed overhead. Red-winged Blackbirds (750+) were moving in the morning. Our first flock of Rusty Blackbirds (25+) flew by. Two Horned Larks flew over at one point. A Caspian Tern spent some time fishing the channel for the first time in a while. A Canvasback flew over toward the end of the day. Blue Jays (2000+) were a constant, though still fairly limited, presence. Monarchs were also noticeably abundant. Predictions: Clear skies, moderate southeast winds and temps again in the 60s. ======================================================================== Report submitted by Jonathan Stein ([email protected]) Detroit River Hawk Watch information may be found at: http://www.drhawkwatch.org Site Description: The Detroit River Hawk Watch (a joint venture of the Detroit River International Wildlife Refuge and its Friends group, the International Wildlife Refuge Alliance) is the Boat Launch at Lake Erie Metropark located approximately 20 miles south of Detroit, Michigan. The location is at the mouth of the Detroit River as it enters Lake Erie. 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 including how to unsubscribe visit http://www.ofo.ca/site/page/view/information.ontbirdssetup
