Detroit River Hawk Watch Brownstown, Michigan, USA Daily Raptor Counts: Sep 28, 2015 -------------------------------------------------------------------
Species Day's Count Month Total Season Total ------------------ ----------- -------------- -------------- Black Vulture 0 1 1 Turkey Vulture 60 1126 1126 Osprey 2 73 73 Bald Eagle 2 85 85 Northern Harrier 9 279 279 Sharp-shinned Hawk 102 2796 2796 Cooper's Hawk 0 54 54 Northern Goshawk 0 0 0 Red-shouldered Hawk 0 0 0 Broad-winged Hawk 3 72163 72163 Swainson's Hawk 0 1 1 Red-tailed Hawk 1 105 105 Rough-legged Hawk 0 0 0 Golden Eagle 0 1 1 American Kestrel 3 618 618 Merlin 0 26 26 Peregrine Falcon 5 17 17 Unknown Accipiter 0 9 9 Unknown Buteo 1 5 5 Unknown Falcon 0 1 1 Unknown Eagle 0 0 0 Unknown Raptor 0 20 20 Total: 188 77380 77380 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Observation start time: 07:00:00 Observation end time: 15:00:00 Total observation time: 8 hours Official Counter: Jonathan Stein Observers: Andrew Sturgess, Patrick Mulawa Visitors: 2 Weather: We were greeted by a high ceiling of stubborn gray clouds today. Unwilling to budge through the morning hours, not until the afternoon did a few hints of blue begin to peek through. Soon enough, the blue began to beat back the dissolving gray, taking over by mid-afternoon. But a resilient blanket of gray clouds returned to reclaim its place above, swallowing any last remnants of blue sky and, just for good measure, showering us with a few flecks of late afternoon drizzle as we headed back to our cars. Humid, temperatures remained in the low to mid 70s for most of the day. As for the wind, it was light and out of the south early, strengthening and blustering out of the southeast later. Raptor Observations: Cloudy skies suppressed activity in the morning, limiting our flight to a handful of sharpies and harriers. With afternoon clearing came an uptick in volume and variety. Five swift peregrines stole the show, though, not a single one dawdling even for a moment. All five motored through, pumping hard from first sighting to last. Non-raptor Observations: Tree Swallow (16000+), Blue Jay (7500+), Red-winged Blackbird (40+), Yellow-bellied Sapsucker (1), Blackburnian Warbler (1), Black-throated Blue Warbler (1), Yellow-rumped Warbler (4), Blackpoll Warbler (6), Red-eyed Vireo (4), Northern Flicker (5), American Robin (40+), Forster's Tern (30+), Pied-billed Grebe (3), Black Saddlebags (2), Common Green Darner (2), Monarch (69) Predictions: Overcast with strong north wind and a 40 percent chance of afternoon rain. ======================================================================== 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 Posting guidelines can be found at http://www.ofo.ca/site/page/view/information.ontbirdsguide
