Detroit River Hawk Watch
Brownstown, Michigan, USA
Daily Raptor Counts: Oct 20, 2015
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Species Day's Count Month Total Season Total
------------------ ----------- -------------- --------------
Black Vulture 0 0 1
Turkey Vulture 902 55492 57898
Osprey 0 5 78
Bald Eagle 1 48 134
Northern Harrier 2 112 401
Sharp-shinned Hawk 56 1939 4854
Cooper's Hawk 2 79 133
Northern Goshawk 0 0 0
Red-shouldered Hawk 0 44 44
Broad-winged Hawk 0 255 72460
Swainson's Hawk 0 0 1
Red-tailed Hawk 10 296 403
Rough-legged Hawk 0 0 0
Golden Eagle 0 3 4
American Kestrel 0 158 800
Merlin 1 11 38
Peregrine Falcon 0 9 28
Unknown Accipiter 0 0 9
Unknown Buteo 0 0 5
Unknown Falcon 0 1 3
Unknown Eagle 0 0 1
Unknown Raptor 0 3 23
Total: 974 58455 137318
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Observation start time: 07:00:00
Observation end time: 14:30:00
Total observation time: 7.5 hours
Official Counter: Jonathan Stein
Observers: Andrew Sturgess, Frank Kitakis, Jim Lynch, Patrick Mulawa,
Rosemary Brady
Visitors:
6
Weather:
A gorgeous day at the park, absolutely. Beneficial conditions for raptor
migration? Not so much. Cloudy for much of the day, on a few occasions
rapid clearing led to mostly blue skies, only for more cumulus to rush in
as quickly as the previous batch rushed out. Unseasonably warm,
temperatures shot all the way up to the low 70s by late afternoon. The wind
was moderate and out of the southwest.
Raptor Observations:
Turkey Vultures and Sharp-shinned Hawks trickled by throughout but a
consistent flight never materialized. Nice looks at a close Merlin sent us
off on an end-of-day high note.
Non-raptor Observations:
American Crow (250+), Red-winged Blackbird (1400+), Rusty Blackbird (30+),
Common Grackle (6), American Pipit (6), Tree Swallow (2500+), Pine Siskin
(19), American Goldfinch (8), House Finch (12), Yellow-rumped Warbler
(30+), Blackpoll Warbler (1), White-throated Sparrow (7), Ruby-crowned
Kinglet (3), Red-breasted Merganser (3), Killdeer (3), Forster's Tern
(25+), Common Green Darner (2)
Predictions:
Mostly cloudy with warm temps, moderate south wind and a 50 percent chance
of morning showers.
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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.
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