Detroit River Hawk Watch
Brownstown, Michigan, USA
Daily Raptor Counts: Nov 23, 2025
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Species Day's Count Month Total Season Total
------------------ ----------- -------------- --------------
Black Vulture 0 0 0
Turkey Vulture 33 911 90859
Osprey 0 0 29
Bald Eagle 0 34 183
Northern Harrier 1 37 516
Sharp-shinned Hawk 2 108 4052
Cooper's Hawk 0 10 75
American Goshawk 0 0 1
Red-shouldered Hawk 2 112 281
Broad-winged Hawk 0 1 51922
Swainson's Hawk 0 0 1
Red-tailed Hawk 19 989 2031
Rough-legged Hawk 0 4 7
Golden Eagle 1 37 72
American Kestrel 0 0 964
Merlin 0 5 55
Peregrine Falcon 1 4 49
Unknown Accipitrine 0 0 1
Unknown Buteo 0 0 3
Unknown Falcon 0 0 3
Unknown Eagle 0 0 0
Unknown Raptor 0 3 12
Total: 59 2255 151116
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Observation start time: 09:00:00
Observation end time: 15:30:00
Total observation time: 6.5 hours
Official Counter: Andrew Sturgess
Observers: Bill Peregord, Don Sherwood, Jerry Jourdan,
Michelle Peregord
Visitors:
We welcome visitors to our site as we are eager to share the joys of hawk
watching with one and all. Although there may be times in which we are all
very busy and need alone-time to concentrate, those are the times that are
most enjoyable for visitors as the skies are filled with migrating raptors.
Weather:
We set a low bar today given the predicted westerly winds, so perhaps you
could say we met our expectations, but not our hopes. The wind was mostly
western with a few modest deviations to both north and south of that line.
The speed was not steady, staying for the most part above ten mph, with
occasional forays up to fifteen. The skies were variable too, low cumulus
clouds were ushered to the exits early, replaced by a clear blue sky until
the afternoon hours, when altocumulus clouds, resembling the ripples in the
sand left by a receding tide, began to fill the sky. Unfortunately, that
was all that filled the sky, as the raptors were few and far between. The
barometer was climbing back above the thirty-inch mark, but that will only
last a day before heading south again. The temperature reached fifty-three
degrees, which might have been more comfortable had it not been for the
persistent wind. November has not been a kind month to us and it is going
to double down this last week of the watch.
Raptor Observations:
Turkey vultures should not be on the top step, if we had our way, but the
numbers are what they are. We have had a very good TV year and they are
reluctant to cede the top step to the red-tails. Thirty-three of them
showed up today, beating the tails, who could only manage nineteen. Most of
the red-tails would fly one step forward and soar two steps back when the
wind pushed them back towards Canada. Only two red-shoulders were noted.
The same number of sharp-shins pushed into the wind. One northern harrier
was seen hiding in the lee of the trees. One golden eagle was noted at a
distance. A peregrine falcon did fly over in the prescribed manner and was
tallied.
Non-raptor Observations:
Pelicans! They were back today in a flight of about eighty birds. They have
been reported as late as January in previous years, but we had not seen
them for some time. The winds were blowing into the slip today, moving the
water out, causing consternation for both boaters, and the normal gull
occupants that sought more sheltered areas. Tree sparrows were noted today
nearby. Red-bellied woodpeckers were also present. A pair of sandhill
cranes were observed in flight. Hooded mergansers are still back in the
sheltered part of the slip. Twenty-three American crows murdered the wind.
Predictions:
Tomorrow does not look great, yet, it may be the best of a bad lot for the
last week of the watch. We have rain, snow and high winds in the forecast
and I suspect the full seven hours each day may not be manned. Mostly
cloudy skies are predicted tomorrow as rain should be here on Tuesday. The
barometer will be rising, but so will the strength of winds from the south,
from four to ten mph during the watch. Temperatures will reach fifty-one
degrees, before taking a polar plunge later in the week. November, the
cruelest of months, is channeling Porky Pig and saying âTh-th-thatâs
all, folksâ
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Report submitted by Andrew Sturgess ([email protected])
Detroit River Hawk Watch information may be found at:
http://www.detroitriverhawkwatch.org
More site information at hawkcount.org:
https://hawkcount.org/siteinfo.php?rsite=285
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