Detroit River Hawk Watch Brownstown, Michigan, USA Daily Raptor Counts: Nov 29, 2025 -------------------------------------------------------------------
Species Day's Count Month Total Season Total ------------------ ----------- -------------- -------------- Black Vulture 0 0 0 Turkey Vulture 0 911 90859 Osprey 0 0 29 Bald Eagle 3 38 187 Northern Harrier 2 40 519 Sharp-shinned Hawk 1 109 4053 Cooper's Hawk 0 10 75 American Goshawk 0 0 1 Red-shouldered Hawk 0 112 281 Broad-winged Hawk 0 1 51922 Swainson's Hawk 0 0 1 Red-tailed Hawk 2 995 2037 Rough-legged Hawk 0 4 7 Golden Eagle 0 38 73 American Kestrel 0 0 964 Merlin 0 5 55 Peregrine Falcon 0 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: 8 2270 151131 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Observation start time: 09:00:00 Observation end time: 16:00:00 Total observation time: 7 hours Official Counter: Jo Patterson Observers: Andrew Sturgess, Johannes Postma, Sam Heilman 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: A solid overcast held firm all day, a white sky pushing in from the southeast and threatening snow from the moment we arrived. Despite the below-freezing temperatures and lack of sunlight, it felt noticeably warmer than it has all week. The relentless gusts finally eased; a gentle, steady breeze stayed under 10 mph. The band of snow reached us earlier than predicted, with flurries beginning around 2 p.m. The barometer dipped as the system moved in. Raptor Observations: Migration was a near mirror of yesterday. Eight raptors braved the headwind and advancing snow. A Sharp-shinned Hawk opened the day and remained the only representative of its species, passing low and directly over the count site. Three Bald Eagles, one adult and two juveniles, pressed through. A young Red-tailed Hawk with a belly band so thick it mimicked a rough-leg took a high line; an adult followed the same route not long after. Two Northern Harriers crossed over Celeron and skimmed low across the lake. Non-raptor Observations: Two local Cooperâs Hawks perched together in the trees behind us, chattering to one another. A White-crowned Sparrow joined the growing flock of American Tree Sparrows in the grass. Theyâve become bold companions, foraging just feet from our boots. The Bald Eagle located a dead drake mallard and made several unsuccessful attempts to lift it. After a brief rest on its snag, it returned and managed to drag the duck to shore, thankfully without swimming this time. Hooded Mergansers dove in the lotus beds, Scaup rafted out on Lake Erie, and hundreds of Tundra Swans were on the wing throughout the day. Predictions: Tomorrow looks likely to be snowed out. And if the precipitation doesnât shut down migration, the forecasted southwest winds, with gusts up to 40 mph, almost certainly will. Itâs exciting to see snow accumulating finally, but we doubt many birds will be flying. Iâve had a wonderful season as the official counter for DRHW! Thank you all for your dedication and commitment. Iâll miss the watch and look forward to reading these reports next year. ======================================================================== Report submitted by Jo Patterson ([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 -- Ontbirds and Birdnews are moderated email Listservs provided by the Ontario Field Ornithologists (OFO) as a service to all birders in Ontario. Birdnews is reserved for announcements, location summaries, first of year reports, etc. To post a message on Birdnews, send an email to: [email protected]. If you have any questions or concerns, contact the Birdnews Moderators by email at [email protected]. Please review posting rules and guidelines at http://ofo.ca/site/content/listserv-guidelines To find out more about OFO, please visit our website at ofo.ca or Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/OntarioFieldOrnithologists.
