Date: 10/17/24 4:21 pm From: <reports...> Subject: [birders] Detroit River Hawk Watch (17 Oct 2024) 1432 Raptors
Detroit River Hawk Watch
Brownstown, Michigan, USA
Daily Raptor Counts: Oct 17, 2024
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Observation start time: 08:00:00
Observation end time: 15:00:00
Total observation time: 7 hours
Official Counter: Andrew Sturgess
Observers: Bill Peregord, Don Sherwood, Jo Patterson, Johannes Postma
Visitors:
The tree surgery taking place on the road into the boat launch area has
been completed and normal access to our site has been restored.
We welcome visitors to our site by the boat launch in Lake Erie MetroPark.
We are willing to spread the gospel with pamphlets and information cards,
along with tips on IDing the raptors, and photography tips for those behind
the cameras. Let us share our enthusiasm for this miracle of nature with
you.
Weather:
The bountiful northerly winds of the last few days had blown themselves out
by the time we arrived this morning. Winds were predicted to be below 5 mph
all day but somehow that fell by the wayside in the late afternoon hours. A
classic high-pressure scene greeted us this morning. Clear blues skies,
that had allowed the temperature to drop near freezing overnight, stayed
cloudless as the day progressed. The barometer stayed in the 30.3” range
with a few minor variations on that theme. The wind told the story of the
day though. Very light winds in the opening hours kept most of the birds on
the ground waiting for something with a little more lifting capability. It
gradually picked up to the point where whitecaps were running out on the
lake as the wind raced across unimpeded from the Ohio side. It reached
fourteen mph at its peak before subsiding slightly in the final hour of the
watch. This pushed the birds well to the north into a hazy sky making the
day’s task much more difficult.
Raptor Observations:
Turkey vultures are not going to relinquish the top step of the podium in
October except on rare occasions. Today was not one of those occasions;
they dominated with thirteen hundred and seventy-seven birds. On some days
these are the easiest birds to count as they present well in the sky, large
birds with a black vibe that are unmistakable. Today, not so much. We had
two good hours but the birds were at the limit of observation and appeared,
and disappeared, into the hazy sky. Sharp-shins were probably out there in
greater numbers than we could see, we managed to spot thirty-five of them.
Harriers were a little more wind resistant but even they took shelter
behind the trees at times. We counted thirteen of them, one being a gray
ghost. Three red-tails were noted. Two kestrels were seen racing through.
One was kettling with our first two rough-legged hawks of the season. Two
light-morphs flew in together and gave us some good looks when the winds
were a little more forgiving.
Non-raptor Observations:
A few pelicans were seen out over the lake today but not in the numbers
that we know are out there. Pied-billed grebes are still working the slip
in front of us. A small flock of killdeers flew over. Mute swans whistled
though in a small congregation. Most of the ducks were mallards, but three
wood ducks made an appearance. Some butter-butts were noted in the trees
this morning. Blue jays seemed to have run their race, although a couple of
hundred were seen today. There are still swallows at work in the
neighborhood, all tree swallows, it appeared. One monarch butterfly made a
cameo appearance.
Predictions:
I’m a little hesitant to use Weather Underground for any kind of
prediction as they have not been accurate in the wind department lately,
and winds are the most important thing at a hawk watch. However, the day
should look very similar to today visually, as high-pressure will hold sway
over our region for a few more days. Clear skies are to be taken for
granted, the barometer will rise even higher tomorrow, the temperatures,
based on southwest winds bringing warmer air, will also be slightly higher.
Winds are to originate in the southwest, starting below five mph and rising
to about seven mph as the day progresses. We’ll see about that. If the
winds stay light, we should have a clearer sky and the birds should not be
pushed as far to the north as today. It will be a headwind though, and they
may tack off it early.
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Report submitted by Andrew Sturgess (<ajyes72...>)
Detroit River Hawk Watch information may be found at:
http://www.detroitriverhawkwatch.org
