Date: 10/28/24 3:55 pm From: <reports...> Subject: [birders] Detroit River Hawk Watch (28 Oct 2024) 1701 Raptors
Detroit River Hawk Watch Brownstown, Michigan, USA Daily Raptor Counts: Oct 28, 2024 -------------------------------------------------------------------
Observation start time: 08:00:00 Observation end time: 15:00:00 Total observation time: 7 hours
Official Counter: Michael Patrikeev
Observers: Ben Sehl, Frank Kitakis, Jerry Jourdan
Visitors: We welcome visitors to our site by the boat launch in Lake Erie Metropark. We have brochures and educational information we are happy to share. Let us share our enthusiasm for migration and raptors with you! While we welcome your questions and company, please know that our professional counter, apprentices, and volunteers must communicate with each other frequently to successfully conduct the count, and they also must maintain an unobstructed view of the horizon.
Weather: Sun and cloud; light southerly winds of up to 14 km/hour (8.5 mi/hr). Temperature rose to +14C (57F) by late afternoon.
Raptor Observations: We counted 1,701 raptors today, and 92% of those were ...? You guessed right, Turkey Vultures! Two-thirds migrated between noon and 2 PM. The vultures brought other species with them, including 106 Red-tails and eleven Red-shouldered Hawks. Five of the latter were in a single streaming groups of TVs. Three Golden Eagles were sighted today, compliments of Jerry and Ben. Ben's bird approached as close as the sycamore! Without doubt, it was that last-hour Golden Eagle ordered by Bill and Michelle yesterday, but delivered with one day delay)
Non-raptor Observations: American Crows (782), Blue Jays (5), White Pelicans (>60)
Predictions: Light rain overnight. Tomorrow, southern wind will bring hot air from the south, driving air temperatures up to +25C (77F) in the afternoon! We suspect that southerly winds and summer temperatures will slow raptor migration. Although... who knows? Our predictions of hawk migration do not always came true! ======================================================================== Report submitted by Erika Van Kirk (<erika_vankirk...>) Detroit River Hawk Watch information may be found at: http://www.detroitriverhawkwatch.org
