Date: 11/9/24 4:56 pm From: <reports...> Subject: [birders] Detroit River Hawk Watch (09 Nov 2024) 320 Raptors
Detroit River Hawk Watch Brownstown, Michigan, USA Daily Raptor Counts: Nov 09, 2024 -------------------------------------------------------------------
Observation start time: 09:00:00 Observation end time: 16:00:00 Total observation time: 7 hours
Official Counter: Michael Patrikeev
Observers: Don Sherwood, Jerry Jourdan, Johannes Postma
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: A mix of sun and cloud in the morning; mainly cloudy later in the day. Easterly winds shifted to southerly before noon. Temperature remained at ca. +12C (54F), but it felt colder due to strong winds reaching 21 km/hour (13 mi/hr).
Raptor Observations: And so it fell out that today, the number of Red-tailed Hawks outnumbered those of Turkey Vultures, and Cooper's Hawks' of their Sharp-shinned cousins.
The day, with much anticipated easterly winds, began with great promise! Between 10 and 11 AM, the team counted 112 Red-tailed Hawks (the highest per hour count of the species at the site this year) and ten Golden Eagles!
And then... the wind, quite unexpectedly, shifted to the south... None of that was in the forecast, unless the forecast was changed at a quarter to eleven.
Five hours of low raptor activity followed.
In the last hour, it became apparent that 85% of our today sightings were made before to 11 AM.
The accipiter photographed yesterday was assigned to Cooper's, by consensus, admitting that it was a large immature female.
Non-raptor Observations: American Crows came in two waves between 09:00 and 11:00 AM. At least 1,594 were counted. We also saw five Canvasback, two Tree Swallows, and... a Red Admiral butterfly!
Predictions: Strong southern winds and rain are forecast for tomorrow; heavier rain will fall during morning hours. Under these conditions, we do not expect to see many raptors. ======================================================================== Report submitted by Erika Van Kirk (<erika_vankirk...>) Detroit River Hawk Watch information may be found at: http://www.detroitriverhawkwatch.org
