Date: 10/2/25 3:38 pm From: <reports...> Subject: [birders] Detroit River Hawk Watch (02 Oct 2025) 868 Raptors
Detroit River Hawk Watch
Brownstown, Michigan, USA
Daily Raptor Counts: Oct 02, 2025
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Observation start time: 08:00:00
Observation end time: 15:00:00
Total observation time: 7 hours
Official Counter: Jo Patterson
Observers: Andrew Sturgess, Bill Peregord, 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:
Well, the sky was interesting today, as if a Pollack, Jack Frost, and
Mondrian menage a trois had a baby. Straight parallel contrails mixed with
wispy cirrus mare’s tails and other aircraft contrails in various states
of bloom and dispersion. It was a glorious mess of streaks and delicate
daubs of ice clouds. It had the added bonus of cutting the glare from the
otherwise bright blue sky. Something we had been hoping for over the last
few days. The temperature reached seventy-eight degrees and the barometer
started a very gradual decline. The winds had dropped to zero from a
northeast wind at the start of the watch and then did its usual about-face
to the southeast, climbing in strength throughout the day.
Raptor Observations:
The turkey vultures, as they probably will for most of October, took the
gold today. Six hundred and eighty-eight were counted, coming by in
irregular spurts. The sharpies were back in the game today with one hundred
and nineteen tallied. Red-tailed hawks took third with a slightly more
vigorous performance than the broadwings, beating them by a single bird,
nineteen to eighteen. It was good to see the normal companion bird with the
red-tail, the red-shouldered hawk, show up for the first time this season
today, with two juvies. Harriers showed fourteen white rumps today. Only
two kestrels made the tote board today, the same number as the peregrine
falcons. Two Cooper’s hawks were counted and one bald eagle completed the
tally of eight hundred and sixty-eight birds.
Non-raptor Observations:
Thankfully, the gulls were kettling in the distance today, feasting on
insects up aloft. A flight of mute swans added to the general cacophony at
the loudest hawk watch in the world. A diesel-powered payloader was
scooping up the decaying kelp-like vegetation at the boat launch nearby, a
soothing noise to start the day. A flight of common terns was noted in the
morning. The pelicans seemed to have moved from their roosting spot to
another undisclosed location. A battle of the bands took place between a
flicker and red-bellied woodpecker in the trees behind us. The blue jays
were off their game today with only two thousand and forty counted.
Monarchs were scarce, with nineteen making the clicker.
Predictions:
Tomorrow should have southwest winds, but they will be of such low
predicted value as to be unreliable. That is, of course, if you believe the
forecast. Of all the parameters that are forecast, the winds seem to be the
least trusted, at least by us. Normally, that would be a bad wind but if it
is very light, it may not do as much damage as it usually does. It will
apparently bring the heat though, as the temperature will be back over
eighty by a couple of degrees. The clouds should be fading throughout the
day. The barometer will still be in decline, but should be in the 30.1”
range at the end of the day. Hopefully, the winds are strong enough to
provide lift, but not strong enough drive the birds to the north.
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Report submitted by Andrew Sturgess (<ajyes72...>)
Detroit River Hawk Watch information may be found at:
http://www.detroitriverhawkwatch.org
