Date: 11/2/25 3:08 pm From: <reports...> Subject: [birders] Detroit River Hawk Watch (02 Nov 2025) 55 Raptors
Detroit River Hawk Watch
Brownstown, Michigan, USA
Daily Raptor Counts: Nov 02, 2025
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Observation start time: 09:00:00
Observation end time: 16:00:00
Total observation time: 7 hours
Official Counter: Andrew Sturgess
Observers: Bill Peregord, Don Sherwood, Michelle Peregord,
Natalie Cypher
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:
This is the day that frightens me more than all the shenanigans of All
Hallows’ Eve that occurred on the last day of October. Your brain at the
end of the day says “Wait, What? It’s dark already?” For those with
Seasonal Affective Disorder, it is a kickstart into a season of lethargy
and depression. That is a different type of depression than what we felt at
the end of the watch today, as the winds did us dirty again. It drove the
birds into the mists of the northern sky, invisible to us. The wind ended
the day’s last hours coming from a southerly direction, with variations
that were challenging for the wind turbines to keep up with. Since the wind
was mostly blocked from our location, it was a pleasantly warm day. With
the temperature reaching fifty-five degrees and a cloud-free sky for the
most part, it was a beautiful fall day, unless you were seeking raptors, as
we were.
Raptor Observations:
Perhaps it was a day of quality rather than quantity. We are close to one
hundred and fifty thousand birds this season, and perhaps we wanted that a
little too much. Patience is a virtue, dammit! We decided to award all the
birds Participation T-shirts today since we had such a feeble turnout. Only
twenty-eight vultures were noted. Red-tailed hawks, a little more common
before the wind shifted, had eleven willing to testify. The sharpies are
past their peak season, but a few are still moving. Five showed up today.
Four northern harriers flew by, one close enough for decent photos. Three
was a number shared by both red-shouldered hawks and golden eagles. That
was the quality aspect of the day, goldens are such a magnificent bird that
they ease the pain of seeing not much else. We counted one bald eagle to
finish the tally.
Non-raptor Observations:
We did have some Bonaparte’s gulls and Forster’s terns come and visit
us today. After the surface vegetation dies off, it opens up more hunting
grounds for them. A Carolina wren provided the soundtrack for today’s
watch. Winter wrens have been reported nearby. The water levels continue to
be low on the lake and the marshes in the park. After a lull, the past
couple of days, the crows reappeared with sixteen hundred and eighty
representatives.
Predictions:
Ruh Roh, as Astro from the Jetsons used to say. Our wind situation seems to
worsen tomorrow. Winds that will increase from fifteen to nineteen mph from
a southwest direction would seem to seal our fate tomorrow. The barometer
will be falling slightly. Despite the strong winds from the southwest, the
temperature will be about the same tomorrow. Morning clouds should give way
to afternoon sun. Since we are usually shielded from the wind from that
direction, it should be a comfortable day, albeit, without birds. November
can be a hit or miss month, depending on the day’s conditions. We may
have a few misses coming up.
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Report submitted by Andrew Sturgess (<ajyes72...>)
Detroit River Hawk Watch information may be found at:
http://www.detroitriverhawkwatch.org
