Date: 11/20/25 2:31 pm From: <reports...> Subject: [birders] Detroit River Hawk Watch (20 Nov 2025) 16 Raptors
Detroit River Hawk Watch
Brownstown, Michigan, USA
Daily Raptor Counts: Nov 20, 2025
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Observation start time: 09:00:00
Observation end time: 16:00:00
Total observation time: 7 hours
Official Counter: Jo Patterson
Observers: Andrew Sturgess, Don Sherwood, Erika Van Kirk,
Johannes Postma, Rosemary Brady
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:
When the Levante wind blows over the Mediterranean, the Rock of Gibraltar
becomes a cloud producing machine. The western side can go for days without
seeing the sun. Today felt like one of those days as we sat in a bowl of
potage gris that seemed to thicken as the day progressed. The wind was a
bit timid and undecided at the start of the day. When it made up its mind,
it chose a generally southeastern direction, growing from a mere zephyr to
nine mph at its peak strength. The long fetch across the lake created
waves, but no whitecaps. Thankfully, we were shielded as it bent further
south. The temperature reached forty-five degrees, a comfortable level for
those of us who have endured much worse during past Novembers. The
barometer is declining, as it will for another day as the clouds remain,
bringing the gloom again.
Raptor Observations:
There were some highlights, although it is hard to use any word containing
“light” on such a dull day. Red-tailed hawks took the gold medal with
seven birds. The real gold was on the mantles of the four golden eagles
that flew by. We usually see these birds at high altitudes, but with the
low cloud ceiling today, they were low and a couple flew fairly close. A
three-way tie for the bronze, with one sharp-shinned, one red-shouldered
hawk, and one merlin. A slow day compared to yesterday, but they can’t
all be good.
Non-raptor Observations:
The tundra swans made a late appearance today, flying in a high Vee and
whooping it up. We also saw a few mute swans whistling by. A small group of
Bonaparte’s gulls spent some time bobbing on the water, with occasional
feeding sorties. A loon was spotted diving out by the Celeron Island jetty.
We had a mixed flock of tree sparrows and juncos visit us today. We heard a
strange Canada goose call this morning. It took us a few minutes to realize
that it was hunters, nearby, trying to call in some geese. It struck us as
futile, since if we knew it was odd, the real geese certainly were not
fooled. Our local bald eagles spent the morning sitting in trees as the
lack of wind was not to their liking. A group of hooded mergansers were
seen landing further up the slip.
Predictions:
Tomorrow has some of the same elements as today. Heavy cloud cover,
possibly with slight breaks later in the day. A falling barometer that
should drop a hair below the thirty-inch mark. The winds will be southwest,
veering to the west as the day progresses. They will have a little more
umph to them at the start of the watch, blowing at seven mph, climbing to
nine, and then dropping a couple mph as it turns west. None of these things
are positive, except that the temperature will rise to fifty-one degrees,
due to the southwest wind. It will be a fairly comfortable boredom that we
have to endure.
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Report submitted by Andrew Sturgess (<ajyes72...>)
Detroit River Hawk Watch information may be found at:
http://www.detroitriverhawkwatch.org
