Date: 9/2/26 3:47 pm From: <reports...> Subject: [birders] Detroit River Hawk Watch (02 Sep 2026) Raptors
Detroit River Hawk Watch
Brownstown, Michigan, USA
Daily Raptor Counts: Sep 02, 2026
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Observation start time: 08:00:00
Observation end time: 15:00:00
Total observation time: 7 hours
Official Counter: Gracie Sangmeister
Observers: Andrew Sturgess, Bella Maiwurm, Rebekah Graham
Visitors:
We welcome visitors to our site at the Lake Erie Metropark Boat Launch. We
are always willing to discuss the events of the day. Let us share our
enthusiasm with you. There will be busy days, that may require our full
attention, but those are not that frequent, and they provide great thrills
for all. We can predict good days to some degree, but the exact hour is up
to the birds, so be prepared to put in some time for the best results. Pack
a lunch😊
Weather:
It�s traditional, after a hot sauna, to jump in very cold water. Today,
although the temptation was there, the water did not meet the criteria
needed for the necessary thermal shock. Fish were laying on top of the lily
pads catching a few rays, there being sufficient moisture in the humid air
for their gills to function adequately. It was a near repeat of yesterday�s
opening day�s test of endurance. The temperatures were higher today with
ninety-six actual and one hundred and six real-feels. The SW wind reached
twenty mph at one stage before retreating a little. It was that wind,
however, that made our little micro-climate on the edge of the lake
somewhat tolerable. The barometer plunged a tenth of an inch today, ending
at 29.87 inches. That, coupled with a strong SW wind, ensured that we would
struggle to find birds today. The clouds were mostly high cirrus clouds,
well above the fray, although cumulus clouds were forming in the late
afternoon hours; both convective along the shoreline, and individual
volunteers overhead indicating that rain may be on the way.
Raptor Observations:
We saw quite a few raptors today; I can tell you that the local eagle and
osprey populations are thriving.
What I can�t tell you is anything about the raptors we counted today, since
none were deemed to be migratory. I think the two days of SW winds and a
falling barometer made our area a no-fly zone. It is still early in the
season, and it isn�t unusual to have days like this when summer refuses to
go and lingers like the last unwanted guest at the party.
Non-raptor Observations:
A couple of new additions to the �other� list today, wild turkeys. About
fifteen to twenty were noted as I drove in this morning. A lot of them were
first year birds, so perhaps they are breeding in the MetroPark. Another
species that is a regular on the entrance road is the kildeer, which was
present this morning. We have seen a number of hummingbirds over the last
two days. There is one less goldfish in Lake Erie as an osprey plucked one
from it�s less than pristine waters. The swallow contingent (including
martins and swifts) were out in full force today. The gulls were up at
times hawking insects with gusto. We saw a few different types of dragon
flies and damsel flies today. Speaking of flies, we are beset by stable
flies, essentially house flies with teeth that have an insatiable taste for
the blood of mammals. They have a particular affinity for the ankle region
and have been making regular withdrawals from my personal stock. No
repellent is repellent enough to deter them. Mallards are the duck du jour,
as they usually are in our little section of the Frank and Poet Drain. We
see thousands of migrating ducks each year and Lake Erie is one of the
largest gathering places for scaup in the fall, but most stay out on the
lake. Put up by passing ships, at times they look like swarms of black
flies rising out of the lake�s surface. Unfortunately, as with most of the
significant duck events, we are distant observers. Monarchs hit the forty
number today.
Predictions:
Change is on the way, it may not be pretty for a couple of days, but by the
weekend, we should have much more promising weather. The barometer is
beginning to climb and clear skies with northeastern winds should have more
potential than the last two challenging days. First, we have to get through
a couple of days with chances of rain and plenty of cloud cover. SW winds,
albeit less forceful than today�s, will still be with us, but the
temperature will drop about ten degrees. Still not in our comfort zone at
eighty-six degrees, with plenty of humidity to keep the real-feels up over
ninety, but we will take it. The temperature trend over the next few days
is downward as northerly winds will cool us a little. Tomorrow is a little
difficult to predict as far as birds, it�s still early in the season, still
a SW wind, and the weather looks to be unsettled with rain possible.
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Report submitted by Andrew Sturgess (<ajyes72...>)
Detroit River Hawk Watch information may be found at:
http://www.detroitriverhawkwatch.org
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