Date: 9/9/26 2:47 pm From: <reports...> Subject: [birders] Detroit River Hawk Watch (09 Sep 2026) 7 Raptors
Detroit River Hawk Watch
Brownstown, Michigan, USA
Daily Raptor Counts: Sep 09, 2026
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Observation start time: 08:00:00
Observation end time: 12:30:00
Total observation time: 4.5 hours
Official Counter: Gracie Sangmeister
Observers: Andrew Sturgess, Bella Maiwurm
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:
Today�s report will be a novella rather than the tome that usually flows
from my keyboard. Although we did get a few hours in today, persistent rain
discouraged further effort and the watch was abandoned a couple of hours
short of closing time. The rain was shearing to the northwest in the
morning hours but finally moved into our space and was covering the
Canadian peninsular from where our birds come. It was a warm and very humid
day with winds from the southwest bringing the heat. The barometer was
falling from the start of the day, losing two tenths and further
frightening the birds away.
Raptor Observations:
We only counted seven birds today, the usual suspects in this kind of
weather, harriers and sharp-shinned hawks. One harrier and six sharp-shins
came by in the early hours, but the off and on rain slowed things down to a
standstill.
Non-raptor Observations:
The local ospreys seemed to enjoy the weather, but they are wet frequently
so what the hey. A large congregation of cormorants were seen feasting on
baitfish out on the lake. A few mute swans hung out near the jetty. Our
family of young mallards were peeping this morning. It�s always fun to hear
their voices change as they mature. We seem to have a resident family grow
up in front of us every year.
Predictions:
Tomorrow will be another cloudy day, but the threat of rain will be less
than today. We were not supposed to get as much as we did today, so who
knows. The winds will start northwest before the watch starts and probably
be west-northwest during the watch. The barometer will try to rebound but
its heart may not be in it until Friday, it looks like a Cedar Point thrill
ride over the next few days. The back side of lows are usually
unpredictable with changeable weather. There is a cold front off to the
west that may affect us, although I see no real drop in temps in the coming
days. Northwest winds associated with an advancing high are usually good
news, but this is not that wind.
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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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