Date: 9/14/26 2:33 pm From: <reports...> Subject: [birders] Detroit River Hawk Watch (14 Sep 2026) 358 Raptors
Detroit River Hawk Watch
Brownstown, Michigan, USA
Daily Raptor Counts: Sep 14, 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, Bill Peregord, Michelle Peregord,
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 turned out that the fly in the martini (wind direction change) that I
mentioned yesterday, was not only large, it consumed most of the drink.
Winds that made today an interesting day to contemplate, soon turned on us,
then turned again, and turned again. Even the weather station gave up and
just called it variable. The wind turbines in Canada were chasing their
tails today, trying to stay up. It was a portent of fall to come today,
with cool temperatures that barely broke the seventy mark and had us
sampling our extra layers from the trunks of our vehicles. Winds, that rose
and fell suddenly from seemingly all directions, kept the real-feels, for
us on the edge of the lake, in a fall-like zone. The sky was mostly sunny
with a few high cirrus clouds that were of some help in the later afternoon
when bird traffic resumed a little. The barometer peaked at 30.32� around
noon before falling back a little.
Raptor Observations:
Our Amish friends from Holmes County visited today, usually a good sign. We
started off fairly well with the winds that were as predicted. However,
this was not to last and our broadwings were soon blown out over the lake.
Our friends went to a more productive location at Pte. Mouille
Headquarters. I received reports of multiple thousands of birds at that
location. Our location was not so lucky, despite being less than three
miles away as the crow flies. Broad-winged hawks took the top prize with
two hundred and thirty birds, but we only saw a very small fraction of
their movement today. What might have been. Turkey vultures took the second
step on the podium with fifty-three rockers. Sharp-shins took the next
lower step with forty-two participants. Kestrels did not take a medal but
were in the hunt with twenty-three orange missiles streaking through. Five
red-tailed hawks were noted soaring through. Two bald eagles were counted
and a one-count was shared by bald eagles and harriers.
Non-raptor Observations:
The pelicans were seen elsewhere today with a reported count of fifty-five.
A small flight of eight killdeer was seen early. A noisy red-bellied
woodpecker made its presence known, frequently. Kettles of gulls were up
hawking insects today, as per usual. The erratic winds kept the sky fairly
empty of civilian traffic today for most of the day. Forster�s and Caspian
terns are still at work. Wild turkeys were noted on the drive today. They
are becoming a more frequent sight. The monarchs were pushed around today,
one hundred and seventy-four came by.
Predictions:
Tomorrow, it looks like the wind has finally settled on a direction.
Unfortunately, it is from the south at over ten miles per hour. The
temperatures will rise accordingly. Eight-two degrees is predicted; with
high humidity it will feel a bit warmer. It looks like more substantial
clouds are in the offing with a threat of rain, but it should be
post-watch. The barometer will be falling for part of the day, but still
hang on to thirty inches plus. I would not expect a monster day given the
winds and falling barometer, I hope they prove me wrong.
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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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