Date: 9/21/26 2:50 pm From: <reports...> Subject: [birders] Detroit River Hawk Watch (21 Sep 2026) 32672 Raptors
Detroit River Hawk Watch
Brownstown, Michigan, USA
Daily Raptor Counts: Sep 21, 2026
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Observation start time: 08:00:00
Observation end time: 16:00:00
Total observation time: 8 hours
Official Counter: Gracie Sangmeister
Observers: Alexa Blankenship, Andrew Sturgess, Bill Peregord,
Don Sherwood, Johannes Postma, Mark Hainen, Rebekah Graham,
Rosemary Brady
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:
And�they�re off! We had our own avian version of the Kentucky Derby this
morning. That race is a land rush of sorts, and so it was from the opening
bell this morning. Broadwings were counted as we got out of the cars in the
parking lot. Usually, we have a slow first hour, but I suspect the two
previous rainy days had caused a backup on the freeway. The skies never
really cleared as we had cloud cover all day long. Today�s wind speed graph
looks like the stock market graph when the market is described as
�volatile.� Although generally faithful to the northeast or north-northeast
direction, the strength bounced around in the ten to fifteen mph range
ebbing and flowing with rapid noticeable changes at times. The temperature
only reached sixty degrees, so with the wind taken into account, it was a
fall day, a day before the autumnal equinox.
Raptor Observations:
Another spectacular day for broadwings. One has to marvel, no matter how
many times you have witnessed it, at the sheer numbers of birds that have
managed to find each other in order to keep company as they venture to
South America. Long relentless streams of these birds pass through if you
are lucky enough to be in the right place at the right time. We ended the
day with thirty-one thousand, nine-hundred and sixty-three specimens racing
by on the robust winds. Three other species surpassed the century mark
today, with sharpies topping that group with three hundred and forty-one.
The turkey vultures are starting to move in bigger numbers with two hundred
and thirty making the move today. Kestrels were itching to go with one
hundred and six fighting the winds. Counting the lone peregrine and a pair
of merlins, we did get the falcon hat-trick today. Hopefully the Red-wings
will remember what one is this season. Eighteen northern harriers rocked
through today. Three bald eagles were counted, and a solo Cooper�s hawk
made the count complete.
Non-raptor Observations:
Swallow flak was an issue today as they persistently flew though our optics
as they sought sustenance aloft. Mute swans were seen at the jetty by
Celeron Island. The terns are still present and accounted for. Our resident
log-rolling great egret continues to announce his presence. The local
ospreys are still here but it was pretty choppy out there today so no easy
pickings from the lake. A pair of shorebirds were seen at a distance. A
Carolina wren emceed the music for the rave. Our first blue jays came by in
numbers today with three hundred and ninety being counted. Twenty three
monarchs were brave today.
Predictions:
The barometer will be headed up again tomorrow; the winds will be robust
and northeasterly again. Cloud cover will be significant. The temperatures
will be a couple of degrees warmer. Another multilayer day for the first
day of astronomical fall as the equinox will occur at 8:05 EDT. The sun
will rise in the east and set in the west, exactly. What is not exact is
the guess work that goes into predicting raptor migration. All things look
good for tomorrow, on paper. Whether that yields good results is another
matter. We should get a lot of sharpies and kestrels as their moment in the
sun has arrived. Broadwings? I don�t think we have seen the last of them
but they slowed down in the later hours of the watch today. Let�s hope they
reload and come at us with renewed vigor tomorrow.
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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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