Date: 9/29/26 2:51 pm From: <reports...> Subject: [birders] Detroit River Hawk Watch (29 Sep 2026) 458 Raptors
Detroit River Hawk Watch
Brownstown, Michigan, USA
Daily Raptor Counts: Sep 29, 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, Bill Peregord,
Michelle Peregord, 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:
The huge high-pressure system that has been punishing us, at first with
high in-your-face winds, then gentler blows, but sufficient enough to
deflect our normal supply of birds at this time of year, has finally moved
on. It was so bad we were thinking of going to Holiday Beach to see if we
could borrow a cup of sharpies. Today, the winds slowly veered around the
compass to the south before picking up steam. The transition period was a
window of opportunity for some of the birds to come our way. The wind speed
was shown at zero in the early hours as it changed from north to south
before slowly increasing to a peak of ten mph in the late afternoon. As a
result, the flight slowed to a bare minimum. The temperature reached
seventy-six degrees. The barometer is easing down as rain is in the
forecast over the next few days. Clouds, except for convection clouds along
the shoreline, were nowhere to be seen today.
Raptor Observations:
Although turkey vultures took the gold today with two hundred and
thirty-five birds, for most of the day, they were just off camera for us.
M.I.A. in the haze of evaporation from Lake Erie. Nearly all the birds we
counted came in a one-hour period. Sharp-shins were a little more evenly
spread out. One hundred and sixty-four came by, the most we have had for a
week. Northern harriers gave us a season-high thirty-one birds today, a
pleasant change from recent single-digit days. Kestrels provided nineteen
clicks today. Three red-tailed hawks were counted. Two bald eagles were
noted pumping through with a purpose. One osprey flew by.
Non-raptor Observations:
Our aural bliss was maintained for the most part today, but the future
looks bleak as more sheet pilings were placed in position to be hammered
down. The pelicans were busy today, two hundred plus, making appearances in
breakout groups of thirty to forty members. This morning they joined the
cormorants out on the lake for a brunch with bottomless mimosas. Another
tightly bunched group fed by the Celeron Island jetty. Forster�s terns were
busy this morning, ten were gathered together in the slip, slightly more
than usual. The Caspian terns are still present. Pied-billed grebes were
noted in the slip. A black duck was observed flying by. A Carolina wren was
spinning the discs today keeping the rave going. Blackpoll and
yellow-rumped warblers were seen on the trail. Five hundred and
twenty-three blue jays were counted. Eleven monarchs continued the long
trek.
Predictions:
Tomorrow should be a cloudier day. The pressure will be falling for a
couple of days as wet weather approaches. Rain may fall tomorrow night. The
temperature will drop about five degrees. The winds will not be favorable.
Coming from the south, or south-southwest, and predicted to stay in the
five mile per hour range, it is hoped that they are not strong enough to
divert the birds to a more northerly path. Given the low-pressure and cloud
cover, they may skirt the area. Fingers crossed that they don�t.
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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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