Date: 10/5/26 4:04 pm From: <reports...> Subject: [birders] Detroit River Hawk Watch (05 Oct 2026) 3058 Raptors
Detroit River Hawk Watch Brownstown, Michigan, USA Daily Raptor Counts: Oct 05, 2026 -------------------------------------------------------------------
Observation start time: 08:00:00 Observation end time: 17:00:00 Total observation time: 9 hours
Official Counter: Gracie Sangmeister
Observers: Andrew Sturgess, 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: Bright sunny skies with very little clouds to be seen, temps ranging from the low 50s to mid 60s but still feeling pretty chilly in the shade, and NNW/WNW wind in the 13-18mph range the morning hours, then dropping to the 8-12 mph range in the afternoon.
Raptor Observations: The TVs just kept coming and coming! The last three hours of the count kept being our "biggest count hour yet," until we eventually the birds disappeared from the sky and our stomachs dictated it was time for dinner. Turkey vultures took the line of incredibly distant over Canada, and slowly meandering their way towards us. A few more broad-wings made their way over, as well as sharpies, kestrels, red-tails, and a few harriers. By and large, the vultures took the cake in terms of numbers. Not high in diversity of species, but this was one of the biggest count days we have had in a long while.
Non-raptor Observations: The day's bright skies graced us with several distant lines of pelicans, wheeling beautifully behind kettles of vultures. A lone great blue heron was seen flying solo and surprisingly high for such a large wetland bird. The usual mallards, gulls, and swallows flew about and confused watchers. The cormorant tree was crowded until an immature bald eagle decided to take up a brief residency in its dead branches. One thousand and twenty-five blue jays crossed over to the south, and four monarchs drifted by.
Predictions: Tomorrow looks clear with winds increasing from 2 mph to 9 mph and shifting from west to south southwest and finally just south by the end of the day. The barometer will fall from a high of 30.21" at the start of the count, but remain above 30". All that being said, winds will be against us, but the barometer will be for us, meaning that tomorrow will likely be a slower one for migrating raptors compared to today, but one never knows. ======================================================================== Report submitted by Erika Van Kirk (<erika_vankirk...>) Detroit River Hawk Watch information may be found at: http://www.detroitriverhawkwatch.org
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