Date: 10/9/26 3:57 pm From: <reports...> Subject: [birders] Detroit River Hawk Watch (09 Oct 2026) 1871 Raptors
Detroit River Hawk Watch
Brownstown, Michigan, USA
Daily Raptor Counts: Oct 09, 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, Don Sherwood,
Johannes Postma, Mark Hainen, 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:
A curious cloud day today with broad cirrus furrows and rows set on a
bright blue background at the start of the day. An amalgamation of various
forms of cirrostratus and cirrocumulus gradually formed a much denser mat
that what we had started with. The ambient light had diminished
considerably. Some of the ceiling was dark as if grey paint had been
spilled on the �ｿｽfloor�ｿｽ. This passed to the east and gradually we began to
see occasional patches of blue again. The wind was inconsistent in speed,
usually in the five to ten mph range but dropping to a baby�ｿｽs breath at one
point. The direction was consistently from the southwest. The barometer was
climbing a little most of the day but it is reaching its high plateau for
today and tomorrow before falling on Sunday, when rain is predicted. The
temperature reached sixty-eight degrees but with the changes in wind and
sun condition it meant some wardrobe adjustments were in order during the
day.
Raptor Observations:
Let�ｿｽs start with the gold. No, not the medal, but the golden eagle that
flew by. Our first of the season. Mark H. had willed this bird to our site
with a combination of mind-melding and positive thinking. He is migrating
to Florida soon and wanted this bird badly. Mission accomplished! The gold
medal went to the turkey vultures, as it will for most of October. They
played hard to get again today, taking the secret route behind the trees
and emerging in our version of �ｿｽthe hell of the north,�ｿｽ an
evaporation-induced haze that makes viewing iffy. We managed to snag
sixteen hundred and eighty-two of the wily birds. The sharp-shins had a
nice day with one hundred and forty-six birds flying into the wind. Our
best day in some time. Kestrels came by in smaller numbers, twenty-one to
be precise. Harriers were not far behind with some fifteen specimens.
Red-tailed hawks managed to send three representatives. The broad-wings are
still coming in a very slow trickle with two birds today. One peregrine
falcon managed to thwart a very spirited chase by a determined herring gull
to make the clicker today.
Non-raptor Observations:
Nearly a hundred pelicans were noted in the morning in an ever-shifting
line dance. The rest of the day was not as bountiful for that species. The
swallows were present in good numbers, mostly over Gibraltar, so their
interference was minimal. Some common fall warblers were noted at the site.
A red-bellied woodpecker has been seen flying over the slip in recent days.
Canada geese are flying by in formations but probably not migrating,
unfortunately. Mute swans are stretching their wings with occasional
fly-bys. They share roosting space with the pelicans by the Celeron Island
jetty. The blue jays were coming by today, but I don�ｿｽt think this is an
exceptional year for them as we haven�ｿｽt been seeing the really big flocks.
Forty-three hundred and twelve fluttered by on their rounded wings.
Monarchs are still filtering through, seventeen were counted today.
Predictions:
The winds should switch tomorrow, southeast instead of southwest. We will
see if that helps our cause. They are predicted to hang around the five mph
level. Temperatures are expected to reach seventy-two degees. The barometer
will remain well above thirty inches in the high pressure zone but the
skies are predicted to be mostly cloudy. They appear to be that way for
most of the coming week with some chance of light rain during that time.
Sunday morning looks suspect at this time. Tomorrow will probably resemble
today in most respects, the southeast winds may not be as punishing as the
southwest has been to us, but we are on the naughty list of the wind gods
this year, so expect the worst:)
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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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