Date: 10/16/26 6:27 pm From: <reports...> Subject: [birders] Detroit River Hawk Watch (16 Oct 2026) 141 Raptors
Detroit River Hawk Watch Brownstown, Michigan, USA Daily Raptor Counts: Oct 16, 2026 -------------------------------------------------------------------
Observation start time: 08:00:00 Observation end time: 15:00:00 Total observation time: 6 hours
Official Counter: Gracie Sangmeister
Observers: Bella Maiwurm
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 bit of drizzle right at the start of the count, but clearing out quickly, but returning at periods during the day. Temps hovering around 60, stronger W/NW winds in the 10-15mph range, and dark heavy cloud cover. Chilly and damp today, and the count ended early due to more rain in the afternoon.
Raptor Observations: With the strong winds from an adverse direction for this site in addition to the weather in the area, there were more birds than expected. The bulk of the flight was turkey vultures, as it has been the past handful of days, all appearing low to the east and very slowly meandering their way across the channel. A small handful of sharpies and one red-tail also made their way south, flying low over the treetops.
Non-raptor Observations: Our local passerines and waterfowl are headed south. One yellow-rumped warbler chipped from our nearby maple while flocks of red-winged blackbirds passed by overhead. Two Carolina wrens struck up a lively conversation in the shrubbery behind the count. One can only imagine what they had to say, but it was as enthusiastic as always. Three hundred Canada geese honked by, in groups of five to twenty. The cormorant tree was full, the late migrants choosing to hang out for a while longer. One pied-billed grebe made a reappearance for our counters delight.
Predictions: Tomorrow will be our coldest count day yet, with temperatures reaching 53 degrees by the afternoon. The clouds will clear and southwest winds will be between 5 and 10 mph, not ideal for the site. The barometer will average around 30.48, nice and high to lift our birds. Sunny skies, high pressure, and southwest winds make for an odd combination. Hopefully our turkey vultures will brave the wind and wobble their way past the site on their way south, bringing an assortment of accipiters and buteos with them. ======================================================================== Report submitted by Jerry Jourdan (<jerry.jourdan...>) Detroit River Hawk Watch information may be found at: http://www.detroitriverhawkwatch.org
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