Date: 10/28/26 9:31 am From: <reports...> Subject: [birders] Detroit River Hawk Watch (27 Oct 2026) 1769 Raptors
Detroit River Hawk Watch Brownstown, Michigan, USA Daily Raptor Counts: Oct 27, 2026 -------------------------------------------------------------------
Observation start time: 08:00:00 Observation end time: 16:00:00 Total observation time: 8 hours
Official Counter: Gracie Sangmeister
Observers: Don Sherwood, Erika Van Kirk, 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: Thin high clouds with some blue patches shining through, ENE/ESE winds around 5-10mph, temps in the low 50s to low 60s, and dropping pressure over the course of the day.
Raptor Observations: Not as slow of a start to the count as it has been the last few days, with turkey vultures picking up not even an hour after the start of the count, probably ones that roosted in the area overnight. They stayed over the treetops and close for the morning, but after a long mid-day lull, they picked up again but low and distant. A very nice number of golden eagles flew by today at a total of seven, and two rough-legged hawks joined them. A staggering lack of sharp-shinned hawks flew by, with only three counted. We really are at the end of their season. There was also a surprising lack of red-shouldered hawks, which made us second guess every red-tailed hawk that flew by.
Non-raptor Observations: Today's most charismatic non-bird sighting was of a water snake that chose to sun itself on a pile of rocks between us and the water. Many views were pleasantly had before it slithered back to its watery lair. Meanwhile, the blue jays did not take to the day's easterly winds, as none made the clicker, and only a few were heard in the woods. Six hundred and twenty-one crows, however, rode the same line as the turkey vultures. Both the crows and the vultures were quite flappy today, making it difficult at times to tell the two apart. Sandhill cranes were once again heard in the marsh behind us, but would not be seen and could not be added to the data sheet. The monarchs barely did better, only one carrying steadily on. We were asked the other day about diving ducks, which are still few and far between. Today's only true diving duck was a female merganser who sped by too quickly to be further identified. The pelicans, meanwhile, continue their presence in the lake, twenty-three of them being observed. The juncos have finally arrived in full force: thirteen of them foraged away in the grass beneath one of the large trees near our picnic table. A lone white-throated was the only other sparrow noted, letting forth its piercingly eerie song into the morning quiet.
Predictions: A high of 69F tomorrow will be a shock to the system after today's fall appropriate temperature, and we will feel the full extent of the sun's rays with little cloud cover after 10am. The barometer will slowly fall from a start of 30.27", but still remain quite high overall. Winds are less than promising, staying southerly in the 3-7mph range. I would expect at least some turkey vultures to move through as they tend to do in nearly any weather condition, but a large migration movement cannot be promised. ======================================================================== 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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