Detroit River Hawk Watch! - 02 Nov 2014

juv Cooper's Hawk

Clear skies, temps in the low 30's, and no wind brought the promise of a good day of birding. Yesterday's gale-force winds shut everything down, and I had not taken a single photo. Today would be much better!

I found a Northern Mockingbird along Jefferson Ave. in Riverview and got a photo before it flew off.

Riverview, MI, Wayne, Michigan, US
Nov 2, 2014 8:30 AM - 8:40 AM
Protocol: Traveling
1.0 mile(s)
Checklist Comments:     Drive by.
1 species

Northern Mockingbird (Mimus polyglottos)  1

View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/checklist/S101735551

This report was generated automatically by eBird v3 (https://ebird.org/home)

I made a quick pass through Elizabeth Park and spotted a Red-bellied Woodpecker foraging for acorns near the roadside. I took a few pics through the car window, and then was able to get a couple digiscoped images before it flew off.

Elizabeth Park (Trenton), Wayne, Michigan, US
Nov 2, 2014 9:00 AM - 9:20 AM
Protocol: Traveling
2.0 mile(s)
1 species

Red-bellied Woodpecker (Melanerpes carolinus)  1

View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/checklist/S101735617

This report was generated automatically by eBird v3 (https://ebird.org/home)

I drove down Campau Rd. and checked out the Pt. Mouillee HQ. Things were a bit quiet there. I found a small flock of Rusty Blackbirds on Roberts Rd. but little else.

Pte. Mouillee SGA--HQ, Wayne, Michigan, US
Nov 2, 2014 9:20 AM - 9:50 AM
Protocol: Traveling
2.0 mile(s)
1 species

Rusty Blackbird (Euphagus carolinus)  12

View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/checklist/S101735705

This report was generated automatically by eBird v3 (https://ebird.org/home)

Haggerman Rd. was active with flocks of Horned Larks. I spotted a single Vesper Sparrow on the roadside, but it flew off before I could get the camera on it. Its rusty shoulder patch and white eye ring popped in the morning sun.

Antenna Farm, Monroe, Michigan, US
Nov 2, 2014 9:50 AM - 10:05 AM
Protocol: Traveling
1.0 mile(s)
2 species

Horned Lark (Eremophila alpestris)  12
Vesper Sparrow (Pooecetes gramineus)  1     On the roadside among Horned Lark flock. Rusty shoulder patch and bright white eyering popped in the morning sun. Flew off before I could get camera on it.

View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/checklist/S101736040

This report was generated automatically by eBird v3 (https://ebird.org/home)

I then headed back to Lake Erie Metropark to check out the Hawk Watch. I arrived just in time! A Golden Eagle appeared within minutes of my arrival over the stacks, and we all had nice scope views before it drifted northward out of sight. I would later get a text from Pat Jakel that 23 more Golden Eagles would pass less than an hour after I left... I hate my life (I missed 16 last Saturday after leaving at noon to chase a Townsend's Solitaire that I would ultimately miss, as well).

Red-tailed Hawk

Though it was cold, the action picked up quickly. We spotted a half-dozen Rough-legged Hawks, including a pair of dark-phased birds. Dozens of Red-tailed Hawks and Red-shouldered Hawks were passing overhead among hundreds of Turkey Vultures and Common Crows. Cooper's Hawks, Sharp-shinned Hawks, and even a couple Bald Eagles made appearances.

I was shooting w/ the Nikon 1 V1 attached to the 300/2.8 VRII so my EFL was 1377 mm. This helped capture some of the very high birds passing overhead.

juv Cooper's Hawk - composite

Cooper's Hawk

Red-tailed Hawk

Red-shouldered Hawk

Red-tailed Hawk

Red-shouldered Hawk

This is the summary of today's count as retrieved from HawkCount.Org

Check out DRHawkwatch.org for more information about today's and past counts at the Detroit River Hawk Watch!

Lake Erie Metropark, Wayne, Michigan, US
Nov 2, 2014 10:15 AM - 12:35 PM
Protocol: Stationary
Checklist Comments:     Detroit River Hawk Watch
10 species

Turkey Vulture (Cathartes aura)  200
Golden Eagle (Aquila chrysaetos)  1     I arrived just in time! A Golden Eagle appeared within minutes of my arrival over the stacks, and we all had nice scope views before it drifted northward out of sight. I would later get a text from Pat Jakel that 23 more Golden Eagles would pass less than an hour after I left... I hate my life (I missed 16 last Saturday after leaving at noon to chase a Townsend's Solitaire that I would ultimately miss, as well).
Northern Harrier (Circus hudsonius)  7
Sharp-shinned Hawk (Accipiter striatus)  20
Cooper's Hawk (Accipiter cooperii)  6
Bald Eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus)  5
Red-shouldered Hawk (Buteo lineatus)  20
Red-tailed Hawk (Buteo jamaicensis)  200
Rough-legged Hawk (Buteo lagopus)  6     Two dark-phased
American Crow (Corvus brachyrhynchos)  200

View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/checklist/S101736450

This report was generated automatically by eBird v3 (https://ebird.org/home)