Raptor Migration is Picking Up - 09 Sep 2023

 

With a rising barometer and the first north winds of the season the expectation for a productive flight of raptors at the Detroit River Hawk Watch was promising. Heavy clouds dampened the expectation, however. Still, birds were flying, albeit high and distant.

A resident Cooper's Hawk appeared across the channel and made a low flight toward us.

A resident Bald Eagle w/ a fresh carp/goldfish flew up the channel past us.

A small flock of Green-winged Teal flew in briefly, swam in the middle of the channel, then took off again when a boat passed by. 

But migrants were coming. Several Sharp-shinned Hawks flew by at heights not commensurate with photography. But we did see some Broad-winged Hawks circle overhead once they crossed the channel. Mostly adults.

We did see at least one juvenile. Note the long wings and 4-fingers on this bird.

A Merlin crossed before most of us even noticed. Initially thought to be a Sharpie both Kevin and Andrew had a sense that it was a falcon. They were right!

We'd see a Peregrine Falcon cross high, then turn south before reaching our shoreline.

I left at noon, so I'm hoping the afternoon flight was even better.

Observation start time:	08:00:00
Observation end time:	16:00:00
Total observation time:	8 hours
Official Counter	Kevin Georg
Observers:	Andrew Sturgess, Don Sherwood, Frank Kitakis, Mark Hainen

Visitors:
We welcome visitors to our site and are very willing to share migration information, photography and ID tips with them. We have cards and pamphlets, so come and talk to us. However, during times of high traffic, requiring extra focus and concentration, we would respectfully ask that everyone use their indoor voices and allow us to fulfill our mission to the best of our abilities. Thank you.

Weather:
Somewhere the sun is shining, but I’ll wager that Weather Underground forecast rain for them. We had a forecast of mostly sunny, yet we rarely saw the sun, mostly clouds with gray hues of differing intensity; at times looking very dark and foreboding. The wind was forecast to be out of the NE and steady all day. So, of course, we saw it wander from NNE to even WNW, waffling in both direction and strength, dying at times. Eventually, in the late afternoon, it reached the NE direction that we were promised. The periods of calm air forced the birds up to neck-stretching heights seeking more reliable currents. Temperatures were as predicted, reaching sixty-nine degrees, within tolerances of the seventy that we expected. The barometer was above 30 inches all day, rising in the early hours and falling later on. Given the disparity between what was forecast and the reality, I’m thinking of switching to the European Model.

Raptor Observations:
Our best day so far with 290 birds and ten different species. The broad-wings led the way with ninety-seven, although the biggest kettle we saw was thirteen birds. Most were flying at nosebleed heights, as they are wont to do. You have to pay very close attention overhead as they can sneak up on you using stealth mode. Sharpies and kestrels share the spotlight in September, although they are usually overshadowed by the sheer numbers of broad-wings. Today, we had fifty-nine sharp-shins and fifty-six kestrels. Not a bad haul, but we will do better. Turkey vultures are usually October’s star but they have started moving early this year. No large numbers or kettles yet, but enough small groups to add up to sixty-three total. We counted one adult bald eagle up high in a stream of other birds. Five red-tailed hawks and the same number of northern harriers were tallied. We managed the falcon hat-trick today with one merlin and one peregrine to complete the cycle. We also added two Cooper’s hawks to today’s total.

Non-raptor Observations:
Today demanded concentration since the raptors were so high and so not much time to look for other birds, although some made their presence known. A group of blue-winged teal flew close by. The local mallards outnumbered them. Great blue herons seem to be in a flying mood lately as they are seen in the sky more often. The large number of great egrets have left for fishier pastures but they will be back. The kingfishers continue to exchange insults. Both Caspian and Forster’s terns were present today. Swallows were very high today, as were most of the migrants. We also had our best monarch butterfly day with 128.

Predictions:
Don’t shoot the messenger, I only pass on what Weather Underground gives me at 7:00 pm. Sometimes it bears little resemblance to the 7:00 am forecast the next morning. Tomorrow should be a partly cloudy day with NE winds. Temperatures are predicted to be a little higher than today. On paper, the conditions look good for migration. Moderately strong winds and from the right direction, what’s not to like? What can go wrong? Stay tuned….

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Report submitted by Jessie Fletcher (jessica_fletcher@fws.gov)
Detroit River Hawk Watch information may be found at: http://www.detroitriverhawkwatch.org
More information at hawkcount.org: [Site Profile] [Day Summary] [Month Summary]
Count data submitted via Dunkadoo - [Project Details]