Fun Day at Hawk Watch - 07 Oct 2024
Skies were clear and a cool breeze was blowing from the N so I decided to head down to the Detroit River Hawk Watch this afternoon. Arriving at 1 pm I found the crew of Michael Patrikeev, Don Sherwood, Mark Hainen and Paul and Natalie Cypher.
Turkey Vultures were flying, and Michael had over 2000 since the morning. Most birds were distant and streaming out over Lake Erie to the south, so Pt. Mouillee HQ may have been a good spot to view the flight today. But winds picked up and they would soon be streaming to the north. So we were still in a good location.
An Eastern Towhee was heard calling from the woods just south of the hawk watch so Natalie took off to find it while I chatted with Paul and Don.
A nice flock of 80 American White Pelicans were soaring over the channel as two groups among the kettling Turkey Vultures.
A fly-by American Kestrel.
Turkey Vultures were the bird of the day with 4056 birds counted. Birds were kettling over Celeron Island, and in the gaps directly across from us. After 4 pm the winds and thermals died enough that some of the birds drifted low over the count site.
At about 3 pm Don was observing what we thought was a Northern Harrier but it had a short tail and long pointed wings. He and Michael ran to the parking lot where Don was able to confirm our first Swainson's Hawk in several years! I was busy counting kettles of vultures so I missed seeing the bird before it disappeared into the Sun.
This Sharp-shinned Hawk flew low late in the afternoon and I was able to get pics as it flew into the trees.
Tomorrow could be a repeat of today! The final tally:
Oct 7, 2024 1:00 PM - 4:45 PM
Protocol: Stationary
Checklist Comments: Michael Patrikeev, Don Sherwood, Mark Hainen, Ben Sehl
26 species
Canada Goose (Branta canadensis) 6
Mute Swan (Cygnus olor) 2
Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos) 2
Pied-billed Grebe (Podilymbus podiceps) 1
Ring-billed Gull (Larus delawarensis) 26
Herring Gull (Larus argentatus) 2
Caspian Tern (Hydroprogne caspia) 2
Forster's Tern (Sterna forsteri) 2
Double-crested Cormorant (Nannopterum auritum) 600
American White Pelican (Pelecanus erythrorhynchos) 80 Massive flock soaring over channel among kettles of Turkey Vultures. Pics.
Turkey Vulture (Cathartes aura) 600 Official count for the day was 4046. Large kettles streaming consistently since early morning.
Northern Harrier (Circus hudsonius) 2
Sharp-shinned Hawk (Accipiter striatus) 6
Cooper's Hawk (Accipiter cooperii) 1
Bald Eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) 3
Red-tailed Hawk (Buteo jamaicensis) 4
Red-bellied Woodpecker (Melanerpes carolinus) 1
Downy Woodpecker (Dryobates pubescens) 1
American Kestrel (Falco sparverius) 2
Peregrine Falcon (Falco peregrinus) 1
Blue Jay (Cyanocitta cristata) 6
Tree Swallow (Tachycineta bicolor) 6
White-breasted Nuthatch (Sitta carolinensis) 1
Carolina Wren (Thryothorus ludovicianus) 1
Eastern Towhee (Pipilo erythrophthalmus) 1
Yellow-rumped Warbler (Setophaga coronata) 1
View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/checklist/S1
This report was generated automatically by eBird v3 (https://ebird.org/home)
Cooper's Hawk (Accipiter cooperii) 1
Bald Eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) 3
Red-tailed Hawk (Buteo jamaicensis) 4
Red-bellied Woodpecker (Melanerpes carolinus) 1
Downy Woodpecker (Dryobates pubescens) 1
American Kestrel (Falco sparverius) 2
Peregrine Falcon (Falco peregrinus) 1
Blue Jay (Cyanocitta cristata) 6
Tree Swallow (Tachycineta bicolor) 6
White-breasted Nuthatch (Sitta carolinensis) 1
Carolina Wren (Thryothorus ludovicianus) 1
Eastern Towhee (Pipilo erythrophthalmus) 1
Yellow-rumped Warbler (Setophaga coronata) 1
View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/checklist/S1
This report was generated automatically by eBird v3 (https://ebird.org/home)
