Windy Day at Hawk Watch, Pt Deux - 31 Oct 2025

Strong WNW winds put a damper on hawk watch today. After seeing zero birds the first 3 hours of the day I arrived at Lake Erie Metropark just before 1 pm. As I got out of the car I could see the counters looking overhead, and sure enough a half-dozen Red-tailed Hawks were passing at low altitudes.

I wasn't surprised as the winds were blowing at our backs, which meant only the hardiest of the buteos would take flight today. An earlier kettle or two of Turkey Vultures passed by, as did a pair of Peregrine Falcons, but the afternoon would belong to the Red-tailed Hawks, and a couple Red-shouldered Hawks.

A passing Bald Eagle flushed the Mallard flock that was in the boat slip, and a few passed by close enough top photograph.

At 50ºF with a vest and jacket on the wind was still cold. I took a walk through the Cherry Island Trail to warm up. The woods were quiet except for pair of Winter Wrens that chattered somewhere in the phragmites. They never showed.

I returned to the count just as the Sun started breaking through the clouds and the winds died just a bit. A few more Red-tailed Hawks would pass overhead.

Just as we were packing up Andrew (Sturgess) spotted a Golden Eagle way north of the channel. We spent almost 10 minutes trying to find it before it appeared from behind the trees and was verified to be a sub-adult.