Big Buteo Push - 19 Nov 2025
Forecasts called for NE winds less than 10 mph and rising barometer that portended a good flight of raptors from Canada. The prediction was valid.
I arrived at Lake Erie Metropark just before 1 pm and reported for duty. Jo (Patterson) mentioned that 3 Golden Eagles were already reported this morning and that Red-tailed Hawks were flying at a decent clip.
As I was setting up the scope a flock of 5 American Tree Sparrows flew in and landed on the breakwall in front of the counters. "Too bad we don't have any birdseed", said Bill (Peregord). "I just picked up some on the way here!", said I. I ran back to the car and grabbed a handful of sunflower and thistle seed and spread it on the ground in front of the breakwall. The sparrows flew off and spent the rest of the afternoon foraging everywhere except where I put the seed...
A trickle or raptors during the 1-2 pm hour included 7 Turkey Vultures, 4 Bald Eagles, 1 Sharp-shinned Hawk, 2 Red-shouldered Hawk and 12 Red-tailed Hawks. During the flight 2 Bald Eagles passed near-overhead
followed by a Golden Eagle that was higher and farther, but still photo-permissible.
American Crows were passing during that time and were quickly passed by the larger bird.
As we were seeing the Red-tailed Hawks passing in all directions Bill shouted that a Rough-legged Hawk was circling over the parking lot behind us! The light-morph bird had somehow eluded our binoculars and scopes but was suddenly circling behind us. I ran over and got some nice pics as the bird flew backlit against light clouds and a hazy afternoon Sun.
The 2 - 3 pm hour brought the floodgates of raptor movement for the day. As we were looking at a biplane flying across the channel
the first of hundreds of Red-tailed Hawks and Red-shouldered Hawks began streaming across the channel to the north and south of the boat launch.
Red-shouldered Hawk (1 of 14)
Sharp-shinned Hawk with serious wing injury.
Red-tailed Hawk (we'd see 195 during the hour).
Red-tailed Hawk.
Another dark Red-tailed Hawk.
Light-colored Red-tailed Hawk.
Red-shouldered Hawk with more tear-dropped shaped chest streaking.
Compare with juvenile Red-tailed Hawk.
Adult Red-shouldered Hawk.
Red-tailed Hawk.
Red-shouldered Hawk.
Red-tailed Hawk.
At one point I was standing in the parking lot looking for a Golden Eagle when a steady stream of buteos moved overhead. They were darkly silhouetted so they would have to wait to be ID'd.
A Red-tailed Hawk.
Another Red-shouldered Hawk.
This is how they tended to look like from a distance.
Red-tailed Hawk (dark belly band).
Red-shouldered Hawk (light chest streaking).
Red-tailed Hawk.
A juvenile Bald Eagle for comparison.
And another Red-tailed Hawk.
We'd finish the day with 445 total raptors that included 296 Red-tailed Hawks, 80 Turkey Vultures, 7 Golden Eagles and 2 Rough-legged Hawks (including a dark-morph that we saw through scopes but disappeared as other birds came into view).
Lake Erie Metropark--Detroit River Hawk Watch, Wayne, Michigan, US
Nov 19, 2025 1:00 PM - 5:00 PM
Protocol: Stationary
Checklist Comments: Clear to pt cloudy, cool, 45F, winds NE 5-10mph
29 species
Canada Goose (Branta canadensis) 6
Mute Swan (Cygnus olor) 2
Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos) 6
Hooded Merganser (Lophodytes cucullatus) 8
Mourning Dove (Zenaida macroura) 4
Bonaparte's Gull (Chroicocephalus philadelphia) 12
Ring-billed Gull (Larus delawarensis) 28
Great Egret (Ardea alba) 1
Turkey Vulture (Cathartes aura) 68 Official count for the time period at DRHW.
Golden Eagle (Aquila chrysaetos) 4 Official count for time period. Two birds in binocular distance and two thru scope. Slight dihedral, golden napes, and lack of white underneath. Pics.
Sharp-shinned Hawk (Accipiter striatus) 8
Cooper's Hawk (Astur cooperii) 1
Northern Harrier (Circus hudsonius) 7 Long winged and tailed accipitors flying in pairs across Lake Erie to s of hawk watch.
Bald Eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) 7
Red-shouldered Hawk (Buteo lineatus) 21 Official count for time period. Pics.
Red-tailed Hawk (Buteo jamaicensis) 255 Official count for time period. 500 reported at Holiday Beach and just under 300 at DRHW. Kettles of 20 birds and continuous stream during 1400-1500 Hrs.
Rough-legged Hawk (Buteo lagopus) 2
Belted Kingfisher (Megaceryle alcyon) 1
Downy Woodpecker (Dryobates pubescens) 1
American Crow (Corvus brachyrhynchos) 36
White-breasted Nuthatch (Sitta carolinensis) 1
Carolina Wren (Thryothorus ludovicianus) 1
European Starling (Sturnus vulgaris) 24
American Robin (Turdus migratorius) 2
Cedar Waxwing (Bombycilla cedrorum) 4
American Goldfinch (Spinus tristis) 4
American Tree Sparrow (Spizelloides arborea) 5
Red-winged Blackbird (Agelaius phoeniceus) 6
Northern Cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis) 2
View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/checklist/S2
This report was generated automatically by eBird v3 (https://ebird.org/home)
Nov 19, 2025 1:00 PM - 5:00 PM
Protocol: Stationary
Checklist Comments: Clear to pt cloudy, cool, 45F, winds NE 5-10mph
29 species
Canada Goose (Branta canadensis) 6
Mute Swan (Cygnus olor) 2
Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos) 6
Hooded Merganser (Lophodytes cucullatus) 8
Mourning Dove (Zenaida macroura) 4
Bonaparte's Gull (Chroicocephalus philadelphia) 12
Ring-billed Gull (Larus delawarensis) 28
Great Egret (Ardea alba) 1
Turkey Vulture (Cathartes aura) 68 Official count for the time period at DRHW.
Golden Eagle (Aquila chrysaetos) 4 Official count for time period. Two birds in binocular distance and two thru scope. Slight dihedral, golden napes, and lack of white underneath. Pics.
Sharp-shinned Hawk (Accipiter striatus) 8
Cooper's Hawk (Astur cooperii) 1
Northern Harrier (Circus hudsonius) 7 Long winged and tailed accipitors flying in pairs across Lake Erie to s of hawk watch.
Bald Eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) 7
Red-shouldered Hawk (Buteo lineatus) 21 Official count for time period. Pics.
Red-tailed Hawk (Buteo jamaicensis) 255 Official count for time period. 500 reported at Holiday Beach and just under 300 at DRHW. Kettles of 20 birds and continuous stream during 1400-1500 Hrs.
Rough-legged Hawk (Buteo lagopus) 2
Belted Kingfisher (Megaceryle alcyon) 1
Downy Woodpecker (Dryobates pubescens) 1
American Crow (Corvus brachyrhynchos) 36
White-breasted Nuthatch (Sitta carolinensis) 1
Carolina Wren (Thryothorus ludovicianus) 1
European Starling (Sturnus vulgaris) 24
American Robin (Turdus migratorius) 2
Cedar Waxwing (Bombycilla cedrorum) 4
American Goldfinch (Spinus tristis) 4
American Tree Sparrow (Spizelloides arborea) 5
Red-winged Blackbird (Agelaius phoeniceus) 6
Northern Cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis) 2
View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/checklist/S2
This report was generated automatically by eBird v3 (https://ebird.org/home)
