Turkey Vulture Flight - 18 Oct 2026

I drove down to Lake Erie Metropark this morning to look for Stilt Sandpipers that were reported yesterday. Skies were clear and it was a cool 40ºF. Hats and gloves required...

I drove to the Wave Pool parking lot and walked out to the Service Road to scope the marsh. Wood Ducks, Mallard, Green-winged Teal,

several Greater Yellowlegs, 

and three Lesser Yellowlegs. Unfortunately, no Stilt Sandpipers.

I then took the scope to the marsh further west and south toward Cove Point. A dozen Lesser Yellowlegs were scattered over the mudflats along with several more Greater Yellowlegs, but again, no Stilt Sandpipers.

I walked down to the bridge and scoped back to the north but still saw no shorebirds of interest. On the way back to the car I spotted several Yellow-rumped Warblers and a pair of Purple Finches among them! Though I got no photos of the Purple Finches I was able to get a few of the Rusty Blackbirds in the marsh and in the trees.

It was close to 10 am so I headed over to the Boat Launch and the Detroit River Hawk Watch. Winds were SW so it was going to be a challenge to see raptor flights close to the site today. As expected massive kettles of Turkey Vultures were seen over Celeron Island and Canada but birds were moving north just below the trees. Luckily, American White Pelicans were beginning to move in from Lake Erie. A group of 8 pelicans floated in close enough to photograph.

A few American Kestrels were close enough to photograph. 

Several juvenile Bald Eagles were moving through the area, and one passed close by before drifting to the west.

Turkey Vultures were the bird of the day, however. At approximately 11 am the winds finally shifted and the massive kettles began to drift overhead. Erika Van Kirk arrived with a tour group just as the Turkey Vultures migrated directly over the count site. And low in the sky!

A few Sharp-shinned Hawks moved among them.

I'd leave just before noon with a count of roughly 3500 Turkey Vultures. The day would end with over 6000+ Turkey Vultures. 

Lake Erie Metropark, Rockwood US-MI 42.06984, -83.19669, Wayne, Michigan, US
Oct 18, 2026 8:58 AM - 11:49 AM
Protocol: Traveling
1.373 mile(s)
Checklist Comments:     Clear, cool, 45F. Went to chase reported Stilt Sandpipers and Detroit River Hawk Watch.
46 species

Canada Goose (Branta canadensis)  9
Mute Swan (Cygnus olor)  6
Wood Duck (Aix sponsa)  2
Gadwall (Mareca strepera)  4
Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos)  60
Green-winged Teal (Anas crecca)  4
Mourning Dove (Zenaida macroura)  2
Sandhill Crane (Antigone canadensis)  2
Killdeer (Charadrius vociferus)  2
Wilson's Snipe (Gallinago delicata)  2
Lesser Yellowlegs (Tringa flavipes)  23     12 in marsh west of Wave Pool, plus 3 + 3 in marsh next to parking lot. 5 more in marsh next to museum.
Greater Yellowlegs (Tringa melanoleuca)  4
Pectoral Sandpiper (Calidris melanotos)  1
Ring-billed Gull (Larus delawarensis)  4
American Herring Gull (Larus smithsonianus)  2
Caspian Tern (Hydroprogne caspia)  1
Pied-billed Grebe (Podilymbus podiceps)  2
Double-crested Cormorant (Nannopterum auritum)  6
Great Egret (Ardea alba)  3
Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias)  2
Turkey Vulture (Cathartes aura)  3500     Hawk Watch
Sharp-shinned Hawk (Accipiter striatus)  8
Cooper's Hawk (Astur cooperii)  2
Bald Eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus)  2
Red-tailed Hawk (Buteo jamaicensis)  1
Belted Kingfisher (Megaceryle alcyon)  1
Red-bellied Woodpecker (Melanerpes carolinus)  1
Downy Woodpecker (Dryobates pubescens)  1
Northern Flicker (Colaptes auratus)  1
American Kestrel (Falco sparverius)  1
Blue Jay (Cyanocitta cristata)  28
Black-capped Chickadee (Poecile atricapillus)  1
Tree Swallow (Tachycineta bicolor)  150
White-breasted Nuthatch (Sitta carolinensis)  1
Carolina Wren (Thryothorus ludovicianus)  2
European Starling (Sturnus vulgaris)  4
American Robin (Turdus migratorius)  1
House Finch (Haemorhous mexicanus)  2
Purple Finch (Haemorhous purpureus)  2
White-throated Sparrow (Zonotrichia albicollis)  2
Song Sparrow (Melospiza melodia)  2
Swamp Sparrow (Melospiza georgiana)  4
Red-winged Blackbird (Agelaius phoeniceus)  8
Rusty Blackbird (Euphagus carolinus)  13
Yellow-rumped Warbler (Setophaga coronata)  10
Northern Cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis)  1

View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/checklist/S403446788

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