Date: 10/24/25 3:18 pm From: <reports...> Subject: [birders] Detroit River Hawk Watch (24 Oct 2025) 4223 Raptors
Detroit River Hawk Watch
Brownstown, Michigan, USA
Daily Raptor Counts: Oct 24, 2025
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Observation start time: 08:00:00
Observation end time: 16:00:00
Total observation time: 8 hours
Official Counter: Jo Patterson
Observers: Andrew Sturgess, Don Sherwood, Jerry Jourdan
Visitors:
We welcome visitors to our site as we are eager to share the joys of hawk
watching with one and all. Although there may be times in which we are all
very busy and need alone-time to concentrate, those are the times that are
most enjoyable for visitors as the skies are filled with migrating raptors.
Weather:
Someone vandalized our Sistine Chapel of a sky that we had yesterday,
leaving us with a monochromatic, flat-gray ceiling of a mausoleum today. It
happened before our eyes. The morning’s sparse altocumulus clouds drifted
away, to be replaced by an ever-increasing mass of non-descript,
unattractive colored clouds until we were left with near-solid, low stratus
clouds that blocked any warmth we had hoped to receive from the sun. The
winds were mostly of a western flavor with variations coming from a
slightly more northern position. Ranging from nine mph to eleven at one
point, they kept the real-feels lower than the actual high temperature of
fifty-one degrees. The barometer continued to climb in the high-pressure
range, but that was belied by the cloud laden appearance of the sky. We had
hoped for better.
Raptor Observations:
The birds still came, but taking zig-zag flight paths that demanded
attention to follow. The turkey vultures tend to tack into an adverse wind
and today was a good example. They started in the first hour and pursued
many paths into the western wind, but in the end, we managed to track and
count four thousand, one hundred and ten of them. October’s stars
continue to shine. Red-tailed hawks took the second step on the podium with
a respectable fifty-eight, most of them tagging along with the TVs.
Twenty-five sharpies took the lowest step; most having a little easier ride
than yesterday’s bouncy flight. Eight northern harriers rode the winds
today. Six red-shouldered hawks hitched a ride with the flow of migrants.
Four bald eagles flew high overhead. We had the falcon hat-trick today with
one of each species, kestrel, merlin and peregrine. Both the merlin and
peregrine were hungry and aggressive. Last, but certainly not least, we had
five golden eagles today. We always enjoy seeing these beautiful birds, but
just wish they would come a little closer.
Non-raptor Observations:
The pelicans and cormorants are still feeding on the schools of fish in the
Detroit River, they have been coming nearer in the past couple of days. We
had a nice flight of relatively close pelicans today. It’s only in the
last couple of days that we have seen the pelicans in their traditional
feeding groups, tightly bunched, elbow to elbow, and dipping their huge
bills together. We have all heard the expression “to eat crow.” Today,
a merlin took that expression quite literally and attacked a member of the
first group of crows that passed over this morning. It happened starting on
the other side of the slip, and proceeded over our heads, and continued
behind us. The crow managed to make an escape, but the merlin, as always,
is never afraid to fight above its weight class, taking on any bird that
may come too close. The peregrine was also feeling a bit peckish and went
after a swallow. Failing in that attempt, it developed a sudden taste for
duck. He also continued to endure hunger pangs after unsuccessful attacks.
The crows continue to increase in number. Today we counted nine-hundred and
thirty-nine.
Predictions:
Tomorrow the high pressure will be fully established and the winds will
diminish. Possibly, a little too much. Predicted strengths are in the two
to four mph range and that usually means variable winds with lulls, and
changes in direction. It may mean the birds will seek out stronger winds
higher up. The temperature will be a little warmer and thankfully, the low
winds should not create the wind chill that we have felt the last two days.
Cloud cover looks to be in the fifty percent range, which, unless it gets
out of control, like today, could make for a pleasant, more attractive day.
The vultures should still be moving, and hopefully, the buteos will tag
along. Let’s hope we have a flight path that we can easily see.
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Report submitted by Andrew Sturgess (<ajyes72...>)
Detroit River Hawk Watch information may be found at:
http://www.detroitriverhawkwatch.org
