Detroit River Hawkwatch 2012 - Summary

On September 14, we saw very few Broad-wings. On September 15, the birds seemed to know that the HawkFest was in full swing. We saw over 2000 in 2 different locations! It was very exciting and worth the wait! Quite a spectacle. Kenn Kaufmann (a celebrity in the birding world) was there with a group from Ohio and I was introduced to him; he actually sort of birded with our group for awhile. Although I'm not really into the celebrity thing, I have to admit it was rather exciting.

In addition to the Broad-wings I saw a Kingfisher, Green Heron and Northern Harrier during the next few days.

One "slow" day, we drove to Holiday Beach, Canada and visited the Hawkwatch there. It is across Lake Erie, 11 miles as the crow flies. They have a 3 story tower for viewing, which affords wonderful views of the surrounding wetlands and Lake Erie.

Mute Swans in Canada



Viewing Tower At Holiday Beach, Canada

Wetlands at Holiday Beach, Canada

The trip was a lot of fun and a great experience. I enjoyed socializing with the group I was traveling with; we had lots of laughs and I learned a lot from them. The weather was great and the locale beautiful. Can't wait for my next birding vacation! More pics below. Thanks for sharing this with me.

The "Group"

Broad-winged Hawks!

Today I finally saw Broad-winged Hawks migrating! We saw just a few today, but tomorrow's weather conditions are ideal for a major migration. We are all keeping our fingers crossed. We went to a second location this afternoon called Point Mouillee and saw a LOT of shorebirds, and several soaring Bald Eagles, masquerading as Broad-winged Hawks (haha). This location is beautiful and a lot more natural; no boaters or jet skis. Back at the Boat Ramp location I saw over 200 Cormorants skimming along the water. Other new species for the day included Merlin and Red-tails.

I took a walk on the boardwalk to the Nature Center in Lake Erie Metropark and saw Red-winged Blackbirds, Frogs and Deer.

It rained this a.m., so we got a late start, but it still turned out to be a beautiful, mild fall day.

Fellow Hawkwatchers Joanne, Hal and Wes

Lake Erie Metropark Boardwalk

Frog

Deer

Point Mouillee

Detroit Hawkwatch Day 2



Beautiful Sky but no Broad-winged Hawks Today

 Thursday, September 13

Today was a beautiful day and our first day as a complete group - Borrego hawkwatchers together in Michigan. The weather was still not conducive to Broad-winged migration. But we did see: Gull, Bald Eagle, Turkey Vulture, Cooper's, Cedar Waxwing, Great Blue Heron, Caspian Tern, Egret, Harrier and Peregrine. This was the first recorded migrating Peregrine  for the Hawkwatch this year!(I've learned how to add links, so if you are interested, click on blue type). The Peregrine flew by very close and we got a great look at this beautiful bird. In addition to the birds we also saw several species of Dragonflies and Butterflies. And a very cute Woodchuck!

Rain is predicted for tomorrow and we are hopeful that the wind and weather conditions will encourage our much anticipated Broad-winged Hawks to migrate and fly right overhead!

We ended the day with a great dinner in a Middle Eastern restaurant in Dearborn and also delicious homemade ice cream!

Detroit River Hawkwatch - 2012

View Toward Lake Erie and Canada

Hawkwatch Site

Great Blue Heron

Mallards in a "Conga Line:

Greetings from Michigan! I arrived on September 11. I'm meeting friends here from the Borrego Hawkwatch to spend a week watching Broad-winged Hawks migrate south. It is interesting to be in the Midwest again. It's been many years since my college days in Indiana and I had forgotten how different it is here. Lots of green, water bodies, and brick houses with big lawns. The weather has been pleasant and no bugs! Today I was at the watch site from about 10:30am to 3:30pm. The site is at a boat ramp at the Lake Erie Metropark. It's a beautiful location. Unfortunately we didn't see ANY Broad-winged Hawks today. We did however see the following: Great Blue Heron, Caspian Tern, Mallard, Cormorant, Sharp-shinned Hawks, Swallows, Osprey, Bald Eagle, Canada Goose, Pied-billed Grebe, and  Ring-billed Gull.
I'm having a great time already, hanging out with my friends, meeting new people and enjoying nature!