September is coming to a close in this week 6 of the Mackinac Straits 2024 Fall Raptor Watch. Raptor numbers fell this week, with a total of 1,529 birds counted compared to 2,168 in week 5 and a steady climb in numbers before that. Two firsts for this season included the first and so far only Swainson’s Hawk this fall, and an early first Golden Eagle.
September 22 started out the week with a slow 72 raptors, mostly Sharp-shinned Hawks, and showers throughout the day. The Monarchs however remained active as did the waterfowl species on the move. The migration picked up a bit 9/23 for a clear day with moderate to strong winds, which unfortunately made it difficult to count as the raptors stayed high and against the clear, sunny sky. Again, the non-raptors were of note, as the first big push of Sandhill Cranes came through with nearly 800 individuals counted.
Another slow day on 9/24 saw little of interest and only 53 raptors. September 25 climbed to a total of 139 raptors counted with a scattered flight but one nice dark-morph Red-tail, a flock of 35 American Golden-plovers, and a large number of Blue Jays.
Throughout the rest of the week numbers continue to improve, starting with 278 raptors on 9/26. Red-tailed Hawk and Turkey Vulture numbers are beginning to dominate, as is the usual for this time of year. 9/27 saw mostly Red-tails and Sharpies, as well as the first Swainson’s Hawk for this fall season. Finally, the week rounded out at 388 raptors counted on 9/28, with a nice flight starting slow in the morning but building up quite nicely. Turkey Vultures were the most numerous of the day, but other highlights included two dark-morph Red-tails, a nearly completely albino Red-tail, and the first Golden Eagle of the season.
Overall, for week 6, Turkey Vultures were the most numerous, making up 28% of the count followed by Sharp-shinned Hawks then Red-tails. Over the coming weeks we will see this numbers continue to shift. Check in next week to see how and come visit us to see the migration in person!
