As we head into fall with the weather getting cooler, thousands of birds are flying south for the winter. In fact, September through November is known as raptor season because this is the time of year in Michigan when you can see many birds of prey high in the sky.
If you want to see these magnificent creatures, a great spot to watch for them is at Lake Erie Metropark in Brownstown, part of the Huron-Clinton Metropark system.
We spoke with Kevin Arnold, the Southern District Interpretive Supervisor, to find out why this place is so good for spotting some of the largest birds in the sky.
“So a lot of it has to do with geography,” explains Arnold. “We are just a short distance from Canada, and these birds that are coming down from the north are following the shoreline [of Lake Ontario and Erie] and then they island hop, really, for about 4 miles to get across to this area.”
This proves a much easier flight path than flapping wings for miles to get across one of the Great Lakes.
It’s there, at the boat launch, where the Detroit River Hawk Watch sets up camp for the season to count and identify the many birds flying overhead. The group is made up of volunteers and a couple of official counters and will sit and watch from September 1st to November 30th. The information they gather will be put into the Raptor Population Index, an online resource that around 250 sites across the nation input their counts. This allows people to study these various birds, understanding their population size and flights.
So, if you are new to all of this and want to get in on the action, what should you expect?
Well, according to Arnold, you should bring a pair of binoculars and plenty of patience. Some days are better for spotting hawks than others, and you could be there on a slow day or time. Additionally, many of these birds are incredibly high in the sky, and even with binoculars appear like small specks. As Arnold says, practice will make it easier, and you can always ask questions of the volunteers. (Just don’t distract them too much from their important job.)
One of the reasons hawks and other large birds are so hard to see, is they are high in the sky riding the thermals. Thermals are rising columns of warm air that form over land. Think of them like a reverse gentle tornado, slowly spinning upwards. Birds like to ride these thermals high into the sky and then glide down to the next one. This allows them to travel great distances without having to flap their wings all that often. Frequently, when you do spot a large group of raptors, they will appear to “boil” as they swirl around in the sky, riding the thermals to the top.
As the weather changes, so do the types of birds you will see. They like to break it down by month at the Metropark. September is when you will see “sheer numbers,” so large groups of Sharp-shinned Hawks, Broad-wing Hawks, Osprey, Bald Eagles, Northern Harrier, and Swainson’s Hawk. In October you will see a large variety as you will get some of the late September migrators and early November migrators. In particular, October is known for spotting Red-Tailed Hawk, Cooper’s Hawk, Red-shouldered Hawk, and Turkey Vultures. Finally, November is for spotting a lot of the birds that settle in the far north over the summer. This is when you will spot Golden Eagles and the Rough-legged Hawk.
If you happen to be there on an uneventful day, you can always visit Luc, their resident bald eagle, at the museum.
Besides bird watching, there are lots of hike-bike and nature trails all across Lake Erie Metropark, as well as a boat launch and fishing areas.
For more information on raptor spotting, watch the video above.
To explore the different types of Activities at the Metroparks, and to find the park nearest you, click or tap here.