Starting out with some nice weather and the eclipse, to rain, lower temperatures, and high winds, week 6 of the Mackinac Straits Raptor Watch has ended. The count this week came to a total of 10,842 raptors.
The most sighted birds this week were once again Turkey Vultures and Red-tailed Hawks. Red-tails made up 74% of the count, far outweighing any other species. Firsts of the season include a Black Vulture on 4/09, an Osprey on 4/10, and five Broad-winged Hawks on 4/13.
We also saw season highs of multiple species- Red-tails, Sharp-shinned Hawks, and Northern Harrier on 4/08, and Turkey Vulture on 4/09.
The day of the eclipse, 4/08, turned out to be an interesting flight which grew quickly from the morning into a large flight of 5,047 raptors. When the clouds moved in and the eclipse began, this large amount of activity mostly ceased.
Overall week 6 saw some slow days as well as some spectacular and interesting flights.
