[BIRDHAWK] Backyard Hawk Watch
Geoff Graff (ggraff@erols.com)
Tue, 13 Oct 1998 19:45:20 -0400
Sorry for the delay, I have a problem with the computer last night, this
machine doesn't sent my report last night, so my dad fix it and it work
now.
Backyard Hawkwatch (est. 1992), Fall 1998
Site: 3812 White Ave., between Belair Rd. and Walther Ave. - northeast
Baltimore City in the Gardenville section.
Topography of the Site: The prominent peak in the area is a steep ridge
abut 180-200' above Belair Rd. and about 260' above sea level. It runs
northeast to southwest and is the first ridge west of the Chesapeake
Bay. It is about 12 miles from the bay, and is about 5 miles northwest
of the head of Back River, an arm of the bay, and about 6 miles north of
Baltimore's Inner Harbor. There is a long narrow old-growth of woods
about 3+ acres on top of the ridge. My hawkwatch site is about 150
yards west of the ridge. From the west side of the ridge, going west
past my site, the topography continues to rise for about 6/10 mile to a
height even higher than the ridge. The only road that runs along side
of ridge is Fairwood Ave., that connects from White Ave. to Parkmount
Ave.
The hawkwatch is located in my backyard. Most of the hawk flights
arrive from the northeast and a few from the north and northeast-east.
Reports: Kevin Graff (ggraff@erols.com)
Counters: Kevin Graff and Anne Brooks (12-2pm)
(site manned, it depends on the weather, 9am-6pm early to mid. Oct.)
SPECIES 10/12 SEASON 1997
Turkey Vulture 2 70 362
Black Vulture 3 15* new record* 13
Golden Eagle 1 1 first of season (imm.) 3
Bald Eagle 1 14* (7 ad. & 7 imm.) 9
N. Harrier 2 39* 25
Sharp-shinned Hawk 11 112* new record* (109 in 1995) 106
Cooper's Hawk 13 65 82
N. Goshawk 0 0 2
Red-shouldered Hawk 2 19 51
Broad-winged Hawk 1 11,779* 4,324
Red-tailed Hawk 4 43 339
Rough-legged Hawk 0 1 13
Osprey 0 46* 20
Am. Kestrel 2 55* 23
Merlin 0 9* 7
Peregrine Falcon 0 3* 2
Swainson's Hawk 0 1 (imm. light phrase - 9/16) n/a
Unidentified Accipiter 0 2 4
Unidentified Buteo 0 2 3
Unidentified Falcon 0 1 0
Unidentified Raptor 0 0 0
Total: 42 12,277* 5,338
Weather: Mostly cloudy this morning with a few dots of blue sky. Cloud
cover breaking up with partly sunny at 11am and lasts for about 3 hrs.
Wind from 2 directions, NW to NWN and SE to E.
Raptor Migration Highlight: Nice movement of accipiters. Imm. Golden
Eagle was spotted at 10:07am with imm. 1st winter Bald eagle and soar
over the ridge for about 12 minutes to give me a nice view and then both
eagles goes seperate way, with Golden Eagle headed SWW and Bald Eagle
went SW.
Non-Raptor Migration Highlight: Another strong geese migration with 25
flocks of 458 Canada Geese flew by. Also a single great Blue Heron and
more Monarch Butterflies with 37.
Note: I starting the hawkwatch at 8:30am today, because of early morning
geese flyby. Anne Brooks stop by to see some hawks at 12pm, and for two
hrs. we counted 13 hawks including 4 Cooper's Hawk, 3 Black Vulture, 2
Sharp-shinned Hawk, 1 Turkey Vulture, 1 Red-tailed Hawk, 1 N. Harrier,
and 1 Broad-winged Hawk (disappear before we looks up again) and two
flocks of geese. I would like to say thanks to Anne to help out today,
and glad she enjoy seeing nice hawks movement.
Questions or comments on this report to Kevin Graff at
ggraff@erols.com
Kevin Graff
Baltimore, MD
ggraff@erols.com