[BIRDHAWK] Backyard Hawk Watch
Geoff Graff (ggraff@erols.com)
Tue, 27 Oct 1998 21:03:27 -0500
Backyard Hawk Watch (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
about 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)
Counter: Kevin Graff
(site manned, it depends on the weather, 9am-5pm through Dec. 15th)
SPECIES 10/27 SEASON 1997
Turkey Vulture 0 288 362
Black Vulture 0 33* 13
Golden Eagle 0 1 (imm. - 10/12) 3
Bald Eagle 0 18* (7 ad. & 11 imm.) 9
N. Harrier 0 45* 25
Sharp-shinned Hawk 0 198* 106
Cooper's Hawk 0 113* 82
N. Goshawk 0 1 2
Red-shouldered Hawk 0 50 51
Broad-winged Hawk 0 11,782* 4,324
Red-tailed Hawk 1 107 339
Rough-legged Hawk 0 3 13
Osprey 0 48* 20
Am. Kestrel 1 62* 23
Merlin 0 12* 7
Peregrine Falcon 0 3* 2
Swainson's Hawk 0 1 (imm. light phase - 9/16) n/a
Unidentified Accipiter 0 3 4
Unidentified Buteo 0 2 3
Unidentified Falcon 0 1 0
Unidentified Raptor 0 0 0
Total: 2 12,771* 5,338
Weather: Lousy rain-like cloud all morning. Later in the afternoon,
around 3pm, cloud are breaking up and showing a peak on sunshine for
only a short time.
Raptor Migration Highlight: Both RTH and AK came in between 4-5pm.
Non-Raptor Migration Highlight: Same time as RTH and AK, a nice several
mixed flocks of 195 Am. Robin with 8 Blue Jay, 5 Juncos, 3 Hermit Thrush
and a late migrate Veery, and 2 Golden-crowned Kinglets.
Note: Did only 1 hour of hawkwatching because I have college all day
with lab. Also I forgot to remind you that I had a Brown Creeper
yesterday on one of maple tree, I only see it for a few seconds because
I almost miss some hawks flyby. My mom told me that she saw a small
brown bird hopping upward on the maple tree and is hard to see and it
turn out to be a Brown Creeper. This is a new yardlist for me.
Questions or comments on this report to Kevin Graff at
ggraff@erols.com
Kevin Graff
Baltimore, MD
ggraff@erols.com