[MDOsprey] [BIRDHAWK] Backyard Hawk Watch
Geoff Graff (ggraff@erols.com)
Wed, 04 Aug 1999 21:29:20 -0400
Backyard Hawk Watch (est. 1992), Fall 1999
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
between 3-5 acres on top of the ridge. My hawkwatch site is about 150
yards west of 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 (Aug. 4th - 9am-12pm & 8pm-8:30pm)
(site manned, it depends on the weather, 8am-8pm (August), except
Mon.-Thurs. 8am-2pm)
SPECIES 8/04 SEASON 1998
TV 0 1 525
BV 0 0 49
GE 0 0 1
BE 0 0 22
NH 0 0 48
SS 0 0 260
CH 0 0 153
NG 0 0 1
RS 0 0 108
BW 0 0 11,782
RT 0 0 526
RL 0 0 7
OS 0 0 48
AK 1 1 64
ML 0 0 15
PF 0 0 4
SH 0 0 1
UA 0 0 3
UB 0 0 3
UF 0 0 1
UR 0 0 0
1 2 13,621
Non-Raptor 8/04 SEASON 1998
Barn Swallow 3 5* 3
Common Grackle 0 38 n/a
3 43 10,256 (33 species)
Butterfly 8/04 SEASON 1998
Monarch 1 1 7,399
E. Tiger Swallowtail 1 2 n/a
2 3 7,399
Weather: am=S pm=PS :Temp in the mid to upper 80's all day with calm
wind in early am, later became breezing in late am with alot of clouds
around noon. Wind from the NE and SWW.
Raptor Migration Highlight: A single kestrel came in at 10:18am and
headed SWS.
Non-Raptor Migration Highlight: 3 Barn Swallow headed SW.
Butterfly Migration Highlight: a single Eastern Tiger Swallowtail headed
SE and a Monarch Butterfly headed SW. (6 E. Tiger Swallowtail, 3 Monarch
Butterfly, 20+ Silver-spotted Skipper, 7 Fiery Skipper and 11 Cabbage
White feeding on Butterfly Bushes all day)
Standard hawk species identifier codes used: TV= Turkey Vulture, BV=
Black Vulture, GE= Golden Eagle, BE= Bald Eagle, NH= N. Harrier, SS=
Sharp-shinned Hawk, CH= Cooper's Hawk, NG= N. Goshawk, RS=
Red-shouldered Hawk, BW= Broad-winged Hawk, RT= Red-tailed Hawk, RL=
Rough-legged Hawk, OS= Osprey, AK= Am. Kestrel, ML= Merlin, PF=
Peregrine Falcon, SH= Swainson's Hawk, UA= Unidentified Accipiter, UB=
Unidentified Buteo, UF= Unidentified Falcon, UR= Unidentified Raptor.
Sky Codes: S= Sunny, MS= Mostly Sunny, PS= Partly Sunny, MC= Mostly
Cloudy, MR= Mostly Rain
Questions or comments on this report to Kevin Graff at
ggraff@erols.com
Kevin Graff
Baltimore, MD
ggraff@erols.com